It’s a rainy day. A cloudy sky with torrents of rain pouring down. Staring out the large windows of the library at VU, Ariel felt a sense of melancholy settling in.
Mira went on her date with Josh yesterday, and Ariel couldn’t help but feel proud of her little sister. Mira looked wonderful for her first date, and Josh is actually quite a sweet guy, he didn’t even complain when Ariel insisted on taking lots of photos of him and Mira before they left. When Mira came back, she was smiling and singing. It seemed like they had a great time, and Ariel felt grateful that Mira is happy.
Yet… I can’t believe I am jealous. I’m jealous that my own sister is happy. I’m crazy. It’s not that I want Mira to be unhappy; I just wish I could have a special some one too. Someone to care about and love me. Is that too much to ask for?
Is it too much to wish that I could let the past go? Let every single thing go. Can I stop living in the shadows? Can I ever live without fear, without hurt, without looking over my shoulder everyday, without having to pretend I’m happy, without hiding who I am? Can I ever break free?
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Joe has been watching Ariel for the past 10 minutes. All she did was stare out the window. Not moving and not speaking. If she wasn’t breathing, Joe wouldn’t even be sure that she was still alive.
Joe debated whether to talk to her or not. What if she’s still mad at me about Friday? Well, there’s only one way to find out.
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“Ariel?”
Ariel turned around and saw Joe. She groaned inwardly. She had hoped to avoid him. But there he was and she can’t very well pretend he doesn’t exist. After all, I still need his help with accounting.
“Hey Joe.” Ariel smiled. “How’s it going?”
“Good.” Joe let out the breath he was holding silently. Ariel was still acting normal.
“How did it go with Tiffany?” Ariel couldn’t resist asking. Real mature Ariel.
“Um… Alright I guess.” What am I suppose to say?
“That’s good.” Ariel smiled. What did you expect him to say? That it went horrible? That he broke up with her? Get real. “So you’re still together?”
“What?” Joe asked a bit befuddled.
Gee Ariel, great question. Way to go, interrogate him about his girlfriend. That’s really smart. Ariel thought sarcastically. “Never mind.”
Does Ariel think Tiff is my girlfriend? Is she jealous? “Tiff’s not my girlfriend.”
Ariel raised an eyebrow, “oh? Then why did she claim she was?”
“I don’t know. She likes me I guess.”
“You think?” Ariel asked sarcastically. They’re not together! Wait, why am I happy about that?
Joe looked a bit sheepish. “I guess.” Does Ariel look a bit happier now? I think she was jealous. Wait, why am I glad that she was jealous?
“Alright, I bet you’re not here to chit chat with me. Let me guess, it starts with a b and ends with an -ology, and has something to do with you failing a class?”
Joe looked even more sheepish, “how’d you guess?”
Ariel snorted in a very unladylike way, “Let’s get started, or we’ll be here all day.”
