moving on in style

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

A slow smirk spread across her face. "If you won't go for revenge, then let's go for reinvention."

I hesitated, intrigued despite myself. "Go on..."

"Think about it," she said, perching on the edge of the table. "Instead of wasting tears on him, you show him what he lost. You level up, focus on yourself, and make him watch from the sidelines while you thrive."

A spark of something—determination, maybe even defiance—flared inside me. "So, no petty revenge. Just... me, becoming better?"

"Exactly." Olivia grinned. "It's the best kind of payback. No drama, no mess—just you proving that you don't need him. That you never did."

I leaned back in my chair, considering their words. Maybe they were right. Maybe the best way to heal wasn't through anger, but through self-discovery.

Sophie clapped her hands together. "Alright, first things first. We need a distraction. Something exciting, something to shake things up."

My brows lifted. "Like what?"

"A night out," Olivia chimed in. "No wallowing in the dorm. We dress up, we dance, we remind you that life goes on."

The thought of going out, of letting loose instead of letting the pain consume me, was tempting. But another voice in my head whispered a different kind of escape—one that had nothing to do with parties.

I exhaled. "Actually... I think I want to do something different."

Sophie arched a brow. "Different how?"

I bit my lip, the idea forming even as I spoke. "I want to get away for a bit. Maybe take a trip somewhere. Clear my head."

Her eyes widened. "Oh, I like that. Where were you thinking?"

I shrugged. "Anywhere but here. Somewhere new. Somewhere I can breathe without feeling like he's still lingering in the corners of my mind."

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I didn't just want to look like I was moving on—I wanted to actually do it. To break free, to rediscover myself outside of what I had been with him.

"Then let's do it," Olivia said, her enthusiasm growing. "A weekend trip. Just us girls."

Sophie grinned. "Now that's a plan I can get behind."

For the first time that night, a small smile tugged at my lips. Maybe this heartbreak wasn't the end. Maybe it was just the beginning of something new.

I sat at the table, twirling my straw in my drink, my mind still reeling from last night. My heart was racing, my hands slightly trembling, but I played it cool. The girls were laughing, sharing stories about their latest flings and drunken escapades, but I wasn't really listening. I was too busy thinking about the reckless decision I had made.

Then, out of nowhere, I blurted it out.

"Oh my God, you guys, I popped my cherry with a stranger yesterday."

Silence.

Their laughter came to an abrupt halt, and all three of them turned to stare at me with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"Wait, what?'' Sophie gasped, nearly choking on her drink.

"Did you just say… you lost your virginity?" Bella asked, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"With a stranger?" jennie added, her voice going a notch higher.

I let out a nervous laugh, shrugging. "I mean… yeah. That's what I said."

For a second, none of them spoke. Their eyes darted between each other, trying to process my confession. I wasn't exactly known as the reckless type. If anything, I was the 'good girl' the one who always had her head on straight, the one who gave the best advice but never actually lived it. But last night? Last night, I had thrown all caution to the wind.