Page 4 of The Guru: Shadow

Em, r u alright?

Gotta tell you sth

Meet in an hour, Stone’s?

No, not interested.

Especially not at Stone’s, the rich people’s place where everybody was out of her league while rubbing it in her face of how much of a failure she was.

Julie was her oldest friend and the complete opposite of herself. She was the incarnation of happiness. Her glass was always more than half full and endlessly refillable. She smiled so much, laughed energetically and everything about her was simply magnetic. She had loving parents who had their lives under control, weren’t sick, and, on top of all, financed her life, so she had a debt-free start with an Ivy League education.

Julie got the perfect job in her dream company straight out of university because Julie had something she didn’t: connections, discipline, and an enthralling trust in life. Everything she touched became somehow a success, and on top of that, she had this big circle of true and reliable friends.

She was not one of Julie’s reliable friends. She was a chaotic mess that always rescheduled last minute, had all the drama stories, and literally nothing she touched seemed to work out. But they had known each other since diaper days, so she was always considered whensomething was to be celebrated. And Julie celebrated a lot.

Julie

Em, I know you read it

Get out of your shell

we need to celebrate!!!

What’s the occasion?

Big. Tell you then

She groaned as she closed the app, absolutely not in the mood for anything loud and social, especially something like the Stone’s, where she had to get herself all dressed up. Chris had been the social one. He had dragged her with him to all those events and get-togethers, entertaining everyone, while she would have been anywhere but there. She loved her books, peace and quiet, cuddling on the couch with her cat.

The couch.

The couch stabbed in the guest room.

The couch Sami and Chris fucked on.

Them getting married within a week.

Every muscle in her body tensed again, and with it came the bittersweet taste of everything being planned, and her anger got the best of her. To hell would she rot here while he was having the time of his life. She’d show him what he had lost.

Need an hour

2

DEIS

PLAYLIST: LIFE (RADIO EDIT) - HADDAWAY

“Deis, they’re ready for you in five,” said Lisa from stage coordination while they walked through the backstage area. As the music played, the room became alive with thunderous applause and cheers, stirring an intense sense of anticipation within him. He could feel the energy radiating from the pre-heated mass out there, and when he stepped out, all the energy would not only be his, but he’d own them all.

“Mark the flagged ones. I’m gonna call out one and two in the first session,” he answered Lisa, scrolling through the report.

Suicidal and depressed. Perfect.

His heart pounded faster, signaling to him its readiness for the hunt, as he put the mic on. Checking in with Lisa, it was still off.

“Nervous?”

“Never, it’s gonna be a fun afternoon, as always.”

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