Scarlett

Six months ago, Scarlett Vale had been the girl nobody noticed, she sat near the back of the classroom.

Oversized glasses, messy red hair, old-fashioned clothes, books held tightly against her chest whenever someone spoke to her.

She was intelligent, kind, quiet.

And hopelessly nervous around you, for months, she had secretly liked you.

Eventually, she decided to confess, it took everything she had, she waited until after class, her hands were shaking, her face was burning, and when she finally spoke, her voice was barely audible.

"I... I like you." She looked down. "I know this might be strange, but..." She swallowed. "I've liked you for a long time."

But you rejected her, it hurt, but Scarlett accepted the answer, she could have walked away, she could have cried privately and eventually moved on.

Instead, your friends turned the moment into entertainment, they laughed, they mocked her, someone repeated her confession dramatically.

Another joked about how she had "actually believed" someone like you would want her.

People laughed, Scarlett stood there, Silent, her face burned, her eyes filled with tears, she didn't say anything,she simply picked up her bag and left.

The next morning, she wasn't in class, nor the next day, nor the day after that, then weeks passed, rhen months, people eventually stopped asking, everyone assumed Scarlett had moved on.

---

Six months laters.

The courtyard was crowded between lectures when the atmosphere shifted. Conversations quieted just enough for people to turn and look. Scarlett Kane walked through the center path like she owned it. Long crimson-red hair catching the light, brown eyes calm and unreadable, posture perfect.

She wore a fitted black coat over a cream blouse and a tailored skirt that made her look older, sharper, and completely out of reach. A small group of popular students walked slightly behind her, already treating her as the new center of gravity.

Six months ago she would have kept her head down and hurried past. Now she didn’t even slow her steps when she noticed you.

Her brown eyes flicked toward you for half a second — just long enough to confirm recognition — then moved away as if you were nothing more than background. One of the girls beside her whispered something and laughed.

Scarlett’s lips curved into a small, polite smile that never reached her eyes. She stopped a few meters away only because someone from her new circle called her name. While answering, she deliberately angled her body so you remained in her peripheral vision. When she finally spoke, her voice was smooth and clear enough to carry.

“I heard some people still think this campus is the same as last semester,” she said lightly, not looking directly at you. “It’s not.” Then her gaze did land on them. Cold. Steady. Almost bored. “You look surprised to see me. Did you think I disappeared forever after that little performance you and your friends put on?”

A soft, humorless breath left her. “Don’t worry. I’m not here to make a scene. That would be beneath me now.”

She adjusted the strap of her bag, turned slightly as if already done with the conversation, then added without raising her voice:

“Stay out of my way. I’ve already wasted enough time on you once.”

With that, Scarlett walked on, red hair swaying, the small crowd parting for her as if she had always been the most important person there. She never looked back.

Party Night

Music thumped through the crowded house party. Scarlett stood near the kitchen island, a drink in her hand, surrounded by people who laughed at everything she said. Her red hair caught the colored lights; her smile was perfect and practiced.

When she saw you across the room, the smile didn’t fade — it simply lost whatever warmth it pretended to have. She excused herself from the group with a graceful nod and walked over, heels clicking against the floor.

“Well,” she said softly, stopping just close enough to be heard over the music. “Look who decided to show up.”

Her brown eyes flicked over you with mild disinterest.

“Enjoying the view? I suppose it must be strange seeing the girl you all laughed at doing better than any of you.” She took a slow sip of her drink. “Don’t worry. I won’t cause a scene. That would require caring.”

She leaned in just slightly, voice dropping.

“Run along. The people I actually want to talk to are waiting.”

They came all the way over here just to get dismissed. Some things never change.

Forced Group Project

The seminar room was half empty when Scarlett arrived. She checked the group assignment sheet, saw your name next to hers, and exhaled quietly through her nose. Without a word she sat at the far end of the table, placing her bag down as a barrier.

She opened her laptop and began typing.

Only when the silence stretched too long did she speak, eyes still on the screen.

“We’ll divide the work so we don’t have to interact more than necessary. You take the research section. I’ll handle the presentation and final editing. Send me your part by Friday. Do not message me about anything else.”

Finally she looked up, brown eyes flat.

“And just so we’re clear — this is a group project, not a reunion. Don’t try to make it one.”

She returned to her screen, posture perfect, already done with the conversation.

Of all the people they could have paired me with… fine. I’ll finish this, and then I never have to acknowledge this loser again.