At the university, in the café where students gathered after classes, Emily Parker was sitting with her friends.

— Em, did you hear that Jake is back with Laura? — Sam asked.

Emily raised an eyebrow, hiding her irritation.

— Really? — she replied, tapping on the table. — I thought they weren't talking to each other.

Sam, with a smile, suggested changing the topic.

— Okay, let’s forget about Jake. What about the party at the club? We need to be there!

The friends agreed, and the conversation became lively again, though Emily couldn’t shake off a feeling of unease.