chapter 16: A visit and a conclusion

The sun was beginning to dip below the rooftops when Rita found herself walking toward Evelyn's street. It wasn't something she had planned—but after a quiet Saturday filled with overthinking and unanswered questions, she found herself needing to talk to someone.

And Evelyn, despite her sharp tongue and snide remarks, had been oddly friendly lately. She had walked home with her after the results. She had listened, in her own way. Maybe… maybe she wasn't so bad.

Rita found the house—a large bungalow painted lemon yellow, with flowers in the front yard. Evelyn's younger cousin opened the gate.

"She's inside," he said. "Upstairs, reading."

Rita stepped into a world very different from hers. A neat sitting room with framed certificates and photographs, a soft radio playing in the background. Evelyn came downstairs a few minutes later, wearing a sky-blue top and a matching skirt.

"Wow. Look who came to visit," she said with a half-smile. "I was wondering when you'd get tired of your moody bestie."

Rita raised a brow. "Anne's not moody. She's just… not herself lately."

Evelyn shrugged, motioning her to sit. "Or maybe this is who she's always been. You're just seeing it now."

Rita sat down, feeling slightly uncomfortable but curious. "What do you mean?"

Evelyn leaned back, crossing her arms. "I knew Anne before you came. She always wanted to be the top girl. Smartest. Most liked. She's been like that since JSS1. If she senses that someone's doing better than her, she acts like the person betrayed her."

Rita frowned. "But she supported me… at first."

"Yeah, until your name came first on the list," Evelyn said, picking imaginary lint off her sleeve. "Then suddenly, she's cold. Quiet. Not clapping. That's not friendship. That's pride."

Rita looked down, the doubt creeping into her heart.

"She even stood like a log during the national anthem," Evelyn continued, chuckling. "Can you imagine? Just because her name didn't come first."

Rita let out a small sigh. "I didn't ask for all this. I didn't want it to come between us."

"Well, sometimes people show you who they are without even realizing," Evelyn said, softer now. "You just have to pay attention."

Rita didn't know what to say. She finished her malt drink quietly, trying to make sense of her thoughts.

Evelyn walked her to the gate.

As Rita stepped out into the fading light, her heart felt heavier, not lighter.

She didn't want to admit it—but for a moment, she wondered:

Was Anne always like this? Did I just not see it before?

And as she walked home, one quiet sentence lingered in her mind:

"Maybe she was never truly happy for me."