Chapter 2The Guy I've Had a Crush on for Years Got Together with My Roommate

After that dinner, I didn't see Asher alone again.

Since starting her relationship with him, Daphne began frequently skipping classes and not returning to the dorm. On the rare occasions she did come back, she always carried shopping bags with designer logos, excitedly telling us about the places Asher had taken her.

Lucy, our other roommate, expressed her envy. Daphne proudly lifted her chin and with a grand gesture, pulled out a bag from one of the shopping bags. "This one's for you."

Lucy happily accepted it. "Daphne, you're so generous!"

Then she looked at me. "Olivia, why don't you pick one too?"

I waved my hand in refusal. "No need."

After thinking for a moment, I reminded her, "You haven't been to the dance studio in a long time. The competition is coming up soon. Shouldn't you come back to practice?"

She smacked her forehead. "Olivia, you're the best. I've been having so much fun lately that I almost forgot about it. I'll go practice with you tomorrow."

I nodded in agreement.

The next day, as soon as we entered the rehearsal room, our instructor's face darkened upon seeing her. "Daphne Shaw, come out for a moment."

Although they went outside, I could roughly guess what was being said from the snippets of conversation and their expressions.

Daphne's professional performance had always been at the top of our school, and the instructor had been grooming her as the standard-bearer. The upcoming competition, if she won, would secure her a position at the National Dance Company. At a time like this, how could the instructor not be angry about her frequent absences and missed practices?

About half an hour later, she returned and plopped down next to me, her face slightly pale.

"What happened?" I asked.

She sighed, "Ms. Harrison warned me that if I skip any more classes before next week's competition, she'll revoke my eligibility to compete."

"Then maybe you should stay in and practice for now. You can go out and have fun after the competition," I suggested.

"But it's Asher's birthday tomorrow. I've already planned a surprise for him. I can't not be there."

Words of persuasion got stuck in my throat.

That day, Daphne was clearly distracted during class. The next morning, when I woke up, her bed was already neatly made, and she was nowhere to be seen.

As expected, when I arrived at the rehearsal room, Ms. Harrison was already fuming. "Olivia, what's going on with Daphne?"

"I don't know."

"She wasn't in the dorm last night?"

"She was."

"Call her now. Tell her if I don't see her here in half an hour, her eligibility for the competition is revoked."

I went to my locker, took out my phone, and dialed her number. After a moment, a mechanical voice responded, "The number you have dialed is currently switched off..."

Ms. Harrison's face was filled with disappointment. "Fine, she made her choice. I hope she doesn't regret it later."

For the next week, Daphne didn't appear at school at all. But through her Instagram, I knew she had meticulously prepared a perfect birthday for Asher. She posted a photo of them kissing at sunset, and everyone flooded her comments with congratulations. I right-clicked and also hit the like button.

A moment later, her message popped up.

"Olivia, you're competing tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Oh, Asher and I will come cheer you on."

I put away my phone without replying.