School had been dreary as usual, and while rumors still swirled with ferocity surrounding the great Cole and Mahi breakup, I'd found ways to persist.
One of those coping mechanisms involved launching a full scale deep dive into Gia's whereabouts. I hadn't heard from my mother in months, and had no interest in reconnecting with my father, but Gia was in reach, and I knew it.
I'd scoured gossip blogs, reddit threads, google images, subscription based search engines that had me bleeding money. I hadn't gotten any closer to narrowing down her location, but it gave me purpose, something to do.
I just have to survive until December break, I kept telling myself, while I flew through final exams and student council meetings and back to back shifts at Casa Nova's. Then, I could commit more time to finding her, bringing her home, figuring out what went wrong.
The idea excited me and terrified me in equal measures. My living room started to look like a detectives office, mapped with timelines, evidence, potential sightings.
If the sightings were true, then Gia took a bus to Los Angeles, where she spent a year, before heading to Austin, then Louisiana, where she was supposed to be now.
But why Louisiana? Los Angeles and Austin, we had family, but there was nowhere within a hundred miles of New Orleans. The official report stated that she had short cropped hair and a new nose piercing. I tried to imagine Gia like that, her piercing green-brown eyes, her curved lips and angular cheeks, with a bob and a nose piercing. I could only remember the version of her with long curly hair that hit her at the waist, the way she always wore dresses to school, was always smiling.
What did she do for money? How was she getting by?
I had mapped the street that the sighting occurred at with a frenzy that was unbeknownst to me, hyper fixating on the restaurants, the people, the institutions on that block. I called each restaurant, each establishment on that street to see if anyone by the name of Gayathri or "Gia" worked there. Some people flat out refused to answer, the others hung up without question.
It all felt a little too close to the truth for me to give up on. Meanwhile, I tried my best to put the thoughts out of my head and resume my life however I could as I walked to the park a street over, where the local peewee soccer club was hosting a Sunday game.
With a familiar figure clad in a track suit, a whistle nestled between his full lips, brows set into a furrow. He was crouched to the kids height, offering a speech to boost morale,
"You've worked hard, so you'll get free pizza no matter what happens after this game. But if you win? FREE ICE CREAM!"
The kids roared in approval and I swooned a little.
Milo had started coaching soccer games to get volunteer hours, but had connected so well with the kids that he'd continued to do it each Sunday.
And I'd used it as an excuse to see him, of course.
"Okay, now this is the last ten minutes. Are we going to win or give in to those weirdos?"
"Win!"
"I can't hear you!"
"WIN!" The kids resounded even louder, before rushing onto the field.
"Play nice! But not too nice!" He shouted out.
I came up behind him, tapping him on his right shoulder before planting myself on his left. He let out a small smile before reaching out to grab me anyways, "Nice try."
"Hey!" I whined, as he lifted me off my feet, "I'm wearing a dress, put me down."
He grinned at me wide, soccer game forgotten, before putting me back down to observe me. I flushed deeply, an equally big and stupid grin on my face.
"Hi." I ventured, not sure what else to say.
"Hi yourself." He replied, lips turned up. Something sweet and low sang in me and I blushed. He tucked a strand of my hair behind my face, grappling for a clearer look at me.
I ducked my head in response, to hide the grin that was spreading, but he put two fingers under my chin, pulled me back to him, "I missed you at practice today."
There went my heart, beating out of my chest with ferocity, "I know. I was just dealing with some...stuff."
He frowned, "Did you want to talk about it?"
I shook my head, "Maybe later. You have a soccer game to win."
He returned his attention to the field, his arm still warm and firm around my waist, "Eh, they'll win. Never met a crazier bunch of kids." His voice was honeyed with affection for the kids, and it made everything in me go haywire. Hot guy that also cared about kids? I was a puddle at his feet.
Milo had a way of easing my troubles, even temporarily, and even if he didn't know much about them.
But there were some things that even he couldn't fix. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw some kids from student council--Noura flanked with Lola and Nasreen on either side. They had coffee cups in their hands as they crossed the field, before making eye contact with me. I suddenly became deeply cognizant of how...cozy Milo and I looked. So I stepped out of his embrace, and even put a good amount of distance between the two of us.
He frowned when he realized, but turned back to the game, shouting out commands now and then. It was down to the last few minutes and I could tell that his efforts were split between me and the game, inducing a trickle of guilt down my spine.
Lola leaned into Noura's ear to whisper something, the latter giggling in response before giving me a pointed look. Anxiety bloomed at the base of my stomach, taking shape of little needles that were poking holes through my confidence. I was used to being the girl that did the whispering, that always had something to say about another person. I was never on the receiving end of that.
I had half a mind to stomp up to them, give them a piece of my mind, lash out and string them out to dry on the field. But I'd lost enough already this past few weeks to lose queenhood too. I wouldn't give them that satisfaction.
So when they approached, I did my best high-and-mighty impression, observing them as if they were beneath me. I could tell it made Noura uncomfortable, and rightfully so, considering I was in charge of whether or not she served on student council.
"Hi Mahi," Lola ventured, her lip quivering.
I gave her a bland look.
"How are you doing?" Noura interjected, "I heard about the Cole thing."
Nasreen and Lola resounded in agreement. I frowned, feeling a surge of annoyance bubbling beneath my skin.
"I'm fine," I replied icily, glaring them down.
Noura shifted uncomfortably, her eyes darting to Milo and then back to me. "We just wanted to check in, you know? Make sure you're okay." The final whistle rung and Milo let out a whoop, signifying victory before running out to the field to hug the kids.
I watched with a small smile, before snapping back to the reality, that three wannabe mean girls were vying hard for a piece of gossip from me. And I would not hand it over.
"You've checked in," I replied curtly, "is that all?"
Lola's expression softened, her gaze filled with genuine remorse. "Mahi, we didn't mean to upset you. We just... we care about you."
I rolled my eyes, "Care about me elsewhere. I'm busy."
They shared a look before waving goodbye and sloping off, and I watched as they ducked their heads in whisper. I couldn't care less that they were gossiping about me, spreading whatever drama they had left. I had only five months left at this school, before they all faded into existence.
Once they'd disappeared, Milo jogged back to me, a smile planted on his face, "I'm taking the kids out for pizza and ice cream. Wanna come with?"
And how could I have said no to something like that?
---
We were seated at Tony's diner with about fifteen hyperactive kids tearing through the pizzas that Milo had ordered a moment earlier. He was sitting with parents and the head coach, while I sat next to him, surrounded by a sea of kids.
"How old are you?" A boy named Zayn asked.
"Eighteen," I murmured in response.
"Can you drink alcohol?" He asked again, eyes wide.
I stifled a chuckle, "Um. No, not for another couple of years."
"What about a shot?"
I shrugged, "I'm not 21."
"Do you have your own apartment?" Another kid shouted out.
"I guess?"
"Do you have any tattoos?"
"Um...no?" I shifted uncomfortably.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" A girl named Preeti asked.
I shook my head.
"Isn't Milo your boyfriend?" Preeti smiled at me.
"Oh-" I fidgeted with my hands, "I don't think so?"
"Why not?" Preeti asked again.
"Guys," Milo sighed, "leave her alone. Zayn if I see you sneak a third ice cream scoop, your mom is going to kill me."
I let out a small smile, amused at how well he was handling the ruckus. Milo was a natural with kids, in a way that made me all types of hot and bothered. God forbid I ever had kids of my own, but Milo would be a dad one day, and a good one at that. He would play frisbee with his kids and teach them about love, and all that other mumbo jumbo.
The thought made my throat go dry.
Preeti tugged on my sleeve. I ducked to hear what she was saying,
"Milo should be your boyfriend."
I laughed, "You think?"
"You're pretty, why not?"
"Looks aren't everything," I reminded her.
She rolled her eyes, "Pretty people always say that."
"I guess," I laughed.
"So why aren't you boyfriend and girlfriend?" She pressed.
I frowned, "I don't know. We used to be. I guess we're both figuring things out."
"Maybe you should just ask him," Preeti suggested, and I marveled at how simple her words were.
I chuckled nervously, feeling a flush creeping up my neck. "It's not that simple, Preeti. Sometimes things are... complicated."
"But you like him, right?" she persisted, her gaze unwavering.
"Yeah, I do," I admitted softly, feeling a flutter in my chest at the confession.
"Then why not just tell him?" she asked, as if it were as simple as shaking hands.
I sighed, realizing that maybe the wisdom of an eight-year-old wasn't so far off the mark. "I guess I'm just scared."
Preeti nodded sagely, as if she understood the weight of my words. "But if you don't tell him, you'll never know. And then you'll always wonder, right?"
Her words hit me like a ton of bricks, cutting through my uncertainty with a clarity I hadn't expected. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was time to stop dancing around the issue and lay my feelings bare.
Before I could dwell on it any longer, I felt Milo's arm settle around me gently, his lips close to my ear, "Hey."
I ducked away, a blush forming, "Hey back."
"You doing okay with these monsters?" He looked down at me, those dark eyes burying me in butterflies. The way his lips were poised in a smirk, god I just wanted to grab him and lay it on him. But for the sake of self-preservation, I looked away momentarily,
"Yeah, just trying to keep up."
He chuckled, his eyes twinkling, "Well it sounds like they love you."
"Yeah, they're not so bad," I replied, my gaze flickering to Preeti, who was watching us with keen interest.
Milo followed my gaze and raised an eyebrow in question. "What's up, Preeti?"
Preeti grinned mischievously. "You should ask to be Mahi's boyfriend."
"What?" I gasped, my cheeks heating up at her boldness. But Milos' reaction was what caught me off guard. Instead of looking surprised, he simply laughed, his eyes warm as they met mine.
"Should I? How do you propose I do that?" He teased, his voice light and playful.
Preeti beamed, leaping off her chair to whisper something in his ear. He nodded seriously, before fake saluting her, "You got it chief. I'll work on it."
She hopped back into her seat, before winking and giving me a thumbs up. "It's handled." She whispered.
I buried my head in my hands in response, and felt Milo shake with laughter besides me.
"So what did she suggest," I whispered, trying to ignore the flutter in my stomach.
He winked, "It's a surprise."
I rolled my eyes, "Yeah okay."
Milo's smile softened, his expression morphing into one of earnest, as he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, "That's for me to know and you to find out."
Preeti nudged me with her elbow, before whispering, "See, I told you it was easy."
And so it was, I thought, as Milo trailed a finger up my shoulder, and so it was.
---
When Milo had wrapped up his pizza party, he'd walked me back home. We didn't hold hands, but maintained a close enough distance for it to still feel intimate.
When we stopped at my front door, I began to fish for my keys.
"So about what Preeti said earlier," he began. I turned, and almost wanted to laugh at how nervous he looked.
"Yeah?"
"You just got out of a relationship," he murmured, "the timing of it-"
"It's okay," I replied, albeit a little sharply. Was he going to reject me?
"No, I meant-" he began, when I noticed something that made my heart plummet into my stomach. The front door was ajar, and I felt fear, fresh and plain, shoot up my ears.
"Milo, someone's in my house," I whispered with urgency, feeling a tremor snake its way up my spine, "look."
He frowned, "Did you lock the door?"
I nodded, unable to speak, before handing him my purse, pushing the door open silently.
I felt his arm latch onto me, "Wait."
I shrugged him off, "What now?"
"Let me go in first." His eyes were pleading.
I rolled my eyes, "Oh wow not this caveman bullshit. I'll be fine."
"Whoever it is could be armed," he hissed, "don't be stupid."
I reached in and felt around the corner where I'd stashed a metal baseball bat, "Yeah so am I."
I inched in and I felt him grab me by the waist, hissing in my ear, "This isn't a joke."
I wrestled out of his grip, "Oh shut up-" But he planted himself firmly in front of me, and used an arm to sandwich me to the wall. I wanted to throw the bat at him,
"Milo, let me go!"
"Shh," he whispered back before entering the kitchen, sliding the bat out of my hands. Then, I heard someone rustling in the kitchen, when he slid his phone out and handed it to me, "Call 9-1-1."
I started punching the numbers in when he entered the kitchen, bat at the ready. And whatever he saw shocked him enough to drop the bat, "Holy shit."
I frowned, "Milo?"
He didn't respond.
"Milo," I hissed, "you are going to get us both killed."
I saw a flash of blonde hair. I frowned. Had a girl broken into my house? I creeped around him, to see a figure staring back in equal shock.
Blonde hair, brown-green eyes, a new nose piercing.
Blond hair.
Blond hair.
"Hey sis," she whispered, her voice wobbling.
Gia was standing in my kitchen.
And was now a blonde.
---
author's note: how did you guys feel about that twist?