Chapter Three: The Mask of the Lively
Veronica stood in the living room, her heart pounding as her parents' voices echoed through the house. They were arguing again.
"You're supposed to be focusing on your studies, Veronica! Not distracting yourself with things like... anchoring!" her mom scolded, her face tight with frustration.
"I need the break! I'm doing this for school! You don't get it!" Veronica shot back, her own voice laced with the simmering frustration she'd been bottling up for days. She had just been given the position of school anchor for the upcoming annual event, and instead of praise, all she was getting was anger and disappointment.
Her father chimed in, his tone stern. "You're already overburdened. Six hours of school, four hours of classes, and now you're adding this? You don't have time for fun!"
"It's not fun, Dad! It's work! It's something I want to do. Why can't you just let me make my own choices?" Veronica's voice wavered despite her best efforts to hold it steady.
Her mom shook her head, exasperated. "You don't understand, Veronica. This is for your future. We only want what's best for you."
Veronica's chest tightened. Best for me? Or best for you?
She threw up her hands in defeat. "I'm sorry. I'll stop, okay? Just... please don't make me feel like I'm not enough already." She turned on her heels and stormed up to her room, her heart heavy with frustration and tears she couldn't allow to fall in front of them.
But the moment the door clicked shut, she collapsed onto her bed, burying her face in the pillow. I just want to be me. Why can't they see that?
With a shaky breath, she wiped her eyes and grabbed her phone. She opened the chat with Vance, but before she could type, she remembered the school day ahead. No more distractions, Veronica. Focus.
At school, it was business as usual. Students filled the hallways, chatting about exams, teachers, and the looming end-of-year projects. Veronica walked through the crowd, her expression bright and friendly, but her heart felt like it was being slowly crushed. She forced herself to smile, to joke with her friends, but inside, she felt like a hollow shell.
She spotted Vance in the hallway, his usual quiet presence standing out like a shadow in the midst of the chaos. He caught her eye, but neither of them said a word. The distance between them had become a silent agreement. We're both pretending, aren't we?
Veronica's thoughts were interrupted by Nox, her best friend, who pulled her into a conversation about the upcoming exams. "I swear, if I have to study one more hour of chemistry, I might just explode," Nox complained, throwing her hands up dramatically.
Veronica laughed, trying to keep the facade up. "Oh, please, Nox. You never even study. You're just gonna wing it, like always."
"Exactly!" Nox grinned. "It works for me, doesn't it?"
As they chatted, Veronica couldn't help but think back to Vance. His eyes had briefly met hers in the hall, but they hadn't exchanged a single word. It was fine, though. The silence between them was almost comforting now—familiar, even.
She realized, with a sinking feeling, that she didn't really talk to anyone these days. Not the way she used to. She'd become so good at wearing the mask of the lively, confident girl who had everything together. But inside, she was falling apart.
In the next lecture hall, Veronica sat next to Andy, Vance's friend, who was doodling on the side of his notebook. Unlike Vance, who always seemed reserved and quiet, Andy was full of chaotic energy. He didn't care much about school—he was the daredevil who often skipped class or climbed the school's terraces just for fun. Today, he was in a more relaxed mood, drawing weird caricatures on the paper in front of him.
"Hey, look at this," Andy nudged Veronica and turned the notebook toward her. It was a scribbled caricature of their teacher, with an exaggerated nose and a gigantic head. "I swear, this is exactly how she looks when she tries to explain the quadratic formula."
Veronica couldn't help but laugh. Despite his carefree attitude, Andy was an amazing artist when it came to these ridiculous doodles. "That's actually pretty good," she said, genuinely impressed.
Andy grinned, obviously pleased with her response. "Thanks. I don't care much about math, but I'll tell you, drawing these is way more interesting than the class."
Veronica smiled. She liked Andy's carefree attitude, but she didn't really know him that well. It wasn't the first time they had shared a class, but today, for some reason, he felt different. Maybe it was because of the weight of everything else on her mind. But still, she couldn't help but wonder about him.
Despite the small conversation with Andy, Veronica's mind kept drifting back to Vance. She had always known Andy and Vance were friends, but they were polar opposites in so many ways. Andy was wild, free, and impulsive, while Vance had a quiet, reserved aura that intrigued her more than she cared to admit. He never seemed to open up to anyone. And yet, she found herself wondering if she could ever break through that barrier.
After the lecture, Veronica returned to her room, exhausted but trying to shake off the feeling of isolation that had been creeping up on her. She tossed her bag aside and slumped onto her bed, hoping to escape into the world of her phone.
A new notification appeared. It was from Vance.
"Hey, I'm home now. Sorry I didn't text much today."
Veronica couldn't help but smile. It wasn't much, but just hearing from him after the silence between them felt like a small relief. She quickly typed a reply.
"It's okay. I get it. We're all busy."
She was about to set her phone down when another message popped up—this time, from Andy.
She opened it, laughing out loud at what she saw. Andy had sent a picture of himself hanging from the school's terrace, his hands gripping the edge of the wall, with the night sky stretching out behind him. The caption read: "Just hanging out... literally. You in?"
Veronica chuckled and immediately typed a response. "Only if I want to break my neck, Andy."
But before she could close the chat, another message from Vance came through.
"I know we don't talk much at school... but, if you're ever interested in coding or tech stuff, I'd be happy to teach you."
Her heart skipped a beat. This was more than just a casual text. Vance was offering something—an invitation, maybe? She quickly typed a reply.
"That sounds amazing. I'd love to learn more!"
The conversation flowed easily after that, and despite the exhaustion she felt from the day, Veronica found herself smiling, laughing, and genuinely enjoying the exchange. But even as she chatted with Vance, her mind couldn't shake the image of Andy hanging from the school terrace. Maybe they were both different... but somehow, they each made her feel something.
It was already past midnight when Veronica realized how much time had passed. I should be sleeping, she thought, but the idea of talking to Vance felt like a small escape from the weight of everything else in her life.
And so, they continued to talk, all the way until 5 AM.