Chapter 2 Friends and Favors

The cafeteria was buzzing with energy, the usual hum of laughter and conversation bouncing off the walls. Stephanie and I sat at our usual table in the corner, where she had piled her tray high with food she probably wouldn't finish.

"So, what do you think of the chemistry test tomorrow?" I asked, carefully unwrapping my sandwich.

Stephanie groaned, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Don't remind me. I'll just copy off you, like always."

"Steph, you can't keep doing that," I said, shaking my head. "One day, a teacher is going to catch you."

She leaned back in her chair, smirking. "Then you'll just have to help me ace it beforehand. Problem solved."

That was Stephanie for you. Bold, confident, and completely unapologetic. She was everything I wasn't, and for reasons I still didn't fully understand, she'd decided to latch onto me.

It wasn't that I minded, exactly. Stephanie's attention kept me from fading into the background entirely, but I knew our friendship wasn't exactly balanced. She didn't stick around because she liked my sparkling personality or riveting stories. No, Stephanie liked me for one reason-I was useful.

"By the way," Stephanie said, casually pushing her tray toward me, "finish this for me. I'm not that hungry."

I sighed but didn't argue, picking at her untouched fries.

~•~

The library was quieter than usual after lunch, the sound of pages turning and pens scratching on paper filling the space. Stephanie and I sat by the window, though-as always-I was the only one actually working.

"You're going to be a genius one day," Stephanie said, watching me scribble notes onto a worksheet.

I looked up at her, surprised by the compliment.

"Don't let it go to your head," she added with a grin. "I still need you to finish my biology homework after this."

There it was. I rolled my eyes but didn't say anything. She'd learned long ago that I wouldn't say no to her, no matter how much extra work it meant for me.

As I focused on the equations in front of me, Stephanie suddenly straightened in her chair.

"Oh, here comes Mr. Perfect," she whispered, smirking.

I didn't need to look up to know who she meant.

Daniel strolled into the library, a textbook tucked under one arm and a notebook in the other. He walked like he owned the place, his steps slow and deliberate, his head held high. A group of girls nearby giggled as he passed, and he nodded at them with that easy, confident smile of his.

"Ugh, can he be any more obvious?" Stephanie muttered, rolling her eyes.

I stayed quiet, my eyes fixed on the worksheet in front of me.

To my surprise, Daniel ended up sitting a few tables away from us. Stephanie wasted no time making her presence known, waving at him and flashing her brightest smile.

"Hey, Daniel!" she called out.

He glanced over, his expression lighting up. "Hey, Stephanie."

I pretended not to notice, keeping my head down and focusing on the notes in front of me.

"You should sit with us," Stephanie said, patting the empty chair beside her.

Daniel hesitated for a moment before shrugging and making his way over. My heart sped up as he pulled out the chair and sat down, setting his books on the table.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," he said, flashing that devastating smile.

"Not at all," Stephanie replied smoothly. "Lizzie and I were just going over some notes. She's the smartest person in school, you know."

I glanced up, startled by the sudden attention. "I'm not that-"

"Don't be modest," Stephanie interrupted, nudging me with her elbow. "She's practically a genius, Daniel. You should let her tutor you sometime."

Daniel raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely interested. "Really? I could use some help with chemistry."

"Of course she'd help," Stephanie said, answering for me. "Right, Lizzie?"

I nodded mutely, too nervous to form words.

"Great," Daniel said, grinning at me. "Maybe we could meet after school sometime?"

"S-sure," I stammered, feeling my cheeks heat up.

The conversation drifted after that, with Stephanie carrying most of it. I stayed quiet, listening as they bantered back and forth, their laughter blending seamlessly.

But every now and then, Daniel's gaze would flicker toward me, and I couldn't help but wonder-was this just polite attention, or something more?

By the time Daniel left, my nerves were completely shot.

"You're welcome," Stephanie said smugly, leaning back in her chair.

"For what?" I asked, frowning.

"For setting that up," she replied, smirking. "You're too shy to talk to him on your own, so I did it for you."

I should have been grateful. Instead, I felt uneasy. There was something about the way Stephanie smiled, the way she spoke to Daniel, that didn't sit right with me.

But I pushed the thought aside, telling myself I was just overthinking things. After all, Stephanie was my friend.

Wasn't she?

That evening, as I sat on my bed, I replayed the library conversation in my head. Daniel had spoken to me, asked me for help, even smiled at me.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like I wasn't invisible.

But Stephanie's words echoed in my mind, a faint warning I couldn't quite shake.

"You're too shy," she'd said.

Maybe she was right.

But a small voice in the back of my mind whispered something else. Maybe she wasn't helping me. Maybe she was helping herself.