I told him everything that had happened with Mom, Jake, Nena, and Nathan.
Liam just listened.
Nodded.
Didn't interrupt.
Then he cupped my face in his hands. Warm, comforting.
He smiled.
And somehow, seeing that heart-shaped birthmark of his bounce when he grinned made him look… dangerously charming.
I sighed softly. "Thanks," I whispered.
He folded his hands together, tying back his blonde hair. One strand fell loose, and he tucked it behind his ear like it was the easiest thing in the world.
"I… also have a problem," he said suddenly.
I raised an eyebrow. "What problem?"
"Emma," he said quietly. "She came to see me… when I was sick."
"She cares," I said immediately. "Does she… like you?"
He looked at me. Hesitated. "I… don't know yet."
I groaned. "Of course she does. Look at the signs!"
He chuckled softly.
I leaned closer. "If you do like her… give her a chance. And if you discover you really do… come to me. I'll help you."
He smiled, that easy, soft smile that made everything around us feel calmer. Then he hugged me.
Calm. Safe.
The annoying Liam I used to always try to avoid… the one I had spent months dodging and rolling my eyes at…
Now was the one who leaned against me and let me comfort him.
And he whispered quietly, "Thank you… you're my best friend."
I squeezed him gently.
Yes, he was taller than me. Yes, he was a boy.
But somehow… it felt natural. Like he fit right in my arms.
And, honestly, it felt… kind of strangely good.
------
Morning came way too fast.
Today was the beauty contest—or whatever they were calling it now. Honestly, I had been advised to change at school, so I just took a quick bath, tied my hair up, threw on my glasses, and grabbed my bag.
No one was home, as usual. Only pancakes. This time, Jake had left a note:
"I know you're a frog, but you're my sister. Don't disappoint me today."
I smirked. "Yeah, sure, thanks for the pep talk, bro."
I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed out.
School felt normal at first—until I barely took three steps in the classroom when a voice cut through the hallway like a siren.
"AYANA!"
Mr. Rick strode straight toward me, grabbed my arms, and practically yanked me along.
"The rest are waiting in the auditorium," he said.
He wasn't lying.
There they all were: Liam, Emma, Ethan, Mark… and, of course, Regina.
She shot me one of her signature sharp glares, and I glared back.
Just because.
Mr. Rick clapped his hands to get attention.
"This beauty contest is not just about looks!" he said. "There are other challenges: brains, kindness, and singing. Here's how we're dividing teams."
I tilted my head.
"Couple one: Emma and Liam, you'll do kindness. Couple two: Mark and Regina—brains, obviously. Singing? Ayana and Ethan. And the beauty segment… is for all of you."
I blinked, then smiled.
Mr. Rick clapped again.
"And if we win this," he added, "everyone gets free marks in math!"
Liam raised a brow. "Why not your subject, then?"
Mr. Rick shot him a look sharp enough to slice bread.
"Get ready for tonight," he said, and we all nodded.
I turned slightly toward Ethan.
Of course, he was already looking at me.
Although, as usual, he looked away the second I caught him.
I cleared my throat, trying to sound casual.
"So… I heard you can sing?" I asked.
He nodded simply. "Yes."
"Oof," I muttered under my breath. "I can't wait to hear you sing."
He gave me a small, unreadable smile.
Yeah.
This was going to be an interesting day.
ETHAN'S POV.
I watched her walk away.
Of course I did.
My eyes basically had a magnet glued to her back.
She went straight to Mark—predictable, really.
Mark, being Mark, reached over and ruffled her hair like it was the most normal, innocent thing in the world.
Cue the tiny stabbing jealousy in my chest.
She didn't notice, of course.
She was too busy giving Mark her signature smirk.
That smirk that said I know I'm cute, and I'm going to enjoy it.
And honestly… I hated it.
But also… damn it, she was cute.
I let it slide. For now.
If I didn't, she'd probably get scolded for something stupid, and I wasn't about that life.
I started walking toward the group, hands shoved into my pockets.
And there it was.
Regina.
That clingy, loud, annoyingly persistent whirlwind. She wasn't even touching me—yet—but she had Mark pinned like he owed her his life.
I considered pushing her off…
…then realized she was heavy.
And also, laziness: a strong, strong factor.
So instead, I just muttered under my breath.
"Why are they all wasting energy before the contest anyway?"
Immediately, Ayana spun around and raised a finger.
"Shhh!" she said, playful and sharp, like she owned the air in front of me.
I tried again. "I mean, seriously—"
"Shhh!" she shot back louder.
I tried a third time.
She leaned toward me, eyes sparkling. "Shhh! Ethan, focus. Or I'll tape your mouth before singing practice."
I blinked at her.
"Really? Tape my mouth?" I asked, deadpan.
"Yes," she said, grinning. "I can do it. I have the skills."
I cleared my throat, putting on my best blank-face neutral look.
She tilted her head, smirk widening. "Honestly, you should go practice your singing. If you want my voice to sound good, we need harmony. And I will notice if you ruin it."
My heart skipped a beat.
The girl—this girl—was too freaking cute.
I opened my mouth to respond…
Nothing came out.
Zip.
Nada.
So I did what any sane person would do. I walked away.
Smoothly.
Nonchalantly.
Totally pretending I wasn't thinking about the way she'd smirk at me like she owned my brain.
And somewhere behind me, I could hear her muttering something.
"Oh, and by the way," I caught part of it, "don't even think about letting Regina push you around, Mark. Or I will haunt you all the way to next week's math exam."
I resisted the urge to groan.
Yep.
She was carefree, funny, sharp… and somehow, impossibly, completely herself.
And honestly? That made her even more impossible to ignore.
This was going to be a long, fun, slightly dangerous day.
And I was already planning how to survive it… without losing to Mark's ridiculous hair-ruffling skills.
Which, of course, was impossible.
But that didn't mean I wasn't going to try.