Chapter 2

Gabriel's POV

The next day, I went back to class, still limping a little. It was a mandatory class for our major, which meant Lionel and Esther were there too.

I opened the classroom door and saw them huddled together, looking at their phones.

Esther looked back at me and casually made her way to me. "Gabriel, I texted you before class. Why didn't you reply? Are you still upset that we saw right through your little act yesterday?"

Esther was still grinning at me, but the moment she noticed the bandages on my leg, her smile faltered.

"You're hurt? What happened?"

"Gabriel, you're finally here!"

Lionel suddenly rushed over. "You didn't reply in the group chat yesterday. Esther and I talked all night. Want to see the photo I edited of her?"

He wanted to show me the photo, but Esther snatched his phone away. "Don't try to ruin my reputation."

"What reputation?" The two of them started wrestling over the phone, giggling as they shoved each other.

Just then, our professor walked in and tapped on the whiteboard, saying that we would be splitting into groups for an assignment.

Lionel immediately raised his hand. "Professor, the three of us are best friends. We have to be in the same group!"

He turned to me with a grin. "Gabriel, you be the leader. You're the responsible one."

I didn't protest. I filled in our group members' names, chose our assignment topic, and sat in a corner.

Lionel patted my shoulder. "Buddy, you know I'm terrible at this stuff. Writing isn't really my thing. I'm counting on you for this project."

With that, he pulled out his phone and leaned over to Esther. He swiped across the screen a couple of times, saying, "Hey, I found you a new husband. Check it out."

Esther looked down at his phone and started laughing, her shoulders shaking. "No, that's yours…"

The two of them huddled together, scrolling through videos throughout the lecture. They kept their voices down, but their laughter never stopped.

I sat quietly in the corner, reviewing the data, laying out the framework, and filling in the details. I wrote so much until my hand ached.

Sunlight streamed through the window, shining on their smiling faces. The glare off the paper made me squint.

I was suddenly reminded of our time in sophomore year. After my classmates were assigned to groups, I was left on my own.

Esther decided to form a group with me, and she didn't even let me work on it. She pulled an all-nighter, researching, making charts, and laying the framework all by herself.

But ever since she met Lionel, they started assuming I would handle all the assignments. She got to have fun with him, while I was stuck doing everything for them.

The bell rang, signaling that class was over. Lionel snatched Esther's phone and made a beeline for the door.

She got up and ran after him. "How dare you take my phone again! Give it back!"

The two of them ran out of the classroom, their laughter drifting down the hallway and gradually fading into the distance.

I was the only one left in the classroom. Left with no choice, I had to continue working on the assignment. I didn't even have time for lunch.

I was still weak from losing so much blood the day before, and the dizziness kept coming back in waves. The moment I finished writing, my vision went black. I staggered into the wall, the back of my head hitting it with a thud.

I leaned against it, breathing heavily before I managed to get up. I wrote my name on the group assignment and handed it in.

That afternoon, the professor called Esther and Lionel out in class. Since they hadn't contributed to the assignment, they were each docked ten points.

Once class was over, Esther yanked me into a corner of the hallway. She kept her voice low, but I could see something shifting in her eyes.

"Gabriel, what the hell is this? Why didn't you put Lionel's name and mine on the assignment? He just got docked ten points. Happy now?"

"I worked on that assignment alone. Why should I put your names on it?"

Esther scowled. "How could you do that to us? It wouldn't have killed you to put our names on the assignment.

"Lionel was the one who brought you into the group and made you leader. How could you do this to him?"

I froze on the spot. I was so hurt that I didn't even know what to say.

Esther paused for a moment before smiling bitterly at me. "No wonder you couldn't fit in with anyone. Maybe you should ask yourself why no one ever wants to be in the same group as you. You're the problem."

With that, Esther turned and walked away with Lionel.

The cold wind swept through the hallway, making me shiver from head to toe. I stood at the same spot for a long time before letting out a sharp breath.

Despite feeling weak from the blood loss, I forced myself to keep going and slowly made my way back to the dorm on my own.