Chapter 4

The next day at school was torture. Liam's eyes followed me everywhere, filled with a mixture of hurt and confusion. I felt like a monster.

That night, my system interface pinged. It was a message from future Liam.

"How's it going? Did you do it yet? Did you break up with me?"

His eagerness felt like salt in a wound. I took a deep, shaky breath before typing my reply.

"I'm working on it. I told him I wanted space."

The "..." icon appeared again. The wait was excruciating.

"Good. Don't drag it out. The sooner it's over, the better. I can't stand thinking about it anymore."

My heart clenched. He couldn't stand thinking about the beginning of our relationship.

"By the way," he continued, "I was thinking more about Chloe. She was really sweet. I remember she used to leave little notes in my locker sometimes. Make sure you don't just break us up. Make sure you push us together. That's part of the mission."

Tears pricked my eyes, hot and angry. He wasn't just erasing me; he was actively writing me out of the script and replacing me with someone else. He didn't just want a different past; he wanted a whole new leading lady.

"I'll do my best," I typed, the words tasting like bile.

The next day, I made a point to walk past the basketball courts after school, knowing Liam would be at practice. As I got closer, I saw him. He was shooting hoops, but his movements were sluggish, his usual grace gone. He missed an easy layup and swore under his breath.

Then, I saw her.

Chloe Davis was standing by the bleachers, clutching a pink water bottle. She was watching Liam with that same shy, hopeful expression I remembered. She took a tentative step forward, as if to approach him, but then seemed to lose her nerve and stopped.

This was my chance. The mission.

But before I could do anything, Liam spotted me. His face lit up for a second before remembering my coldness from the day before. He jogged over, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm.

"Ava," he said, his voice hesitant. "Can we please talk? For real this time?"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Chloe's shoulders slump. She turned as if to leave.

I had to act fast. I ignored Liam's plea. "The championship game is Friday night, right?" I asked, my voice flat. "The big one against Northwood."

He looked surprised by the change of subject. "Yeah. It is. I was hoping you'd still come."

"I won't," I said bluntly. The hurt flashed in his eyes again, and I had to fight the urge to apologize, to take it all back. "I'm busy."

He looked crushed. "Oh. Okay." He kicked at a loose pebble on the pavement. "I... I'll still be waiting for you. After the game. By the old oak tree behind the gym. Just in case you change your mind."

He was still holding on. He was still going to wait for me at our spot.

Chloe was starting to walk away, her head down. I couldn't let her leave.

An idea, cruel and efficient, formed in my mind. I looked past Liam, directly at Chloe.

"Chloe!" I called out.

She jumped, startled, and looked over at me, her eyes wide. Liam turned to see who I was yelling at.

I gave her a bright, conspiratorial smile, the fakest smile I had ever produced. "Hey! Liam was just talking about you."

Liam shot me a look of utter confusion. "I was?"

I ignored him, keeping my focus on Chloe, who was now frozen in place. "Yeah! He wants to see you after the game on Friday. He's just too shy to ask you himself."

I walked over to her, looping my arm through hers like we were old friends. Her arm was tense.

"He said to meet him by the old oak tree behind the gym after the game," I continued, my voice sickeningly sweet. "He has something he wants to tell you."

Chloe's face transformed. The shyness was replaced by a blossoming, radiant hope. She looked from me to Liam, a disbelieving smile spreading across her face. "Really?" she whispered.

Liam just stood there, his mouth slightly open, looking completely bewildered. He opened his mouth to say something, probably to deny it, but I shot him a look. A look that said, 'Play along, or I'll make an even bigger scene.'

He closed his mouth, a muscle twitching in his jaw. He looked trapped.

"Really," I confirmed to Chloe, patting her arm. "Don't be late."

I turned and walked away without another word, leaving them standing there in an awkward silence. I didn't look back. I just kept walking, my steps quick and determined. The system required me to facilitate a relationship between Liam and Chloe. I had just laid the foundation.

And I had never felt more hollow in my life.