Winter’s POV

After detention I try to catch up to Karina. Except I think better of it after taking a few steps in her direction. I’m too nervous to be alone with her anyway, but I do feel guilty. I watch her figure get swallowed up by the crowd. Soon when everyone leaves the room, I’m left there to clean up their mess. Little balls of scrunched up paper and some people left behind their stationery too.

“This will take a while…” I mutter.

But I take a deep breath to mentally prepare myself for this. As I’m cleaning up I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. It’s from Ningning, I grin at the screen while reading out her text.

“Winter~ <3 guess what? Actually no, don’t guess. Today Karina…”

My voice trailed off. I read the rest of the sentence silently.

‘Made everyone stop making fun of me.’ I closed my eyes briefly before reading on, trying to not imagine my friend getting bullied. ‘She told everyone to “Shut up!”, hehe. I like her,anyway, get home safely!’

I can feel my brow furrowed and I’m frowning. Ningning hasn’t done her school work recently I’m assuming, I need to find time to see how she’s doing. But I’m relieved that Karina was there. I found myself smiling. The “Shut up!” part does sound like something she would say. I type a quick reply to my friend then finish cleaning the mess up.

‘Time to go.’ I think to myself then start leaving the room. I’m the last student to leave school, but it’s nice and quiet. Other days when I’m lonely, I miss the noise and students. I’m in deep thought while walking home. I purse my lips together when I think back to the incident this morning. I shake off the thought, trying my best to remember I was just doing my job. But Karina’s voice enters my mind. 

‘We are going to figure out why you gave up my little secret out of everyone else who is also dating’ 

I still remember her smiling sweetly at me while saying those words. I was just doing my job, It’s not like I knew the other couples anyway.

‘A -ar -are you sure?’ she impersonated me inside my head.

I’m not sure. I thought I would be past this by now. But it looks like I’m not. I was so deep in thought that I looked up to see I’m already home. I took off my shoes then remembered there was no car in the driveway. Mum isn’t home tonight. She works hard for this modern looking house.

I look at the photos on the walls. Photos of me in highschool with Ningning, Giselle and I posing in front of our highschool for our first day. I can’t help but let my eyes wander to older photos. As I look further down the wall, I’m getting younger and younger. All the way to the photo taken at my first primary school. I stared at the photo with sadness. A picture of me smiling brightly along next to my best friend. Karina, she was still taller than me at that age. Her long dark hair, pale white skin accompanied by a beautiful smile. She mainly frowns or glares now. It’s like she’s not the same person at all. She just has the face of someone I used to know.

“I’m sorry.” I whisper to no one in particular.

I was busy looking at Karina’s smile with fascination. She should smile more at school, but from what I gather - she keeps people at a distance.

My phone vibrates again indicating that I have another message. I pull out my phone while leaning against the wall. It’s Ningning again.

We exchange a few messages before moving to the group chat with Giselle. We avoid the topic about the K word. Or she who shall not be named. We eventually get tired and decide to call it a night.

I’ll talk to check on Ningning tomorrow at school. That was my last thought before I fell asleep. In my dream, I see Karina. But it’s not the teenager that she is now. It’s the one who was in primary school. 

“Let’s play hide and seek, Winter!” She looked at me with a big smile.

“Okay!” I noticed that I’m probably younger in the dream unfolding.

Karina tells me to count to 10 and not to cheat. I covered my eyes and began to count loudly. I could hear her footsteps become fainter and less audible.

“8, 9, 10!” I uncovered my eyes so see she was nowhere in sight. “Ready or not, here I come!” 

I look behind the trees, under the desks at school and finally arrive at the playground. I sneak around each corner and go down the slides. She isn’t here?

That’s when I hear someone’s sniffling. Are they crying? 

“Karina?” I whispered, but I heard no reply.

I woke up before I could find her in my dream. That was a weird dream, it made me feel nostalgic. But more so sad. I relaxed on my bed trying to shake off that dream. 

It’s currently 7am. I do all the necessary things to do before leaving the house. I brushed my teeth thoroughly, then used mouth wash. Onto the next task I unfolded a clean uniform and headed into the kitchen to eat breakfast.

“Morning Winter!” A group of girls greet me when I arrive.

“Good morning!” I smiled at them.

I got greeted more than once, I bow and smile. I arrived at the cafeteria and saw someone sitting alone. I recognize that slim figure. She usually sits with her boyfriend. But now she’s alone.

I pursed my lips into a line. I gathered my courage, I was about to approach her, but someone beat me to it. I stopped in my tracks to see Ningning sit across from Karina. I quickly turn around and pretend to be looking at something on my phone. But in reality I’m eavesdropping. 

“Hi!” She greets her in a cheerful tone.

There’s silence for a few seconds. 

“What do you want?” Karina replies in a low tone.

“Let’s be friends!” 

My eyes widened, my heart started to race in fear for Ningning. She doesn’t know the Karina I know or at least knew. 

Abort, Abort.

I quickly entered Ningning’s number into my phone and called her. I slipped out of view, behind a bin and she finally picked up the phone.

“Hey, Winter!” I can see her smiling from my position. “I’m kinda in the middle of something-” I cut her off.

“It’s an emergency!” I whispered loudly into the speaker. “It’s that time of the month for me.”

I saw my friend bolt upright out of her seat. She looked serious.

“Say no more,” She said confidently “I’ll meet you in the girl’s bathroom.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. I saw her apologize to Karina before running off into the opposite direction.

Crisis avoided. Mission accomplished, for now at least. Now I have to rush to the bathroom and pretend to be on my period. I look at Karina’s lonely figure sitting at the lunch table. I feel bad, but I don’t want anything to happen to my friend. I’m fine if something happens to me, just not my friend.

How am I going to tell Ningning to stay away, without saying that Karina used to be a bully back in middle school...