The rest of the day drags on in a blur, but my mind keeps circling back to the competition. I keep hearing Dae's words in my head, "You'll be fine, Dove. You're going to crush it." And yet, the closer Saturday gets, the more my nerves twist in on themselves.
I've chosen a song. I've chosen a song. But... is it the right one? Will it even sound good? I don't feel confident in it at all. Every time I run through it in my head, I pick apart the parts I can't hit quite right, or the way it feels too familiar, too safe. It's not the bold, show-stopping kind of performance I'd imagined.
And then, of course, I told Stella I'd win. I promised. I don't know why I did that, but now there's this pressure building, this weight on my chest that's hard to shake. What if I don't win? What if I fail?
I need to stop thinking about it.
I find myself sneaking into an empty classroom after school, needing some space to breathe, to be alone with my thoughts for just a little while. The room is quiet, the only sound my footsteps echoing on the linoleum as I sit down at one of the desks, drop my bag beside me, and pull my airpods from my pocket.
The world feels too loud right now. My mind won't stop racing, but I'm too overwhelmed to focus. So I close my eyes, press play, and let the music drown out everything else.
I rest my head on the cool desk, my arms folded underneath me, and the sound of the music fills my ears, the heavy beat thumping in my chest. It's not helping the nerves, but at least for a few moments, I don't have to think about anything. I don't have to think about the song I'm second-guessing or the bet I made to Stella.
The music is so loud in my ears that I almost don't notice someone approaching. But then, without warning, I feel a sharp tug at the airpods in my ears, and they're ripped away with such force that I almost fall forward. The sudden silence is jarring, the music gone in an instant.
I lift my head slowly, my eyes blinking open in confusion, and then I see her. Stella.
She's standing there, eyes narrowed, her arms crossed, a look on her face that's somewhere between annoyance and... something else I can't quite place.
She doesn't even give me a second to process it. "Well?" she demands, voice harsh, like I've done something wrong just by sitting here. "Are you ready for the competition or not?"
I sit up, trying to shake the fog of the music from my mind. "I... I was just taking a break," I mutter, but Stella doesn't seem to care.
She scoffs, her lips curling into something sharp. "Taking a break? Don't make me laugh. You think you're going to waltz into the competition unprepared, thinking you can just wing it? You've barely even practised."
I blink, my pulse quickening, my stomach tightening at the bite in her tone. "I've been practising," I say quietly, but my voice comes out weaker than I want it to.
She steps closer, her eyes scanning me like she's sizing me up, her expression hardening. "Really?" she sneers. "Because it sure doesn't look like it. I'm starting to think you're all talk, Dove. You promised you'd win, didn't you? But here you are, sitting around, not even ready for the challenge."
I can feel the heat in my cheeks, the sting of her words cutting deeper than I want to admit. There's a pressure building inside me, like I can't breathe. I've never felt this small around her, and it's like she knows exactly how to make me feel it.
"I don't need your lecture, Stella," I mutter, trying to stand my ground, but she just smirks, stepping even closer.
"Of course you don't. You never do." She shakes her head, looking almost pitying now. "You really think you can just coast through this, don't you? You're in over your head."
My hands curl into fists at my sides, and I fight to keep my voice steady. "I'm not coasting, Stella. I just-"
"No. You're not. Because you know what?" She leans in, her voice dropping lower, colder. "You're not as good as you think you are. You're just a joke."
Her words hit harder than I expected, and for a moment, I don't know how to respond. My heart is pounding in my chest, my mind racing. Part of me wants to scream at her to shut up, but another part of me... another part of me believes her.
Usually, I wouldn't let myself be treated like that, but I just feel like the whole world is caving in on me today. The stress of the competition, my feelings for Dae, tests, assignments, and expectations. I felt like I was on the losing side of life today.
Just as Stella is about to continue her attack, a sudden, sharp pull on her wrist jerks her off balance. She yelps, her eyes widening in surprise, and before she can even react, she's yanked forward, crashing to the ground with a thud.
For a second, I don't understand what's happening. My mind is still reeling from her words, still aching from the sting of her harshness, and then, the next thing I know, I'm watching Stella scramble to get back on her feet, her face flushed with anger and embarrassment.
"What the hell?" she snaps, looking up
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It's kind of shorter than usual, but I was gonna continue it when the teacher arrived, so I stopped.
After arriving home, I was gonna continue writing but liked it the way it was.
Who do you think it is? It could be either Minho or Dae, but it kinda feels too harsh for Dae.