In the following weeks, Christine kept her distance from Lara, responding to her messages only with short replies, just for the sake of politeness. The betrayal still weighed heavily on her, and the ease with which Lara had lied lingered in her mind. She had returned to Michigan, where her roommates, Jenny and Evelyn, immediately noticed something was off. They could sense the heaviness in Christine's demeanor but respected her silence, knowing she needed space.

Still, Jenny and Evelyn were determined to cheer her up.

“Christine, we’re going out tonight. You don’t have a choice,” Jenny declared one evening as they sat around in their shared dorm room. Evelyn chimed in, “Yup, no arguments. Robert's throwing a party for his big news, and guess what? Nicole’s going to be there too! You’re coming with us.”

Christine smiled weakly but agreed. She missed Robert and felt she needed to be around her friends. Maybe tonight would help her forget everything for a while.

The private club that Robert had rented was buzzing with energy. Dim lights flashed over the dance floor, and the sound of laughter filled the space. It was a close-knit celebration—just Robert's closest friends and, of course, Nicole.

Robert had recently signed with a major music label, and everyone was thrilled for him. The entire night was about celebrating his success, but for Christine, it felt like a much-needed break from her thoughts. Jenny and Evelyn had already started dancing, their infectious laughter echoing across the room.

“About time you showed up, superstar,” Christine teased as Robert made his way over to their table, arm-in-arm with Nicole.

“Hey, you two! It’s my party, and I’m fashionably late,” Robert replied, flashing his trademark grin. “Also, just so you know, I expect full support and adoration from all of you tonight. Especially you, Christine—you owe me big for all those study sessions.”

Christine rolled her eyes. “Right, because I didn’t do half your work for you.”

“Hey, I’m going to be a music sensation now,” Robert shot back dramatically. “I don’t need to do schoolwork anymore. I’ll be too busy signing autographs.”

Nicole smirked, nudging Christine. “Don’t listen to him. He’s still going to need your help, trust me.”

“Thank you!” Christine laughed. “At least someone here is reasonable.”

“Unbelievable! My own girlfriend betraying me like this,” Robert sighed theatrically, placing a hand over his heart and pretending to be deeply wounded. “You’re supposed to support me, Nicole.”

Nicole laughed, pulling him close and kissing his cheek. “Oh, I support you, but Christine’s right. You need her more than you know.”

Their banter continued as Robert exaggerated his fake anger, flailing his arms in mock frustration. “This is outrageous. I’m surrounded by traitors.”

Jenny and Evelyn returned from the dance floor, both out of breath and red-faced from laughing. “What did we miss?” Jenny asked.

“Oh, just Robert being his usual dramatic self,” Nicole quipped, making everyone burst into laughter again.

As the night went on, Christine couldn’t help but feel lighter. Her friends were doing a good job keeping her distracted, and Robert’s playfulness always had a way of lifting her spirits. But then, in a brief moment of quiet when she glanced over at Robert and Nicole being all lovey-dovey, something shifted in her. Her mind drifted to Alex.

For some reason, the thought of him hit her out of nowhere. His easy smile, the way he made her laugh during that chemistry experiment, and how he’d always been there for her. She hadn’t heard from him in a while, and she wondered where he was, what he was doing. A pang of longing surprised her, catching her off guard. Was he thinking about her too?

“Christine?” Evelyn’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. “You good?”

Christine shook her head, forcing a smile. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just zoned out for a second.”

Jenny squinted at her. “Nope, not buying it. Who were you thinking about?”

Christine blushed slightly. “No one. It’s nothing.”

“Uh-huh,” Jenny said, not convinced, but let it go. “Come on, let’s go dance before Robert starts thinking we’re all here just to listen to him talk about himself.”

By the time the night was over, Christine felt a weight lifted off her shoulders. For the first time in weeks, she had allowed herself to enjoy something without thinking about Lara, without replaying the pain of the betrayal in her mind. She was surrounded by people who loved her, and that warmth helped her feel more grounded. Her heart still ached, but the wound was starting to scab over.

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In the weeks following the party, Christine found herself more wrapped up in the whirlwind of her university life, particularly with Jenny and Evelyn constantly dragging her into their spontaneous adventures. They were her escape from the emotional mess that had been Lara's betrayal, and she was grateful for their endless energy and humor.

One Saturday morning, Jenny barged into Christine’s room without knocking, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Wake up, sleepyhead! We’re going on an adventure!” she announced, ripping Christine’s blanket off.

Christine groaned, rubbing her eyes. “What kind of adventure? It’s 8 AM, Jenny.”

Evelyn poked her head into the room, holding up a shopping bag. “Oh, just a small, innocent trip to the thrift store. I found out they have a sale on vintage clothes today. And you know what that means.”

Christine knew exactly what that meant. “We’re going to end up buying the weirdest outfits, aren’t we?”

Jenny and Evelyn exchanged devilish smiles. “Exactly.”

Reluctantly, Christine dragged herself out of bed and joined her roommates on their thrift store quest. As soon as they entered the store, Evelyn darted straight to the racks, pulling out some of the most outrageous clothing she could find.

“Look at this!” she exclaimed, holding up a neon pink jacket with gold sequins and zebra stripes.

“That’s hideous,” Christine laughed, but Jenny was already pulling it on.

“I’m wearing this tonight,” Jenny declared proudly, doing a dramatic twirl. “What do you think?”

“You look like an 80s disco ball exploded on you,” Christine joked, but Jenny just posed like she was on a runway, clearly loving it.

While Evelyn and Jenny continued their wild search for “the perfect weird outfit,” Christine wandered off on her own. She picked out a few cozy sweaters, laughing at how different her style was compared to her roommates. Still, their antics always made her feel lighter. They ended up buying a pile of random clothing, half of which they would never wear but were too funny to leave behind.

Later that night, they decided to throw an impromptu fashion show in their dorm. Jenny strutted down their makeshift “runway,” wearing the neon jacket with a pair of ripped jeans and combat boots, while Evelyn donned a bright orange jumpsuit and platform shoes.

“Work it, ladies!” Christine cheered, laughing so hard she was nearly crying. They even convinced her to put on a ridiculous feather boa and a giant floppy hat, and for the first time in a long while, she felt like she could truly let go.

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These days Christine was busy with her new weekly podcast which managed to gain public attraction, and that brought her a sense of accomplishment she hadn’t felt in a while. It was something that was entirely hers—a place where she could speak her mind, share stories, and connect with people in a way that didn’t drain her emotionally. The positive feedback she was receiving boosted her confidence, and she threw herself into preparing new episodes with excitement. It was a welcome distraction from everything else going on in her life.

One afternoon, Christine came back to the dorm after her podcast recording, only to find Jenny and Evelyn decorating the living room with fairy lights and colorful banners.

“What’s going on here?” Christine asked, dropping her bag on the couch.

“We’re throwing you a mini celebration!” Jenny said excitedly. “Your podcast is doing so well, and we thought you deserved some recognition.”

Christine was touched by the gesture. The podcast had been her creative outlet lately, and she had thrown herself into it to keep her mind off everything else. Hearing that people were connecting with her stories and reviews had been a source of pride for her.

Evelyn handed Christine a plastic tiara. “For the podcast queen!”

Laughing, Christine put the tiara on. “You guys are the best.”

They ordered pizza, played loud music, and danced around their living room in their pajamas, celebrating Christine’s small victories together. It was moments like these that reminded Christine that no matter how much pain or confusion she had in her life, she had people who genuinely cared about her. They were more than just roommates now—they were her family.  They were her safety net, the ones who would lift her up when she was down, and for that, she was incredibly grateful.