Bitter Taste

The “Hey” came out so soft, and Chloe turned to see who desperately needed her attention. Only, it wasn't her attention being sought, but that of Darren, again.

She sighed softly. She was tired of waiting, and Rachael always made her wait. Today was the day of the long-awaited trip and she decided to be late.

She watched Darren speak to the handsome boy and her insides twitched. This was her best friend, but this was also her crush and it was a secret she had been struggling to hide for years. Of late, she had been losing it each time Darren was with someone else, it didn't matter who it was, it irked her.

Punching the screen of her phone for Rachael's number, she raised it to her ears, ready to pour out her frustration when she heard a familiar ringtone.

She turned around to see Rachael turning the bend, running with her phone held high above her head as she waved.

"I'm so sorry..." She muttered as she came to a halt.

"Where is your car?" Chloe's voice had a temper.

"Faulty. Would have taken so long to fix."

Darren had caught up with them. "Hey," she called, looking from Rachael to Chloe "I thought we had a car."

"We need to find another way," Chloe said. "I'll get an Uber."

She stepped away from the girls and watched them talk and giggle with her side eye while she pretended to be busy with her phone.

Twenty minutes later, they were in a taxi heading out of town. All three girls stayed in the back seat and talked about every and anything.

"Hey..." Darren called out to Chloe. "Any problem?"

Forcing a smile, Chloe replied. "I'm good."

"You sure?" Grey eyes cornered. "You've been quiet." She pushed on when she got no reply. "You can't still be mad because Rachael came late."

Chloe scoffed. She thought it sad that Darren had no clue.

"So, you're just going to ignore me?" Her lips closed into a pout.

This time, Chloe laughed. "I'm good, you're just annoying." She giggled as Darren rubbed her face over her sleeves. It was reassuring to Chloe, and she got disappointed when Darren pulled back.

"What's the plan?" Rachael interrupted.

"Simple, we get there, submit our application, and head out. Then, we cross our fingers." Chloe was smiling. "Then, we party!"

The academy was nothing compared to what they saw on the internet. It was huge, it was grand, and it was too busy for Chloe's comfort.

They missed bumping into people as they walked past, heading to the department where their future lay. Chloe could envision it all, the practical experiments, the learning, the experience. She knew they all had a fifty-fifty chance; everyone who thought through the stress of applying here was good, had to be good.

After scrambling and asking a thousand questions, they arrived at the office. Six other students were waiting but they didn't have to wait for long. They were called in one after the other and they handed their folders over. There was the option to mail the files but they had preferred the physical way, no excuses wanted. As they walked out of the building holding hands, they circled to hug each other. A lot was going on around them but it was a quiet moment for them. They knew what they had gone through to be standing there and they each said a prayer for one another. They prayed for success.