For You

Chapter 7 - "Makeovers"

'What?' Maeve thought, her mind reeling with surprise. 

Over the years, asking William about the mysterious message he sent five years ago had turned into a recurring joke, something she never expected him to actually reveal. But now, everything was changing—he was really going to tell her...

Caught off guard, Maeve stared at him, her mouth hanging open in a comical expression that made William chuckle softly. His laughter snapped her out of her shock, and she quickly closed her mouth, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"I will tell you," he said, drawing out the moment, "but not right now."

Maeve's heart sank a little. 'Of course, not right now,' she thought cynically, assuming it was all just another tease. But just as she began to retreat into her disappointment, William cut through her thoughts.

"I want to tell you on my birthday," he announced.

Maeve suddenly remembered his upcoming birthday party on January 11th, which he had invited her to. It struck her how quickly time had passed; he was going to be older than her. 

Over the years, she had watched him grow taller and stronger. When they first met, he had actually been shorter than her—a memory that brought a nostalgic smile to her face. 

In her mind, he was still that adorable little boy with golden hair, even though she knew he had matured so much since then.

That night, Maeve found herself unable to sleep, her mind buzzing with thoughts of William and what his revelation might be. Her infatuation with him was starting to take up as much time as her schoolwork, though her grades remained unaffected. 

But it was becoming increasingly clear to her friends that something was up—they could tell she had someone special on her mind.

"So, what do you think I should wear to William's party?" Vivi whispered to both Maeve and Alice as they were in class.

"Shut up, Vivi, I'm trying to concentrate," Alice said, her eyes fixed on the textbook in front of her.

Vivi, having long since abandoned her protest against being called by her nickname, responded with a sassy retort. "It's not like you'll get a better grade than me and Maeve even if you listen!" She flashed a mischievous grin at Alice's back.

Alice shot around in her seat, her expression a mix of irritation and amusement, as if she were ready to scold Vivi. But before she could respond, the math teacher interrupted the class and turned to address them.

"Alice, how many times do I have to say not to talk and turn around?" the teacher scolded, her gaze fixed on Alice.

Maeve, who had remained silent, couldn't help but suppress a giggle at the mix-up; it was Vivi who had started the conversation, not Alice. However, her amusement did not go unnoticed, and she received a gentle reprimand from the teacher as well.

When the class finally ended and the break began, the three girls huddled together.

"I still don't know what I'm going to wear!" Vivi lamented, her brow furrowed in thought.

"It's not like William will look at you anyway," Alice teased, nudging Vivi playfully.

"I'm not trying to impress William; it's his cute friends from the other class that I'm interested in!" Vivi confessed with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Careful, or you'll start drooling," Alice joked, earning a surprised gasp from Vivi.

"Drooling?!" Vivi exclaimed in mock horror, prompting laughter from both Alice and Maeve.