"Except this time, I'm one step ahead of you."

He flipped open the box, and there it was, a silver-white necklace with a pendant that was understated yet chic. It was totally my vibe.

"Our one-month," he said, a smile playing on his lips, his tone all warm and fuzzy.

I blinked, caught off guard, and stepped back a little. "This... You didn't have to."

"Why not?" He closed the gap between us, his voice a soft rumble as he said, "Imagine us at tomorrow's class party, rocking matching necklaces. It'll look awesome. Let's show them we're an item."

I parted my lips, words teetering on the edge.

He caught my hesitation and let out a chuckle. "I get it. I can't splash out on something fancy... It's just a token. You won't hold it against me, right?"

He paused, his words hanging like a vow in the air. "One day, I'll get you the real deal."

Before I could protest, he slipped behind me and clasped the necklace around my neck, his fingers lightly brushing my collarbone.

I looked down, my silence heavy.

A bitter taste crept up from the pit of my stomach.

'Eric, there's no one day for us,' I thought.

…

At the party the next day.

Eric tugged me inside, and the place was already buzzing like a hive.

"Look who finally showed up!" someone called out as they spotted our matching couple's necklaces.

"Seriously? Rubbing it in our faces with all this lovey-dovey stuff is just cruel to us single peeps!"

Another classmate, laughing, banged on the table. "Tessa's got game, snagging a hottie like Eric! Half the girls at school couldn't get him to glance their way."

"And it's not just Eric being a looker. Tessa's the whole package: a brainiac and a total babe. They're like the perfect power couple!" my bestie said with a giggle.

The room buzzed with excitement, and someone shouted, "Let's see a kiss! You can't walk away without showing a little love in public, can you?'"

Eric, grinning that easy grin of his, slung an arm around my shoulders. "A kiss for your viewing pleasure? Dream on!"

"Oh, come on, don't be bashful!"

"Just one little kiss to make it official!"

The chants for a kiss echoed around us.

I looked down, forcing a smile.

From the corner of my eye, I caught Jocelyn Graham's face twisted in a scowl.

She bit her lip, eyes fixed on us, and then made her escape. "I need to hit the restroom."

Eric, who had been pretending not to notice her, was quick to follow.

I slipped out of the room and down the hall to a little side balcony, and there they were. Jocelyn, standing with a storm brewing on her face, and Eric, who had followed her out.

"You just had to flaunt your romance in front of me, huh?" Jocelyn's voice was icy, but I could hear the hurt she could not quite hide. "You two are wearing matching necklaces? Doesn't that just gross you out?"

Eric reached for her, his voice a low, soothing murmur as he said, "Haven't I explained it to you? It's all for show, to keep her off the trail, to keep things cool.

"The happier she is today, the more mortified she'll be tomorrow."

He paused, then said, reassuringly, "Anyway, what's a cheap necklace worth, really?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box, extending it toward her with a meaningful look. "This is what really matters," he said.

I was hidden in the shadows, but I could see the logo on the box as clear as day.

It was that international brand's limited-edition promise ring.

One per person, for life: a symbol of a once-in-a-lifetime commitment.

Eric had it all wrong.

I was not unprepared for our one-month anniversary. I had scrimped and saved and ordered the very same ring to surprise him last night.

However, I never got the chance to give it to him.

Then, he was giving that ring, our ring, to Jocelyn.

It was almost laughable.

Just like the twisted love triangle we were in.

'I love you, and you love her,' I mused bitterly.

…

The party was in full swing, and someone suggested a game called 'I Have Something You Have Not.' We went around the circle, each person bragging about something uniquely their own. Anyone who failed to impress had to take a drink as a penalty.

When Jocelyn's turn came, she held her glass delicately, a sly smile playing on her lips. Her voice was sugary sweet as she declared, "I've got a guy...who, no matter what, would always have my back. Who would do anything for me."

The moment she finished, the room erupted with teasing and laughter. "Come on, Jocelyn, that's not fair! You're the belle of the class; loads of guys are into you. You're just trying to get us wasted!"

Everyone was chuckling and goofing around, but I was fixated on the finger she teasingly raised.

She was sending me a message, loud and clear.

I used to think my rivalry with Jocelyn was only about who got the better grades. Then, I saw the truth.

She was not only after a higher score than mine.

Then, it was my turn.

I lifted my gaze, my voice cool and detached as I said, "I've been top of my class every single year since kindergarten."

The room burst into a mix of cheers and playful groans. "That's just showing off! Who can top that?"

I could not bring myself to laugh. My eyes locked onto Jocelyn, and I took a deliberate pause before asking, "And you? Are you just like them?"

Her smile turned to ice, her cheeks tinged pink with anger. After a tense moment, she bit her lip and reluctantly lowered her hand, the one that had been so proudly raised. The glittering ring vanished into her clenched fist.

Soon after, Jocelyn stormed out of the room, and, predictably, Eric was hot on her heels.

I got up and trailed them at a distance.

In the deserted room, Jocelyn's eyes brimmed with tears as she said, "Tessa is deliberately taunting me! Didn't you hear her? She's trying to shame me!"

Eric's voice was gentle, trying to calm her. "I don't think she meant it like that. Don't read too much into it."

"You're taking her side?" Jocelyn's voice spiked, her words laced with a whiny defiance. "Then maybe you shouldn't be with me at all!"

Eric's alarm was instant. He reached for her hand, desperate. "That's not it at all. You're what matters. You're the only one for me."

Seeing his reaction, a smug satisfaction flickered in Jocelyn's eyes. She leaned in and gave him a kiss, her voice dripping with sweetness as she said, "Then stand up for me, will you? Tonight, find some troublemakers... Tomorrow, I want everyone to see her scandalous video. I want her humiliated in front of the whole school: every teacher, every student, until she's kicked out of our elite circle!"

Hidden in the shadows, my heart pounded against my ribs.

I was filled with hope.

I hoped that Eric would say no, that he would at least hesitate.

Because he had always said he loved me.

Were guys not supposed to stand up for their girls?

Eric hung his head, silent for what felt like forever.

However, Jocelyn knew exactly how to play him, pressing against him, her voice a soft purr in his ear as she said, "Eric, just say yes, and I'll be yours to do whatever you want for the rest of the night…"

The moment she finished speaking, Eric lit up like a firecracker, pulling her into a fierce embrace. He breathed heavily, his lips finding hers in a hungry kiss. "Don't worry. I'd do anything for you."

The summer heat lingered in the air.

However, inside, I felt a chill in my bones.

…

"Tessa, join me for a drink?"

Back in the lounge, Eric's voice was soft with affection. "We're filling out our college choices tomorrow. I'm not sure if I'll end up at the same school as you."

I kept my eyes downcast, silent.

He let out a wistful sigh. "Well, if my grades don't measure up and we can't be at the same school, being in the same city isn't so bad, right?"

I lifted my head slowly, my gaze icy as I asked him point-blank for the first time, "Do you actually like me?"

He paused, taken aback. Then, he broke into a smile. "Of course I like you, you goof."

That night, he steadied me, his care feigned as he tucked my drunken body into bed, cooing softly.

"Sleep tight. You need to be up early tomorrow."

Soon after, the door clicked shut.

Time passed, and then the door swung open again. A few boys' snickers slithered through the gap. "Where is she? In here? Don't worry, we've got this covered."

The following day, the school auditorium was filled to the brim.

The presentations from top-tier universities were about to start, and the whole school, including many parents who had come especially for the occasion, was abuzz with anticipation.

Someone scanned the room, puzzled. "Where's Tessa? She's one of our stars, and I've heard top universities around the world are fighting over her!"

In the crowd, Jocelyn stood with her arms crossed, a smug smile playing on her lips as she leaned against Eric.

She whispered to Eric with a hint of glee, "Just wait until Tessa shows up. Let's see how she'll handle this."

Then, looking up at him, she asked, "Ready?"

Eric's eyes were unfocused, his attention lost to the screen of his phone.

The screen was flooded with missed calls from that morning; none of them were answered.

"Uh...I'm all set," he mumbled, clearly nervous.

At the heart of the stage, the school honchos kicked off the event, and the giant screen started rolling out slick ads from all the fancy schools.

Then, the feed from one of the elite schools glitched out.

Before anyone could react, a steamy, twisted scene was broadcast for the entire school to see…

A girl panted and moaned, those breathless sounds sending heat through the crowd as the auditorium went wild in a flash.

"What in the world?!"

"Who's behind this?!"

"Who's that girl?!"

The school honchos' faces went pale, and they scrambled to kill the feed, but they were freaking out because nothing worked. The system was on the fritz!

The place went nuts in no time.

Someone in the crowd hollered, "Hey? Doesn't that voice sound a bit familiar?"

Jocelyn could not stop smirking, arms folded like she was in the front row at the best show in town.

"Tsk! Doesn't that sound a lot like Tessa? No way, right? The brainiac's got some game after all, huh?"

Eric looked like he had swallowed a lemon, trying to cut in. "Cut it out, guys, just…"

However, Jocelyn shot him a look, her voice dropping even lower as she said, "Having regrets? Too late for that."

While everyone was buzzing, the girl in the clip turned her head slowly, and then bam! Her face was out there for the whole school to see.

The place blew up.

"Holy cow! It's her?!"

"How can it be?!"

"Is this for real?"

Jocelyn's smirk looked ready to split her face, and she screamed as if she were furious, though it was obvious she was enjoying every second. "See for yourselves! This is your so-called goddess Tessa! Does someone with her kind of morals even belong in a top school?!"

She spun around with her nose in the air, all set to unleash another round of fury, but the scene on the screen stopped her short.

Her face drained of color, and she let out a scream like she had been struck by lightning.

"No way! No way!

"Shut it down! Shut it down now!"