What is love?

Chapter 10

I rolled over in my bed to pick up my phone. The girls had sent a lot of messages in our group chat. I wasn't reading all of them, so I just sent a message asking them to meet at my house later.

I got up out of bed, took a shower and headed downstairs to make breakfast as it was early. Around eight-thirty. I put my hair up in a bun and put on some music. "Back to You" by Selena Gomez started playing and I started dancing.

I was in a good mood today and it felt weird because I can't remember feeling this way. Sometimes it was easier to fake a smile than to have a genuine one and that sucked, but today was different. I was happy.

I fried some bacon and sausages. I placed slices of bread in the toaster, then I made some scrambled eggs and made a fruit salad as I sang the lyrics of the song.

"You want to get back to who now young lady?" My mom asked and I yelped turning around holding my chest.

"Mom! You scared me!" My mom chuckled at my startled reaction.

"Good morning honey..."

"Good morning mom," Exchanging morning greetings.

"You're in a good mood this morning..." I realised she wasn't dressed in her usual work attire.

I nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I'm feeling really happy today."

My dad joined us in the kitchen, dressed for work but looking relaxed. "Something smells good in here," he commented, kissing my mom on the cheek before turning to me. "Good morning, sweetheart."

"Morning, Dad," I greeted him with a smile, feeling a warmth spread through me at the affectionate gestures.

My mom gestured to the breakfast spread. "We were just about to dig in. Would you like some?"

He grinned appreciatively. "Absolutely. This beats vending machine food any day."

I served him a plate, filled with bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs, and a side of fruit salad. As we sat down to eat, the conversation flowed effortlessly between us, discussing plans for the day and sharing light-hearted anecdotes from the week.

I sat on the bed and pulled out my laptop to watch a movie on Netflix. I slung my feet up onto the bed and placed my food on my lap.

After finishing breakfast and exchanging pleasantries with my parents, I excused myself, saying, "I'm going to take my breakfast upstairs to my room. Got some things to sort out before everyone arrives later."

My dad nodded understandingly. "Alright, Tessa. Have a good day, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Dad. Have a great day at work," I replied, giving him a quick hug before making my way upstairs with my plate of food. As I settled into my room, I couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over me, even with the fact that we were hunting down the person who was responsible for the rumour site.

As I picked up a piece of bacon to stuff into my mouth, my phone rang. The girls were video calling me.

As the group call connected, I greeted everyone with a cheerful "Hey, guys!" before settling into the conversation. However, my attention was drawn to Tasha's background noise, the voices hinting at a brewing conflict. Concerned, I asked, "Hey Tasha, are you okay?"

Tasha's voice wavered as she confessed, "No. It's my parents. Can I come over now?"

Feeling for her, I replied reassuringly, "Of course, hon. I have ice cream waiting for you."

"Thanks, Tess," Tasha said gratefully, her emotions evident in her voice as she bid us farewell.

The group fell into a solemn silence, processing Tasha's situation. Renae expressed her sympathy, to which Gabrielle and Taylor echoed in agreement.