Pieces of you (meizini)

Chapter 1

The music was too loud, too sweaty, too much everything. Daniela adjusted the strap of her top, pretending she wasn't already regretting letting Troy talk her into coming. He thrived in this chaos already joking around with two guys she didn't even know while she hovered near the snack table like her life depended on cheese cubes.

Her eyes drifted across the crowd and landed on Megan.

Megan was leaning against the wall, half-smiling at something Adriana whispered in her ear. Even in a crowded room, Adriana sparkled, like she owned the place. Megan, though? She looked... different. A little smaller in her shadow. She tugged at her sleeve, laughed politely, sipped her drink like she wasn't sure what to do with herself.

Daniela waved tiny, awkward. Megan blinked, hesitated, then waved back the exact same way. Mirror image.

Wow. Riveting friendship you two got there, Dani, she thought.

Before she could melt into the floor, Adriana appeared at her side. "You know what's funny?" she said, grinning like she'd caught Daniela doing something.

Daniela raised an eyebrow. "Do I want to know?"

"It's always so awkward between you and Megan." Adriana tilted her head, amused. "Like... you've known each other forever, but you act like strangers."

Daniela almost choked on her soda. "That's because we are strangers. Sort of."

Adriana just smirked and drifted away to greet someone else, leaving Daniela mid-sputter.

A moment later, Megan ended up near her, clutching a plastic cup like it might save her life. They exchanged another awkward smile.

Daniela decided to be brave. "So... fun party, huh?"

Megan laughed under her breath. "If by fun you mean 'standing around hoping no one drags me into karaoke,' then yeah, totally fun."

Daniela blinked. She hadn't expected Megan to be funny.

Before the moment could stretch further, a man in a suit walked straight toward Adriana. He introduced himself loudly something about an arts collective, international program, summer residency. Daniela only half-listened, but Megan's eyes widened instantly, lighting up in surprise.

"Wait this is real?" Megan whispered, almost to herself. Daniela caught the way she looked at Adriana then: proud, but also... nervous.

Adriana hesitated, then nodded, her confidence sliding back into place like armor. "Yeah. It's real."

The scout explained more, words like "abroad," "once-in-a-lifetime," "this summer."Adriana's jaw dropped for half a second before she snapped it shut. And then, with that dazzling smile of hers, she said:

"I'll do it."

The party was still buzzing after Adriana's big announcement. People were hugging her, clinking cups, cheering like she'd just won a Grammy. Daniela smiled and clapped along, but inside she was still trying to process it.

When the noise finally died down, she pulled Adriana aside.
"So... how long are we talking? Like, two weeks? A month?"

Adriana grinned, too proud to tone it down. "The whole summer."

Daniela's jaw actually dropped. "The whole summer?"

"Yep."

Her eyes darted toward Megan, who was still standing near the wall, chewing on her lip like she wasn't sure if she should be happy or not.
"Does Megan know?" Daniela asked.

Adriana shrugged. "Of course. I told her."

"That's not what I meant." Daniela leaned in. "I mean... she's not from here. She comes here every summer just for you. What's she supposed to do while you're off living your dream in Paris or wherever?"

"She'll be fine." Adriana said it so casually it made Daniela's brows shoot up.

"Fine?" Daniela echoed. "She's literally gonna be stranded here without you. That doesn't sound fine."

Adriana tilted her head, smiling like she'd already solved it. "Which is why you're going to keep her company."

Daniela almost dropped her cup. "I'm sorry what?"

"Come on, Dani. Besides me, you're the only person she knows here. You can show her around, hang out... just so she's not alone all summer."

"Uhm she knows Manon"

"Listen you are my bestfriend and Manon is just my roommate, you can understand that right?"

"No way," Daniela said immediately, shaking her head. "Why are you doing this to me? We barely even talk. Our entire friendship is like... two awkward waves a year! We only interact because of you"

Adriana laughed. "Exactly. Time to fix that."

Daniela stared at her like she'd lost her mind. But Adriana just raised an eyebrow, and somehow, Daniela knew resistance was useless. With a groan, she muttered, "Fine. But only because you're guilt-tripping me."

Later that night, Daniela caught Adriana and Megan sitting together on the steps outside. Megan's head rested on Adriana's shoulder, and she wasn't smiling anymore.

"I'm gonna miss you," Megan whispered.

Adriana kissed her temple. "I'll miss you too. But you understand, right? This is my dream."

Megan nodded slowly, even though her eyes told a different story. "I know. I get it."

What Megan didn't know what Adriana didn't mention was that she'd already handed Daniela the unlikeliest summer job of her life: keeping Adriana's girlfriend company.

And Daniela? She had no idea how much trouble that promise was about to cause.