"THEY'VE ALWAYS HAD TENSION." "ANAAYA IS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE." The posts keep coming. Amy stares at the screen. Amy: "What tension?" Saanvi: "I don't know." Amy: "We've literally been together forever." Anaaya: "That's probably why people think they know everything about us." Saanvi: "They don't." Amy: "Exactly." Anaaya takes the phone from Amy. Anaaya: "Stop reading." Amy: "Give it back." Anaaya: "No." Amy: "Anaaya." Anaaya: "You're just going to make yourself upset." Amy: "I'm already upset." Saanvi: "She's right, Amy." Amy looks at both of them. Amy: "So what? We just ignore it?" Saanvi: "For tonight? Yeah." Amy: "What if people believe it?" Saanvi: "People believe everything." Anaaya: "They'll move on to something else tomorrow." Amy: "And if they don't?" Saanvi: "Then we'll deal with it together." Amy goes quiet. Together. That's the word they've always used. Even when they're angry. Even when they're exhausted. Even when they don't want to look at each other. Together.
The next morning, another post goes viral. A fan had clipped an old interview. Amy had answered a question before Saanvi could. Saanvi had looked away. Anaaya had laughed awkwardly. That's it. Three seconds. That's all the internet needs. "LOOK AT SAANVI'S FACE." "SHE CLEARLY HATES AMY." "FOREVER IS SO FAKE." The three girls see it at the same time. Nobody speaks. Amy: "...I didn't even notice that." Saanvi: "Neither did I." Anaaya: "They notice everything." Amy: "Apparently." Saanvi: "Should we say something?" Anaaya: "No." Amy: "Why?" Anaaya: "Because if we respond to every rumor, we'll spend our whole lives explaining ourselves." Saanvi: "She's right." Amy sighs. Amy: "I hate this." Saanvi: "Me too." Anaaya: "I miss when our biggest problem was stealing each other's food." Amy: "You still steal my food." Anaaya: "That's because you never finish it." Saanvi: "She's got you there." Amy: "Oh, both of you shut up." They laugh. For a few seconds... everything feels normal again. ︵︵︵ ๑ ♡ ๑ ︵︵︵ Then rehearsal starts. And the pressure comes back. The formation changes. Again. Amy: "Wait, where am I supposed to go?" Saanvi: "Over there." Amy: "I was there yesterday." Saanvi: "I know." Amy: "Then why did they move me?" Anaaya: "They changed the formation." Amy: "I know they changed it." Saanvi: "Amy, it's not our decision." Amy: "I KNOW." Silence. Amy immediately looks guilty. Amy: "...sorry." Saanvi: "It's okay." Amy: "I wasn't yelling at you." Saanvi: "I know." Anaaya: "We're all tired." Amy: "Yeah." Saanvi: "Let's just get through rehearsal." They do. Not perfectly. But together. ︵︵︵ ๑ ♡ ๑ ︵︵︵ After rehearsal, Saanvi stays behind. Amy notices. Amy: "You coming?" Saanvi: "In a minute." Amy: "Okay." Amy leaves. Anaaya stays. Anaaya: "You're upset." Saanvi: "No." Anaaya: "Saanvi." Saanvi sighs. Saanvi: "I just feel like I'm disappearing." Anaaya doesn't interrupt. Saanvi: "Everyone keeps talking about who gets the most lines, who gets the most attention, who's the favorite..." Saanvi looks at the empty stage. Saanvi: "Sometimes I feel like I'm standing right there and nobody sees me." Anaaya: "I see you." Saanvi smiles sadly. Saanvi: "I know." Anaaya: "Amy sees you too." Saanvi: "I know." Anaaya: "Then that's enough for tonight." Saanvi wipes her eyes. Saanvi: "...yeah." ︵︵︵ ๑ ♡ ๑ ︵︵︵ The next day, Saanvi gets the killing part. Amy and Anaaya are genuinely excited for her. Amy: "You look SO good." Saanvi: "Really?" Amy: "Yes!" Anaaya: "I told you that part would suit you." Saanvi smiles. Saanvi: "Thank you." But later... Amy gets a flood of comments saying she should have gotten it instead. Saanvi sees them. Amy sees them. Neither says anything. Until Saanvi finally asks: Saanvi: "Are you upset?" Amy: "No." Saanvi: "Really?" Amy: "I'm happy for you." Saanvi: "I know." Amy: "I just wish people would stop comparing us." Saanvi: "Me too." Amy: "You deserve the part." Saanvi: "So do you." Amy looks at her. Saanvi: "That's the problem." They both laugh quietly. Because they finally understand. They're not competing with each other. They're both competing against expectations neither of them created. And somehow... that makes them feel closer. ︵︵︵ ๑ ♡ ๑ ︵︵︵ Later that night, Anaaya walks into the dorm. Amy and Saanvi are sitting on the floor eating snacks. Anaaya: "You guys didn't wait for me?" Amy: "You were gone for twenty minutes." Anaaya: "And?" Saanvi: "We were hungry." Anaaya: "Traitors." Amy: "There's some left." Anaaya: "Oh." She sits down. Nobody mentions the rumors. Nobody mentions the comments. Nobody mentions the fight from yesterday. They just sit there. Three girls. Three snacks. Three exhausted idols. And for a little while... they're just themselves again. Because the internet can call them fake. It can call them jealous. It can call them enemies. It can analyze every glance and every expression. But it doesn't know them. It wasn't there for the childhood memories. It wasn't there for the late-night conversations. It wasn't there for the countless arguments that ended with someone quietly leaving food outside a bedroom door. It wasn't there for the tears. It wasn't there for the laughter. It wasn't there for everything that happened before the cameras. Only they were. And maybe that's why... no matter how many times the world tries to pull them apart, they keep finding their way back. Forever. ♡
