The days in Michigan began to blur together in a haze of assignments, late-night study sessions, and club meetings. Christine’s life was full but felt lighter. The constant distraction of mathematics and her other commitments kept her from sinking into thoughts of Alex too often. And then, there was Robert.

Since their first encounter, Robert had found ways to show up unexpectedly in Christine’s life. Whether it was offering her a coffee before their statistics class or sending her random messages that turned into hour-long conversations, his presence was becoming familiar. At first, Christine had felt a bit wary—after all, Robert was, according to Jenny, the campus heartthrob, with thousands of followers hanging onto his every note. But the more time they spent together, the more Christine realized he wasn’t just some campus celebrity—he was just... Robert. And more importantly, he was becoming a friend.

One afternoon, as Christine was hurrying across campus to make it to her literature class, her phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her pocket and saw Robert’s name pop up.

Robert: I’m outside. You wanna grab lunch?

Christine frowned at her phone. She had class in ten minutes, but the idea of food was tempting.

Christine: I have class. Go eat alone, you weirdo.

A minute later, he responded.

Robert: You’re gonna ditch me for class? Wow, okay. Betrayed.

Rolling her eyes, Christine quickened her pace. But as she approached her building, she noticed Robert leaning casually against a tree, holding two sandwiches. She stopped in her tracks, staring at him in disbelief.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, walking up to him.

“Offering you a bribe,” Robert replied with a grin, holding out one of the sandwiches. “Come on, it’s just one class. Besides, I saved you from fainting due to hunger.”

Christine took the sandwich begrudgingly but shook her head. “You’re impossible, you know that? I have to go.”

He sighed dramatically, putting a hand to his heart. “Fine, but just know I risked my life crossing campus for you. And this is how you repay me?”

Christine couldn’t help but laugh. “I didn’t ask you to. You’re the one who keeps popping up out of nowhere.”

“Well, you’re the only one who hasn’t tried to autograph my face or throw yourself at me, so I guess that makes you special,” he teased, taking a bite of his own sandwich.

Christine rolled her eyes again, but this time with a smile. “Lucky me.”

They fell into step together, and as they walked, Robert continued his light-hearted teasing. The conversation flowed easily, filled with playful jabs and sarcasm that made Christine feel at ease. He had a knack for making her laugh, even when she wasn’t in the mood to.

Later that evening, Christine was lying on her bed, working on her calculus assignment when her phone buzzed again. This time, it wasn’t Robert—it was Lara.

Lara: You didn’t respond to my last text. Are you busy or just ignoring me?

Christine sighed. Lara had been increasingly clingy over the past few weeks, her texts becoming more frequent and her tone more accusatory. No matter how much Christine tried to reassure her, it seemed like Lara’s insecurities always took over.

Christine: I’m not ignoring you. Just working on an assignment. What’s up?

The reply came almost instantly.

Lara: Nothing, I just feel like you’ve been avoiding me. You’re always too busy now.

Christine rubbed her forehead, feeling the familiar weight of guilt settle in. She wasn’t avoiding Lara, but she also knew that their conversations always ended up in the same place—arguments.

Christine: I’m not avoiding you, Lara. I’ve just been busy with classes. You know how it is.

There was a long pause before Lara replied again.

Lara: Yeah, right. But you always have time for your new friends, don’t you? I saw your story with that guy today.

Christine closed her eyes, feeling a wave of frustration wash over her. She had posted a quick photo of her and Robert eating lunch together, but she hadn’t thought much of it. Apparently, Lara had.

Christine: Lara, it was just lunch. He’s a friend. You don’t need to worry about it.

Lara: Sure, just a “friend.” You’ve been spending so much time with him, I’m starting to think you don’t even care about me anymore.

Christine’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure how to respond. She didn’t want to argue, but no matter what she said, it felt like Lara was determined to make her feel guilty.

Christine: You’re my friend too, Lara. But I can’t be there all the time. You know that.

Lara’s response was sharp and immediate.

Lara: Yeah, well, it feels like you’ve already replaced me.

Christine sighed and put her phone down, not wanting to continue the conversation. Every time she tried to explain herself, it seemed to make things worse. She cared about Lara—she always had—but their friendship was starting to feel more like a burden than a source of comfort.

The next day, Christine found herself sitting outside the student center with Robert, waiting for Jenny and Evelyn to show up. They were planning to grab lunch together, but of course, Jenny was running late, as usual.

“So, how’s the calculus coming along?” Robert asked, glancing at her notebook.

Christine groaned. “Don’t even ask. My brain feels like mush.”

He smirked. “Maybe I should tutor you.”

She shot him a look. “You? Tutor me? Please, I’m already doing better than you in that class.”

Robert put a hand to his chest in mock offense. “Hey, I’m just trying to help.”

“Sure you are,” Christine said, shaking her head with a grin. “But thanks, I’ll manage.”

“Suit yourself,” he replied with a shrug, leaning back in his chair. “But don’t come crying to me when you can’t figure out the next problem set.”

“I won’t,” she shot back, “because I’m not the one who can’t multiply matrices.”

He laughed. “Okay, low blow. But fair.”

Christine was about to retort when her phone buzzed again. She glanced at the screen and saw another message from Lara. Her heart sank. She knew she should answer, but she also didn’t want to get sucked into another argument.

Robert noticed her hesitation and leaned forward. “Everything okay?”

Christine hesitated before nodding. “Yeah, it’s just... a friend.”

Robert raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more to it. “A complicated friend?”

“You could say that,” Christine admitted. “It’s... It’s hard to explain.”

He didn’t push, which she appreciated. Instead, he leaned back and crossed his arms. “Well, if you ever need to vent, I’m a good listener.”

She smiled gratefully. “Thanks. I might take you up on that.”

As the afternoon wore on, Jenny and Evelyn finally arrived, and the group fell into their usual rhythm of banter and laughter. Robert fit in seamlessly, joking with Jenny and teasing Evelyn about her photography obsession. Christine felt herself relax for the first time in what felt like days. Surrounded by her friends, the weight of her worries about Lara began to lift, if only temporarily.

But as the sun set and the evening drew near, Christine knew that the next text from Lara was only a matter of time. No matter how much she tried to balance everything—her studies, her new friendships, and her old ones—something always seemed to slip through the cracks.

And lately, that something was Lara.