Sleeves Flowing in Spring

My boyfriend thought I was just a nerd. When he was drunk, he complained to his friends.

“Does it matter if she has good grades? Her family’s broke. You know, I could slap a wad of cash in her face, and she’d come crawling like a dog.”

However, I later ended up crying and sitting on a certain someone’s lap.

He kissed me from behind my ear down to my neck and chuckled softly.

“Hmm, a nerd? Does he even know that you’re actually the daughter of the city’s biggest real estate tycoon?”

It was early in the evening when it was our group’s turn for cleanup duty.

I carried a large black trash bag and tossed out the garbage.

When I returned, I saw my boyfriend making out with my best friend.

He lifted her chin playfully, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

I clenched my jaw as I stood there silently and listened to their conversation.

“When are you going to break up with her?”

My best friend of ten years was toying with my boyfriend’s collar and urging him to dump me.

I stood outside the window and watched them with a blank expression.

I could hardly remember when it all started.

At some point, we started walking home as a trio: me, my boyfriend, Ethan Scott, and my best friend, Claire Reed.

I lowered my head and stared at my shadow, which was stretched long by the setting sun. Meanwhile, the two shadows beside me were nearly merging into one.

By the school gate, the honor roll displayed the latest test results. Once again, my name was at the top.

“Sophie, you’re amazing! First place every time!”

Claire clung to my arm and grinned as she showered me with compliments.

Ethan simply snorted.

“What’s the point of good grades? She’s still from a poor—”

He did not finish his sentence because Claire smacked his arm.

“How could you say that? You know her family isn’t well off. She has nothing but her grades to rely on.”

Despite what she said, her hand continued to rest on Ethan’s arm.

Her eyes were filled with feigned sympathy as she stared at me.

“Sophie, we’re going to GNR tonight. But you’ll probably be too busy studying, right?”

I did not know how to respond to that.

GNR was a club.

Rich kids like Ethan with guaranteed study-abroad plans had zero interest in school. They spent their Fridays there partying.

For Claire to ask me that, she was already certain I would not come along.

Besides, Ethan’s little motorcycle only had room for one passenger.

I nodded.

Sure enough, Claire hopped onto the back of his motorcycle, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Then, I watched as they sped off together.

They just left me behind without a second thought.

The setting sun soon dipped below the city’s edge. I crouched on the ground and mindlessly fiddled with my fingers.

I kept at it