#Chapter 12 Third Place

Tessa’s POV

I woke up early so I could make some finishing changes and revisions to my short story before I sent it in by the 10 am deadline.

Ruby left her room, already fully dressed.

“Good morning,” Ruby said with a smile. “Have you been up all night?”

“No, I got a few hours of sleep. I just want this paper to be perfect,” I explained to her.

This was the first time I had written so fluently in the process of creation. Stories like this had never come so effortlessly before. I was nervous about sending this in, but at the same time, I was also excited.

Ruby grabbed a pop tart and sat at the kitchen table while I finished.

“Did you already finish your paper?” I asked, peering over at her.

“I submitted it last night,” she told me, but I could see the worried look on her face. “If I continued working on it, I would have ruined it. I just wanted to get it over with.”

I thought about asking her what she wrote about, but I thought it might have been better if neither of us knew too many d