Chapter 28: The Rumor
450 Words
The next few days were busy on campus.
Students were preparing for upcoming exams, and the library was always full. Amara spent most of her time studying, trying to keep her mind focused on her work.
But every now and then, her thoughts drifted back to Daniel and the training program.
Three months.
It didn’t sound very long, but somehow it felt like a big change.
One afternoon, Amara walked into the campus café to buy a drink. The small place was crowded with students talking and laughing.
As she waited in line, she overheard two girls sitting at a nearby table.
“Did you hear about Daniel?” one of them said.
Amara’s ears immediately caught the name.
“What about him?” the other girl asked.
“I heard he’s leaving for that architecture program soon.”
“Yes, everyone knows that,” the second girl replied.
“No, that’s not what I mean,” the first girl said quietly. “I heard Emily might be going too.”
Amara froze.
Emily?
Her heart started beating faster.
“Really?” the second girl asked.
“Yeah. Someone said she applied for the same program.”
Amara quickly took her drink and left the café before the girls could notice her listening.
Outside, the air felt colder than before.
Emily… in the same program as Daniel?
Amara tried to calm herself.
It’s probably just a rumor, she thought.
But the doubt had already begun to grow.
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Later that evening, Amara met Daniel near the library.
He greeted her with a warm smile.
“Hey, how was your day?”
Amara hesitated before answering.
“It was okay.”
Daniel noticed the slight tension in her voice.
“What’s wrong?”
Amara took a deep breath.
“I heard something today.”
Daniel looked curious.
“What?”
Amara looked directly at him.
“Is Emily applying for the same training program as you?”
Daniel’s expression changed slightly.
For a moment, he didn’t answer.
That silence made Amara’s stomach tighten.
Finally, he spoke.
“Yes… she applied.”
Amara’s heart dropped.
“And you didn’t think to tell me?”
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
“I didn’t think it mattered,” he said.
“But it does matter,” Amara replied quietly.
The evening suddenly felt tense.
Daniel sighed.
“Amara, it’s just an application. That doesn’t mean she’ll be accepted.”
But Amara couldn’t ignore the uneasy feeling inside her.
Because if Emily joined the same program, it wouldn’t just be about distance anymore.
It would mean Daniel and Emily spending months in the same place again.
And Amara wasn’t sure how she felt about that possibility. 💔📖
- Writer
