CHANGE OF POV: MIA'S POV
I stood up from the weight bench and stretched my tired muscles, feeling the burn from my intense workout.
Glancing over at Ray, I said, "Alright, you finish up with your lifting while I go get us both a drink."
I leaned down and gave his arm a gentle squeeze before turning and walking away, leaving the hot and sweaty confines of the gym and heading towards the vending machines.
As I walked, I took in deep breaths of the cool, fresh air, relishing the feeling of it on my skin. But my sense of peace was quickly shattered as I turned the corner and saw Lily and her group of friends approaching.
I tried to avoid eye contact and walk past them as quickly as possible, but Lily called out to me, "Hey, you dropped something."
Against by her words, I turned around on instinct and saw her sauntering towards me, a sly smile on her face.
"Who's here to protect you now?" she taunted.
I stood tall and tried to keep my voice steady and strong as I replied, "I don't see what or who I need protection from."
"You see Mia, I don't have a quarrel with you. I just want you to leave my man alone," Lily said, trying to sound as sweet as poison.
But I wasn't going to back down.
"I don't see how Ray belongs to you. He doesn't seem interested in you," I countered, my anger starting to boil beneath the surface.
"Oh, he does," she replied quickly. "Check this out."
She pulled out her phone and began scrolling through pictures of her and Ray, some casual, others more intimate.
My heart sank as I saw them so close together, and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.
"All of this is in the past," I said, trying to stay composed. "You had a history with Ray, but those are all in the past now. He doesn't want you."
"He just needs a little reminder of our time together," Lily said confidently.
My mind was racing as I tried to process everything. I had only known Ray for a few weeks, but I was already getting used to having him around and the special attention he gave me.
But now, seeing these pictures and hearing Lily's words, I couldn't help but feel a sense of uncertainty and insecurity.
"Ray just wants a taste of you," Lily continued, walking circles around me as she collected and fiddled with one of the drinks I had just purchased.
"After that, he's going to dump you. If I were you, I'd dump him before he does. It's less painful that way."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I snapped back, "So you can have a chance to get back with him? No way."
My emotions were getting the best of me, and I couldn't help but let my jealousy and fear show. I've only known this guy for about two weeks, and I'm already scared of letting him go.
"You know what?" Lily said with a sly smile. "Give me 15 minutes to remind Ray of our time together. If I can't do that, I'll be off your trail."
"Deal?" she asked stopping right in front of me.
I knew I shouldn't have agreed, but I saw myself stupidly agreeing to Lily's offer, taking her bait like a mouse foolishly taking cheese from a mouse trap.
"Deal" I nodded.
As Lily walked away, she turned back to me and said, "Meet us in the gym in 15…and I'll be needing this," holding up the drink to remind me of our agreement.
I stood there, feeling foolish and trapped, as I watched her walk away. I just hoped that I wouldn't regret this decision, that I won't be caught in this little mouse trap.
Soon, I was standing alone in the empty corridor, the tears that had been welling up in my eyes finally began to spill down my cheeks.
I felt ridiculous and embarrassed, and I quickly made my way to the ladies' room to wash my face and compose myself.
Taking a deep breath, I headed back towards the vending machines to get another drink.
I knew that Lily had probably already tried to make her move on Ray, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the thought of her throwing herself at him or rolling on the floor, trying to win him back.
But I knew I had to get back to the gym soon – it had been almost 15 minutes, and I had another class to attend. I would just give the drink to Ray and quickly freshen up before rushing off to my next class.
As I opened the door to the gym, the sound of the canned drink crashing to the ground and the splatter of liquid on my skin brought me crashing back to reality.
A bitter reality I wasn't expecting.
The sight that greeted me was a harsh and painful one – Lily was straddling Ray, and it seemed like he hadn't even noticed me.
"Ray, what is the meaning of this?" I yelled, my anger reaching a boiling point.
Lily glanced up at me briefly and winked, and in that moment, my heart felt like it had been ripped to shreds. I felt hurt, betrayed, and used.
I couldn't bear to stand there and watch any longer, so I turned and ran towards the bathroom, the tears flowing freely down my face.
I stumbled into a shower stall and let the water and tears mix together as I sobbed.
Eventually, I took a quick shower and tried to pull myself together, but I still felt upset and overwhelmed.
As the bell rang for my next class, I followed the other students, my head down to avoid unnecessary glares and stares at my unkept look.
But instead of heading to my next class, I snuck into the swimming arena.
I closed the door behind me and dropped my bag, pulling out my MP3 player and turning on some soothing music to try and calm my racing thoughts.
I stripped down to my bikinis and climbed into the pool, letting the cool water envelop me.
I swam and swam, trying to push all my negative emotions to the back of my mind, willing them to drown in the cool of the pool.
Eventually, I swam to the edge, and sat there with my feet dangling in the water, watching the ripples and letting my mind drift back to happier memories.