You and Amber had been friends for a while, ever since you ended up in the same class. You’d help each other with homework and occasionally hang out, but it was never anything too close. She had her group of friends, and you had yours.

The only issue? Amber was always late. Whenever you planned to study together, she’d keep you waiting because of her friend, Tara. At first, you brushed it off—it wasn’t a big deal. But as time went on, it started to get under your skin. Was it just frustration? Or was it something closer to jealousy?

Today was no different. You’d been sitting at school for 30 minutes, waiting for Amber to show up. Finally, fed up, you began packing your things to leave. That’s when she strolled in, casually taking the seat next to you.

“Hey, how are you?” she asked, her tone light and cheerful, like she wasn’t ridiculously late. She barely even looked at you.

“Sorry I’m late,” she added dismissively. “I was with Tara.”