“WHERE have you been?” Sherry asked Mandy when she came late to their last subject. “We waited for you in the field.”

“You said you’ll follow us after you finished your meal, where did you go? Got lost in the school?” Jennie turned her chair towards her. “You made us wait for nothing—”

“Jennie,” Sherry touched Jennie’s arm to stop her from interrogating her. “Let’s wait for Mandy’s explanation.”

“Explanation?” she smirked. “Or, excuses?”

Mandy heaved a sigh. “I’m tired of explaining myself to you, Jennie.” She focused on her book and pretended that she doesn’t care. “You won’t listen, anyway.”

“What?” Jennie asked, surprised by her response. “Mandy, it was you who’s not listening to us—”

“Jennie…” Sherry interrupted. “Maybe Mandy’s not in the mood now.”

“Like she always does?” Jennie asked sarcastically then looked at her. “Or, maybe she doesn’t want us to be her friends anymore—”

Mandy banged her fist on the table. “Shut up, Jennie.”

Sherry went to her side and touched her shoulder. “Mandy, what’s wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me?” she asked, clenching her fist. “All of you!”

Mandy picked up all her things and stormed out of their room. Cecile was right about Jennie and Sherry. They have changed, and they don’t like her anymore. They don’t accept her of what she has become because it doesn’t benefit them. But, they’re not what she needed. Mandy needed only herself, just like before.

“Mandy, why are you in a rush?” Michael called to her. He stepped out of the art room. “Don’t you have classes?”

Mandy felt a sudden thump inside her chest. Michael is their school’s student council president. She knew him well because he’s famous among female students at all levels. Michael is not just intelligent, he’s also good-looking and gentleman. If only she hasn’t met Elias, Michael could have been her greatest crush.

“Are you crying?” Michael asked in a knotted forehead. His handsome face looked worried, and it made Mandy’s heart rate race. “Is there something wrong, Mandy?”

Mandy pressed her lips together. She tried to fight her tears from falling, but she couldn’t. It kept falling down her cheeks. She suddenly felt ashamed that she might look ugly in front of him.

“I-I’m fine…” Mandy replied. “I have to go—”

“Wait,” Michael stopped her arm. “You don’t look okay, Mandy.”

Mandy tried to pull her arm free from him, but she couldn’t move her muscles. It was as if his touch paralyzed her nerves. It’s absurd to think this way in the middle of a commotion between her and her friends, but she couldn’t help it. Michael is charming too much to ignore.

“Okay, I’m not okay. But I—” She stopped when she heard Sherry’s voice and footsteps approaching. “They followed me.”

Michael’s brows furrowed. “Who?”

As the noise became louder, Mandy looked for a place to hide. Her eyes stopped from the door where Michael came out. “I’m sorry, Michael." She pushed him back inside the art room and shut the door behind them. “Please, don’t call them.”

“What? Mandy—”

Mandy covered his mouth with her hand. “Shh… They’re coming.”

From the small glass window attached to the door, she saw Sherry and Jennie stopped in front of the art room. “Where did she go?” asked Sherry. “I thought I saw her standing here.”

“Maybe it’s just your imagination,” Jennie told Sherry. “Let’s get back to our room. Our classes are about to start.”

“It’s your fault, Jennie. You hurt her feelings,” Sherry told Jennie. Mandy can’t see her face because her back is facing the door, but she can tell in her tone of voice that she’s worried about her. “You should have talked to her nicely.”

Mandy felt a lump in her throat as she listened to Sherry’s voice. She was really the soft type of friend even from the first time that she met her in the school library. Sherry was sitting on the farthest corner of the library, with her books and earphones on. She accidentally heard the Sproutoon song lyrics from the music she’s listening to when she unwarily sang it. And, that’s how they met. Because of Sproutoon, she met the kindest friend in the world.

“Don’t put the blame on me, Sherry,” Jennie said irritably. “It was Mandy’s fault, right? If she didn’t ignore us, I wouldn’t be like this.” She propped her hands on her waist. “And, instead of going with us earlier, she went with Cecile,” she smirked. “I wouldn’t be surprised if one of these days they’re the new best of friends.”

Mandy’s expression turned dull. They saw her with Cecile a while ago, yet Jennie asks her as if she doesn’t know anything. What she’s trying to do? Make her looked like she betrayed them in front of Sherry? Jennie has changed. And, she guessed, Sherry too.

“Mandy…” Michael removed her hand, covering his mouth. “Why don’t you go outside and talk to them?”

With tears on her eyes, Mandy turned to Michael, but only then she realized how closed they were at each other. Mandy blushed immediately and took a step away from him.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know I am that closed to you…” she said, avoiding his gaze.

“It’s okay, Mandy. I understand,” he said and smiled at her.

Mandy glanced at him, and seeing his regular expression as if being close to him was just nothing to him brought a pinch inside Mandy’s heart. Maybe she wasn’t really attractive or even likable by others.

She turned to look at the door, and when she saw that Sherry and Jennie have left, she decided to go out. But, Michael stopped her hand before she could hold the doorknob. “Mandy…”

Mandy closed her eyes at the sound of his gorgeous voice, calling her name. She looked at him and forced a smile on her lips. “I’m okay, Michael.”

He smiled back. “That’s good to hear, but I just want you to know that if you need someone else to talk to, I’m just here for you.”

Her heart skipped a beat. Does it mean that he likes me? She thought but contained herself from being obvious. So she just nodded and say thanks to him.

“Finally, since our first year here at the University, I always wanted to ask you if we can be friends, but you’re always busy,” Michael said with a big smile on his face.

Mandy paused at what she heard. “F-Friends?”

Michael nodded. “Yes, I want us to be friends.”

And all of a sudden, all the bright stars formed around them shattered into pieces together with Mandy’s heart.

***