The Weight of You (and Me)

09

 UNMASKING THE TRUTH

〰・♡・〰

Sarah stood frozen, the remnants of the broken flash drive scattered like fallen dominoes at her feet. Keera and Joshua, their faces flushed with a mix of triumph and apprehension, held Sarah's fate precariously in their hands.

Suddenly, a gust of wind whipped through the park, carrying with it the unmistakable sound of a frustrated groan.

"Seriously, guys? Picking on Sarah again?"

Keera and Joshua whirled around to find Iñigo standing behind them, his brow furrowed in a mixture of concern and anger. His gaze darted between Sarah, who seemed close to tears, and the broken pieces of plastic at Keera's feet.

"What's going on here?" Iñigo demanded, his voice laced with suspicion.

Keera's heart plummeted. Before she could explain, Sarah seized the opportunity.

"They're... they're lying, Iñigo!" she cried, her voice trembling. "They're trying to make up stories to humiliate me!"

Fury surged through Keera. "It's not a lie, Sarah! Your father—"

"Enough!" Iñigo cut her off, his gaze hardening. "This is getting ridiculous. Can't you just leave her alone?"

Keera felt a wave of frustration and betrayal wash over her. Here she was, finally standing up for herself, and Iñigo thought she was the villain?

"It's not that simple, Iñigo," Joshua tried to explain, but Iñigo wasn't listening.

"Simple enough for me," he scoffed, throwing Sarah a sympathetic look. "Come on, Sarah. Let's get you out of here."

He offered her his hand, and Sarah readily accepted, clinging to his support like a lifeline. As they walked away, Sarah shot Keera a triumphant smirk, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

Keera watched them go, a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her—defeat, frustration, and a flicker of something new – a flicker of jealousy. Seeing Sarah walk away with Iñigo, a boy who believed her without question, stung more than she cared to admit.

"Great," she mumbled, kicking a stray pebble across the ground. "Just great."

Joshua sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, Keera, I'm sure he just misunderstood."

"Misunderstood?" Keera snapped. "He thinks we're bullies, making up stories! How can he take her side so easily?"

Joshua hesitated, then sat down on a nearby park bench. "Maybe because she's good at playing the victim," he offered cautiously. "And maybe because..." he trailed off, his voice barely a whisper.

"Because because what?"

Joshua met her gaze, a hint of something deeper flickering in his eyes. "Maybe because he likes her."

Keera's breath hitched. The thought hadn't occurred to her before, but now that Joshua mentioned it, it made a sickening kind of sense. Iñigo's protectiveness towards Sarah, his unwavering belief in her innocence – it all pointed towards a deeper connection.

A heavy silence descended upon them, broken only by the chirping of birds in the nearby trees. Keera felt a lump form in her throat. Had her chance with Iñigo already slipped away? Was she destined to be the outsider, forever stuck on the sidelines?

Just as despair threatened to consume her, Joshua spoke again, his voice softer this time. "But hey," he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "At least we got rid of the blackmail video, right?"