Jasper’s POVI watched from my seat as Tara placed her hands gently on Tony’s shoulders, leaning in close to say something I couldn’t hear. Whatever advice she was giving him, he seemed to be listening intently, nodding along with a serious expression on his face.I hated it.I absolutely hated watching them stand there together like that, so comfortable with each other, so at ease. My jaw clenched involuntarily, and I could feel my hands curling into fists on top of my desk. The sight of Tara touching him so casually made something dark and uncomfortable twist in my chest.I needed to do something. I needed to break this up before I lost my mind completely.Just then, I sensed movement in my peripheral vision. Sarah was walking in our direction, carrying what looked like a hair tie or scrunchie in her hand. She was scanning the room, probably looking for someone specific.An idea formed in my mind instantly. I could use Sarah to interrupt whatever was happening between Tara and Tony.
Tara’s POVThe next morning, I woke up feeling like I hadn’t slept at all. My eyes felt heavy and swollen, my head ached, and my body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. I’d tossed and turned all night, replaying the argument with Jane over and over in my mind.I dragged myself out of bed and got ready for school mechanically. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and pulled on my uniform without really thinking about what I was doing. My mind was still foggy with exhaustion and anxiety.As I was putting on my shoes, my phone buzzed. I picked it up and saw a text from Tony.Hey! Ready for the first day back? Hope you’re doing okay.I managed a small smile despite everything. Tony always had a way of checking in at the right time.I’m okay. Just tired. See you at school.I was about to put my phone away when another notification popped up. This time, it was from Jake.I’ll call you later today. We need to talk.I stared at the message for a long moment, my emotions swirling. Part of
Tara’s POVI stood frozen on the sidewalk, my phone pressed tightly against my ear, trying to process what Zoey had just told me. Jane had been with Jasper? Holding hands? My mind was spinning with confusion and hurt.“Zoey,” I said carefully, trying to keep my voice steady. “You need to calm down and explain exactly why you’re so angry at Jane.”I could hear Zoey taking a deep breath on the other end, trying to control her emotions. “Okay. Listen. Jane saw the selfie we posted. The one with you, me, and Sarah.”“Okay,” I said slowly. “And?”“And she completely lost it,” Zoey said, her voice rising again with frustration. “She called me screaming about how we went behind her back to hang out with Sarah. She said we were being terrible friends and that we should have told her Sarah was going to be there.”My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “But we didn’t even plan for Sarah to be there. It was a coincidence. She just happened to run into us.”“I told her that!” Zoey exclaimed. “I tried
Tara’s POVEventually, the sun started to dip lower in the sky, painting everything in shades of orange and pink. Our feet ached from walking for hours, and our faces were sore from smiling and laughing so much. We all silently agreed that it was time to part ways and head home.“That was really fun,” Sarah said, adjusting her bag on her shoulder and smiling warmly at both of us. “Thanks for letting me tag along. I really needed this.”“Of course,” I said genuinely. “I’m glad you came. It wouldn’t have been the same without you.”Zoey nodded, her earlier coldness completely gone. “Yeah. It was actually pretty cool hanging out with you.”Sarah’s smile grew even wider, and I could see how much those words meant to her. She waved goodbye to Zoey, then leaned closer to me and lowered her voice to a whisper.“By the way,” she said quietly, “thank you for putting in a good word for me with Jasper.”I blinked in confusion, my eyebrows furrowing. “What do you mean? I never talked to Jasper ab
Tara’s POVI wiped the water from my face, blinking rapidly as cold droplets ran down my cheeks and soaked into my shirt. My hair was dripping, and I could feel the water sliding down the back of my neck. I turned around sharply, ready to snap at whoever thought it was funny to spray me with water on purpose.But the moment I saw who it was, my anger melted away.Sarah.She stood there holding a bright blue water gun, her eyes wide with surprise and a hint of guilt. For a second, she looked genuinely shocked, like she hadn’t meant to hit me directly. Then her face softened into a sheepish smile.“Tara?” she said, lowering the water gun slowly. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I was aiming at someone else, I swear.”I let out a breath and managed a small smile despite being soaked. “It’s okay. Just… maybe aim better next time.”“I will,” Sarah said quickly, stepping closer with an apologetic look. “I really didn’t think I’d run into you here.”“Me neither,” I said, wringing out the bottom of
Tara’s POVAfter a moment of not answering to his message, I finally swiped through his apology message, reading each one carefully, even though I wanted to throw my phone across the room. My jaw was clenched, and my hands were shaking slightly from frustration.Finally, I typed back.If you don’t stop messaging me at this instant, I’m blocking you.I hit the sending button without a second thought. His reply came after some seconds.Don’t block me. Please. I can explain everything when we meet next.I scoffed, so he was expecting us to see again? Yet he ignored me? I smirked and typed back quickly.Meet? Why would I meet you? You’ve been ignoring me for days, Jake. DAYS. Do you know how that felt?I know. I’m sorry. I really am. Just give me a chance to explain in person. I stared at his message, my chest tightening. Part of me wanted to believe him. But another part of me felt used, like I was just someone he texted when he was bored.No, I typed. If you want me to even consider m