Page 14

It happened in the spring, the kind where the cherry trees along the school courtyard were just beginning to flirt with full bloom.

The air was soft and smelled faintly of flowers and pencil shavings. I still recalled the way the sun hit the windows that morning, how the yellow light made even the worn-down lockers glow.

It was Katya’s fifteenth birthday.

We had only been friends for a few weeks by then—fast friends, like sparks on dry paper.

She was wild and brilliant and beautiful in a way that didn’t feel real. The kind of girl who could command a room just by laughing.

And me?

I was still figuring out how to breathe in places like that—polished halls, students in designer shoes, the way they spoke casually about yachts like they were bicycles. I was there on a scholarship, clinging to the edge of a world I never really belonged to.

That morning, the moment I walked through the school gates, I felt the buzz in the air. The type that Sharpay’s presence brought in High School Musical .

The usual calm conversations of students were replaced by rising murmurs of excitement.

That was when I saw a line of sleek black cars, glossy like beetles, parked along the curb.

Men in suits—actual suits, not just blazers from the school uniform—stood beside a long, crimson carpet that had been rolled out from the school’s front steps like we were at the Oscars.

At the end of the carpet, a glimmering ice sculpture of a phoenix stood on a pedestal of real marble. Not the fake kind from the art department props.

Beneath it, there were trays of golden macarons, delicate finger foods, and bottles of sparkling fruit water chilled in silver tubs. And right in the middle of it all was my best friend, Katya.

Wearing a white silk dress with tiny silver beads that shimmered every time she moved, she looked like a dream.

She waved when she saw me, and suddenly, I forgot how to walk. Or breathe.

“Lena!” she called, grinning as she pulled me into the chaos. I think I stumbled over my own feet. Everyone was looking—some in admiration, some with that amused, sideways glance that rich kids have when something surprises them but they won’t admit it.

She leaned close and whispered, “My papa wanted to do something unforgettable for me. I think this is the best birthday party yet. I’ll forever remember it.”

I hadn’t even gotten her a present. I didn’t have the money to.

I nodded like I understood.

But truthfully, my whole body was still humming with disbelief.

I had never seen anything like it—neither in books nor on TV.

Never this close. I was accustomed to birthday cakes from discount bakeries and reused streamers for parties held in basements or tiny apartments, with laughter squeezed between thin walls.

This, however, was a different universe.

And yet, when she handed me a macaron and said, “You’re my favorite part of today,” I swear I felt like I belonged.

It wasn’t even the glittering ice or the velvet ribbons tied around each guest’s gift box that stayed with me.

It was her smile.

Her choice to look at me, the scholarship girl with hand-me-down shoes, and say, “You are my best friend.”

That was the first time I realized friendship could feel like magic, too.

***

I dabbed the tiniest bit of shimmer on the corners of my eyes and a smudge of eyeliner, leaning in closer to inspect my handiwork. It was funny; no matter how many times I stood here repeating the same routine, there was still a flutter of nerves in my stomach.

Katya’s parties tend to have that effect. They are extravagant and grand. She made everything feel like a royal ball, as if we’d all stepped into someone else’s life for a night.

Katya deserved the world, and I wanted to do my best to celebrate her the way she’d celebrated me so many times before.

Grabbing the carefully wrapped gift from my dresser, I smiled at the thought of her reaction.

It was a notebook with a sheet music design. I saw it on eBay and thought it would be the perfect gift for her. I’d even gotten the front page customized with her name. She was obsessed with music and everything related to it.

I glanced once more at my reflection. I’d packed up half of my hair in a messy bun and left the other half to fall over my shoulder in soft curly waves. The blush shade of glimmer and dark outline of mascara made my eyes pop, and the blood red lipstick was flawless.

But something was missing.

My earrings.

I started fishing out the dangling pearl pair from the jewelry box when the doorbell rang and my phone buzzed on the dresser. While fixing the earrings, I squinted at the lit screen. It was a text message from my plus one.

Mr. Stone: I am right outside.

“Lee-ee! You’ve got a guest!” Jasper sang.

“I’m coming!”

I snatched my phone and purse, speedily scuttling to the door.

When my brother saw me, his cheeks turned red. “Lee….” He gasped. “You look like a Kardashian.”

I blinked, still trying to process what he said. “Uh, what now?”

“In 2025, I think that’s a compliment.”

“Is it really? More importantly, since when did you start keeping up with the Kardashians? I thought you preferred the Japanese animations?”

“Sure, I do. It’s just, I have this friend, Rose. She steals peeks at reruns and stray clips on the internet when her mom’s watching, and Rose is such a chatterbox. She said—”

“Forget it. I’m not discussing the Kardashians with you. I have to go now. Thank you for the… compliment .”

He wiggled his brows at me, and I rolled my eyes at his tousled hair and rumpled pajamas. “Go to bed early. Nana should be back from the hospital in a few minutes.”

“What? I’m not a baby anymore, Lee. I don’t need curfews. With or without Nana here, I’ll be fine.”

“No, you won’t,” I hissed rapidly, fully aware that my date stood outside this door, wondering why I was taking so long. “And yes, you still need curfews. Now, to your room, Jaz.”

My brother tried to peek over my shoulder, but I positioned my back to block his view, and he grumbled his way back to his room.

Inhaling a final breath, I opened the door, coming face to face with a grinning Robert. His gaze swept my appearance from my hair to my pointy So Kates—the only expensive pair of shoes I currently owned—and a smirk appeared on his mouth.

“The Kardashians?” He shook his head. “No, you’re way more stunning.”

I blushed furiously. I wasn’t ready to admit it, but I’d secretly hoped to get a compliment on the dress after I decided to venture miles away from my comfort zone.

It was an inspiration I’d found on Pinterest: a long, black velvet dress with a deep V-cut, baring my back for the world to see, and a left thigh-high slit that exposed too much skin.

“Thank you.” The warmth in the narrow hallway kissed my skin as I stepped outside and shut the door behind me, chuckling nervously. “You overheard that banter?”

“Wasn’t I supposed to? You two weren’t exactly being discreet,” Robert teased. “But seriously, you’re even more beautiful than ever.”

“I might just explode from all the flattery.” I laughed, waving him off. “You know you didn’t have to come all the way up the building. I could have come outside.”

“A gentleman shows up at the door of his lady, and he goes all the way to make her comfortable.”

My hands trembled slightly from the nerves of being around Robert and the giddy anticipation of Katya’s celebration.

Before Robert and Dami—

Before Robert and the man in the shadows of my memory, there’d been no time to consider diving into the dating pool. Relationships were on the bottom of my list; killing it at my job, and taking care of Jaz, Nana, and Mom came first.

But Robert had an air around him that opened my eyes to possibilities and made me want to consider creating checkboxes.

Decent ?

Handsome ?

Funny it wasn’t the kind people wore out of politeness, but one of those real ones that crinkled at the corners of the eyes.

So far, he’d ticked more boxes, but it still felt like something was missing.

The drive was quiet at first, in that peaceful sort of way when no one needed to fill the silence. I found myself glancing at him now and then, marveling, not at the tuxedo or the perfect hair, but at how calm he made me feel, even tonight.

So far, he’d ticked most of the boxes, but there was a present hollowness, like something was missing.

***

When the car rounded the last turn and the estate came into view, even I had to catch my breath.

In the past, I’d visited her house a few times, but now, it looked different.

It had been repainted, with more lights installed almost everywhere, and there were many men swarming the grounds, dressed in matching black suits and sunglasses.

Normally, Katya never did anything small, but tonight…tonight was something else.

Robert let out a soft whistle, eyes wide. “I didn’t realize your friend came from…this.”

I giggled. “The first time I came here, I had a similar reaction. But she’s always preferred coffee shops to country clubs.” I paused, my eyes tracing the path up to the mansion, which was lit in soft, golden light. “But I’m so happy for her. She deserves to get a night like this.”

He looked at me for a beat longer than I expected, then nodded. “You’re really proud of her, huh?”

I smiled, feeling a swell in my chest. “Absolutely. Tonight’s about celebrating her—and I intend to do just that.”

After a thorough search of our car at the entrance, for bombs and all , we parked under the instructions of one of the men.

Robert stepped out and offered his arm like a scene out of an old movie. My heart did a small somersault.