"Augggh… I miss Jacky and Allison so much."
I groaned and stretched across my bed, staring at the ceiling.
Jacky and Allison had gone to Singapore to visit Allison's Dad. I wanted to go with them, but school ruined that plan.
So now…
I was here.
Alone.
I sighed and sat up, rubbing my eyes.
"Well," I muttered, "I guess I should enjoy my freedom while they're gone."
I walked downstairs and headed straight to the kitchen, hoping to find breakfast waiting for me.
But the moment I stepped inside, I froze.
"Oh… right."
Manang Elsa wasn't home either. She told me last night that she would go to the market early this morning.
Which meant…
I slowly looked around the quiet house.
"I'm eating alone?"
I sighed and leaned against the counter.
"Maybe I'll just eat at school. I can meet Chloe and Mika there anyway."
At least I wouldn't feel alone.
With that thought, I went back upstairs and headed straight to the bathroom.
After taking off my clothes, I stepped into the shower and let the warm water run over me. It felt relaxing, washing away the sleep and the heavy feeling in my chest.
After a quick shower, I wrapped a towel around myself and brushed my teeth.
Then I looked at my reflection in the mirror.
I wasn't very tall, but people often said I had the body of a model… and a pretty face.
Honestly, I never really saw myself that way.
Growing up, people always compared me to my older sister. They said I was always hiding in her shadow.
And maybe they were right.
I rarely spoke up for myself. I was always too nice—even to people who weren't nice to me. I just wanted to be liked. I wanted to fit in.
I cared too much about what others thought of me… and forgot to care about what I thought about myself.
Sometimes I used to envy girls who were confident. Girls who could talk to anyone without feeling nervous.
But not anymore.
Things were different now.
I had friends who supported me—friends who believed in me.
And of course, I had my sister, who constantly reminded me how proud she was of me… and how beautiful I was.
Which suddenly reminded me of something.
The one question people always asked me was simple.
"Why don't you have a boyfriend?"
The answer was simple too.
It wasn't because I was picky.
I just wasn't in a rush.
Why waste time desperately looking for love? Maybe it would come when the time was right. Maybe someday Cupid would shoot his arrow at me.
I laughed quietly.
"Okay… that sounded cheesy."
Honestly, I usually just go with the flow whenever people asked me that question. I laughed at their jokes and brushed it off like it didn't matter.
But the truth is…
I was scared to get close to any guy.
Every time I tried to see boys in a different way, the same thought always crossed my mind.
What if I ended up like my mom if I fell in love?
I quickly pushed the thought away..
Better not think about it too much.
As soon as I arrived at the university, I went straight to my locker.
"Samy!"
Chloe suddenly rushed toward me.
"I have good news!"
I raised an eyebrow. "What good news? Did you finally confess to your crush?"
She frowned. "No. That would be awkward if I said it first."
"Then what is it?"
"I'll tell you later," she said with a grin, grabbing my hand. "Class first."
On the way, we spotted Mika talking to a guy who obviously liked her.
"Aww… cute," I whispered.
"Let's leave them alone," Chloe whispered back.
We giggled as we walked into the classroom.
After class, the classroom slowly emptied until only the three of us were left.
Chloe leaned forward with a mischievous smile.
"So, girls… want to watch drag racing tonight?"
Mika's eyes lit up. "Oh! I love that!"
I blinked. "Drag racing?"
"Shhh!" Chloe whispered quickly. "Lower your voice!"
"Why does it sound like we're about to do something illegal?" I asked.
"Well…" she shrugged. "It is illegal."
My stomach tightened.
"Don't worry," she added quickly. "The racers are insanely skilled. They can outrun the police easily."
"Have you ever watched one before?" she asked.
"Umm… no," I admitted.
Mika stared at me. "Seriously?"
"I told you. I'm not really a party person."
Chloe and Mika exchanged a look.
"Well," Mika said, "how will you know if you like it if you never try?"
Chloe grinned. "Come on, Sam. It'll be fun."
I hesitated.
Then somehow… I found myself nodding.
"Okay… I'll come."
"Really?!" Chloe squealed. "Tonight, will be amazing!"
"And don't worry," she added. "France will be there too. Nothing bad will happen."
Honestly…
I was curious.
I sighed.
"Well… I'm already twenty-one."
"And there's no one at home tonight anyway."
After class ended, Chloe invited us to her house to hang out before the race.
She insisted on choosing our outfits.
I had no choice but to trust her.
As we stepped outside, a wave of nervousness hit me.
"Chloe …" I said quietly. "Isn't this outfit a bit… too much?"
I adjusted the pearl-colored dress she gave me.
It was backless. Completely open.
Sexy. Way too sexy.
I awkwardly pulled the dress down, trying to feel more comfortable. I had never seen myself dressed like this before.
Suddenly, I noticed Chloe and Mika staring at me.
"Wow," Mika said, biting her lower lip dramatically. "I swear… you look damn hot."
I laughed nervously. "You're exaggerating."
"No," Chloe insisted. "You look incredible."
She grinned. "You're going to make guys fall in love tonight."
My cheeks instantly turned red.
"Well then," Chloe said with a playful smile. "Are you girls ready?"
"We've been ready," Mika replied, striking a pose.
We burst out laughing.
"Let's go."
I sighed and walked toward Chloe's car.
Soon, we arrived at the place where the drag race was happening.
Apparently, the race had already started.
Chloe said the guy she liked was one of the racers, Unfortunately, traffic slowed us down because of an accident earlier on the road.
When we finally arrived—
"Whoa…"
The place was huge.
Cars were parked everywhere, and the crowd was massive. Most of the racers looked young,
Some people might say watching illegal street races was a waste of time.
But honestly?
It was thrilling.
Even for me.
Now here I was, standing in the cold night air with my jacket wrapped tightly around me.
"Sam!" Chloe suddenly said excitedly. "I see him! He's over there!"
Mika and I tried to look, but there were too many people.
"You'll see him eventually," Chloe said. "Maybe I should call France."
A few minutes later—
"Chloe?"
We turned toward the familiar voice.
France.
He was wearing a dark gray shirt, a black jacket, and ripped black jeans.
Honestly… he looked like an international model.
"France!" Chloe ran toward him.
"Hi. Good to see you here," he said with a smile. "You girls look gorgeous."
Chloe's face turned red. "Uh… thanks."
"I thought you weren't coming," France said.
"Sorry," she replied. "You know how my dad is. He's overprotective."
France sighed. "Does Uncle Allen know you're here?"
"No!" Chloe panicked. "Please don't tell my parents. I'll die!"
"Relax," France said with a laugh. "I won't."
"I was actually about to leave anyway."
"What?!" Chloe gasped. "You're leaving already?"
"I just watched the race," he said. "It already finished."
"You didn't see it?" he asked.
"What?!" Chloe groaned dramatically.
France laughed. "Relax. Your guy still won the race."
"Well," Mika said with a smile, "we can still enjoy the other shows here."
Chloe sighed. "Okaaaay."
I noticed France watching her carefully, like he was worried.
"I'll stay with you girls," he said. "I can't just leave you here."
"France… are you sure?" Chloe asked. "Don't you have somewhere else to go?"
"Actually… I do," he admitted. "There's a party I'm supposed to attend."
"Party?" Chloe asked suspiciously. "What party?"
"A house party," he said. "For Ryan's victory."
Chloe's eyes lit up. "Really? Can we come?"
France hesitated.
"Uh… maybe not this one."
"Why not?" Chloe asked, narrowing her eyes.
France laughed nervously. "Hey—why are you looking at me like that?"
I tried to hold my laughter.
"It's just… an adults party," he said. "We're guys, okay? It's not like people are going to—"
He stopped mid-sentence, blushing.
"So?" Chloe said confidently. "We're adults too."
France groaned.
"Okay! Fine! You can come."
"YES!" the three of us shouted at the same time.
Tonight was officially going to be crazy.