William was consistently the top student in the grade, while I was just an average art student.
I was afraid he would leave me, but William would only laugh and pinch my nose, saying, "Silly girl, how could I leave you? I can never repay the kindness you and your aunt and uncle have shown me."
I thought we would be happy like this forever, until Felicity appeared.
One hot summer day, I was doing my homework with William at his house when there was a knock at the door.
When I opened it, a bright and cheerful girl with braided pigtails stood there.
She said she had just moved in and was William’s new neighbor. Her light voice seemed to dispel the summer heat, but I felt uneasy.
Perhaps it was because she was so beautiful, or perhaps it was because I noticed the sparkle in her eyes when she looked at William.
Later I realized that this unease wasn’t just a feeling, but a shadow over the rest of my high school life.
The next day, I learned that Felicity had not only become William’s new neighbor, but had also transferred to our school.
The monthly exams had just finished, and the teacher was reviewing the results. I, whose grades were average, had managed to get first place in the class for Chinese, but just as the teacher finished praising me, Felicity appeared at the classroom door.
The whole class erupted in excitement. No one cared about my grades anymore; everyone was looking at Felicity outside the door.
"Wow, our school is such a beauty!"
"Are you crazy? She’s obviously a transfer student; otherwise, how come I haven’t seen her before?"
That’s when I realized that Felicity had not only become William’s neighbor, but was also about to become our classmate.
What I didn’t expect was that when choosing a deskmate, Felicity chose me.
"Emily, you’re the only girl I know in this class. You’ll have to help me out in the future."
"I know you and William are close. Can you take me with you next time?"
Her smile was radiant, like the warm sun in winter.
And I, it seemed, couldn’t find any reason to refuse.
From then on, a third person entered between William and me.
I didn’t have many friends in class, and ever since Felicity arrived, my classmates all thought that she and William were perfect for each other, even though William liked me.
"The class beauty and the class heartthrob are together; why does Emily keep getting in the way?"
"Who knows, a toad trying to eat swan meat."