The campus event was over, and the auditorium slowly emptied out. The once-packed bleachers now echoed with only the sound of footsteps and fading chatter.
Suzie, still in her vibrant cheerleader uniform, strutted toward Walter and Arlo, her face glowing with leftover adrenaline from the performance. "So, how'd I do? Pretty awesome, right?" she asked, flashing a wide grin.
Walter's lips curved into a soft smile, his eyes warm as he looked at her. "You killed it up there, as always."
Arlo nodded, leaning casually against the wall with his arms crossed. "Yeah, you owned it. I swear some folks in the stands were practically drooling."
Suzie laughed, soaking up the praise. "Knew it! I've got that crowd-wowing magic."
But her grin faltered as something hit her. She scanned the auditorium, eyes darting around for a familiar face that wasn't there. Her brow furrowed. "Wait, Lyra didn't show?" Her tone shifted, tinged with disappointment.
Walter and Arlo exchanged a quick glance. "Doesn't look like it," Walter said gently.
Suzie's frown deepened. "She said she'd come."
Arlo raised an eyebrow, his voice dry. "Did she actually say that, or was it more like, 'I'll try'?"
Suzie's lips pursed, irritation flaring. "Okay, fine, she said she'd try. But still! I wanted her here."
Walter sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He could've pointed out that Lyra never fully committed, but he knew that'd only make things worse.
Arlo shrugged. "She's probably tied up with the Student Council. I heard they've got a Christmas thing tonight."
Suzie huffed, crossing her arms. "Whatever. The Council's not her top priority! I'm her best friend!"
Walter gave her a patient look, trying to defuse the tension. "Come on, Suzie, she's probably just swamped. Let's grab some food. My treat."
Still sulky, Suzie crossed her arms tighter, clearly not over it. After a moment, she exhaled sharply and nodded. "Fine. But I'm still pissed."
Arlo chuckled, shaking his head. "When are you not pissed?"
Walter gave a resigned smile, slinging an arm around Suzie's shoulders to lift her mood. They headed out of the auditorium, leaving behind the faint glow of Christmas lights twinkling in the corner.
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The trio settled into a restaurant for dinner, and Suzie's mood lightened as she dug into her food, chatting about her performance. But mid-laugh at one of Arlo's jokes, her eyes caught something across the room.
Someone all too familiar.
Her hands clenched, irritation flaring again. Without a second thought, she shot up from her seat and marched toward Lyra's table. Walter and Arlo, sensing trouble, hurried after her.
"Lyra!" Suzie's voice cut through the air.
Lyra, sipping her hot tea, froze at the sound. She turned, spotting her friend standing there, arms crossed, face stormy. "Suzie?"
Suzie's eyes narrowed. "I thought you were busy."
Lyra blinked, scrambling for words. "I was. There was a small Student Council thing, and this wasn't planned. I just—"
"Just what?" Suzie snapped, her voice rising as she gestured at the guy across from Lyra. "Just had time to hang out with him but not for me?"
Robin, who'd been quiet, met Suzie's glare with a bored expression, staying out of it for now.
Walter stepped in, voice calm. "Suzie, chill. Maybe Lyra had something come up."
"Don't defend her!" Suzie cut him off sharply. "I'm her best friend, and she's ditching me for someone else instead of watching my performance!"
Lyra's hands tightened under the table, her jaw set as she tried to keep her cool. "I didn't ditch you on purpose, Suzie."
"Then why?" Suzie demanded. "Since when did you start acting like this? You used to show up whenever I asked!"
Lyra lifted her gaze, tension simmering in her eyes. "That's the problem."
Suzie frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Lyra took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I'm always bending over backward for you guys. Always there when you need me. But have you ever stopped to think if I need to be heard, too?"
Silence hung heavy for a moment.
"I'm not avoiding you because I hate you," Lyra continued, her voice trembling slightly. "I just… I need to think about myself sometimes."
Suzie went quiet, though her eyes still burned with frustration. "Then why him? Since when is he more important than me and Walter?"
Robin finally spoke up, his tone calm but sharp. "Maybe because I'm the only one who sees her for who she is, not just a sidekick in someone else's story."
Suzie's glare snapped to him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Robin smirked faintly, leaning forward. "You and Walter are so used to Lyra always being there for you. But have you ever asked if she's happy playing that role?"
Walter shifted uncomfortably, while Suzie's fists clenched tighter. "You're just some new guy in her life, jerk! You don't know anything!"
Robin gave a small laugh, his gaze piercing. "That's the thing. Being new means I see what you two are too blind to notice."
Suzie stiffened. "Like what?"
He leaned in closer, voice steady but biting. "You call yourselves her best friends, but the second she starts doing something for herself, you act like it's a betrayal. Shouldn't real friends support her, not demand she stays the same?"
Suzie's lips trembled, her anger faltering.
Robin didn't let up. "And you wanna know who I am? I'm just someone who happened to be there when Lyra started figuring out what she wants. You can be as mad as you want, but you don't get to blame me because you can't handle her changing."
Suzie bit her lip, voice soft but raw. "I can't believe this… I thought we were best friends."
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What should've been a chill dinner at the restaurant had turned into an emotional battlefield.
Lyra sat frozen, feeling every pair of eyes locked on her. Robin, beside her, looked relaxed, but a subtle tension simmered beneath his calm facade.
Suzie's glare cut like a knife, her eyes swirling with emotions too tangled to pin down. "Lyra, why aren't you saying anything? You still consider me your friend, don't you?"
Lyra bit her lip, words caught in her throat. She wanted to explain, to make it right, but nothing came out.
Suzie let out a sharp sigh. "He's just some guy you barely know. Are you choosing us or him?"
Robin raised an eyebrow, clearly hearing the challenge but holding back, waiting for Lyra's move.
Lyra stayed silent, her heart caught in a painful tug-of-war. Suzie had been her best friend since high school, a constant in her life. But for the first time, Lyra felt herself growing, figuring out what she wanted.
Suzie's brow softened, her voice dropping. "Do you like him? Love him? I don't care if you're dating, Lyra, but he's pulling you away from your friends. He's selfish."
Robin let out a low, mocking laugh. "Selfish?" he repeated, his tone dripping with disdain as he locked eyes with Suzie. "Shouldn't that label fit you and your boyfriend over there?"
Suzie and Walter exchanged confused glances.
Lyra, sensing Robin was about to voice something she'd buried deep, grabbed his arm. "Robin, stop—"
But he gently shook her off, his gaze cold as it flicked between Suzie and Walter. "You think Lyra's always fine, don't you? Ever notice how she's always the third wheel, especially when you're lost in your little love bubble?"
Suzie's face flushed, a mix of anger and disbelief. "Arlo's fine with it, right?" she shot back, looking for backup.
All eyes turned to Arlo, who'd been quietly observing, his jacket slouched over his frame. He sighed heavily before speaking, voice steady. "Suzie, we're in public."
Her frustration flared, but Arlo looked away, clearly not wanting to dive deeper.
Robin scoffed. "Oh, really? Have you ever actually asked your buddy over there?" He glanced at Arlo before turning back to Suzie and Walter. "Maybe he puts up with it because he cares too much. So he just goes along, like an idiot."
The air grew thick with tension.
Robin turned to Lyra, his voice softer but loud enough for the table to hear. "I don't care if others are fine being puppets in your relationship. But I'm not letting Lyra end up like that."
With that, he stood, grabbing Lyra's hand firmly. "Let's go."
Lyra hesitated, her eyes flickering to Suzie and Walter's shocked faces. But in the end, she let Robin lead her out.
As they left the restaurant, Suzie stood rooted, fists clenched at her sides. Her face burned with anger, but her eyes held something deeper—disappointment that cut sharper than rage.
Walter, silent until now, spoke in a low voice, almost to himself. "Have we… always been like this?"
Arlo, seeing the mess unfold, clapped a hand on Walter's shoulder. "Come on, get Suzie home. I'll head back alone."
Walter looked at Suzie, still standing there, angry and hurt. "Suzie, let's go," he urged softly.
She resisted at first, but after Walter's gentle persistence, she relented, leaving with him.
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After Walter and Suzie left, Arlo sat in his car, engine idling. His fingers tapped the steering wheel aimlessly, his gaze lost through the windshield as snowflakes began to speckle the glass.
Outside, the snow fell harder, blanketing the streets in a soft white layer. The city's lights glowed faintly through the winter haze, creating a calm yet lonely scene.
Tonight wasn't just about a shaken friendship—it was the start of something new, something raw. Arlo wasn't sure if it would bring them closer or tear them apart for good.
He took a deep breath, Robin's words from the restaurant echoing in his mind.
"You think anyone can stand being a spectator to your cheesy romance?"
"Have you ever actually asked your buddy over there?"
"Maybe he puts up with it because he cares too much. So he just goes along, like an idiot."
Arlo sighed, catching his reflection in the glass. He wasn't one to meddle in others' drama. All this time, he'd watched, listened, stayed quiet. He'd thought everything was fine. That Lyra didn't mind.
Now, he wasn't so sure.
"Maybe Robin's right," he muttered, the words feeling strange on his tongue. The more he thought about it, the harder it was to deny.
Lyra had always been there for Suzie and Walter. Always bending to their rhythm, always the one they turned to without ever asking for anything back. But had they ever really seen her?
And, if he was honest… what about him?
Arlo couldn't lie to himself anymore. He was starting to see something he'd ignored for too long.
He'd been in the same boat.
Since forever, Arlo had been the reliable one—the guy called on to listen to Suzie's rants, keep Walter company, or play peacemaker in their petty fights. He wasn't the main character in their story, just a supporting role, always on standby.
They never ditched him, not really. But how often did Suzie or Walter seek him out just because? Not because they needed a sounding board or a problem fixed?
He'd laughed it off, chalked it up to the way their friendship worked. But tonight, for the first time, he questioned it.
Robin was right.
Not just about Lyra, but about him, too.
Maybe he'd been coasting, never pushing back, never asking. Just letting things roll.
But now, someone had stepped up for Lyra. Someone who saw her not as a shadow of others but as her own person.
And maybe, just maybe, it was time for him to do the same.
After a long moment, Arlo gripped the steering wheel, the car's heater cutting through the cold. He couldn't change what had happened, but one thing was clear: this wasn't the same friendship it used to be.
With a final deep breath, he eased onto the gas, driving slowly away from the restaurant, his heart heavier than before.
--------
The car glided through the snow-dusted city streets, the quiet between them heavy. Streetlights cast faint glows on the windows, their reflections dancing across Lyra's face.
Neither spoke.
Lyra stared down at her lap, a weight pressing on her chest. The scene from the restaurant replayed in her mind like a relentless loop—Suzie's anger, Robin's sharp retort, Walter's silence, Arlo's sigh. How had it come to this?
Why did it feel like she was the one in the wrong?
The question gnawed at her, stirring a storm of doubt.
Robin kept his eyes on the road, but from the corner of his vision, he caught the slump of her shoulders, like she was carrying something too heavy to bear.
The silence stretched until he took a deep breath and broke it. "I'm sorry."
His voice was soft, stripped of its usual edge or teasing bite—just raw, genuine regret.
Lyra's head snapped up, caught off guard.
Robin didn't look at her, his hands tight on the wheel, his posture stiffening slightly. "I went off back there," he said, his tone heavier now. "But I'm not taking back what I said. It was all true."
Lyra swallowed hard, her heart a tangled mess.
She wanted to argue, to defend Suzie and Walter, to insist they were still her friends, not bad people. But something in her chest held her back, refusing to let the words out.
Robin stole a quick glance before slowing the car, pulling into a small parking lot off the road. The engine hummed, the heater's soft whir filling the quiet between them.
"I'm not pissed just because they're selfish," he said, finally turning to face her. "I'm pissed because you keep letting them treat you like that, Lyra."
Her heart thudded.
"I know this is hard," he went on, his voice gentler now. "But when was the last time you did something you wanted? Not for them, not because you're scared of letting them down, but for you?"
Lyra opened her mouth, but no answer came.
Robin's eyes narrowed, like he'd expected as much. "See? You don't even know."
Her fingers curled tightly in her lap, a strange feeling creeping into her chest—partly like she might cry, partly like a weight was lifting.
Robin held her gaze for a moment before sighing softly, leaning back in his seat. "Look, I'm not saying they're awful people, okay?" His voice was quieter now. "I'm just saying… they don't get it. And neither did you, for a long time."
Lyra stayed silent.
How did Robin know? How could he see the feelings she hadn't even recognized in herself?
And why… why was he so angry for her?
He ruffled his own hair, like he was trying to keep something in check, then glanced at her again. "I don't need an answer right now. I just want you to see that you're worth more than you think."
Then, out of nowhere, he reached over and mussed her hair gently. "Stop overthinking. Point is, you're not alone anymore."
Lyra froze, staring at him.
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth before he turned back to the wheel. "Alright, enough drama for one night. You cold?" he asked, his tone lightening as he flicked on the blinker. "I know a spot with killer hot chocolate."
Lyra was still processing everything, but seeing Robin's easy grin, she let out a breath and gave a small nod.
He flashed another smile, then pulled back onto the road, leaving the heavy silence behind.
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*** TO BE CONTINUE ***