Saving the Villain

Sarah and Fay took Cosette to places they knew so the latter could forget about her disappointment, even for a little while. They were Cosette's friends, and as her friends, they wanted to be there for her not just on the good days but also on the bad.

Fay, Sarah, and Cosette went to the salon, with Sarah and Fay splitting the bill to treat Cosette. Although Cosette insisted on paying for the three of them, the two were adamant to treat her.

"I feel bad…" Cosette expressed with a heavy heart, turning her head to her right where Sarah was sitting to get her nails done, and then to her left to where Fay was. "You two…"

"Why would you feel bad? You treat us most of the time, so we saved up because we want to return the favor one day." Cosette looked back at Sarah as the latter replied. "It wasn't much, but we're friends. It'll be too shameful that we are always on the receiving end."

"That's right." Fay nodded. "I mean, we know you can afford these in the high-end salons, but wait till we get older. Sarah and I will have a lot of money and treat you to a better place."

"You two…" Cosette's heart warmed up, smiling, looking at the two with soft eyes. "Thank you."

For Sarah and Fay, they felt bad that they could only treat her to a cheap salon to get her nails done. However, it was the thought that counts. Sarah and Fay didn't have much. Well, Sarah was struggling financially, while Fay might not have the same problem as Sarah, but Fay barely had extra money for her own. Cosette couldn't imagine how long these two saved up so they could treat her.

"Thanks," expressed Cosette sincerely, nodding at Sarah and then at Fay reassuringly. "This really means a lot to me."

The two grinned from ear to ear, chuckling as they enjoyed their foot spa. Fay and Sarah rarely get their nails done and mostly just trim their nails or do it on their own, so it was also a treat for them as a reward for the hectic school year they passed.

After they got their nails done, they took Cosette to an arcade to play and have fun. The three of them slowly forgot their own worries, having fun with just the three of them. After that, they headed to a karaoke bar to sing their heart out.

They had been classmates since the second half of their second year in high school, and this was probably the first time they went out with just the three of them. Luke and Maxen were always following Cosette as if they were her tails. So it was quite refreshing to have time with the girls.

"Hah…" the three plopped down on the couch of the karaoke room, panting for air. While singing, they were also dancing as if no one was looking. Despite the smiles plastered on their faces, it still tired them.

"We should do this more often," Cosette suggested, the back of her head resting on the back of the couch. She turned her head to the side, only to see Sarah and Fay melting on their spot, just like her.

The girls grinned. "We should," they answered in unison.

"It's fun to have the boys around, but this isn't any less fun." Fay peeled her back from the couch, facing the two squarely. "I feel like I just forgot everything I learned the entire school year — let's do this more often!"

"You've worked hard the entire year. How can you just forget about it?" Sarah laughed. "But it's not bad. I mean, I was scared your brain would overload since you've been cramming like crazy."

"I thought so too! Good thing I survived. Man… I felt like I studied ten years' worth of lessons in a span of a year! I thought I would die."

"But it was worth it," Cosette chimed in, pushing herself away from the couch ever so slowly. "You finished school in the top 5th of our class. I'm sure your mom was very proud."

Fay's cheek turned pinkish, flattered. "She was crying. No matter how I tell her to stop, she just wouldn't stop when she heard about the result. I nearly regret working hard because it just made her cry." A layer of tears coated Fay's eyes, but the smile on her face was priceless.

"My mom always told me that passing the year is what the most important, but who would have thought she would be so happy if I took school seriously?" she continued, chuckling to keep the light atmosphere. "I'm glad I did."

Fay slowly raised her eyes to Cosette and Sarah, who were smiling back at her warmly. "Cutting off Amie hurts like hell and a part of me blames myself for what was happening to her. But at the same time, seeing how I made my mom proud and happy, I feel like the sacrifice was worth it."

Sarah and Cosette looked at each other for a second before setting their eyes back on Fay. There was a tinge of bitterness in Fay's smile, which wasn't there before. Ever since Fay cut Amie off, Fay never talked about Amie. Not that Fay was ever sensitive every time Amie's name would be brought up, but Cosette and Sarah were cautious.

So it was a surprise that Fay finally spoke about what happened. After all, Fay buried herself with schoolwork and was often busy trying to perfect each exam. This was the first time they heard how she felt about breaking her friendship with Amie.

"Fay, don't you have plans to reach out to Amie?" Sarah was the first to break the building-up silence in the air. "Don't get me wrong. I understand the reason you made a decision back then. Although I personally think it was too much and too abrupt, I don't judge you. After all, you and Amie were still our friends."

Cosette nodded. "That's right."

"I think Amie learned her lesson, and so as we," Sarah continued, sporting a smile. "Who is in the wrong or not wasn't what's important. I think one of us needs to reach out first because I don't think Amie would. Not because of her pride, but because you know her. She probably feels embarrassed, even though there isn't something to be embarrassed about."

"I learned that letting her on her own isn't the best idea as well," Cosette added what she learned with their friendship. "Our intention was good, but it was a bit too much. I didn't realize that until months later."

The three of them looked at each other in silence, having a silent agreement that they learned a lot the last school year. Not just the technical lessons in school, but also about themselves, the people around them, and the little things in life that were often overlooked.