The first day of the trimester came quickly for most of the students returning to the quiet island school. However, one student did not share in the belief as they squirmed in anguish while watching their phone. With a heavy chest, Sonya nervously patrolled her room while waiting for any messages or calls from Ken. With the memories of Saturday freshly seared in her mind, Sonya swapped between replaying them in her head and muffling embarrassed wimpers with her pillow.
With no outreach from Ken on Sunday, her anxiety had culminated in her waking up before the sunrise on Monday and scrambling to get ready. After a quiet ride on an empty train, she was now standing in front of the boys dormitory with an exasperated look.
Why did I come here?!
Berating herself, she sported a scowl while kicking her foot nervously. Surely this would make her seem like a stalker, she thought. Burying her face in her hands, she lowered her frame to the ground and stifled a groan.
“What are you doing-”
“EEK!”
Launching from her collapsed position, Sonya leapt into the air as the contrast of her bright green eyes and slowly reddening face elicited a smile from the source of the voice. Eyeing the disheveled girl with reserved joy, was Ken. Looking at her he saw, to his surprise, that she was wearing the standard school uniform with a long sleeved button up sweater that seemed a size too big for her. As his eyes moved lower, he noticed the lime green stripes of her stockings and the pride that was budding in his chest evaporated.
“I guess you couldn’t completely adhere to the uniform?”
Teetering to catch her balance upon landing, Sonya’s posture went rigid as she turned to face Ken and let her voice erupt.
“Really, that’s the first thing you have to say?! The teachers should be happy that I’m wearing the uniform at all.”
Her yells were met with a goofy smile from Ken that made her cheeks fill with heat. Not wanting to dance to his tune, she voiced her protests.
“W-What are you smiling at! Idiot! Why are you even out here so early?!”
“I could ask you the same thing?”
His snarky retort only made Sonya even more flustered as she tried to formulate a response.
“W-Whatever! It’s your fault for not sending me a message after… You know… I just… I wanted to see you… Gahh! This is so dumb! I’m leaving-”
“I missed you too, Sonya.”
Stopped in her tracks, Sonya peered into Ken’s eyes as he continued.
“I wasn’t sure if I should text you or not… I’m not very good at this. I was waiting by my phone all weekend like a crazy person.”
He had been feeling the same as her, she thought as she exhaled deeply. Knowing that she wasn’t alone brought her confidence forward and she gave a smug grin before speaking.
“Well, you can’t help it. You’re just a dummy after all so I’ll forgive you this time. Besides, you aren’t the only person I have to talk to this morning… I asked Mary to have everyone meet me at the train station before school. They should be there pretty soon.”
Her eyes drifted as she spoke and her nerves became apparent to Ken. WIthout hesitation, he stepped closer to her and offered his support.
“I see. I don’t think you have anything to worry about, but I’ll be right next to you if you need any help.”
“Erhem… G-good. Before I forget, I got you this.”
His firm reply made her heart race momentarily as she tried to hide her reaction by reaching into her backpack and retrieving a parcel that she quickly passed to Ken.
“For like… Christmas or whatever…”
Curiously eyeing the gift, Ken peeled back the plain wrapping paper to reveal what was unquestionably a video game box. Shiny letters spelling out Dark Olympia Five caught his eyes. As he read the title, a deep chuckle bellowed from his stomach.
“What is so funny!”
“Oh, wow… I actually got you the same thing. I was going to give it to you today. I guess we both have a copy now.”
Reaching into his own backpack, he pulled out a small bag that contained the exact same gift. As he showed them to Sonya side by side, the girl grumbled as she replied.
“No.”
“What do you mean, ‘no’?”
“You can return yours. We don’t need two. It’s wasteful.”
“But, then I don’t have a present to give you in return.”
As Ken looked at Sonya with quizzical eyes, she turned her gaze up to meet his as a soft breeze made her hair flit in the wind.
“Stupid… Just play it with me and that will be enough.”
The reply made Ken hesitate as he realized her intentions and his chest tightened. As his face became a billboard of his embarrassment, Sonya felt it transmit to hers. Breaking eye contact, she spoke in an adamant voice.
“That’s enough! Let’s go!”
With that, she took the first steps away from the dorm and Ken hastily joined her side. As they eased into their walking pace, he wondered if they had always walked so close together. Regardless, he was happy to see Sonya acting like her usual self. Even with the hard conversation awaiting her, her calm expression assured him that she was ready.
“I was worried that the ice cream machine had been lost in the mail, but it finally showed up! Best gift ever!”
Lyra’s sharp cackle echoed across the area in front of the train station as she finished up her story. Looking to her audience, she found blank stares from Mary, Stella, and Lucas that seemed to peer through her.
“I expected applause! What is wr-”
“Sonya!”
Interrupting Lyra’s protest, Stella took a step forward before pausing and bringing her hands to her chest. Hearing the name of her missing friend, Lyra spun around as a tooth smile found its home on her face.
“Finally!”
Seeing Ken and Sonya approach, Mary showed a reserved smile, while Lucas unleashed a wide grin as they offered their respective greetings.
“Welcome back.”
“Glad to see you again!”
Moving closer to the group, Sonya lowered her head with an uneasy expression.
“Thanks, everyone. It’s good to be back…”
The silence between the two parties was filled with tension. While they were elated to see Sonya in good health, they knew that she had summoned them for a reason. Just as the quiet atmosphere threatened to wear down on Sonya’s nerves, a bombastic voice shattered it.
“Okay, girlie! I think you owe us an explanation. Go on, spill it.”
“Lyra!”
Grabbing her friend by the arm, Stella was about to raise her voice when Sonya called out.
“No. She’s right. There’s some things I need to say.”
Her words were softly spoken but their meaning was clear. Releasing Lyra, Stella fell quiet as all eyes moved to Sonya. Kneading her knuckles against the scratchy fabric of her sweater, she bowed her head slightly as she spoke from her heart.
“I’m sorry for the way I’ve been acting. The truth is… Someone special to me, my daddy, passed away a few years ago. When this school year started, I wasn’t sure how to handle things. So, I was lashing out at everyone. Even more recently, things started to get worse and I tried to be someone that I wasn’t because I thought that anything would be better than being me.”
Lifting her gaze, she saw the worried stares of her friends and the burning looks of pity made her shiver. This wasn’t her goal, she thought as the inky feeling of guilt began to fill her lungs and made it hard to catch her breath. Yet, a warm touch on her shoulder lifted her from the dark pit that she was slowly sinking into. As she lifted her head, she saw that her friends were all waiting for her and her closest friend was raining a smile down on her while standing at her side. With resolve, she decided to erase their concern and replace it with hope.
“But… That was stupid. I love being me, because I got to meet all of you. Even though I put all of you through a lot... I’m sorry and grateful at the same time… I should have never made you worry about me. I know now that I have people that I can lean on… I might need you guys a lot more in the future. But, I want to be able to be proud of myself and return all of the favors that you’ve done for me. I can’t change what happened, but I’m trying to be better. If you’ll let me… I still want to be friends.”
Exhaling through her nose, Sonya stared ahead with anticipation as she waited for a response.
“You don’t have to be sorry!”
The yell came swiftly as Stella kicked off of the ground and closed the distance between her and Sonya almost instantly. Wrapping her arms around Sonya, Stella’s eyes produced large tears as her words gurgled forth.
“I wanted to be your friend… hic… Because, I knew you were a good person. I didn’t know that you were going through so much, but I never thought twice about helping you. Even if you never return any favors, I’m still going to be your friend! I love you, Sonya!”
Her announcement pierced Sonya’s chest and her body felt limp. Yet, Stella continued to hold her upright as Lucas’ voice boomed from nearby.
“Well, you heard Stella. She speaks for all of us. All you have to do to be friends is be there when someone needs you. So you can bet I’ll be depending on you when this one yells at me.”
Gesturing to Mary, Lucas ignored her rebuffs as he stepped closer to Sonya. As he did, the tears welling in her eyes were stifled by a sincere giggle. Seeing a smile emerge, Mary walked forward while speaking.
“What he says is partly true. That being said, there are some formalities that I have to address.”
Mary’s formal tone drew the attention of the group as she adjusted her glasses and met Sonya’s eyes.
”I hereby deny your requests to leave the student council and the writing club. You’re to remain with us, Sonya.”
With wide eyes, Sonya felt the mixture of smiles and embraces overwhelm her. Yet, one small part of her still couldn’t accept their kindness. As she struggled to find her stamina, her words rolled out.
“But… But… I’ve been lying to you for so long… Even now, I still have one more secret to share. My last name isn’t Williams… It’s Astaril…”
As the final secret was brought to light, Sonya froze to gauge their reaction. However, she was surprised to see awkward smiles as Lucas rubbed the back of his head and replied.
“Ehh… Heh… About that…”
Unable to elaborate, he looked to Mary to fill in the gap. With careful words she explained.
“It’s better that you know now… When your mother came to get you, a few students heard her talking about you and your family.”
Nodding towards Mary, Lucas found his voice and continued speaking.
“The rumor mill has been spinning so we kinda already knew about your real name. But, I’m glad you told us anyway.”
Hearing that her secret was already revealed, Sonya’s head began to spin. First and foremost, she had to clarify one point.
“Why didn’t you tell me?!”
Turning towards Ken, she delivered a swift kick to his leg as she inquired. Ken waved his hands in protest as he tried to quell her.
“I swear, I didn’t know!”
“Ken has been kinda distracted as of late. Maybe you know something about that?”
Sporting a suggestive grin, Lucas narrowed his eyes at Sonya causing her to tense up.
“Tch…”
The loud sound of someone clicking their tongue interrupted the exchange as the only person who hadn’t commented at the revelation stepped forward. Moving her face within inches of Sonya’s, Lyra had a serious look on her face as she slowly spoke.
“Listen, Sonya. I’m sorry to hear about your dad. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to lose someone like that. It makes sense that you would be secretive about things. Make no mistake, I’m still your friend and I’m not planning on changing that anytime soon.”
Sonya’s gaze stayed focused on Lyra’s as she was taken aback at the girl’s resolute behavior and waited for her to continue.
“But… When I asked you to spill it… I was talking about your relationship with my brother.”
As if a balloon had been deflated all eyes were focused on Lyra as Ken and Mary moved their palms to their faces. Seeing that her question wasn’t well received, Lyra looked around with an irate glare.
“What! I’m not the only one who wants to know! I love Sonya just like everyone else… I just want to know if I’m getting a sister-in-law!”
“S-S-Sister-in-law! Do you want me to punch you!”
Shaking off Stella’s embrace while she spoke, Sonya threateningly pulled Lyra’s collar as a fierce look shot from her eyes.
“I kinda want to know too…”
“I had my own questions as well.”
However, quiet murmurs from Stella and Lucas made her loosen her grip and back away. With the exception of Mary, who simply dropped her eyes to the ground, Sonya was met with a lofty grin from Lyra and the group waited for her to explain. The abrupt assault left her blubbering as she darted her eyes from one person to the next.
“We… Uhh… We… I mean… We never really-”
“Sonya is my girlfriend now. We’re dating.”
With certainty, Ken raised his voice and spoke for the first time. He had let Sonya share her feelings, but he could tell that she was becoming tired of being the center of attention. His attempts to shield her were met with jeers from the group.
“Ooh! He said it for her!”
“Romantic!”
“Atta boy!”
As Lyra, Stella, and Lucas cheered, a look of bewilderment filled Mary’s face as she stopped herself from calling out. Amidst the bubbly atmosphere, an ear piercing yell made everyone jump.
“SO WHAT IF WE ARE!”
Heaving her chest as she sporadically drew breaths, Sonya had a wild look in her eyes as Ken realized that his interjection might have been a mistake. With an accusatory finger point, Sonya gestured towards him as she spoke in an aggravated tone.
“It’s just… I took pity on this idiot weasel! That’s right! I figured that if he was going to keep getting in my way that I should just let him stay by my side forever! That’s all.”
As she finished, silence fell over the group once more. However, the tension came from a different source this time. Instead of worried expressions, everyone’s faces were bright red. Stella cupped her hands over her mouth as Mary’s mouth fell agape. Lucas and Lyra shared a bright grin as they called out.
“F-Forever?!”
As if time had slowed, Sonya felt an icy feeling crawl up her spine. Realizing her error, she quickly grabbed Ken’s hand and broke into a sprint with him in tow. As they moved towards the campus, she heard murmurs behind them and paid them no mind.
“Woo! They’re holding hands!
Yet, had she glanced back, she might have seen Mary’s lips curling into a scowl as she watched them disappear into the distance.
After dashing away for a few minutes, Sonya pulled Ken from the sidewalk and behind the treeline that followed the pathway to campus. With frantic breaths, she called out to Ken.
“How could you let me say that! That sounded like a p-p-proposal-”
“Calm down! Take a breath.”
Mimicking a deep inhale, Ken patted her back and tried to assuage her anxiety as they took a seat on the rocky ground. Within minutes, the color had returned to Sonya’s face and she sighed while lamenting.
“Haah… Why did I do that…?”
“I think you just got too worked up. I should have asked you before I said we were dating. If you don’t-”
“NO! It’s not like that…”
Once again finding himself on the receiving end of her frustrations, Ken fell quiet. Stealing glances, Sonya could tell that he was deflated causing her to continue.
“We are dating, ok? I just need a little time to figure out how I should act. This is all new for me.”
Her voice softened as her shoulders drooped. She wondered how Ken was able to plainly say that they were dating. As she started to cross her arms nervously, Ken spoke.
“Me too. I was thinking that not much would change, but I can see that I was wrong.”
It was then that she noticed that the hand that was still connected to her’s was shaking slightly and it seemed a little warmer than when they held hands so effortlessly only days before. As if he noticed her concern, Ken tightened his grip before releasing her hand.
“No reason to worry. We can figure it out together. No pressure.”
“No pressure…”
Ken seemed strong in times like these, she thought, but simply knowing that he shared her unease made it more bearable. As her eyes slowly met his, she felt the deep hazel draw her in and her face slowly moved towards his. Yet, as she did, the sound of the warning bell could be heard from the school in the distance.
“We should get going, Mary won’t forgive us if we’re late.”
With a soft smile, Ken rose to his feet as Sonya noticed the groups of students from beyond the treeline. She felt a small panic as she wondered just how long they had been alone for. She decided that it might be a dangerous thing, even if she enjoyed it.
“O-Okay…”
Gingerly reaching out for his hand, her fingers gently laced with his.
“Are you sure? Someone might see us.”
Despite her earlier fears, she no longer felt any apprehension. If it was this much, she could handle it. So, with a cheeky grin, she pulled his hand closer until it was calmly resting enveloped in hers.
“I don’t care. It's just until we reach the front gate. Plus, I think I deserve something for being so brave, right?”
Her smug tone made Ken chuckle while glancing at Sonya. As he watched her smile unabashedly, he was reminded of a wish she had made when he first visited her house. As the brilliant smile washed over him, he wondered if this was the honest smile she had wished for. And so, with a calm heart and no secrets, Sonya entered Astaril academy.
The rest of the day was just as chaotic as its starting moments. After being reunited with her friends in class, another unexpected event was waiting for Sonya. Just as Lucas and Mary had relayed, news of her true identity had already spread throughout her class and beyond. With the information came curious glances and by lunch time several students had lined up around Sonya’s desk to ask her questions.
The impromptu popularity made her nervous, but most of the students were simply confirming rumors. While there were several that offered her friendship due to her namesake, Lyra and Stella were quick to dispatch them. While she was grateful for their help, by the time the line to her desk had cleared, the lunch bell had rung. She glanced at her phone with defeated eyes as she sat at her desk and quickly ate with Lyra and Stella.
The end of class finally came and even more students from other classes were waiting for a chance to speak with her. Her patience from earlier was waning as she felt the seconds ticking away. Even walking down the hallway she could feel the prodding looks following her. It was a similar feeling to the beginning of the school year and her ability to stay level headed was being tested.
Arriving at her locker, she dared not look at the time and instead opted to quickly put away her books and run to the student council room. However, as she pulled her backpack over her shoulders, a sneering voice caught her ear.
“Well, if it isn’t the loser first year that thought she could hang with us?”
Most of the students had already left the area, but three girls were gathered around a nearby locker. Two of them appeared to be older, while the third girl had her back to Sonya. A cursory glance let her know that this wasn’t a gathering of friends and she lowered her head to listen closer.
“Yeah, did your daddy cut you off? He must have realized what an insufferable idiot you are.”
With a chortle, the girl slammed her hand against the lockers while smiling at the other bully. Moving closer, Sonya watched in surprise as she held up a container of orange juice and emptied it on the unknown girl’s head. Shimmers of light reflected off her wet brown hair as her shoulders lowered in silence.
“What’s this? You aren’t supposed to wash your hair with juice?”
“It was ugly anyway. The juice made it a little better.”
“HEY!”
Slamming her feet on the ground in anger, Sonya yelled at the perpetrators and drew their attention. Still holding the juice container, one of the girls looked at her with a viscous glare.
“Hmm? Oh, it’s the school princess? Talk about a book of fairy tales. We have a princess and an ugly beast. Which one was that again? Hey, what are you doing?”
While she was rambling, Sonya sat down her backpack and retrieved her phone. With a disinterested stare, she snapped a photo of the bullies with a bright flash. Faking a yawn, she checked her nails for imperfections as she spoke.
“Just gathering evidence. I mean, I don’t know what your families do specifically, but I can guess that they only make pennies compared to mine.”
Her voice deepened as she spoke and now both of the bullies were staring daggers into her. It was obvious that they had expected her to back down, but Sonya kept her calm and quipped back.
“What a shame it would be if their daughters not only got expelled from a prestigious school, but it was found out by international media that they were acting as common bullies.”
She felt a shiver down her back as she tried to keep up her facade. As she stared down the girls, they looked at one another with worried faces before turning back to Sonya.
“You wouldn’t-”
“I may be on the student council, but I don’t play nice. I’m not a princess, I’m a monster, remember? Now get out of here and leave my classmates alone. This is a one time warning. When trash like you gets in my way, you can either play nice and be recycled or I can have you swept away and disposed of properly.”
Like a young viper, Sonya struck with all the venom in her fangs. To her relief, the bullies were now looking shaken as their eyes darted around the area. With all her might, Sonya leveled a wrathful stare at them as they whispered to each other.
“Let’s get out of here…”
With that, they briskly walked away from the lockers and disappeared around a corner. Sonya waited for a few seconds to make sure that they were gone before exhaling heavily.
“Whew… I’m glad Lyra wasn’t here to hear that cringy line…”
Now that the threat was removed, she looked towards the girl that was still drenched in juice. Her messy brown hair seemed somewhat familiar as Sonya got a better look at her. However, as she moved closer a flash of amber eyes made her freeze.
“Uhwaaah!”
There was no doubt now, the girl covered in juice that was now latched onto Sonya was none other than Elise.
“Jeez… You don’t have to latch on to me. You’re all sticky!”
Extending her hands, Sonya tried to pry her distraught classmate away. She did not expect her former bully to now be a victim, but there were more pressing matters at hand. As Elise stepped back, Sonya saw the tears flooding from her eyes. Despite her depressed state, Sonya recognized the dark expression forming on her classmate’s face. It was almost as if she could see the wiry hooks of despair grabbing onto Elise, just as they had done to her.
“I’m going to call us a ride.”
She wasn’t sure why, but she pulled out her phone after making the announcement. She knew that Elise wouldn’t do the same for her. Yet, Sonya felt that if she could help someone avoid the negative feelings that used to dwell in her, then she had to intervene. Her decision was made and she typed out a detailed message to Theo. Within moments a chime along with a picture of a penguin giving a thumbs up gesture let her know that help was on the way.
As Elise came to her senses, she finally noticed who was standing in front of her.
“Sniff… What? Wait… It’s you…”
The look in her eyes was one of pettiness and even disgust. Sonya paid her no mind as she also sent a quick message to Ken. She would explain everything later, she thought as she grabbed Elise’s hand.
“You’re covered in orange juice so you need a bath. Plus, I want to make sure that those girls don’t try to get revenge at the dorm. C’mon, you’re coming with me.”
With no other options and pensive reservation, Elise relented. Her day couldn’t get any worse, she thought as she allowed herself to be led. Sensing no complaints, Sonya reluctantly guided her cargo outside.
An hour later, Elise was sitting atop a foreign bed with pink sheets and a white frame. The room she was in had ornate, if childish, furnishings. A desk with a single chair was located closest to her and she could see remnants of schoolwork cluttered across it as well as large stacks of paper. Earlier an older woman had arrived with a small tray of snacks and a few drinks that were now sitting on the desk as well. Lining the wall were small shelves with stuffed animals of various sizes. The walls themselves were painted pink and Elise couldn’t help but feel that she was in a young girl’s room.
However, a lone bookshelf made of solid wood and fine metal in the corner of the room made her think otherwise. Along with familiar schoolbooks, there appeared to be photo albums. Resting atop the shelf was a large telescope that appeared to be unused. As her attention was drawn, she tried to stand up and investigate. However, the pink pajamas she was wearing were too small and revealed her midsection causing her to quickly sit back down.
Reminded of her current predicament, Elise scowled. The house she was in was huge, not as large as her family’s, but she could tell that this was just a vacation home of some sort. On a whim, she was whisked here and forced to use their facilities. Recalling the memory made her cheeks turn red. As if prompted by her disdain, the cause of this odd situation walked into the room.
“Your hair looks better. I’m having your uniform cleaned, but you can borrow those clothes if you need to leave sooner.”
Taking a seat at her desk, Sonya watched Elise scoff at the idea of walking outside in pajamas. This made her chuckle as her guest turned her eyes to the floor and spoke.
“Why are you being nice to me?”
The question took Sonya by surprise. Not because of its complexity, but because of the complicated expression of the girl asking it. Sincere anguish was displayed across Elise’s face and Sonya mused on a time where she was afraid of this girl. Dwelling on her own feelings for a moment, she replied in a soft voice.
“Because… I know what it feels like to be bullied.”
Having already been saddled with debt by Sonya’s intervention not once, but twice, Elise brought her knees together as she realized the irony of her circumstances.
“You must think that I’m awful…”
“I’m not your biggest fan if that’s what you mean…”
Watching her with concern, Sonya lowered her defenses as she waited for Elise to continue.
“But… You still helped me. Now and back then… At the resort.”
“That doesn’t count. Anyone would have tried to stop that creep.”
Sonya tried to lighten the mood with a smile as he spoke. The line dividing them seemed to lessen as Elise forced a small grin back. If she had to be here, she might as well talk, she thought as words spilled from her mouth.
“Hmph… Those girls actually set me up with him. I’m so stupid… They only liked me because I kept giving them samples of designer makeup. Then… Over the break, my daddy found out about some of the things I had been up to and cut me off. Now all the third years act like I’m nothing.”
“Sounds like you had it coming?”
The sound of a soda opening followed Sonya’s sentence as she took a gulp of the fizzy liquid. As Elise watched, her lips contorted into a frown and she failed to hold back an outburst.
“You don’t have to be a jerk!”
“I think I have to. At least a little bit.”
Taking a small bit of a tart, Sonya bounced with happiness. Elise wondered if she might be a kid after all, but Sonya quickly turned to her and continued.
“For now, they should leave you alone. You can let me know if that changes. I have plenty of ways to scare them.”
Once again, a poignant stare shone from Sonya’s eyes. Elise thought that it wasn’t so scary when it wasn’t aimed at her.
“Hehe… You’re so crude. They should be graduating soon. Then they won’t matter anymore.”
“If only all problems were so easy to solve.”
A giggle escaped Elise’s mouth as a genuine smile emerged. The conversation stalled for a moment as she tried to gather her thoughts. Fiddling with her thumbs, she called out to Sonya.
“T-Thank you. I would have been fine, but… You helped me out.”
“You helped me out too. Before the festival.”
The calm response made Elise tilt her head in confusion.
“That wasn’t anything compared to this. I’m… I’m sorry. I only treated you badly because of those girls. But, I still did what they told me without question. You really are a good person.”
“I wouldn’t go that far… But thanks. I don’t have any right to hold mistakes over people’s heads, so I forgive you.”
Her chest felt light as she said the words. Sonya wasn’t sure what forgiveness was supposed to feel like, but she knew that she had no negative thoughts left regarding Elise. For her, that was enough. Yet, seeing that Elise was still unsatisfied, Sonya called out one last time.
“We can all be good people, ya know? Even you.”
Elise couldn’t believe her ears. Either this girl was the most foolish person she had ever met or she was the kindest. She didn’t detect a hint of animosity nor cunning coming from Sonya. While it wasn’t enough to alleviate her guilt, It made Elise ruminate for several minutes before trying to change the subject.
“So… Before the festival… You wanted to dress up to impress a boy, right?”
“H-Huh? What gave you that idea? Heh… Heh…”
“Well, that response answers my question…”
With a flat stare, Elise examined Sonya’s face as it filled with pink hues. She was honestly glad to have something else to talk about and pressed further.
“So, who is he? Is he in our grade? Ooh! Or is he older?”
Even more blush filled Sonya’s cheeks as Elise used her as an accuracy meter and fired another question.
“Wait! Was he the guy who stood up to me in the courtyard? What was his name… Student council kid with glasses…”
Sonya’s eyes were flaring as she gritted her teeth.
I invited this gremlin into my home as a kindness, so why am I getting the shakedown!
Her thoughts passed through her head as she tried to think of a way out of the situation.
Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!
Jumping from her seat, Sonya thought she had imagined the buzzing sound, but quickly saw her phone rumbling on the desk. Looking at the screen she saw who it was and snatched up hastily before running towards her bedroom door.
“I gotta go!”
Closing the door behind her, she caught her breath and answered excitedly.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Sonya. I got your message. I wanted to call and make sure everything was okay.”
The voice on the other side made her heart race. While she was still unsure as to why, she couldn’t deny that Ken’s voice made her feel better. Realizing that she hadn’t responded, she rushed to reply.
“Yeah, sorry. Something came up and I had to go home quickly. It’s not a big deal.”
“Oh, that’s good. We can see each other tomorrow then.”
“Yeah.”
She hated making one word answers but the giddiness in her chest was on the brink of becoming annoying.
“Well, I guess I’ll let you go-”
“C-Can I keep showing up to your dorm early? At least for a little while?”
Sonya forced her eyes closed as her question bypassed filtration and filled the air. She was sure now, dating Ken was turning her into an idiot. As she was about to slam her head into the wall, Ken’s voice made her stop.
“O-Of course you can!”
Hearing his affirmation, Sonya beamed as Ken himself jostled into a makeshift dance in his hallway. Yet, she wasn’t one to walk away from a winning streak and closed her eyes once again before speaking.
“And… What if I want to call you before bed… Can I do that?”
The line went quiet as Ken made an audible gulp and responded with a shaky voice.
“I-I’d like that too… I’ll be here whenever you need me.”
“I know…”
Ignoring the embarrassment burning from the other end of the line, Sonya spun around in place. It was as if her batteries had been recharged upon talking to Ken. She began to think that if this warm fuzzy feeling could be hers in exchange for turning into an idiot, then it might be worth it. As Ken listened to the silent line, he called out to Sonya.
“Okay, then I’ll talk to you later.”
“Alright.”
With a light beep, the call ended. Sonya’s pupils wavered as she leaned backwards against the wall. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and smiled.
“Wow, that convo was awkward! That was him, wasn’t it? You guys must have just started dating! So cute!”
Jarring her eyes open, Sonya slowly turned her neck to see that the door to her bedroom was open and that Elise was kneeling with her head in the hallway. Her face was sporting a cherubic grin that filled Sonya’s mind with white hot rage.
“SHUT UP!”
Her voice echoed the building as Theo and Mrs. Walsh rushed to see what was going on.
After a lengthy explanation followed by apologies from Elise, the two girls were sitting back in Sonya’s room. While periodically shooting scowls in Elise’s direction, Sonya listened as the girl spoke.
“I see, so the courtyard boy wound up getting the girl. Sappy yet sweet. Thank you for the story and for cleaning my clothes.”
Twirling in place, Elise examined the state of her clothes and smiled at the quality.
“You better not spread it around! I don’t want everyone to know.”
“Hmph. Not like I have anyone to talk to anyways.”
Pushing her hair back with her hand, Elise found that it was dry. She glanced around the room before continuing.
“I should head back to my dorm. Could I trouble you for a ride?”
Despite their short time together, Sonya could tell that Elise’s demeanor had dimmed slightly. Her grumpy attitude faded away as she thought for a second before standing.
“Wait. Do you want to… Help me with something?”
Jolted by the sudden rise, Elise looked at Sonya with a peculiar expression.
“You see, I don’t know a thing about makeup. You seem really good at using it, so I was wondering…”
“You really are transparent.”
As Sonya haphazardly traced a circle on the ground with her foot, Elise could tell that this was a front to get her to stay. However, after their afternoon together, she surmised that an evening wouldn’t be so bad.
“Not that I mind. I don’t have anything else to do today anyway so I can show you a few things.”
Nervously glancing to the side as she spoke, Elise waited for Sonya to lead the way.
“Okay, everything is in my mom’s room. Let’s go.”
With that, the two girls left the bedroom and the lesson began. Yet, as the minutes passed, cheerful giggles could be heard through the halls as they quickly became enthralled with the task at hand. For Sonya, the newfound relationship was born from the last remaining shards of a grudge and served as proof that she was changing for the better. The very same event that had been a source of anger was also the cause for her and Ken coming together. She found herself considering that even the weakest tree could bear exceptional fruit if only given time. Perhaps, things with Ken would get easier given time. After all, it had only been three days, she thought.
She had Elise to thank for this revelation and as her preconceived notions faded away, so did the light emanating from the windows. After briefly losing track of time, Elise and Sonya said their goodbyes and exchanged numbers. The day had been full of surprises, and as Sonya watched the car pull away from the driveway, she couldn’t wait to talk to Ken and tell him everything. The desire to hear his voice made her heart flutter and she eyed her phone screen carefully. Wondering if it was late enough to call him, she remembered his words from earlier and a soft smile appeared on her lips as she brought the receiver to her ear.