My Sister Loves My School's Heartthrob Boyfriend

The day after I spilled my heart to the school's heartthrob, I caught him kissing my sister.

I switched my college preferences and moved to a new city.

But he found me, against all odds.

His piercing gaze locked on me. "Sarah, I thought you liked me? Why the sudden cold feet?"

I shook my head in denial.

He flashed a coy smile. "But I'm into you, and I wanna hang out together."

***

I finally confessed to Sam Carter right after graduation.

Only to stumble upon him kissing my sister at our complex's gate the very next day.

Emma was all smiles, chatting up Sam, clearly on cloud nine.

Sam was equally engaged, his eyes soft with affection—affection that was once meant for me.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, and took a hesitant step forward, intent on breaking up their cozy scene.

Unexpectedly, Emma suddenly yanked Sam's wrist, pulling him behind a tree.

Hidden in the shifting shadows, I saw Emma casually wrap her arms around Sam's neck, and he didn't resist.

A weight settled on my chest; I couldn't bear to look anymore and turned to walk away.

Back home, I sat at my desk, clutching a teddy bear, lost in thought.

Out of the blue, Sam messaged me on WhatsApp.

[Did you predict your scores? Let's apply to the same university after the results come out.]

As I stared at the screen, tears welled up, and memories of how Sam and I first met flooded back.

Emma and I attended the same school.

She had been frail since a young illness, always the apple of our parents' eye.

At school, her gentle demeanor drew a crowd of admirers.

Some folks just seem to have all the luck.

It was no secret that Emma and I weren't close.

One time during PE, a boy lobbed a basketball at me hard.

He taunted, "Hey, aren't you the one always picking on Emma? Next time I catch wind of it, it'll be more than just a ball hitting you."

I clutched my throbbing arm, tears unexpectedly rolling down.

Then, a basketball arced beautifully through the air and hit him squarely.

A lazy voice followed.

"Picking on girls? That's low."

I turned and saw Sam bathed in sunlight, his presence a beacon.

He was the first person to ever show me kindness, igniting something deep inside.

From that day, I was always seen at his heels.

I was drawn to the light, and Sam felt like warmth.

He treated me kindly: brought me hot cocoa every morning, tutored me in math and physics, and stood up for me against bullies.

...

Until, unable to hold back, I confessed to him as we graduated.

I received no reply.

Now I knew, silence was his way of saying no.

Just like everyone else, Sam preferred my sister.

I tapped out a message on my phone.

[Let's see how our exams went before planning any further. We might not even end up at the same university.]

I knew Sam had his sights set on a university in New York; initially, that was my top choice too.

But now, I was setting my sights on Chicago.