There were only three things Rina considered sacred:
Leg day.
Privacy.
Her smoothie bar, "Fruit & Fury."
It was the one place no one followed her. No cameras, no whispers. Just protein powder, ambient lo-fi, and the occasional cry in the oat milk aisle.
That ended today.
Because right in front of her, standing at the counter like she owned the damn place, was Zoe.
And Zoe was with a guy.Not Eliot.
Some indie-looking dude with a man-bun and a guitar case.Of course.
Zoe laughed at something he said. Her real laugh. The one that sounded like a melody and a secret at the same time.
Rina's jaw tightened as she ordered her usual:
"One Mango Rage. Extra ginger. No fake people."
She didn't mean to say the last part out loud. The barista gave her a thumbs up like it was a meme.
She sat two tables down, pretending not to look, scrolling her phone with aggressive energy.Her feed? Full of updates about Scarlett's "new living situation."
Rina nearly choked on her straw.
The comments were already wild:
"SCARLETT LIVES WITH HIM NOW???""Eliot is the main character in every girl's villain origin story 💀""I would simply not have survived this semester."
And then came Zoe's post.
Just a photo. Subtle. A soft shot of sunlight through a studio window.Caption: "Some things grow better in quiet."
It was beautiful. Tasteful. Poised.
Rina hated it.
She hated how unbothered Zoe looked. How mature.Meanwhile, she was sitting in a smoothie bar drinking something called rage.
Without thinking, she stood up and walked right over.
"Hey," she said, too loud.
Zoe looked up, caught off guard. "Rina."
The guy next to her blinked. "You're... intense."
"Not talking to you, String Cheese," Rina snapped.
Zoe raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"
"You tell me. You post about peace like you're not part of the disaster club. Scarlett's literally moved in with Eliot."
Zoe blinked. "I know. She told me."
Rina's mouth opened. Closed. "And you're okay with that?"
"No," Zoe said calmly, "but I'm choosing not to let it control me."
That made Rina angrier. The peace made her furious.
"You always do this," Rina hissed. "You float above everything like you're not part of the mess. Like you're better than the rest of us."
"I never said I was better," Zoe replied, eyes steady. "I just got tired of bleeding in public for people who treat drama like currency."
Rina laughed once — a sharp, bitter sound. "Cool. So now you're spiritually healed and dating a barista who writes poetry on napkins?"
"He's a sound designer," Zoe said. "And this wasn't about him until you made it."
Rina realized people were watching. Phones angled discreetly.
"Enjoy your quiet," she said through clenched teeth. "It won't last."
She left before the tears had a chance to break through her eyeliner.
—
Later, Zoe sat alone at the same table, stirring the last of her matcha.
The barista slid over a note with her receipt. A napkin.
Scribbled in messy handwriting:
"They only hate you when they can't reach you."
She smiled.
Even peace had teeth.