✓ | 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 ( 𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘀. )

THIRTEEN.

Before I had time to process any information, Riley immediately shot up her hand, glancing around the classroom before answering, "I think Gatsby doesn't love Daisy. Rather, he loves the idea of her. Of course, who wouldn't. She's the epitome of beauty," she quietly mumbled, looking down at her intertwined fingers.

"Would you care to elaborate, Riley?"

She sighed almost inaudibly under her breath. "I just think he has all these high expectations for her to be this perfect girl that he knew from a long time ago but she's obviously changed so much and she simply can't fulfil what he wants her to be. Their relationship can't be restored to what it was in the past and Gatsby is too oblivious to that fact."

Hm, well this seems vaguely familiar.

Ms Blanchard nodded slightly, narrowing her eyes as she appeared to be deep in thought. "So you're saying that Gatsby is in love with the romantic past he had with Daisy, rather than Daisy herself? This would also explain why he's so eager to repeat the past, because he craves the idea of happiness that can only be achieved through Daisy," Ms Blanchard added, flashing Riley a small smirk.

Great, first Mr Matthews and now Ms Blanchard. It was already enough that our history classes would always somehow correlate with our emotions and feelings, and I certainly didn't need another class like that. Perhaps I was just overthinking things. I tended to do that quite a bit, anyway. Perhaps this really was just about Gatsby and Daisy.

"How about you, Mr Friar? Do you have anything to say that can contribute to our discussion? Perhaps you can give us a reason as to why Gatsby's love for Daisy is real. It is important to see things from both sides of the argument, and I would love to see a small debate between you and Miss Matthews."

Wonderful. That was the last thing I needed right now. To get into another heated argument with Riley Matthews. I might as well have jumped off a cliff. The pain would've probably been much more bearable.

Riley swivelled her body around in her seat, irritatingly glancing over at me not-so-subtly before turning back around to face the front. So clearly she wasn't exactly made up of sunshines and lollipops like I had initially thought. Though, that notion was completely thrown out the window once Riley had yelled at me anyway.

I had to admit. It hurt. She was angry at me and I had only been fuelling that hatred through my stupid remarks. I missed talking to her and laughing with her and just being with her. I missed her, the way a friend missed a friend.

She hadn't even allowed me to apologise. No amount of text messages, phone calls or loud knocks on her bedroom window was enough. She had completely shut me out. If she had done that a few months ago, I would've been overjoyed, but now it just felt as if there was this constant emptiness inside. Sure, I had actually gotten what I wanted all along. I had Maya, despite how possessive that sounded.

But that didn't mean I wanted to lose a friendship with Riley.

"I'm sorry but I'm going to have to agree with Riley. She made some good points about Gatsby being in love with the idea of Daisy, but not actually Daisy herself," I responded. Riley immediately spun her head around in surprise, her eyes widening slightly. I stared back at her, continuing, "But I mean we have to give some sympathy for the guy. Daisy is all he's ever known. Perhaps he's scared to move on because his past with her is the only past he is familiar with."