Chapter 2: A Habit of Choosing HimStrangers in a Second

Half an hour later, Amelia called me.

Her voice was full of concern. "Colin, where did you go? We've been looking everywhere for you."

I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, my voice flat. "I went home."

Irritation crept into Amelia's voice. "Why didn't you tell us you were going home? Do you have any idea how worried Caleb and I were about you?"

Caleb immediately chimed in, complaining, "Colin, why are you being so childish? You went home and stretched out in bed while we were outside getting eaten alive by mosquitoes."

I could only laugh. "You two left me behind. Why can't I go home?"

"When did we ever leave you behind—"

I cut them off. "I saw the messages in the WhatsApp group. You deliberately left me behind while I was tying my shoes just to see if I'd cry when I couldn't find you."

There was a brief silence on the other end.

I thought they'd at least feel guilty.

Instead, Amelia turned the accusation back on me. "Your account was restored, so why didn't you tell us? Was lying to us fun? Caleb was just joking around with you. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

She had forgotten something.

When we were kids, she once took me to a night bazaar. We got separated along the way, and I nearly got kidnapped. I only escaped because the adults found me in time.

I had been trembling with fear, while Amelia stood beside me sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm sorry, Colin. It's all my fault. I'm the one who put you in danger. I swear I'll never leave you alone again. I'll never let you lose me again."

She knew better than anyone that what happened that night had left me afraid of the dark. And yet, just to make Caleb happy, she had used me as the stakes in a bet.

When I objected, somehow I was the one in the wrong.

…

The next day, Amelia and Caleb knocked on my door.

The moment they came inside, Caleb lowered his head and apologized, saying, "I'm sorry, Colin. I was wrong. I shouldn't have played a joke like that on you."

Amelia stepped in front of him, taking all the blame herself. "It was my fault. I should've stopped him instead of going along with it and scaring you. If you want to hit someone or yell at someone, take it out on me."

Once upon a time, she had protected me just like this.

When my mother beat me with a feather duster because I'd done poorly on an exam, Amelia would rush over and shield me with her own body.

When some troublemaking students at school gave me a hard time, she would rush over and chase them away.

I once asked her why she was always so good to me.

She would smile and say, "Because you're the most important person in my life. Of course I'm going to protect you. You're the only one I'll protect."

Amelia held up a slice of mango cake and waved it awkwardly in front of me, trying to win me over. "I bought this little cake just for you. Can you stop being mad at us?"

I shook my head. "I don't want it."

Amelia frowned. "Colin, we've already apologized. You need to know when to let it go."

I sighed. "I'm allergic to mango."

She paused, embarrassment flashing across her face. "Sorry. I always lose my bets with Caleb, so I have to buy him a slice of mango cake every time. I guess I'm just used to it."

She was used to it?

Ever since I was little, even the slightest amount of mango would make it hard for me to breathe. She knew that better than anyone.

In the end, that knowledge still couldn't outweigh her habit of putting Caleb first.

Before I could say anything, my mother came up behind me and smacked me hard on the back of the head. "She went out of her way to buy that for you. One bite isn't going to kill you. Have you even thought about who got you into Northriver University? Instead of being grateful to Amelia, you're giving her a hard time."

I rubbed the spot where she'd hit me, saying nothing.

My parents were always busy with work and rarely spent much time with me, so we weren't as close as other parents and children.

My mother thought I was a bad kid because I wasn't good at school, so she instinctively took Amelia and Caleb's side because they were both top students.

Just like earlier, she was willing to make me give in just to keep Amelia happy.

But she didn't know that her beloved Amelia and Caleb had personally changed my college choices, replacing Northriver University with Southbridge University.

And today was the deadline to finalize our college applications.