No Seat, No Boyfriend, No Problem

Serena's POV

The meat sizzled on the grill, dripping with fat and smelling incredible.

Cody Sharp and I used to come here all the time.

Then Irene Thorne came along. She was strict about her figure and refused to touch anything greasy, so Cody stopped joining me. Whenever I brought up craving it, he'd just frown and scan me up and down.

"Why can't you be more like Irene and tone down the heavy stuff? You were so lean when we first met. Look at those rolls on your waist now. It's a total turn-off."

I never came back after that.

I snapped a quick photo of the meat and dropped it into our group chat.

Half an hour passed, and no one replied.

Then Irene posted an update on Instagram. "Cody and I totally crushed the Valentine's Beer Chug contest! 100-dollar cash plus sweet prizes unlocked!"

The video showed them locking arms and knocking back beers. As they finished the final round, they shared a lingering smile.

"Give it up for our champions, the gorgeous couple right here!" the host roared into the mic.

Cody just smiled without making the slightest effort to deny it. He let Irene grab his hand and hoist it into the air, basking in their win.

My hand holding the grill tongs trembled.

It was Valentine's Day, and my boyfriend was out entering couples' contests with my best friend.

Ironically, I found myself thinking they seemed like a better match, too. They were both into extreme sports, gaming, drinking, and clubbing.

Meanwhile, I just liked food and binging TV shows.

Irene had tried teaching me to game once, but after we lost a dozen matches in a row, Cody snapped and kicked me from the team.

"How many times do I have to explain this? You're hopeless. Stick to your shows and stop ruining our rank."

I spent weeks practicing on my own in secret, but by the time I finally reached their rank, they'd already moved on to the next big game.

Once I finished eating, I headed back to the dorm alone. Irene wasn't back yet.

The group chat remained dead. Nobody cared what I'd eaten or where I'd gone.

Right before curfew, Cody finally texted me. "Come down and help me with Irene. She's wasted."

I threw on my pajamas and went downstairs. He was holding a drunk Irene in his arms, carrying her high heels in one hand.

Her arms were wrapped snugly around his neck, effortless and intimate.

My mind flashed back to the time I twisted my ankle in PE class. I had asked Cody to carry me to the infirmary.

He had refused, saying, "Everyone's watching. It's embarrassing. Besides, your leg's not broken. Just limp over slowly."

Yet here he was, carrying Irene all the way from the seafood restaurant to our dorm building, right in front of everyone.

My chest felt tight. I stepped up and reached out to take Irene from him.

However, she whined and pulled him closer. "No, don't put me down! I want you to carry me."

Cody chuckled, looking helpless. "We're at your dorm. How about I carry you next time?"

That satisfied her.

I must have looked miserable, because Cody reached over, patted my head, and softened his voice. "I'm just joking. Don't be mad. You know how bratty she gets when she's drunk. If I didn't play along, she'd never let me leave."

Ignoring him, I took Irene's arm to drag her upstairs.

But he frowned and grabbed my wrist. His voice was laced with annoyance as he said, "Seriously, Serena? I hate it when you give me the cold shoulder the second you're upset."

I looked him straight in the eyes. "Fine, I'll say it. It's Valentine's Day. It was supposed to be our night. Instead, you went to dinner with my best friend, didn't save me a seat, ignored my messages, entered a beer-chugging contest as a couple, and carried her back in your arms. Yeah, I'm upset."

Clearly taken aback by my bluntness, he froze, his eyes narrowing as he stared at me.

Then, he cupped my cheeks with both hands and burst out laughing. "Serena, you look like a cute little bunny when you're jealous. It's adorable."