Mira was the kind of person who hid her emotions well. Even though Elsa was her closest friend, Mira managed to keep many things from her. In the first timeline, Elsa only saw what Mira allowed her to see. Even when Mira was being sexually harassed by Mathew, she kept it a secret and did everything possible to ensure Elsa wouldn't find out. The truth was, Mira carried many secrets—secrets she never told anyone, not even Elsa.
Unlike Elsa, Mira was quite weak-hearted. She tended to crumble when someone discovered something she was trying to hide. That was how Mathew managed to harass her. He found out about a secret Mira had never told anyone and used it to blackmail and threaten her. That's when the harassment began.
When Mira got her first period, she didn't tell a soul—not her mom, not Elsa. It wasn't until she passed out at home due to menstrual cramps and was rushed to the hospital that everyone found out.
Elsa knew the kind of person Mira was, so she never pushed when Mira said everything was fine. Instead, Elsa quietly went out of her way to find out the truth on her own.
As secretive as Mira was, Elsa always had a way of making her talk eventually. Mira had started opening up more over time. But it was on a fateful night, after witnessing Mira's nightmare, that Elsa realized she may not know everything about her friend—there were still untold stories Mira had never shared, even in the first timeline.
The room was quiet. The air was so still that if a pin dropped, it would be heard. The two girls sat on the bed, the silence between them thick with emotion. Elsa stood up, poured a glass of water, and handed it to Mira before sitting beside her again.
She didn't want to push Mira into talking. She was worried—she had never seen Mira so scared before. As far as she could remember, Mira had never even mentioned having nightmares.
Elsa glanced nervously at Mira, who sipped her water in silence. After a while, Mira set the glass on the bedside table and said softly, "You don't need to stay up with me. Go back to sleep."
Elsa could see through the forced smile. She knew Mira was pretending to be okay but wasn't ready to talk. Elsa nodded slowly, forcing a small smile in return. "Okay. Get some sleep. We have classes tomorrow," she said as she lay back down and pulled the blanket over herself, turning away from Mira.
Mira was surprised Elsa didn't ask anything, but she was also relieved. She wasn't ready to open up yet. She sighed deeply and lay down too.
Elsa was angry. Not at Mira, but at the fact that after all these years of friendship, Mira was still hiding things from her. Elsa always ran to Mira first, no matter what happened—good or bad. She wished Mira would do the same. Still, she decided to either wait until Mira opened up or figure things out on her own.
Later that day, Elsa and Susan were sitting together in the school cafeteria. Elsa played with her food, barely eating, while Susan watched her with concern.
"Hey... Els," Susan whispered gently.
Elsa looked up. "Yeah?"
Susan sighed. "I don't know why you two are still dragging this fight. I thought it would've been over by now. Didn't you apologize to her? I—"
"It's not that, Susan," Elsa cut in softly. "We're not fighting anymore. We're good now."
Susan looked confused. "Then... what's on your mind?"
Elsa sighed, set down her cutlery, and leaned back in her seat. "I think something's going on with Mira. She won't tell me."
"What do you mean? Why do you say that?" Susan asked, now giving her full attention.
"The other night at the sleepover, Mira had a terrible nightmare. I know nightmares are normal, but... something felt off. She didn't want to talk about it, and it felt like she was hiding something. You know how Mira is—tight-lipped."
Susan thought for a moment before responding. "Els, maybe you're overthinking it. It might just be a regular nightmare. If she didn't say anything, maybe she just thought it wasn't important."
"I'm not overthinking, Susan. I've known her for years. I can see through her. And besides—" Elsa stopped. She couldn't bring herself to explain the truth about Mira's death.
"Besides what?" Susan asked. "I don't get you. Honestly, you've changed. It's starting to feel like you're obsessed with Mira. If I were her, I'd be annoyed too."
Elsa's eyes widened. "Obsessed? Are you serious? I'm just trying to help our friend. What's your definition of obsessed, Susan?"
"Calm down, Elsa. I'm not trying to fight. I just think you should be patient. Maybe she'll open up when she's ready."
"I knew it was a bad idea talking to you about this," Elsa said coldly.
Susan looked hurt. "What?"
"I thought you, of all people, would understand. But I was wrong," Elsa added.
"Hey! Don't talk to me like that. Who says I'm not trying to understand you? Why are you taking your anger out on me?" Susan raised her voice, and heads turned in the cafeteria.
Elsa scoffed and stood up, furious. "You know nothing about what I'm going through! Nothing! If you knew why I was acting this way, you wouldn't call it overreacting!"
Susan stood too, equally angry. "Then make me understand! How will I know if you don't tell me?!"
Elsa laughed bitterly. "Typical Susan. Turning a blind eye until it's too late. That's why we lost Mira!"
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Slap.
The entire cafeteria gasped. Susan had slapped her.
Elsa stood frozen, holding her cheek, stunned. Then she turned and ran out.
Susan watched her go, she slump into her seat and ran a hand through her hair in frustration
Elsa ran to the abandoned PE storage room. Her safe space. She collapsed on the floor and buried her face in her knees, sobbing heavily. The weight of everything—Mira's death, the secrets, the isolation—pressed down on her. She had no one to talk to. She thought Susan would understand, but she didn't. Elsa wasn't really angry at Susan—she was angry at herself. Her return to the past was starting to feel meaningless.
Suddenly, she felt a soft tap on her back. She looked up—Liam.
Startled, she wiped her face. "When did you get here?" she asked with a sniffle.
Liam smiled gently and sat beside her. "Since you ran in here crying."
He had been in the room before Elsa arrived. She hadn't noticed in her distress.
"Please, act like you didn't see me," she mumbled and started to get up.
Liam gently held her back. "Are you sure you're okay to go back looking like that?"
After a pause, Elsa sat back down. Liam smiled.
Breaking the silence, he said, "When I was a kid, I was weak and always in the hospital. But I realized something as I grew: the body only grows weaker when the heart is weak. So, I decided to act tough, even if I wasn't."
Elsa looked at him, curious. "Why are you telling me this?"
"When I turned sixteen, I stopped falling sick so often. My dad's money helped with treatments, sure, but I also helped myself by choosing strength. But I'm human—I can't pretend all the time. Sometimes I come here, just to clear my head."
He smiled softly. "It's okay to act strong in front of others. But sometimes you need to let it out. Or it'll drive you crazy."
"You come here too?" Elsa asked, surprised.
He nodded. "Yeah."
"Then you must've seen me here before?"
Liam chuckled. "I have. I've seen you cry a few times."
"Why haven't I seen you?" she asked.
"I usually hide in that corner," he pointed, "and anytime I hear angry footsteps, I know it's you. I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable."
Elsa's cheeks flushed. "So, you've heard my rants?"
"Not intentionally," Liam said with a chuckle.
Elsa went silent for a moment as she thought about why Liam pretended like he didn't know her in the future.
Trying to shift the topic, he asked, "Want to talk about it?"
Elsa sighed. "Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand."
"I'm a good listener," Liam said gently. "Maybe I can help."
Elsa shook her head. "We're not even that close."
Respecting her boundaries, Liam nodded and didn't press further.
Changing the subject, he asked, "You didn't forget about Saturday, right?"
"I didn't forget. Stop reminding me," Elsa said playfully.
He pulled out his phone. "Want to listen to something?"
Elsa gave him a skeptical look. "Let me guess—jazz?"
He scoffed. "No! K-pop."
Her eyes lit up. "Seriously? What's your favorite band?"
"Eclipse."
Elsa gasped. "No way! I love them too!"
"What's your favorite song?"
"Snowdrop!" they both said at once.
They burst into laughter.
"I finally met my K-pop bestie," Elsa teased.
Liam grinned. "Let's listen to Snowdrop together."
He handed her an earbud. As the music played, they vibed, sang along, and clapped softly. Elsa smiled and laughed, the sadness momentarily forgotten.
What started as one song turned into a full Eclipse playlist. Elsa began to doze off. Her head eventually dropped onto Liam's shoulder. Startled, Liam froze—but then relaxed, letting her rest. He gently removed her earbud to make her more comfortable.
Two hours passed before Elsa stirred. She gasped when she realized she'd been asleep on his shoulder. Liam was asleep too, leaning his head on a chair.
She stood up and tried to sneak away, but his voice stopped her. "Running off again?"
Startled she turned to face him
"I didn't want to wake you," she said nervously.
He walked up to her. "How do you feel now?"
Elsa smiled softly. "Thanks to you, I feel better."
Liam smiled in relief.
"I should get going. Mira's probably looking for me. We've missed so many classes," Elsa said.
"At least it was worth missing," Liam teased. "See you Saturday, Elsa."
"Thanks for today," she said warmly before walking out.
Outside, she sighed and smiled. "Was he always this sweet?"
Liam had known Elsa even before she became the popular "Show Queen." Many times, when Elsa was struggling, she would run off to the abandoned PE store to cry or rant. Unbeknownst to her, Liam was often nearby, quietly listening—always there, even when she didn't realize it.
When Elsa joined the company, Liam pretended not to know her. Though they were in the same class, they weren't in the same block—and maybe, just maybe, that was why their paths hadn't crossed—until now.
Elsa slowly walked back to her class. Classes were already over; she had taken too much time in the PE room. When she entered, she saw Mira sitting in her seat with her bag already packed. Mira had also packed Elsa's things and was waiting patiently.
Elsa sighed, then walked toward her slowly.
"Hey," Elsa said in a low tone.
Mira looked up and smiled softly. "Hey... Where have you been?" she asked gently.
Elsa walked to her seat and sat down. "I was just outside. I needed some air, you know..." She didn't want to tell Mira the truth.
Mira nodded softly. "Right." Everything went silent for a moment before Mira added, "I heard about your fight with Susan."
Elsa looked away.
"Elsa..." Mira said softly.
Elsa cut her off. "Mira... can we head home now? I'm a little tired," she said, trying to change the topic.
Mira sighed shakily. "Why are you avoiding the topic? Susan won't tell me what led to the fight either. What is going on with you two?" she asked, her tone firm.
Elsa turned to her. "It was just a normal argument. You know how Susan and I are, right? It's nothing to worry about," Elsa tried to persuade her.
Mira scoffed. "It's nothing but you got slapped? Come on, Elsa."
Elsa didn't respond. She remained silent, fidgeting with her fingers.
Mira was growing impatient. "You aren't going to tell me?"
Elsa sighed, visibly annoyed, and looked at her. "If I tell you, are you going to tell me about those nightmares?" she asked coldly.
Mira went quiet for a moment before speaking. "Those nightmares are nothing. Everyone has those once in a while, don't they? It's nothing," she said, looking away.
Elsa scoffed. "What was I expecting? She isn't going to tell me anyway," she muttered to herself.
Mira stood up and stretched her hand toward Elsa. "Let's go home. I don't want to keep fighting with you. We just reconciled. Let's stop arguing, okay?" she said with a soft smile.
Elsa reluctantly smiled and took Mira's hand, picking up her bag. They both smiled and walked out of the classroom. As they held hands and headed out of the school, someone called Elsa's name from a distance.
They turned to see Liam running toward them.
"Hey..." he said, panting as he stopped in front of them.
Mira looked at him curiously. "What's wrong, Liam?" Elsa asked.
He caught his breath and sighed heavily before answering, "I just realized I don't have your number. I have to text you the location, remember?" he said, bringing out his phone.
Mira looked at the both of them. "What is he talking about, Elsa?"
"Oh... Remember I told you Liam is treating me to a meal this Saturday," Elsa replied.
Mira went silent for a moment, then forced a smile. "Oh... yeah, the meal. Of course I remember."
Elsa took Liam's phone and entered her number. "Here," she said, handing it back.
Liam smiled softly. "I'll text you the location."
Elsa nodded. She and Mira walked away.
Later that night, Elsa lay on her bed, Susan still on her mind. She felt bad for how she had spoken to her. Susan wasn't someone who got angry easily, especially not with Elsa and Mira. For her to go as far as slapping Elsa meant she'd truly been pushed to the edge.
A notification popped up on Elsa's phone. She sighed and picked it up.
"Hey... This is Liam," she read.
A small smile escaped her lips.
"So, about the location... why don't we meet at the bus stop we take to school? Then we can both decide where to go," Liam texted.
Elsa thought for a moment, then replied, "Okay... sounds cool. See you there tomorrow."
A few moments later, Liam responded. "Goodnight, Els."
Elsa was surprised by the sudden tenderness in his words. She smiled to herself and set the phone down. Eventually, she drifted off to sleep, her mind still wrestling with thoughts.
The next morning, Elsa got up and started getting ready. She wore a polka dot short gown, packed her hair into a bun, and applied light makeup. As she finished, her mom walked in.
"Hmm... Looks like someone has a date," her mother teased.
Elsa laughed. "It's not a date, Mom."
Her mom approached and helped her with her necklace. "Hanging out with Mira, right?"
Elsa hesitated. "No, Mom. It's not Mira."
Her mother glanced at her through the mirror. "What's wrong, honey? Why the tone? Did you two have a fight?"
Elsa shook her head. "No, Mama. We didn't fight. It's just... Mira has been acting distant lately. I feel like she's hiding something from me. The other day, she had a terrible nightmare, but every time I ask about it, she avoids the question. Mama, I know Mira more than anyone else, and I know when something is wrong. I'm not overreacting."
Her mom sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You know, Elsa, you both are my daughters, and I love you both so much. Mira is like my daughter too, and I'm equally worried about her. If you feel something is wrong, give her time. Don't force it. She might not be ready to talk, but she will when she is."
Elsa nodded. "Alright, Mama."
Her mom smiled. "Good girl. Now get going," she said, playfully tapping her on the butt.
Elsa laughed. A while later, she stormed out of the house and took a cab to the spot she and Liam had agreed on. When she arrived, Liam was already waiting. He turned and smiled.
"Hey..." he greeted softly.
"Hi..." Elsa said nervously.
"You look good," he complimented.
Elsa smiled. "You look good too."
He returned her smile. "So, what do you want to do? We can't just eat and go back. Let's make the most of today."
"Umm... That's true. You can choose. I don't really have anything in mind."
Liam thought for a moment. "Alright then. Let's go."
Elsa followed him curiously. They stopped in front of a fancy Rolls-Royce.
Elsa blinked. "I thought we were taking the bus."
He sighed and smiled. "The bus is a hassle. Besides, my dad insisted. This is faster, my driver will take is"
Elsa scoffed inwardly. Look at him, trying to flaunt his money.
He offered her a seat, and they both got in. Elsa looked around, impressed. Soon, the car began to move.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"To have fun," Liam said with a grin.
Elsa smiled, wondering where he was taking her.
After an hour-long drive, they arrived at the beach. Elsa jumped out excitedly.
"Wow! I love the beach!" she exclaimed.
Liam smiled. "Really? I just guessed. Girls usually like this kind of thing."
Elsa laughed, took off her shoes, and ran toward the water. Liam stood back and laughed as he watched her. In that moment, Elsa forgot all her worries. She was simply living.
She returned, panting and smiling.
"Having fun?" Liam asked.
Elsa nodded. "Yes! Why are you just standing here?"
He cleared his throat. "Water isn't really my thing. I just thought you'd enjoy it. Don't worry, we're still going somewhere else."
Elsa's eyes lit up. "Where?"
They left the beach and headed to an amusement park. As they arrived, Elsa couldn't help but think of Mira. She had always gone to this park with her and Susan.
They rode attractions, played games, and laughed freely.
Elsa sat on a bench, exhausted. Liam returned with drinks.
"Whoa, that was refreshing," Elsa said as she sipped hers.
Liam smiled. "I hope you had a nice time."
Elsa nodded. "Yes, I did. It's been a long time since I had this much fun. I guess I shut all fun out of my life."
Liam looked at her. "Why is that?"
She sighed. "Let's say... the only person I always had fun with was no longer there. And work didn't give me time."
Liam tilted his head. "Work?"
She paused, realizing what she had just said.
"Work?" Liam echoed, confused.
Elsa laughed nervously. "Um, I mean school work — yes, school work."
Liam chuckled. "Yeah, right. School work."
They smiled at each other. The moment turned quiet, their gazes lingering.
Elsa broke the silence. "I'm getting hungry. Let's eat and head home. It's getting late."
They got into the car and drove to a fancy restaurant. Elsa looked around, amazed.
"Isn't this a bit much? You could've just treated me to a burger," she said.
Liam smirked. "Just go with the flow, Els. We're K-pop besties, remember? What kind of bestie treats his friend to a burger?"
Elsa laughed and nodded. They placed their order. When the food arrived, Elsa stared at the massive spread.
"Wow, you really don't hide that you're rich, do you?" she teased.
Liam laughed. "I love to go all out, Els."
"I didn't know you were this kind of person."
"And what kind is that?" Liam asked, leaning in.
Elsa leaned in too. "You look like you'd be a strict, lousy boss."
Liam laughed. "Oh, please."
As they ate, Elsa's phone buzzed. She picked it up and gasped. Twenty missed calls—three from Mira, the rest from her mom. She opened her messages.
Mira: Elsa, please call me back if you see this.
Liam noticed her expression. "What's wrong?"
Elsa didn't answer. She quickly dialed Mira, but she didn't pick up. Her hands began to tremble. She then called her mom.
Her mom picked up immediately. "Elsa! Why haven't you been picking my calls?"
"I'm sorry, Mama! I didn't hear them. What's going on?"
Her mom sighed, her voice cracking. "It's Mira. She's in critical condition. She's in the hospital."
Elsa jumped to her feet. "What!? What happened?!"
Her mom sighed heavily through the phone.
"Apparently Mira tired to take her life
Elsa gasped as her mother's words echoed in her ears.
"What do you mean she tried to take her life?" she asked, her voice trembling.
A thousand thoughts flooded her mind all at once. Why would Mira do something like that? They had just talked yesterday — she seemed fine. What went wrong?
None of this had happened in the first timeline. Elsa was completely thrown off. Confusion twisted in her chest like a storm. This wasn't supposed to happen. What was going on.
"Never mind, I'm on my way now!" she said hurriedly, grabbing her bag.
Liam stood too. "Hey, what's going on?"
Elsa's hands were trembling as she stuttered, "I... I need to go. Now."
Tears welled in her eyes.
Liam stepped beside her"Elsa, Elsa!" Liam said, trying to calm her. "Look at me," he said, gently shaking her.
She finally met his gaze, eyes brimming with tears.
"You're clearly not in the right state to go on your own. I'm coming with you. My driver will take us — it's faster," he said firmly.
Elsa hesitated, then nodded.
Liam sighed in relief. "Good... Let's go."
He grabbed her bag, took her hand, and they rushed out together.