Chapter 3

Evan crumpled it into a ball and threw it away.

"It's fine. Nina can just get another copy from her professor."

Claire splashed permanent ink across my clothes, and Evan wiped her tears away with a smile.

"It's fine. The stain almost looks intentional. She can still wear them."

Claire lost the fountain pen Mom gave me when I started college, and Evan stepped in front of her with a frown.

"What does it matter? You've had that pen three years. It was time for a new one."

Every time I showed the slightest reluctance to let it go, he'd smooth my hair and drop his voice.

"Come on, sweetheart. You're not like her. You're the mature one. Don't stoop to her level."

By now he was so used to forgiving Claire on my behalf that he didn't see anything strange about it.

Sure enough, when Claire continued worrying about it, he wrote again.

Nina's considerate. She isn't as petty as you think.

I looked at that message for a long time.

Then I sent my first reply of the day.

Evan, I'm not as considerate as you think.

The group went quiet for two seconds.

Liam, who'd been lurking without a word, posted a question mark.

Then Evan called me.

"Nina, what is wrong with you? It's one barrette. Why are you being so aggressive?"

"I'm not coming after anyone, Evan."

"Then what do you want? Isn't Claire your best friend? You used to give in to her over everything. Why make a scene now?"

"You're the one who told me I was allowed to say when something hurt me."

Evan went quiet.

From somewhere near him, I heard Claire's voice, thick with tears.

"I'm sorry. Did I cause trouble between you two? I'll go apologize to Nina right now—"

I froze. "You're together?"

Evan stopped her, then came back to the phone with an exasperated sigh.

"You called Claire out in the group. Of course I came over to check on her.

"And what is there to be hurt about, anyway? She didn't break it on purpose."

"So I'm the one doing this on purpose?"

Evan snapped angrily. "Did you wake up looking for a fight? I bought that barrette, so I decide. Claire doesn't have to pay for it. What more do you want?"

I opened my mouth and nothing came out.

After some whispering on the other end, Claire took the phone.

"Nina, are you on your period? Is that why you're upset? You really have to take care of yourself when—"

Evan's voice came from behind her, calm again.

"Her period isn't today. She's just being dramatic."

Difficult.

I nodded to myself.

Whatever.

I was leaving soon. Their affairs would have nothing to do with me anymore.

Before the call ended, I heard Evan tell Claire, "Don't sink to her level."

I sat on the edge of my bed for a long time. After it had gone fully dark outside, I opened the group chat and left it.

The next day I went back to campus to visit our faculty advisor one last time.

When I pushed open the door of Dr. Marsh's office, Evan and Claire were already there.

Evan looked surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Claire explained, "I asked in the group yesterday if anyone wanted to come see her one more time. You didn't answer, so we figured you weren't coming."

Neither of them had noticed I'd left the chat.

I handed Dr. Marsh the flowers I'd brought. She took them and asked, smiling, where each of us was headed after graduation.

Evan and Claire both said New York.

When it was my turn, Evan answered for me.

"Nina's coming with me."

Dr. Marsh smiled at that, and there was something pointed in it.

"Nina hasn't posted anything about the two of you in ages. I thought she might have asked to break up with you already."

Evan shrugged it off. "Of course not. Nina's just private. She doesn't like putting our relationship online."

I didn't say anything.

Early on, I used to post little moments from our life together.