I had introduced Mom to Nena, and guess what? She loved her.
Like, really loved her.
I think she might've even wanted to adopt her on the spot.
Meanwhile, Jake also met her — and surprisingly, he wasn't being his usual annoying self.
Nope, he was busy trying to charm her with some lame joke about how she looked like she'd fit perfectly into his comic book collection.
I sighed — because, honestly, some things are just too weird to explain.
Now, I was walking alone down the school hallway, clutching a pink envelope given to me by Emma.
Remember? Yeah, that one.
The one meant for Liam.
My hand was wrapped around it like I was guarding the crown jewels. My ponytail swung behind me, bouncing with every step, and my bag was slung over my shoulder like I was auditioning for a fashion runway.
Then, out of nowhere, Liam appeared.
He was sprinting toward me, his blonde hair shining brighter than my teeth after a whitening strip.
"Why did you call me here Ayana?, I skipped class not that I care or anything" he panted, stopping just short of knocking me over.
"You said it was urgent, so I ran here!"
I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
Without saying a word, I handed him the envelope.
He took it, glanced at it like it was the latest gossip about the school principal, then looked up at me with the biggest, smuggest smirk.
"Oh, is this a letter from you? Oh, Ayana, you could've just told me in person. You didn't have to send a secret message!"
His eyes sparkled like he'd just uncovered the secret to life. I rolled my eyes so hard I was worried they might pop out.
"It's not from me," I muttered. "Emma told me to give it to you. You know Emma the cheerleader?"
''Never heard of her'' He announced and I sigh.
Liam nodded, stuffing the envelope into his pocket like it was a winning lottery ticket.
Then, he whistled a tune, and with a casualness that made me want to roll my eyes even more, he added, "Am not going to open it. I mean, they are tons of them at home. Why open this one?"
I blinked.
TONS of love letters at home? Was he secretly a mailman? Or maybe a letter collector? I stepped closer, trying to sound convincing.
"This might be special, you will never know" I said, secretly dying to peek inside.
Honestly I don't care if he reads it or not, I'd been carrying this thing for days — it was practically glued to my hand, that's why I wanted to see a peak-peak.
He chuckled and waved a hand dismissively.
"Nah, I'll open it tonight. Then I'll be the proud owner of a love letter. Then toss it away when am done"
Disappointment hit me like a rogue volleyball.
He began walking away, his hand sliding into his jeans pocket like he was about to rob a bank. He winked at me as he went.
"Thanks, Ayana, four eyes, and please give me a letter that's from you next time." he said, ruffling my hair like I was some adorable puppy.
I stood there, watching him disappear around the corner, a confused look on my face.
"Isn't he going to read it? And why the heck should I give him a letter I do not like him" I muttered to myself, feeling like I was missing out on some epic romance.
"At least be appreciative of love letters, right?"
Meanwhile, I am here.. in my nineteen years of life, never even gotten a flower from someone, and he is tossing love letters aside.
---------------
As I was walking down the school halls—because, technically, this story is always about me—yeah, I was just peacefully skipping to my next class, Physics.
My shoulders slumped as I remembered that, and I let out a sigh. I opened my locker, checked out my book, and grabbed it.
As I headed toward class, I suddenly stopped in my tracks.
From a distance, I saw Jasper—the class clown.
Now, Jasper is actually kind of cute, with his styled short wolf cut that looks like he just rolled out of a fashion magazine.
He's got that mischievous grin that makes it hard to tell if he's genuinely funny or just annoying, but honestly, even if I never mention it, he always annoys me in class.
Well, after R4, he's officially the worst.
I whispered to myself,
"I better hit the run before he sees me," looking around desperately.
But there was nowhere to go.
So, I quickly opened a nearby locker, tossed myself inside, and shut the door behind me.
Just then, Jasper came exactly where I had been standing. He scratched the back of his neck and said, "I thought I saw Ayana. Am I hallucinating?" Then he shrugged and walked away, completely unaware of my hiding spot.
Inside the locker, I felt someone breathe against my skin—I froze. When I turned my head, I saw—
"Nena...??"
"What are you doing in here?" I asked in a hush whisper, trying not to sound suspicious but failing miserably.
"Sh... Ayana, don't make a noise," Nena whispered back, her eyes wide with a mix of mischief and panic.
I raised an eyebrow.
Nena is usually so feisty—she's the girl who argues with the teachers in funny ways, fights over the last slice of pizza, and can beat anyone in a game of dodgeball.
Why was she hiding in the locker? Is she running from some crazy someone? Or maybe just her homework?
Too many questions flooded my mind before Nena finally whispered, "Let's go out first."
I nodded, trying to look as sneaky as a ninja on a caffeine rush. We tiptoed out, me trying my best not to make any noise, which mostly just involved tripping over my own shoelaces.
Once outside, we hurried to fix our hair—me straightening my messy two ponytail and Nena fluffing her hair like she was auditioning for a shampoo commercial.
She dusted off her jacket—let's call it her badass leather jacket—and looked at me with a serious face that was totally fake.
I sighed dramatically. "Now, tell me—what were you doing hiding in the locker?"
Nena fidgeted, her hands twisting nervously. "I… I'm just… shy. And I was hiding. I'm not really that social," she mumbled.
My eyes widened.
"What?! Nena, what are you talking about? You're the most social person I know! You're the girl who makes friends with everyone, including the janitor, the principal, and that weird kid who eats glue."
She looked down, blushing fiercely. "That's because I'm good at pretending. But honestly? I'm kind of scared of new people… especially when they look like they could eat me for breakfast."
I blinked, then burst out laughing. "So, you're telling me the girl who's basically a social butterfly has a secret fear of new people? That's like a lion being afraid of mice."
Nena smirked, crossing her arms. "Hey, I have my limits. Besides, I'm only brave when I'm arguing."
I grinned. "Alright, then. What about my parents and Jake? You looked totally comfortable with them—like you've known them forever."
She hesitated, then shrugged. "Because I've been hearing about them so much from you, I felt like I already knew them. It's the new people I'm afraid of—like the weird guy who keeps staring at us from across the hall."
I chuckled. "That guy? That's just Mr. Creepy McStare-alot. Don't worry, I'll take him down if he tries anything."
Nena looked at me and giggled. "Thanks, Ayana. You're the best."
I gently took her hand and nodded. "It's okay—let's just take you to your class. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy."
She jumped, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Then lech go!"