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To be honest, I wasn’t surprised Dustin was
into Tiffany.
Dustin and I were too alike, always followed
the rules, did what our parents told us.
He was a straight–A student, top of the class
since forever.
His parents had big plans for him, dreaming
of him going to Harvard or Yale.
For 18 years, all he did was study.
Tiffany was the opposite, wild and free, with a
rich family to bail her out of trouble.
She was always the center of attention
She was always the center of attention.
That’s what attracted Dustin, that raw, vibrant
energy.
Tiffany showed an interest in Dustin almost
as soon as she transferred.
Back then, Dustin only cared about his books.
Tiffany transferred into our class mid-
semester, and the teacher, to help her catch
up, sat her next to Dustin.
And I was right behind them.
I watched Dustin fall, watched him fall
completely, hopelessly in love.
He hadn’t even known Tiffany a month.
And I’d grown up with him.
Years of friendship couldn’t compare to a
month of flirting.
One day after school, Brad, a real tough guy, wouldn’t leave Tiffany alone, kept pressuring
her to be his girlfriend.
Everyone around was pissed off, but too
afraid of Brad to step in.
Then Dustin showed up, pulled Tiffany away.
That was the day they made it official.
Dustin posted a picture of them holding
hands in the class group chat, announcing to
everyone:
“I’m taken!”
Like a bomb going off, the whole chat
exploded, everyone spamming “Good for you,
smart guy!”
Some people even tagged me, wanting my
reaction.
Before Tiffany, everyone thought Dustin and I
were a thing, assumed we’d end up together.
I didn’t let them down, typed a few words into
the chat:
“Congrats, hope you’re happy!”
