June slipped by in the blink of an eye.
Final exams were just around the corner at colleges all across the city.
On this particular day, Citrine was heading to Havencrest Technical College, just as she always did, to tutor Travis and his friends.
She had barely stepped into the academic building when a sweet-faced girl darted up and blocked her path, arms outstretched.
"Would you… could you give this to Travis for me?" The girl carefully pulled a pink envelope from her pocket, holding it out with both hands. Her eyes sparkled with hope as she pressed her palms together in a silent plea. "Please?"
Nervously clutching the envelope, the girl's cheeks flushed a gentle pink.
Citrine glanced at the letter but didn't take it right away. Instead, she asked, "Do you have a crush on my brother?"
The girl nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've liked him for a long time…" With that, Dulcie Sinclair shyly dropped her gaze to the floor.
"I'll give him your letter," Citrine replied, finally accepting the pink envelope, "but whether he reads it or not is up to him."
It took real courage to admit you liked someone—Citrine could tell Dulcie had been building up to this moment for a while.
"Thank you!" Dulcie's face lit up as Citrine took the letter, her excitement barely contained.
Before heading upstairs, Citrine paused to look at Dulcie, her expression softening. "My brother's going to be someone really impressive one day. If you like him, then work on becoming someone remarkable too."
With those words, Citrine climbed the stairs, leaving Dulcie behind.
Dulcie watched Citrine's retreating figure, and in that instant, something inside her shifted. Suddenly, she felt braver than ever.
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