A memory from three years ago...
I've always been an outgoing person ever since I could remember. I enjoyed spending time with friends and meeting new people so to put it simply, I was the height of the social butterfly in school, eager to engage in conversation and form new relationships, which contributed to my high school popularity.
In every teacher's eyes, I was the number one student, and I quickly grew to enjoy the attention. So I worked hard to keep first place in everything except in maths which you already know. This continued, and when I passed my high school exams, I was ecstatic to be accepted into my dream university.
The freedom and independence that came with it were both exhilarating and overwhelming. It was a steep learning curve, but one that I wouldn't trade for anything. Little did I know that university life would be a whole new ballgame.
Everything was running smoothly so far. I was upbeat and had made a lot of new friends. I joined numerous clubs, including the sorority I'd always dreamed about after seeing them in movies.
While going through the steps to become a member, I earned more points than any previous member, including the leader. This not only secured my acceptance into the sorority but also earned me the respect and admiration of my fellow members who recognized my hard work and dedication.
However, not everyone welcomed the new girl—especially a freshman—coming in and taking the spotlight. In particular, a trio that included the school president, whom I had yet to meet.
"What's this about a new member joining the sorority? Since when do we accept just anyone?" I overheard an angry voice one day as I was retrieving my bag from the meeting room. It felt wrong to eavesdrop, but my curiosity got the better of me. I would have recognized the speaker if I had met them before, but this voice was unfamiliar, adding to my intrigue.
"Technically, we added five new members," our leader's voice responded, sounding meek and cautious with her words.
I had noticed before that she lacked the charismatic presence I'd expect from a leader, making me wonder how she rose to the head of such a large social structure.
"But this one girl broke the record. It would be illogical not to accept her, and she's nothing like you. So what if she surpassed your record? You're still at the top," someone else chimed in, clearly trying to appease. Their words were so transparently about me that I almost chuckled.
"But what if she gains popularity and starts competing for your job? She's quite likable, in my opinion, and she exudes an aura that draws people to her," Emma, the sorority's second in command, spoke up.
"Emma, shut up!" Triza snapped, and I could almost picture her giving her 'friend' a stern glare.
"Silvie is the president of the school. Who would dare compete with her?" Triza added with authority, and her words made me straighten up.
Silvie?
I'd heard rumors about the university's most beautiful president, but I'd never met her in person. I'd been eager to make her acquaintance ever since seeing her in a magazine, but she was notoriously elusive.
Rumors swirled that she wielded immense influence over nearly everything at the school, and that Triza was more of her subordinate than the true leader of the sorority—just another one of Silvie's pawns.
"Well, I don't really care what you do, but I do hope you keep in mind who is in charge here. I didn't put you in this position for you to screw up! The most important thing to remember about this is that no one member should get ahead of themselves." Silvia clipped voice caused me to raise an eyebrow.
So the rumors were true after all.
"Then what do we do about her? You know, Madison?"
"Get rid of her!" Silvia snapped, and that was my cue to interject.
"Why?" I inquired, making my presence known. I enjoyed the surprise on their faces as they turned to look at me, caught off guard like deer in headlights.
"I'm not sure why you'd feel threatened by a freshman when you've been here for so long."
I've always been in charge, never wanting to let go, so meeting Silvia didn't intimidate me in the least."
"You must be Madison. Did your mother teach you not to eavesdrop?" Silvia snarled irritably.
"I am flattered that the school president knows my name, and no, I was not eavesdropping. But when your name is mentioned, you can't help but listen. It's your fault for speaking too loudly," I shrugged and approached them casually.
"If you must speak behind someone's back, keep it to a minimum. But does it really matter now? Let's talk about you wanting to 'get rid' of me. 'Rid' is a big word, don't you think? Someone might get the wrong impression, especially since everything is recorded, right?" I asked playfully, holding up my phone.
"What? Did you record everything? How did you manage that? Give it to me!" Triza's childish demand made me shake my head in disbelief. This was the leader?
She reached for my phone, but Silvia stopped her. "Why? Because you said so? Honestly, you've always been a lousy leader. I often wonder who in their right mind put you in this position. Then again…" I trailed off, my gaze shifting to Silvia, who stood with a composed expression.
As much as I disliked admitting it, seeing her in person made me realize she was even more beautiful than any magazine could capture. She could have better when minimal makeup though.
"You!" Triza exploded, drawing my attention back to her. "What? I believe you should be more concerned about me taking over your position. Even though I am confident in my leadership abilities, I know I'm still a freshman and not even close to competing for Silvia's role."
"You, on the other hand..." I let my words hang in the air intentionally.
"How dare you, a mere freshman, threaten me—"
"Madison's right," Silvia cut Triza off, surprising everyone.
"Self-assured, analytical, perceptive, and crafty. Unfortunately, these two lack all the traits of effective leaders." Silvia's unexpected support for me left us all stunned. Was she actually siding with me?
"I believe that meeting someone with the same intelligence level as you can be enriching. I'm interested to see what new perspectives and ideas you'll bring to the table, and I'm keen to see what you'll offer in Emma's stead." Her words were another shock, leaving Triza and Emma looking pale. Just like that, Emma was out of the picture.
"Nice to finally meet you," I said with a smile, extending my hand. Silvia graciously accepted it.
That was the start of the second phase of my life. I wasn't oblivious to Silvia's strategy of "if you can't defeat them, join them." She, like me, thrived on being in control. Realizing I wasn't going to be easy to handle, she decided to befriend me in order to dominate.
One day, as we were walking around campus, we passed the baseball field where the seniors were practicing. That's when I spotted someone who had captivated my attention since I enrolled at university. His name was Harry. With looks that could command the entire female population, he was every woman's fantasy. I had never seen anyone like him before.
"Hot, huh?" Silvia murmured beside me.
"Yeah, I want him," I said firmly.
I had learned from my mother never to hesitate when pursuing what I wanted. I was determined and focused on my goals. There was no point in dithering when you could simply go for it.
"But I like him," Silvia's clipped voice cut through the windy afternoon. I raised an eyebrow at her hard expression, finding it amusing that she was visibly angry.
"Oh, then let the best woman win," I said, surprising her.
What? Was she expecting me to abandon my feelings for Harry because of our so-called friendship?
We both knew that our friendship was a façade. We were using each other, so why should I give up on him just because she wanted him too?
Denying her request gave me a small sense of power and control over the situation, which pleased me. However, I recognized that this toxic dynamic was unsustainable and would eventually need to end.
But I was never going to give up on Harry. My quest to catch his attention began in earnest. While Silvia pursued him openly, I opted for a subtler approach. I decided to play it cool and use my subliminal cues and flirtatious movements to draw him in, rather than being overtly aggressive. It seemed to work, as he began to pay more attention to me than to Silvia.
Of course, I wasn't going to reveal how deeply I felt for him. I had to maintain the mystery and play hard to get.
"Tell me what to do to get you," he asked one day.
I leaned against the baseball rails, watching him sweat profusely, which only added to his allure. His frustration at not winning me over gave me satisfaction.
With a coy smile, I responded, maintaining my air of indifference.
"You'll have to figure it out on your own," I teased, staying engrossed in the game.
After a few weeks, once he proved himself, I decided to give him a chance. He requested that we keep our relationship a secret to avoid drawing too much attention, given our public profiles. I agreed, and while it was challenging to keep it hidden, it added to the excitement and intimacy.
Watching Silvia throw herself at him was amusing. Although it made me jealous at times, I reminded myself that he was mine.
Harry was my first love. The first guy I fell in love with, and I trusted him completely in no time. What made it even better was that Valentine's Day was approaching, and I had a to-do list with my boyfriend.
I couldn't wait to surprise him with my romantic plans, which included a candlelit dinner and a special gift. It was going to be the perfect Valentine's Day with the perfect guy. Then, when the big day arrived, everything was perfect.
Looking at the lovely setting, I couldn't help but close my eyes and fancied our time together. What would happen, and how our relationship would change.
True, it did take a new turn. Only it wasn't what I had hoped for.