Devi Vishwakumar sat on her bed, staring up at the ceiling of her bedroom, deep in thought. She clutched her phone in her hand, but no notifications came in, and the silence was deafening. It had been a rough week at Sherman Oaks High—no, scratch that—it had been a rough couple of months. Between her complicated relationships with her best friends Eleanor and Fabiola, her on-again, off-again crushes on Paxton and Ben, and the endless pressure to keep her grades perfect, Devi felt like she was spinning in a thousand different directions at once.

The lyrics of "The Archer" by Taylor Swift kept playing in her mind: "I've been the archer, I've been the prey... Who could ever leave me, darling, but who could stay?" It was exactly how Devi felt—like she was constantly battling herself, always trying to be the best version of herself, but never quite feeling like she could get it right.

Her phone buzzed suddenly, pulling her out of her thoughts. She glanced down and saw a message from Ben Gross, her academic rival-turned-maybe-friend-maybe-something-more.

Ben: Hey. I know we haven't talked much lately, but I was wondering if you wanted to study for the history test together?

Devi stared at the message for a moment, her heart doing a weird flip-flop thing. Ben had always been a complicated subject in her life. At first, he was just the annoying guy who was always one step ahead of her academically, but somewhere along the way, things had shifted. Now, she couldn't quite figure out how she felt about him.

She started typing a response.

Devi: Sure. Let's meet at the library after school tomorrow?

A few seconds later, Ben's response popped up.

Ben: Cool. See you there.

Devi tossed her phone onto the bed and flopped backward with a dramatic sigh. "Ugh, why is everything so confusing?" she muttered to herself.

As if on cue, her mom, Nalini, called from the kitchen. "Devi! Dinner's ready!"

Devi groaned, pulling herself up from the bed. "Coming, Ma!" she called back.


At the dinner table, Devi sat across from her mom, poking at her food with her fork. Her mom had been giving her "the look" all evening, the one that said she was waiting for Devi to open up and talk about whatever was bothering her.

"So," Nalini finally said, breaking the silence. "How was school today?"

Devi shrugged, her eyes still focused on her plate. "Fine, I guess. Nothing new."

Nalini raised an eyebrow. "That's not very convincing."

Devi sighed, pushing her plate away. "It's just... everything is so complicated right now, Ma. School, friends, boys. I feel like I'm constantly trying to figure everything out, and I keep messing it all up."

Nalini's expression softened slightly. "Devi, you don't have to have everything figured out right now. You're still young, and you're going to make mistakes. What matters is that you learn from them."

Devi rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but what if I keep making the same mistakes over and over again? Like with Paxton, or Ben, or my friends? It's like I can't stop sabotaging myself."

Nalini frowned. "Paxton and Ben again? I thought you said you were focusing on yourself this time?"

Devi groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I am! But then they show up, and it's like... I can't think straight."

Nalini sighed, her tone a mix of sympathy and exasperation. "Devi, you need to decide what you want. You can't keep bouncing between people and expecting things to magically work out. You have to be honest with yourself—and with them."

Devi peeked out from behind her hands, her voice small. "What if I don't know what I want?"

Nalini reached across the table, gently placing her hand on Devi's. "Then that's what you need to figure out. And it's okay to take your time doing that."

Devi sat in silence for a moment, her mom's words sinking in. She knew her mom was right—she had to figure out what she really wanted instead of constantly chasing after things that didn't make sense.

"I guess you're right," Devi mumbled, though she didn't sound too convinced.

Nalini smiled faintly. "I'm always right."

Devi rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. "Sure, sure, Ma."


The next day at school, Devi felt a little more focused. She had made a mental list of things she needed to sort out—her feelings for Ben and Paxton, her friendship with Eleanor and Fabiola, and how to stop feeling like she was always one step away from a complete meltdown. It was a lot, but she was determined to tackle it.

During lunch, she sat with Eleanor and Fabiola, who were deep in conversation about Eleanor's latest theater project. Devi smiled as she listened to them, feeling a warm sense of comfort in their familiar banter.

"Devi, hello? Are you even listening?" Eleanor asked, waving her hand in front of Devi's face.

Devi blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. "Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry. I was just thinking."

"About what?" Fabiola asked, raising an eyebrow.

Devi hesitated for a moment before deciding to be honest. "About everything. You guys, school, boys. I just feel like I've been so all over the place lately, and I don't want to keep dragging you guys into my drama."

Eleanor's expression softened, and she reached out to touch Devi's arm. "Devi, we're your best friends. We want to be there for you, even when things are messy."

"Especially when things are messy," Fabiola added with a grin.

Devi smiled, feeling a surge of gratitude for her friends. "Thanks, guys. I really appreciate that. I'm trying to be less... dramatic, though. I know I've been a handful."

Eleanor laughed. "Oh, Devi, you'll always be dramatic. It's part of your charm."

Fabiola nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we wouldn't want you any other way."

Devi's heart swelled at their words, and for the first time in a while, she felt a little more at peace. Maybe she didn't have to figure everything out all at once. Maybe she just needed to take it one step at a time.


After school, Devi met Ben at the library as planned. When she arrived, Ben was already sitting at a table, his head buried in a textbook. He looked up when he saw her and gave a small, awkward smile.

"Hey," he said, closing the book. "Thanks for coming."

"No problem," Devi replied, sliding into the seat across from him. "I could use the study session."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, flipping through their notes and reviewing key points for the history test. But the silence between them felt heavy, filled with unspoken words.

Finally, Ben broke the silence. "So, how are things going? I mean, between us. We haven't really talked about... you know, everything."

Devi's heart raced, and she glanced up at him, unsure of how to answer. "Yeah, I guess we haven't."

Ben sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Look, I know we've both been... weird lately. And I'm not saying we need to figure everything out right now, but I just want to know where we stand."

Devi bit her lip, feeling the familiar rush of confusion. She had feelings for Ben—there was no denying that—but she didn't know if she was ready to dive into something serious with him again. Not after everything that had happened with Paxton. Not with all the uncertainty swirling in her life.

"I don't know, Ben," Devi admitted, her voice soft. "I don't know where we stand either. I like you, but I don't want to mess things up between us again. I feel like I'm constantly screwing things up, and I don't want to hurt you."

Ben's expression softened, and he leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "Devi, you're not going to hurt me. And if you're not ready for anything right now, that's okay. I just want us to be honest with each other. Whatever happens, we can figure it out together."

Devi felt a lump form in her throat, her emotions swirling inside her. Ben was right—they needed to be honest with each other, even if it meant admitting that she didn't have all the answers yet.

"I'm scared," Devi confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm scared that I'll never figure things out. That I'll keep making the same mistakes."

Ben reached across the table, gently taking her hand in his. "You don't have to have it all figured out right now. We're young, Devi. We're allowed to make mistakes. What matters is that we're trying."

Devi looked at him, her heart swelling with a mix of gratitude and affection. "Thanks, Ben. That actually helps a lot."

He smiled, giving her hand a squeeze. "Anytime."

They spent the rest of the study session in a more comfortable silence, the weight of their conversation still lingering but no longer feeling as heavy. And as Devi walked home that evening, she felt a little lighter, like she was starting to find her way again.


That night, Devi lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling once more. But this time, the weight on her chest felt a little less suffocating. She didn't have all the answers, and she knew there would still be moments of confusion and doubt. But she also knew that she wasn't alone—she had her friends, her family, and maybe even Ben by her side.

The lyrics of "The Archer" echoed softly in her mind once again: "I've been the archer, I've been the prey... Who could ever leave me, darling, but who could stay?"

And for the first time in a long time, Devi felt like maybe she didn't have to do it all by herself. Maybe, just maybe, she was enough—flaws, mistakes, and all.