On Graduation Day, He Pushed Me Aside For Her Chapter 01
During the graduation photoshoot, the photographer told the couples to stand closer together.
Yet Patrick Muller pushed me aside and asked Gloria Taylor to stand beside him.
“We’re the top two SAT scorers in Wyoming. Of course we should stand together,” he said.
He had shoved me aside before.
When I asked him for help with my studies, he told me I just wasn’t cut out for it and sent me away.
But when Gloria struggled with math, he’d stay up late breaking down every problem into the simplest steps for her.
If I wanted to study with him at the library, he’d frown and complain that I was distracting him.
Still, he’d skip class to walk along the seaside with Gloria just because her scores dropped.
The photographer joked with a grin, “Are you two a couple? You look perfect together, and your grades are a perfect match, too.”
Patrick turned to Gloria, his smile soft and brimming with pride. “We’ve always been the perfect team.”
Gloria ducked her head, cheeks flushing red, and the crowd erupted in playful teasing.
I stood apart from them, still clutching the numbered ticket for taking photos together.
The spot next to him was never left for me.
And now, I no longer wanted it anyway.
—-
I stared down at the ticket in my hand and realized that the whole thing was stupid.
I had spent the entire night picking out a dress for this photo, and had even redone my hair multiple times this morning.
In the end, I did not even deserve a place beside him.
I walked over to a trash can and tossed the ticket inside.
The homeroom teacher looked at my SAT score report and patted my shoulder with a smile.
“Great job. Go home and start working on your college applications.”
He paused for a moment before continuing.
“I heard you are planning to apply to schools in Boston with Patrick? The cut-off scores for Boston are notoriously high. With your grades, aiming for Boston might… not be the smartest move. Take my advice: put your own future first.”
I tightened my grip on the report and said goodbye.
I had barely stepped out of the office when I ran into Patrick and Gloria.
Both froze the second they saw me.
Gloria hurried over to me right away with a warm, easy smile. “So you’re here too.”
She held out a sandwich.
“We grabbed something to eat, and Patrick got one for you too.”
I glanced down.
They each held the same club sandwich, the boxes marked with matching “Lovers’ Match” stickers.
The sandwich she handed me was peanut butter.
Peanuts were something I’d always avoided, and Patrick knew that perfectly well.
I forced a faint smile, took the sandwich, and tossed it straight into the nearby trash can.
Gloria looked shocked, tears instantly welling in her eyes.
He frowned immediately. “You’re throwing a fit, Ivy Anderson?”
His tone turned sharp.
“Is this about me moving you aside earlier so Gloria could stand next to me? That was my call—nothing about Gloria!”
“I already explained this to you! She and I are the top scorers in the state. Standing together for the photo was perfect for the school’s promotional materials.”
“Besides, I said I’d take a picture with you later.”
I stared at him, but suddenly, I didn’t even feel like arguing anymore.
He promised, but when the group photos wrapped up, he never thought about it.
On Instagram, my classmates had posted dozens of pictures of just him and Gloria.
During the whole time, people joked about them while he held Gloria tightly in his arms without letting go.
After that, he went with her to buy sandwiches, then came straight here to show the reports.
An hour had passed without a single message from him. He’d clearly forgotten I even existed.