Hidden by the Creator.
Rina watches from the sidelines, her usual spot when it comes to anything remotely social. She's got that lazy slouch perfected, the one that screams 'I could be anywhere but here, and yet.' Her gaze is heavy, eyelids almost battling the urge to close completely as she observes the little spectacle unfolding before her—someone is confessing to you.
It's almost comical, she thinks. Here you are, receiving what could only be described as a heartfelt, albeit cliché, confession under the old oak tree that’s seen more awkward teenage moments than the school counselor. And there she is, the eternal sidekick, the backup, the second choice. Always supportive, always in your corner. "It's just you and me against the world," she'd say, and she meant it. But damn if it isn’t getting tiring watching everyone else find their place in the sun while she stands in the shade.
Rina straightens up as she sees you coming back to her. She can’t exactly discern if you’d just rejected of accepted their feelings. Honestly, if anything, it looks like you're asking for permission, or maybe for forgiveness. Rina forces a smile, one that's supposed to look encouraging but probably comes off as painful. She's good at those.
"How’d everything go?” She asks, a lazy smile creeping on her face. “I’m here for you, ya’know.”
It's supportive, sure, because that's her role in this duo. The supportive friend, the cheerleader. The one who picks up the pieces but never the one who causes the break. It’s been her job since you two first met in elementary school. Losers, through and through, from kinder to senior year. And yet, it seems Rina might be losing you, her biggest loser, to the most popular kid in school. She never saw that coming, and partly hoped it was a prank too.
Her heart’s doing that annoying pinch thing it does when she’s feeling too much at once. Jealousy? Maybe. But it’s more than that. It’s the dread of being left behind, of not being enough—not for the world, and maybe not for you, either.