Monday morning. 8:00 AM. The Greenfield Scholarship deadline is in exactly one hour. Priya slept for three hours. Her phone is on the desk in front of her, screen up. The scholarship board's email portal is open on her laptop. Her application is still submitted. So is Jade's.
Um Email Encaminhado
Com o prazo da bolsa de estudos a uma hora de distância, Priya toma uma decisão que muda tudo — e envia a Jade uma captura de tela sem palavras. Em seguida, chega o email do comitê no chat em grupo, e a última mensagem de Jade para Priya é a última coisa que qualquer uma delas esperava.
A carregar as ferramentas de tradução…
Priya
it's 8am. one hour left.
Mia
i saw that. i'm awake
Priya
mia i'm sorry about last night. what i said about reporting the absences
Priya
i didn't mean it. i was scared and i was being awful
Mia
yeah
Mia
you were. but i also know you didn't sleep and jade's voice note really got to you
Priya
i didn't report anything. i want you to know that
Mia
ok good
Priya
i've been sitting here for an hour looking at the board's email contact
Priya
i typed a message to them twice. about jade and mr davis and the rules
Mia
priya...
Priya
deleted it both times
Mia
oh thank god
Priya
i kept thinking about what jade said. about needing it. not to beat me. just to stay at school
Priya
and i kept thinking — if i do this, who am i. you know?
Mia
you're the person who deleted it twice 💛
Priya reads Mia's message. Then she opens a different chat — the private one with Jade. Jade has not sent anything new since the voice note at 12:09 AM. The last message is still Priya's one-word reply: "ok." Priya types nothing. Instead, she opens her scholarship application on the portal and takes a screenshot of it.
On the portal, she clicks the red button that says "Withdraw Application". A small warning box appears: "Are you sure? This cannot be undone." She clicks yes. Then she takes a second screenshot — this one of the screen that says "Application withdrawn successfully." She sends it to Jade with no words at all.
The message shows one grey tick. Delivered. Then two grey ticks. Then two blue ticks. Jade has read it. A long silence follows. Priya watches the three dots appear and disappear. Twice. She puts her phone face-up on the desk and tells Mia.
Priya
mia. i withdrew my application
Mia
you WHAT
Priya
i know
Mia
priya — okay, i'm not going to pretend i saw this coming because i absolutely did not. but also... i think i understand. like, you worked so hard. this was your thing. and you just... gave it up. for someone you don't even like. that's — that's actually kind of huge. are you okay? like genuinely, are you okay right now?
Priya
honestly? yeah. i think i am
Priya
i feel weirdly lighter tbh
Mia
you're a better person than me lol
Priya
i was literally planning to report her absences at midnight so
Mia
ok we don't need to mention that again 😭
The morning passes. Priya goes to school. In first period, she sees Jade across the corridor. Jade sees her too. Neither of them stops. But Jade gives one small nod — just barely. Priya nods back. That is all. At 11:15 AM, the Greenfield Scholarship Support group chat buzzes.
Priya
mia the scholarship group just got a message
Mia
is it the result???
Priya
it's a forwarded email. from ms chen. she sent it to the whole group
In the Greenfield Scholarship Support group, Ms Chen has forwarded the official decision email from the scholarship committee. Everyone in the chat can see it. Priya opens it with shaking hands.
Mia
jade got it
Priya
yeah
Mia
you okay??
Priya
honestly yes. like i already knew i wasn't in it anymore. so it's not a surprise
Priya
i think i'm actually glad she got it
Mia
priya sharma. character development 📈
Priya
oh shut up 😭
At 11:47 AM, Priya's phone buzzes again. Not the group chat. The private chat. The one she shares only with Jade.
Jade
thank you.
One word. From Jade. Priya stares at it for a long moment. Then she types back. This time, two words.
Priya
i know.
The chat goes quiet. No three dots. No typing. Just two blue ticks — read at 11:48 AM. Priya puts her phone in her pocket and walks to her next class. In the hallway, she passes Jade. This time, neither of them nods. They don't need to. Something new and quiet exists between them now.