7
During dinner, our parents kept asking Chad
how he was doing.
As he talked, he couldn’t stop bringing up
Tiffany.
“This year, our team has this new chess
genius. She’s really awesome. Yeah, she’s the
one who was in the Grand Slam finals with
me.”
“She’s younger than me, but she’s already as
good as me.”
L
“Tiffany’s different. She has so many good
qualities.”
Chad just kept raving about Tiffany.
Mr. Miller angrily put down his chopsticks.
“That’s enough, Chad! How do you think
Ashley feels when you talk about another girl
like that? Ashley’s your girlfriend!”
Mrs. Miller hugged me, looking sympathetic.
“Don’t be mad, Ashley. Chad’s being an idiot.
No matter what, I’ll always think of you as my
daughter–in–law.”
I shook my head, smiling, and pushed her
away.
ad to it !I
<
“It’s okay, Mrs. Miller. I’m used to it.”
I’d heard those words so many times that I
was numb.
Dinner ended awkwardly. Chad was left
behind with his parents so he could talk to me
alone.
But I didn’t feel like there was anything to talk
about.
Before coming back, I was clinging to a small
shred of hope.
I thought maybe if I saw him in person, I’d
realize I was just overthinking it, and nothing
was going on with Tiffany.
I wanted to take this chance to talk to him
Anu leI NIMI NOW I Teil Apuul …
mm
But now, it didn’t feel worth it.
ɑnu
Ɗnu. many.
The answer in my heart was getting clearer,
shattering what was left of my hope.
I was about to say something, but Chad
pulled out a jewelry box and opened it.
“Ashley, I’m sorry. I know I’ve been busy lately
and haven’t had time for you. You’re mad, I
know. Can you forgive me?”
So, he knew I was mad.
I looked down at the necklace in the box.
It was a lucky clover necklace.
but Chad aet
The classic one was red, but Chad got me a
green one.
“Tiffany helped me pick it out. You like it,
right? She said girls would love this stuff.”
“I wanted to come back sooner, but Tiffany
said you were probably still mad at me and I
should wait until you cooled off.”
The words I wanted to say got stuck in my
throat.
I just wanted to throw the necklace at him.
And I did.
“Chad, nine out of ten things you say are
about Tiffany. Where do I fit in?”
<
“You listen to her, no questions asked. Don’t
you have a brain? You’re giving me a green
necklace to tell me I’m being cheated on?”
“If you think she’s better than me, go be with
her!”
Chad frowned, a flash of anger in his eyes.
“Ashley, can you stop being unreasonable?
There’s nothing going on with me and Tiffany.
I just think of her as a little sister.”
“She’s trying to help us, using her own time to
pick out a gift for you, and you’re just
complaining about her. What happened to
you, Ashley? I don’t even know you anymore.”
I laughed.
く
“I’m not the one who changed. Your changes
made me change. You want me to thank her?
Thank her for making us strangers?”
“Chad, if you cared, you’d remember I hate
green.”
