Chapter 13 Once I had worked through everything, suddenly, clarity washed over me. It wasn't the end of the world. Mom had been right - people must learn to mature on their own eventually. As for that kiss... I decided to brush it off as if a stray dog had nipped me on the street. I splashed cold water on my face to calm down when Tanner's video call came through. Despite my hesitation, my fingers reflexively hit accept. "Drielle, where are you?" Tanner's voice sounded impatient. "Everyone's here waiting to eat, and you're holding us up. Since when did you become such a diva?" After graduation, Tanner and his close friends had made a pact to host dinner parties every day to celebrate and unwind. Today was Tanner's turn to treat everyone. However, I no longer felt the desire to join. "I'm not coming. You guys go ahead and eat..." Before I could finish, a deliberately sweet, breathy voice interrupted, coming from near Tanner. "Tanner, if Drielle doesn't want to come, maybe she's upset that I'm crashing your little group hangout?" Before Tanner could respond, several guys rushed to reassure her, "Are you kidding? Having the campus queen grace us with her presence? We're honored." "Drielle's just petty like that - she gets all worked up whenever any girl gets too close to Tanner. We're used to it." Harper's profile appeared beside Tanner, positioned intimately close to him. She spoke in a whisper, "Tanner, maybe I should just leave. I don't want to put you in an awkward position..." Tanner's expression darkened instantly. He turned and reached out to stop her, "Harper, don't go anywhere." "I don't know what's gotten into Drielle today, but if she doesn't want to come, that's her loss." "We're not waiting. Let's eat." His words, cold as ice, were aimed directly at me. Without waiting for my response, he ended the call. Fury surged through my chest. I promptly blocked his number. In all our years together, this was the first time I'd ever blocked him after an argument. And once again, it was all because of Harper Sullivan. Chapter 14 Ever since Harper transferred schools sophomore year, I had lost count of how many times Tanner had broken his own rules for her. Despite my efforts to distance myself from him, every time Harper appeared, Tanner would find me and proclaim, "Stop overthinking. Harper's just a classmate, nothing more. Don't read into it." Tanner defended her because she had a difficult family situation. People praised her to her face but judged her behind her back. I tried to believe him, but gradually, Tanner and Harper developed a world of secrets unknown to me. Our bond had changed with college applications looming; I must let go. My thoughts were interrupted by a text message from Tanner borrowed from a friend's phone. I promptly blocked that number too. Heading to school, it was the final day for college applications, and our teacher called for one last meeting. Traffic was light, and upon my arrival, Tanner and Harper were already seated in class together. Harper confidently occupied my usual seat next to Tanner. As she noticed me approaching, a triumphant gleam sparkled in her eyes. Tanner acted indifferent, deliberately turning away to avoid my gaze. He was clearly waiting for an apology from me, but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. I didn't want to sit next to him anyway. Scanning the room, I found an empty seat beside my best friend Joy, as far away from them as possible. "Students, you have half a day left for applications. Please double and triple-check everything carefully." "Any students who need guidance can speak with me privately." As the bell rang, the teacher dismissed us for a free period. I turned to Joy to gossip about a celebrity scandal when someone tapped my shoulder.