The world had changed overnight. What had once been a buzzing campus filled with students, events, and laughter was now eerily silent. COVID-19 had hit, and suddenly everyone was confined to their dorm rooms, quarantined with whoever they happened to share a space with. For Christine, that meant Lara...

As the days of quarantine stretched on, the air in Christine’s dorm felt heavier with each passing moment. The tension between her and Lara was palpable, with every interaction tipping toward an argument. The pandemic had heightened the feeling of isolation, and being stuck in the same room with Lara for so long was starting to take a toll on Christine's mental state.

Christine sighed, sinking into her chair after another heated argument. Lara had just stormed out, slamming the door behind her, and Christine found herself dialing Robert’s number again. He answered quickly, his familiar face lighting up her screen.

“Hey, you holding up?” Robert asked, his voice warm, though she could tell the pandemic was wearing on him too.

“Barely,” Christine responded.

“I can imagine,” Robert chuckled. “Chicago’s bad too. I can’t leave my apartment much, and the online classes... ugh.”

They shared a moment of commiseration, talking about how the lockdown had turned their lives upside down. As much as she enjoyed talking to Robert, the weight of her tension with Lara lingered in the back of her mind. After the call ended, Christine felt the need for some fresh air.

Later that evening, Christine and Kate sat on the terrace of their dorm building, sipping coffee as they looked out at the eerily quiet campus. The moon shone brightly overhead, and the cool breeze was a welcome change from the stifling atmosphere of their rooms.

“I swear, everything’s so different now,” Kate said, breaking the silence. She pulled her jacket tighter around herself. “The world feels like it’s upside down. People are panicking... and then there’s our love lives.”

Christine chuckled softly, shaking her head. “I know what you mean. Who would’ve thought we’d be dealing with this kind of chaos?”

Kate sighed, her eyes distant for a moment. “Speaking of love lives, I confessed to Christian yesterday.”

Christine’s eyes widened. "Wait, you proposed? You’re so much braver than me!"

Kate gave a half-smile. "Well, if bravery includes a long, awkward silence on his end, then sure. He still hasn’t given me a proper response. Just this vague ‘I need time to think’ nonsense. Like, what is there to think about? It’s been driving me crazy.”

Christine laughed, though it was tinged with understanding. “That sounds familiar.” She looked out into the distance, her thoughts drifting to Alex. “I remember when I confessed to Alex... Bold move, right? We just kissed and then he disappeared. No explanation, no nothing.”

Kate’s eyes widened. “Seriously? He kissed you?”

Christine nodded, a rueful smile on her face. “I initiated, but he kissed me back, and then poof! Gone. I had no idea what happened, no reason for him just vanishing like that.”

They shared a laugh, the absurdity of their situations bringing them closer. The sound of their laughter was a relief in the otherwise quiet night.

Christine looked at Kate and said "At least you tried. You’re putting yourself out there too."

"Yeah, and now I’m stuck wondering what he’s going to say while the world’s falling apart."Kate replied

“Well,” Kate added, “whatever happens, we’ve still got each other, right? Girlfriends forever.”

“Girlfriends forever,” Christine echoed with a smile, raising her coffee cup in a mock toast.

As their conversation shifted to lighter topics, Christine felt a small weight lift from her chest. The pandemic might have changed their world, but at least her friendship with Kate remained steady.

Meanwhile, Lara was venting her frustrations to Rose. “Christine—she's supposed to be my best friend, you know? But lately... It’s like I don’t even matter to her anymore. She’s always too busy with everyone else—Robert, Kate—everyone except me.”

Rose listened quietly, her brows knitting together in concern. “I’m sure she cares about you, Lara.”

Lara shook her head, her voice rising in frustration. “No, you don’t get it. She’s so important to me. I’d do anything for her, but it’s like I’m invisible to her now. It hurts... She acts like we’re strangers sometimes.”

Rose frowned, trying to soothe Lara’s growing agitation. “Maybe she’s just stressed, you know? Everything with the pandemic, the classes, being stuck indoors...”

“It’s more than that,” Lara snapped. “She’s always choosing everyone else. It’s like I’m just an afterthought to her, no matter how much I try to be there.”

Rose didn’t know what to say. She’d seen the closeness between Christine and Lara before, but now... maybe things had changed. As Lara’s rant continued, Rose found herself wondering if things between them would ever go back to normal.

_____________________

As Christine returned to her dorm after the talk with Kate, the tension in her chest began to rise again. She had laughed with Kate about their love lives, sharing stories of awkward confessions and unsaid feelings. But as soon as she opened the door to her room, the weight of her unresolved issues with Lara came crashing back.

Kate lingered at the door for a moment, waving at Lara with a casual smile. “Catch you later, Chris,” she said, before heading back to her own room.

Christine closed the door, locking it behind her. The silence in the room was almost suffocating. She moved to sit on her bed, trying to relax after a long day. But Lara, who was sitting on her own bed, quickly stood up and walked toward her.

“So, you were with her all this while, bitching about me, right?” Lara’s voice was sharp, her eyes glinting with a mixture of anger and hurt.

Christine sighed, tired of the same conversation. “Not again, Lara. We weren’t even talking about you.”

But Lara wasn’t having it. Her expression darkened, and before Christine knew it, they were in the middle of yet another heated argument. The words were harsh, accusations flying back and forth, but suddenly, Lara broke down. She collapsed onto the floor, tears streaming down her face.

Christine’s heart skipped a beat. Seeing Lara like this, her usual anger dissolving into raw emotion, made her feel uneasy.

“I try so hard, Kay,” Lara sobbed, her voice cracking. “You are so important to me, but you never think about me, my feelings. You never notice my love for you. You never do.”

Christine sat frozen on the bed, unsure of what to say or do. “I... I understand you, Lara.”

“No, you don’t!” Lara shot back, her voice shaking with emotion. “You don’t understand how hard it is seeing you so happy around your friends. How it pierces my heart seeing you getting sad at night, thinking of that stupid Alex. How it hurts me when that Robert guy calls you his best friend... Why, Kay? Can’t you see my love? I want to be the only one for you. Is it too much to ask for??”

Christine’s heart pounded in her chest as she listened to Lara’s confession. She watched as Lara’s tears continued to fall, her voice breaking again. “I have loved you all these years, and what do I get for this? You ignoring me, finding ways to escape... Why, Kay? Why?”

Christine’s mind raced. She loves me? The thought seemed so surreal. It was something she had never considered. “But... you said you loved Bella. Didn’t you?”

“I never said that,” Lara mumbled through her tears.

Christine blinked, confusion settling in. “Yeah, you never did. But I thought it was her.” She sat there, processing the weight of Lara’s words, her mind spinning as she tried to make sense of it all.

Lara’s breathing was uneven as she wiped at her face, her gaze locked on Christine. “I appreciate your emotions, Lara,” Christine said slowly, her voice soft. “And I care for you. You’re my friend. But... this thing, between us... it’s not possible. You know I love Alex, and I don’t think of you that way. We’re good as friends.”

Lara’s face twisted, her expression shifting from despair to determination. “But we can be more than friends, right? I know you love me, Christine. You really do. I can make you realize that. Just give me a chance.”

Christine shook her head, feeling a deep sense of exhaustion. “Things don’t work that way, Lara. I hope you understand.”

Without waiting for Lara’s response, Christine moved back to her bed, pulling her blanket over herself as she turned away. Her mind was reeling, and she didn’t have the energy to continue this conversation. Lara loves me? The thought was too much, too heavy for her to process in one night.

As Lara’s soft sobs filled the silence of the room, Christine closed her eyes, willing herself to shut out the world for a moment. She needed time. Time to think, time to process. This was all too much.