The rest of the semester slipped by with little fanfare. Daisy maintained her usual haughty presence, flaunting her arrogance wherever she went, much to Lucretia’s silent frustration. Philip, on the other hand, continued to act like a jerk, much to Jayden’s irritation, who rarely saw eye-to-eye with him. Thankfully, Lucretia had her steadfast friends—Mimie and Crystal—who were always there for her, and Philip had Eugene and Mike backing him up.
Before they knew it, summer break was nearly here, but first came exams. Lucretia, Mimie, and Crystal had staked out their usual study spot in the library, poring over textbooks and notes in a last-minute cram session.
“Oh…God…” Mimie groaned, letting her head flop onto the table dramatically. “The exam is tomorrow, and I honestly don’t remember half of what I’ve studied. I think I’m going to pass out from exhaustion right here.”
“Stop exaggerating, Mimie.” Lucretia chuckled, gently nudging her. “You’re going to be fine. You always pull through.”
“Yeah, sure,” Mimie mumbled, barely lifting her head. “If only there were some magical way to just snap my fingers and have all the answers imprinted in my brain…”
Crystal laughed, shaking her head. “Classic Mimie. If you had magical powers, you’d probably just get rid of exams entirely.”
“Who wouldn’t?” Mimie grinned, finally sitting up. “I’d gladly accept a supernatural gift if it meant I didn’t have to study anymore!”
The three shared a laugh, but the light-hearted moment was interrupted when Crystal spotted Jayden entering the library. She gave him a wave, and he strolled over to their table, slipping his arm around Lucretia’s shoulders in a casual, friendly hug.
“So, this is where you girls have been hiding,” he teased, pulling out a chair.
“Yep, cramming for the apocalypse,” Mimie groaned dramatically, rolling her eyes.
Jayden chuckled, glancing at the stack of books and notes spread across the table. “Looking at all this, I’d say you girls are well on your way to topping the class.”
“Ha! If only,” Mimie snorted. “Feels more like we’re crawling our way through.”
Jayden just shook his head, settling into the study session with them as Mimie continued her playful complaints. Across the room, Philip stole a few glances their way, his gaze lingering on them now and then.
Eventually, the bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Students packed up, filing out of the library in groups, laughing and chattering. Mimie, Crystal, and Lucretia joined the throng.
“Please, oh please, let me survive this exam,” Mimie muttered in a faux-prayer as they walked to the bus stop.
“You’re too much,” Lucretia laughed, nudging her friend.
Jayden paused just before they reached the bus. “You girls go ahead—I need to stop by my mom’s shop first.”
“Alright, see you tomorrow,” Lucretia called with a wave, watching as Jayden headed off in the other direction.
Once on the bus, Lucretia took her favorite seat, Crystal and Mimie joining her. They spent the ride home chatting, laughing, and trying to shake off some of the exam nerves.
“Still no word from Philip?” Crystal asked as the conversation turned to school drama.
“Nope,” Lucretia sighed. “I’ve tried talking to him, but he’s just… ignoring me.”
“Forget him,” Mimie said firmly. “Who does he think he is, treating you like that?”
“Mimie…” Crystal said with a sigh. “You don’t have to get so worked up.”
“Alright, let’s change the topic,” Lucretia suggested, forcing a small smile, eager to steer away from the subject.
The bus ride ended, and Lucretia got off last, waving goodbye to her friends. She popped in her earbuds as she walked home, letting the music distract her until she saw a familiar car pull up next door. Daisy was dropping off Philip. Lucretia mustered a small smile, giving him a little wave. But he didn’t acknowledge her; he simply turned and walked away. Her hand fell back to her side, her smile fading.
“I tried,” she whispered, heading inside.
That night, she studied until she could barely keep her eyes open, hoping the next day would bring some sense of closure to all the emotions that had been piling up.
*****
Here’s an expanded version with more detail:

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It was a bright, early morning when Lucretia’s alarm clock blared to life, breaking the quiet stillness of her room. Groaning, she fumbled for it, turning it off with a resigned sigh. She stayed there for a moment, tempted to close her eyes again, but eventually pushed herself up, blinking sleepily.
Dragging herself out of bed, she shuffled to the washroom, splashing cold water on her face to wake up. Within minutes, she was ready, her hair combed neatly, and she made her way to the wardrobe. Pulling out her school uniform, she quickly dressed, giving herself one last look in the mirror.
"All set," she mumbled, checking her bag to make sure everything was in place before slinging it over her shoulder.
As she made her way downstairs, she was greeted by the warm aroma of breakfast. Her mother was setting the table with a gentle smile. “Good morning, honey.”
“Good morning, Mum,” Lucretia replied, taking a seat. She eagerly reached for her glass of milk and her plate of sliced bread with cheese, her stomach grumbling in appreciation.
Between bites, she glanced at the clock, feeling the familiar flutter of nerves as she thought about the final day of exams. Once her plate was clear, she pushed back her chair and grabbed her bag, ready to head out.
“Time to go, Mum,” she said, standing up.
Her mother gave her an encouraging smile. “Good luck, Lucretia. Have a great day!”
“Thanks, Mum. See you later,” she replied, giving her a quick hug before heading out the door.
Outside, she paused for a moment, her gaze drifting to Philip’s house next door. She found herself staring at his door, wondering if he was already up and on his way to school. Shaking herself out of it, she adjusted her bag and set off, the crisp morning air waking her fully as she made her way down the street.