Chapter Three
1282 Words
I tried to rub the photo to clean it, as if that would magically make the image clearer, but it did nothing. I wanted to call my dad and demand an answer, but I knew what he’d say: it’s none of your business, Anna. And that only made me want to know more
Just as I reached for my phone, the door burst open. Two girls stumbled in, their laughter echoing off the walls. One of them, a tall girl with a mess of wavy brown hair, screamed, “Oh my God, you’re our roommate! I’m Claire, and this is Jess.” The other, Jess, blonde curls cascading down her back, was already scanning the room, her eyes judging everything.
My moment of silence was over. I quickly slipped the photo back into its box, shoved the box under the bed, and tried to offer a polite smile. I pretended to go back to my book, but the words blurred as I listened to their chaotic unpacking.
“Whoa, look at all these medals,” Jess said, pointing at my debate trophies.
Claire drifted closer, her tone playful but edged with mockery. “What are these for? Science fairs? Debate? Ugh, so boring.” Her tone was full of mockery.
“Wait, check this out, “Jess said, her voice shifting to genuine surprise. She was staring at a framed photo on my desk—me, standing proudly in front of the gleaming Zenith Corp Headquarters.
“Is that… Zenith Corp?” Claire asked, her teasing gone, replaced by something sharper.
“I think so,” Jess murmured, leaning in. “No one from this school gets into their program. It’s like, impossible.”
Claire leaned in. “It has to be. But… how? Nobody from St Helena has ever gotten close, not even a legacy student has ever gotten an internship there. It would be a miracle if one of us even gets an interview.”
It was as if they had read my mind and were mocking my deepest, most private dream. I took a deep breath, keeping my gaze fixed on my book.
“No one ever went there from this school?” I asked, my voice calm, as if the question had just occurred to me. “Isn’t this school known for having well-performing students?” They both froze,
Claire let out a nervous laugh. “It’s a great school, but Zenith is a different Universe.” They looked at each other and then made a nervous laugh. They mumbled something about being tired and left the room.
The door clicked shut, and I let out a long breath, my shoulders sinking. If no one from St Helena’s had ever made it, then I will be the first. It wasn’t just a dream anymore— it was a promise I made to myself.
That night, sleep was impossible. I tossed and turned, replaying every moment I found myself wishing for Austin’s steady presence— I missed his laugh, his funny stories, I could almost hear his voice: “This is your story, Anna. Make it a good one.”
By morning, I walked into class, and History of Modern Industry wasn’t supposed to feel like a battlefield, but it did. I sat in the middle of the room, notebook open, trying to focus, but still I could feel a stare on the back of my neck. I turned slightly.
My eyes landed on a boy in the row behind me. He had dark, intense eyes and a cold, commanding presence. He didn’t look away. Instead, he simply raised an eyebrow in a way that felt both dismissive and daring, as if he knew what I was thinking. My cheeks burned.
Before I could overthink it, the bell rang, snapping me back to reality. I hurried out of class, a sense of relief washing over me. My feet moved on their own, taking me toward the library, my favorite place. I was just about to step into the library when I stopped in my tracks. Through the doorway, I spotted Alice at her locker with an easy smile as she chatted with a girl I didn’t recognize.
“Anna! Hey!” she said, her face brightening. “Everything okay?”
“I was headed there,” I said, a little breathlessly. “But then I thought… maybe we could talk?”
Her smile widened. “I did. Give me one second.” She waved her friend off, then turned back to me. “Okay, let’s go. I’m glad you came.”
We started walking toward my dorm, and the conversation flowed easily.
“Your dorm is so much quieter than mine,” Alice said with a laugh. “I love it. I can’t get bored.”
I grinned. “Trust me, mine aren’t exactly quiet either; it’s like living in the middle of a podcast.” We both laughed
We got into the dorm and entered my room
“I love your room,” Alice said, her eyes roaming over the books and the medals neatly lined on the shelf. “It’s so you. And these medals! Everyone’s already talking about you, you know. Some guys in my class think you’re some kind of secret genius.”
My cheeks felt warm. “What? How would they even know that? I’ve barely talked to anyone… except you.”
Alice grinned. “Well, maybe it’s not just the medals. Some of the guys were saying how gorgeous you are.”
I froze, my laugh coming out awkward and rushed. “Oh, come on. They probably mixed me up with someone else.” I quickly fiddled with a book on my desk, desperate to change the subject.
Alice tilted her head, amused. “So… no crush then? Or maybe a boyfriend back home?”
I shook my head with a small smile. “No boyfriend. Just my best friend, Austin.”
Her smile softened. “The way you talk about him… It’s really sweet. I hope I get to meet him someday.
“Of course, I would like to connect with you one day,” I said with excitement
Before she could answer, which I think she didn’t even hear what I said, her eyes had landed on the framed photo on my desk— the Zenith Corp Picture.
“Is that…?” she whispered, her voice thin.
“Alice?” I asked, my voice soft with concern. “What’s wrong?”
She didn’t look at me. Her eyes were locked on the picture, her voice a shaky whisper. “Why do you have this?”
“It’s … it’s nothing,” I stammered, my heart starting to race. “Just a silly edit. For motivation—“
“Why do you have this?” she repeated, her voice stronger now, cracking with an emotion I couldn’t understand. She finally tore her gaze from the framed photo to look at me, and the hurt in her eyes was so raw it felt like a physical blow.
“I… I don’t understand,” I said, completely bewildered. “It’s just a picture.”
“Not to me,” she choked out. Another tear fell. “It can’t be.”
She stared at me for one more second, a silent question hanging in the air between us that I had no answer for. Then, with a shake of her head, she turned and ran from the room. I couldn’t make myself move. My eyes stayed stuck on the photo, and my heart just wouldn’t stop racing
What did she see when she looked at that photo?
Why did it matter to her so much?
- Writer
