Nita's Resolve

The microwave beeped.

Nita, towel still on her head, headed to the kitchen. She opened the microwave and grabbed the plate of pasta. It was her fifth day in a row heating up some pre-made pasta. Not the healthiest diet, she would agree, but she didn’t have the energy to prepare anything better.

Putting the plate on the dining table, she headed back to the kitchen in search of something to drink. Her phone, sitting on the marble countertop, began to buzz. So that’s where it was. She had been looking for it before giving up and taking a shower instead.

There were multiple unread messages, all from one person:

yoooo

wazzup

ive got some juicy news

everything good?

were what they read. Sydney, in their texts, was very much a different person from the elegant and reserved lady she appeared to be in public. It was initially a great shock for her when Sydney suddenly opened up to her, but Nita had managed to push past the discomfort for the sake of their friendship.

She needed to reply right away. The fact that Sydney asked if everything was alright meant that she had taken more than an acceptable amount of time to reply. It was unlike her.

Sorry, I was too focused on one of my assignments. I ended up not noticing the vibrations.

She hadn’t even put her phone down yet when it buzzed again. Twice.

Someone teach this girl to relax

wyd rn

Cooking dinner. Want some?

sorry, but i eat food for fun. i NEED it to be fun

As far as everyone else was aware, Nita was an extremely responsible and health-conscious girl who only ever ate healthy. She did feel guilty, but it was far too late to confess now.

So, what was the news you had?

Nita didn’t particularly care about gossip, but she didn’t mind listening to Sydney talk. She stared at her phone, waiting for the inevitable call. It didn’t take more than a second.

“Do you remember Yuki and Robin from last semester?” Right to it, not even a hello or anything. Not that there was anything wrong with that. It was clear from Sydney’s voice that she was bubbling with excitement to share whatever it was that she wanted to share. She was similar to a clogged volcano, where her giddy character was the magma.

“Yeah.”

“It was very much an open secret that they were dating, but it has come to my attention that it was decreed that the relationship remain hidden. Yes, it is exactly what you are thinking: their families are involved, just like in television dramas. However, the situation here blows any show out of the water in terms of sheer absurdity. Firstly, I must briefly explain what their families do. They…”

Sydney’s words faded into the background as Nita found herself lost in the energy of her voice. The positivity was contagious, having the ability to pull her right out of any spiralling rumination. Any worries were melted away, leaving behind a blank bliss. Nita closed her eyes, enjoying the moment.

“...I’m afraid I must end the call now, lest I suffer another admonishment from Mister Stick-Up-His-Backside.”

Nita’s consciousness returned to reality. She had not dozed off. Not at all.

“Goodnight, Sydney.”

The call ended, and was immediately followed by another text.

as if imma sleep this early!

Nita giggled.

Sydney was never going to change, and that brought a smile to Nita’s face. Yes, it had been terrifying when she first learned of this side of her, but it wasn’t a result of change. Their relationship had simply not been properly established at that point. Ever since, Sydney had been a stable force in her life.

say, weren’t you going out with magenta today? anything come of it? gimme the deets

Her smile faltered. Her breathing quickened, and her heart pounded. Speaking of stability…

You know we aren’t like that

girl, you worry me. its clear as day he likes you. its fine to try things out

No, it was not fine. Trying to rebuild something against the foundation's support always leads to it crumbling.

We have talked about this before.

fine fine

The sight of his broken racket flashed in her mind; it was the first racket he had ever broken in frustration.

He had always been an expressive person, but not an explosive one.

She had known him for what felt like forever. For the first time in that forever, she did not feel as if she knew him.

Even when Auntie died… She remembered the resolve on his face and the promise he made.

What she had seen today was a stark contrast to anything he had shown before: the arrogance, the anger, the desperation, it was all so new. It was terrifying to her. What was happening to him, and why? She didn’t know how she could stem his sudden change, and she was too scared to ask.

Those normally gentle eyes judging her harshly had made it feel as if someone else was looking through them.

Can I ask you something?

She wanted to ask Sydney for help. The girl was very sharp and would know what to do.

yeah?

A 100kg watermelon is 99% water. After standing in the sun for a few hours, it is 98% water. How much does the watermelon weigh now?

…

gn

It was better not to ask. She would solve it all on her own, like always. She simply needed to put in more effort and not be paralyzed by mere fear. Asking for help was not an option she could afford. She had to protect others’ perception of her, or she would risk losing everything.

That was Nita’s resolve.