Never in the Frame

My best friend and my girlfriend's graduation trip vlog blew up online, racking up millions of likes. The comments were full of people swooning over their picture-perfect love story. Someone finally asked who the guy sitting quietly in the corner was. Suzanna Jones replied to the comment: [Just some random guy. I don't know him.] When I sent her a screenshot, she explained impatiently. "You stutter when you talk. Putting you on camera would only make you look ridiculous. "Elliot and I are only pretending to be a couple so he can make enough money to pay for his mom's medical treatment, so stop getting jealous over nothing." For the past year, I had practiced speaking to my phone every single day, all for the relationship-announcement video she had promised we would make. Now, I could finally speak without stuttering. However, she did not know that, because she had not been patient enough to listen to me in a long time. Just like now. Before I could say a word, she turned and walked away, hand in hand with Elliot Walker, stepping straight back into her camera frame. During their seven-day trip, Elliot filmed thirty-two videos. She appeared in every single one. She patiently listened to him ramble about anything and everything, never letting a single thing he said go unanswered. The last part of my heart that had been fighting to hold on finally went quiet. I lowered my head and deleted the relationship-announcement I had practiced hundreds of times. If I was nothing more than a background extra in her world, then so be it. She would not have a part in the of my life anymore. Chapter 1 At last, it was our turn to ride the Ferris wheel. Each gondola could hold only four people. Elliot Walker grabbed Suzanna Jones and hurried inside, and the two of them sat side by side on one bench. I took the seats across from them, next to a heavyset middle-aged woman. Her arm was pressed tightly against mine, and her fingers kept brushing against my leg as if by accident. I squeezed my legs together and shifted closer to the window, then looked at Suzanna for help. "Suzanna, I..." Could we switch seats? I did not get to finish. She shushed me with a frown. "Elliot's filming. Can you please stop talking? You're ruining the mood." The annoyed look on her face made my heart sink. The woman beside me smiled, showing a row of yellowed teeth. The sweat from her palm rubbed against my thigh, hot, damp, and sticky. My scalp prickled. All I could do was stare at the ground slowly shrinking beneath us and pray the ride would end soon. When the gondola reached the very top, it suddenly stopped. Elliot smiled at the camera, his voice soft and warm. "I've heard that couples who kiss at the top of a Ferris wheel will never break up." Suzanna froze for a second, then let him kiss the corner of her lips. She leaned into his arms like she was completely dependent on him, a sweet smile spreading across her face. They sat shoulder to shoulder, leaning into each other like a perfect couple. I sat alone across from them, my body stiff as I endured the stranger's wandering hand. A sharp ache spread through my chest, and for a moment, I could not even tell what I was feeling. Who were the real couple there? Them? Or me and Suzanna? I remembered the last time I had tried to film a video to send to Grandma so I could introduce her to my girlfriend. The moment I had slipped my arm around Suzanna's, she had pulled away. "Don't do things like that. You're embarrassing me." So it was not that she hated showing off her relationship. She just hated doing it with me. My phone buzzed. It was a message from Suzanna. [It's just part of the . Don't overthink it.] I did not reply. I turned off my screen. At last, the Ferris wheel reached the ground. Elliot linked his arm through Suzanna's and pointed toward the fireworks area nearby. "Suzanna, come on! The show is about to start! "Someone told me wishes made under fireworks come true. I want to wish for Mom to get better soon." A look of sympathy crossed Suzanna's eyes. She let him pull her along without looking back at me. They walked quickly. I tried to catch up, but after only two steps, the woman from the gondola blocked my way. Her clammy hand clamped around my wrist as she looked me up and down. "Did you steal my phone? Give it back!" I jumped, and it took me a moment to force out a response. "...I didn't steal it." The woman spat to the side and gave me a nasty smile. "You deliberately sat so close to me back there. It had to be you. "Where did you hide it? Hand it over, or I'm going to search you." As she spoke, she reached between my legs and gave me a hard pinch through my clothes. Pain and humiliation washed over me, and tears nearly spilled from my eyes. Frantically, I pulled out my phone and called Suzanna for help. Before I could say a word, her voice came through icy and impatient. "I'm filming with Elliot. Don't call me again." The line went dead. All the warmth drained from my body. A few park employees noticed the woman dragging me toward a corner and hurried over. They pulled her away from me. She put on an innocent smile and said it had all been a misunderstanding. After tossing out a few halfhearted apologies, she turned and disappeared into the crowd. My collar had been yanked so badly that I was nearly exposed. One of the employees quickly took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. My face was pale, but I managed a small smile. "Thank you." He looked at my arm, already mottled with bruises from where she had grabbed me, and could not help but say, "Bro, there are a lot of people from out of town around here, and things can get pretty chaotic. "You should really have your girlfriend or a friend stay with you. It's not safe to be alone." I clutched the jacket tightly around myself. My vision blurred with tears. "They're busy being there for each other. They don't have time for me." Chapter 2 After straightening my clothes, I returned the jacket to the park employee. The moment I walked out of the park gates, a hand reached out and grabbed mine. Still shaken from what had happened, I panicked and yanked my hand away. When I turned around, I saw Suzanna. A flash of annoyance crossed her face. "What is wrong with you now? "Why can't you be more like Elliot? He's doing everything he can to make money for his mom's treatment. Even when he's hurting, he still smiles for the camera. "Unlike you. You've been walking around all day with that look on your face. Who are you trying to make feel bad?" I sniffed and swallowed hard, trying to push down the lump in my throat. "Suzanna, I was just…" Someone had harassed me... However, before I could finish, Elliot stepped between us, holding up his phone. "Suzanna, our video went viral again! "A brand wants us to do an ad and a couples' photoshoot. They're offering us two thousand dollars!" As he spoke, he gave me an uneasy glance. "Shane, if you're uncomfortable with it, we don't have to do it. I mean, two thousand dollars could buy my mom the best medication available, but…" Before he could finish, Suzanna answered without hesitation. "I'll do it with you." Elliot looked up at her, his eyes lighting up. They smiled at each other. Then, Suzanna suddenly remembered I was there and turned toward me. "Shane, stop getting jealous over nothing. "Elliot is your best friend. Can't you understand that he's desperate to make money for his mom's treatment? "Quit acting like a spoiled kid." I had not even said a word. My eyes burned as I lowered my head, completely defeated. I thought about what Suzanna had promised me. She had said, "Shane, haven't you always wanted us to make it official? When the time comes, we'll get our pictures taken together. "Then everyone can see how handsome my boyfriend is. They'll be so jealous!" I had looked forward to it for so long. I had even spent hours online picking out several matching outfits for us. However, then she started complaining that I stuttered, and our announcement kept getting postponed. Now, even the couples' photoshoot she had promised me was going to be with another man. Bitterness rose in my throat. I was so choked up that I did not even have the strength to explain myself. "I'm going back to the hotel to rest." I left them with those words and took a cab back to the hotel by myself. When I opened the door to my room, I found everything from my suitcase scattered across the floor. It looked like someone had rummaged through my luggage and simply tossed everything aside. I rushed over to pick things up, but my foot landed on a broken perfume bottle. The shards pierced straight through my thin disposable slippers and sliced into the sole of my foot. Blood immediately spilled across the floor. My vision went black around the edges, and I collapsed onto the floor. I pulled out my phone to call for help, only to see a message from Elliot apologizing. [Shane, I forgot to tell you. I was in such a rush to get out this morning that I knocked over your suitcase.] [I'm really sorry. I'll clean everything up as soon as I get back.] I had a bleeding disorder. Losing so much blood so quickly made my head spin. My hands trembling, I called Elliot. When he answered the video call, I saw an intimate scene on the screen. Suzanna's hair was tangled around one of the buttons on Elliot's shirt, and their bodies were pressed tightly together. "Whoa, Shane! Don't get the wrong idea. Suzanna was helping me zip up my clothes, and her hair got caught by accident." The fitting room was tiny, and both of them had flushed faces from the heat. "Don't move. Let me do it." Suzanna grabbed his wandering hand and spoke breathlessly. At some point, a faint reddish mark had appeared on her neck, looking suspiciously like a love bite. I froze. Before I could say anything, the video call ended. I called again, but no one answered. With no other choice, I dug my fingers into the floor and slowly dragged myself out of the room. I finally managed to reach a passing hotel staff member and ask for help. By the time I left the hospital after getting my wound bandaged, it was already dark. I limped back to the hotel. However, just outside the entrance, I ran into Suzanna carefully helping Elliot out of a car. The moment she saw me, she froze. "Where have you been?" Chapter 3 "I…" Before I could finish, she wrapped an arm around Elliot and hurried past me. "Elliot hurt his ankle when he hugged me. I'm taking him back to his room to rest." She did not even notice the bandage wrapped around my foot. My injury was clearly worse, yet all she could see was Elliot's twisted ankle. I dragged my throbbing foot along behind them. When we opened the door, Suzanna stopped short at the sight of the room. She turned to me, her face darkening. "Shane, seriously? "Just because Elliot and I took some pictures, you had to trash the whole room? "Are you doing this on purpose just to make him feel bad?" Elliot quickly cut in. "You've got it all wrong, Suzanna. I did it by accident." "Don't defend him." Suzanna paused, and some of the tension left her face. "I'm sorry. I jumped to the wrong conclusion. "However, it's a mess in here, and there are broken pieces of glass on the floor. You can't stay here tonight. "Elliot, you can sleep in my room tonight." She helped Elliot next door without another glance in my direction. I had been standing right in front of her this whole time, but she had not noticed my injury even once. Her eyes had only been on Elliot and his twisted ankle. I stood frozen in the doorway. After rubbing my aching nose, I quietly closed my door. I do not know how long I slept. A deafening pounding on the door suddenly jolted me awake. Suzanna stood outside, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Elliot got his pants dirty. His foot is hurt, so he needs some help. Can you take care of it?" My head was spinning, and my face felt burning hot. "I'm hurt too…" Elliot came limping out of the room on one foot. "Come on, I told you I can handle it myself. Don't bother Shane." Without thinking, I reached out to steady him. However, my arms and legs suddenly went weak, and I stumbled straight toward him. "Ugh!" Elliot fell beneath me, letting out a sharp gasp of pain. "Are you okay?" Suzanna's expression changed instantly. She shoved me away. I rolled several times across the rough carpet before my back slammed hard against the wall. Suzanna pulled Elliot into her arms protectively and turned on me. "Shane, what the hell are you doing? "If you didn't want to help, you could've just said so. However, you actually shoved Elliot to the floor? How can you be so cruel?" Before I could defend myself, she helped Elliot back into the room. The door slammed shut behind them. I pressed a hand against my aching chest and used the wall to pull myself up. Then I slowly made my way back to my room. The wound on the bottom of my foot had started bleeding again. My whole body felt unbearably hot. I touched the tip of my nose, and my fingers came away warm and red. The wound had become infected, and I was burning with a fever. Yet even by the next morning, Suzanna still had not thought about me once. I splashed cold water on my face, then grabbed my phone and bought a ticket back to Ashmoor City. I had finally realized the truth about this trip. The three of us were supposed to be traveling together, but I was the one who never belonged. From now on, I would walk the rest of the road alone. Chapter 4 When I got back to school, I packed up everything I had accumulated during my four years of college. One by one, I put every gift Suzanna had ever given me into boxes. Then, I filled out the shipping label with her address and sent everything back to her. Three days later, Elliot finally posted a video of himself and Suzanna returning to Ashmoor City after the trip. That night, my phone rang with the familiar ringtone I had assigned to her. A small, painful spark of hope rose in my chest. Maybe she missed me, too. Maybe she could not let me go that easily. However, the moment I answered, that hope was crushed. "Shane, how could you come back by yourself? Do you have any idea how upset Elliot was? "He cried until his eyes were swollen. He said he wanted to see you. I'm sending you the address of the bar. Get over here right now." She hung up before I could say anything, as if she could not stand the thought of hearing my voice. Whatever hope I had left disappeared completely. I blinked, and a tear fell onto my phone screen. The words "My Girlfriend" beneath her name suddenly looked painfully ridiculous. For three whole days, she had never once wondered if I was upset. She had not even asked whether I was feeling sick. My heart ached like it had been stung a thousand times. I raised my hand, deleted the nickname, and blocked her number. A notification popped up on my phone. Elliot had started a livestream. On the screen, he clutched a bottle and sobbed so hard he could barely speak. Beside him, Suzanna had her arms wrapped around his waist, looking at him with obvious concern. The comments exploded with people saying they were obsessed with the two of them. Others were speculating about why Elliot was crying so hard while drunk. I did not bother reading them. I closed the livestream. I left my dorm and headed outside. I was planning to throw away the love letters I had written to Suzanna over the past four years. That's when a group of guys came storming toward me. "You're the one who got between Elliot and Suzanna, aren't you?" The guy in front looked like he was about to deliver a speech in court. "Elliot considered you his best friend. How could you steal his girlfriend? "You're a college student, for crying out loud. Didn't they teach you any shame? How could you willingly become the other guy?" Their insults stabbed into my ears. "I didn't!" I immediately tried to defend myself. However, one of the guys pulled out his phone and showed me a screenshot. Elliot had posted a series of carefully worded messages in his private fan group. [I've always known he had feelings for Suzanna, but how could he do something like this?] [We were best friends. How could he betray me?] [I was so heartbroken that I lost control tonight. I'm sorry, everyone.] Another guy snatched the love letters from my hands. "You still won't admit it? Suzanna is already with Elliot, and you're still chasing after her! What kind of loser are you?" Someone shoved me, and before I could even steady myself, another fist slammed into me. A few more punches followed in quick succession. Then someone stomped hard on my hand, sending a sharp burst of pain through me. Suddenly every part of my body seemed to ache at once. I had only just gotten over my fever, and I had barely any strength left to move around, let alone enough to fight back. Before long, my legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed onto the ground, struggling just to keep my eyes open. Amid the chaos, I caught sight of Suzanna approaching, with Elliot leaning heavily against her. She glanced in my direction, and her eyes narrowed. For a moment, it looked as though she was about to come toward me. However, Elliot suddenly covered his mouth and stumbled toward a nearby trash can. Suzanna immediately turned her attention away from me and hurried after him, catching him before he could fall. She held him steady and gently patted his back, as if I was not even there. The guys crowded around them, and the noise of the crowd grew louder. "Elliot, don't be sad! We already taught that homewrecker a lesson!" "You and Suzanna are perfect together. Nobody can tear you apart! We'll protect your love no matter what!" Suzanna frowned. Her eyes found me through the crowd. There was something complicated in her expression, but she did not explain anything. She simply helped Elliot away. A chill ran through my entire body as I slowly staggered back to my dorm. When I finally stood in front of the mirror, I barely recognized the bruised and battered face staring back at me. For a moment, I just stood there, silently staring at the stranger in the reflection. The hurt and anger I had been holding inside finally began to spread through my chest like wildfire. The next morning, I boarded a bus back to my hometown. Just before the bus pulled out, I posted the video I had spent all night editing. "Hi, everyone. My name is Shane Carter. I've been Suzanna's boyfriend for the past four years of college, and I'm also Elliot's so-called best friend."