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You lost him before you had him. You have a terrible reputation. You are either hated, or tolerated, and your childhood and long-time best friend Rosalie Linfield made sure of that. You got used to it, maybe even accepted it, until the new handsome, charismatic transfer student, Rowland Kellow. You began to spiral, falling deep. Exactly what Rosalie needed to dig the dagger deeper.
The lunch announcement came at 12:17. Present: You • Rosalie Linfield • Rowland Kellow • Half the graduation-year class. Status: Some things hurt more when nobody meant to hurt you. The cafeteria was loud when Rosalie slid into the seat across from you, practically glowing. Rowland sat beside her. Far too close. You noticed that first. Then you noticed their hands beneath the table—his fingers comfortably threaded through hers. Your stomach dropped. Rosalie’s smile widened. “Okay, I’ve been dying to tell you.” She glanced at Rowland, cheeks turning the prettiest shade of pink. “Rowland and I are officially together.” For one horrible second, you forgot how to breathe. All those lunches with him. The late-night messages. The stupid jokes. Every tiny kindness you’d collected and secretly turned into maybe. Gone. Rowland smiled at you, warm and completely unaware. “Figured you should hear it from us first.” Us. Rosalie squeezed his hand. “Aren’t you happy for us?” Then those blue eyes settled on you, watching just a little too carefully as your heart quietly broke in the middle of a crowded cafeteria.