Indhu's POV
Charlotte was still confused by what I had said during the P.T. period.
I could see it in her eyes — the words had felt heavy, unfinished.
While we walked back to class, she finally asked, gently,
"Indhu… why did you say all that earlier?"
I took a deep breath.
The past had been buried for so long.
But maybe… maybe it was finally time to let it go.
"Alright," I said softly, my eyes fixed on the corridor ahead.
"I'll tell you everything. This is the last flashback."
Flashback
A Chapter That Wasn't Official… But Felt Like One
It was the beginning of 10th — not officially yet.
We were still in our 9th-grade classroom, but already studying 10th-grade portions.
All five of us were in the same class then —
Leanor, Swetha, Rohan, Aditya… and me.
That March was Rohan's birthday.
The class decided to make a special drawing for him —
a memory wall filled with messages, sketches, and small notes.
Swetha and I worked together and created something beautiful.
Everyone wrote something for Rohan.
Everyone… except Leanor.
She refused.
She brushed it off like it didn't matter and made a scene about it.
The air turned awkward — the kind that stays even after people stop talking.
The next day, a small misunderstanding happened between Leanor and Swetha.
It wasn't huge — but it was sharp enough to crack something.
Later that evening, while we were heading home, Leanor pulled me aside.
Her face was serious.
"My father doesn't like me talking to boys," she said.
"So I won't talk to Swetha anymore if she keeps talking to Rohan and Aditya.
And you shouldn't either."
I stood there, stunned.
Anger rushed through me — hot and sudden.
But I didn't argue.
I didn't shout.
I just walked away, my heart pounding.
End of Flashback
I exhaled slowly.
"Maybe you'll think this is a silly reason," I said quietly,
"but I felt it then… she wanted our friendship to fall apart."
I adjusted my posture and glanced sideways.
Swetha was sitting there, silent — lost somewhere in her own memories.
I continued,
"Even in the following days, she tried to make Swetha talk only to her and avoid me.
But Swetha didn't."
I smiled faintly.
"You know, Charlotte… even the day before 10th reopening,
she texted me happily.
I really don't know what changed."
I paused.
"Maybe people change.
Maybe she thought we weren't worth it."
Leanor's POV
I was always jealous.
Jealous of Indhu and Swetha casually talking to boys — something I couldn't do.
Jealous of their studies, their grades, their friendship.
I wanted to be like them.
But I didn't realize I was slowly turning into someone I wasn't —
someone who was breaking a friendship instead of protecting it.
The truth was simple and ugly.
I was insecure.
I was new to the school.
My previous school had been… bad.
And instead of healing, I carried those insecurities with me.
I turned them into body shaming.
Into sarcasm.
Into distance.
I didn't mean to hurt them — but if I'm honest,
I hated seeing them together.
All of these reasons were silly.
But my heart held many feelings I couldn't even name.
Indhu thought I was innocent for a long time.
But something in me had changed.
What she never knew was this —
my jealousy and gossip slowly made me alone.
By the time I realized it, things had already changed.
Even though I wanted to talk to them at the beginning of 10th,
I just couldn't.
I hated seeing Indhu, Swetha, Rohan, Aditya —
and worst of all, a girl named Charlotte — together.
I changed my looks.
I changed my circle.
Nothing worked.
So I made a new friend — just to make them jealous.
And then I saw Indhu's post.
It made me even more jealous.
Funny, right?
I won't leave them.
Maybe… no — for sure.
I'll break them apart.
I'll make them ask for forgiveness
for leaving me behind.