I Think, Lamine Yamal.

THREE, Drop it!

Chapter Three, I Think!
'Everything is intentional if you paid attention to it.'

     It had been three days since the girl was brought to the ground by the stranger—or perhaps not a stranger anymore, considering she knew his name. Lamine Yamal. One of her school's best players on the field, according to Aadya's coach. How exciting!

Since then, Mena had acquired two noticeable bruises. So, while her friends and even her own mother spent their time laughing heartily at her as she animatedly recounted the story for what felt like the millionth time, she just about had it.

"Suddenly nothing's funny anymore," she sighed, slumping further into her chair. "Just drop it!"

Sienna scoffed, "As if. He's your man. And he's on the soccer team! Do you know what that means?"

When both girls, along with Mena's mom, shook their heads in unison, she let out a dramatic sigh and leaned forward. "We all have men on the soccer team! Me with Marc, Ada with Gavi—"

"What!" She interrupted, her tone flat.

"Oh, here we go," the Ortiz girl grumbled, "I don't care what you say, you and Gavi will get together. It's so obvious."

With a laugh, Mena nods, "I agree!"

"You're laughing like something's funny," Aadya countered, her eyes narrowing at the sight of her friend's shit-eating grins, "But when I bring up what happened between you and Lamine, I'm mean."

"Alright, hey," she frowned.

"Exactly." The brunette hummed, feeling completely and utterly satisfied with herself now.

     Her mom—Mau, lets out a laugh before ruffling up her daughters hair, "Are you girls staying for dinner? I can make you both a plate."

With a raise of their eyebrows, they eagerly nod and smile, "Yes, please!"

     As her mother rounds the corner into the kitchen, Mena shoots her friends a slow, exaggerated eye roll, her face comically unamused. "Bring up Lamine to my mom again, and I will have to ban you from ever stepping foot inside my house." She pauses, letting a smile grace her lips, "Anything new... or not, let me know."

     "Genuinely, we have to kill you."

     Aadya hums in agreement, "That we do! Your mom gets us. So, can you actually just, like, join in? Because this is getting just as sad as watching Sienna rant about Marc."

     "That was so not necessary," said girl grumbled, eyebrows scrunching as she plopped her chin into the palm of her hand with a dramatic sigh.

     "But it was." The brunette countered with a grin, "If you want to make little jokey-jokes and think I won't reply, then! You should, I don't know, die."

     A sharp gasp reverberates through the air, catching their attention and making them furrow their brows in unison. They turn around, only to be met with the piercing, bewildered gaze of Mena's mother. "Don't be rude! Karma has a way of coming back to bite you," she admonishes sternly, her voice carrying a weight that makes them straighten up.

     "Mom," Mena drawls, lips tugging into a frown.

     "It's true!" She defends, setting down their plates of food. "Be careful with what you say."

     Sienna hums, acknowledging everything the older woman says before speaking shortly after, "What do they say? Rebuke, send it back to the sender. Yeah, thank you! Moving on."

     With that, laughter erupts. Mau can't help but let a warm smile spread across her face, her eyes rolling playfully and fondly. She truly loves her daughter's friends. They're different... in a good way.

"Eat, I'll be in the living room."

In unison, they exclaim, "Thank you, Miss Mau!"

Taking a bite of their food, they continue their earlier conversation, "We can, like, set up Sienna and Marc, and then! Once that's done, we'll focus on you and Lamine. How's that?"

"How about we set you and Gavi up instead."

"Can you guys drop that?" Aadya huffed, grabbing her cup and taking a sip. "Not happening."

The raven-haired girl narrowed her eyes and slowly nodded, "See how you're getting mad, upset, and annoyed? That's how I feel, you stupid fuck."

"Right... so! Let's just eat our food, yeah?"

With a content expression morphing onto her face, she replies with a simple, "Yeah. Exactly."

Exactly... right, exactly. Of course.

౨ৎ . . . E ! 💭

Sooooo... basically, her friends bugging her about him is #CRUCIAL, trust! :3

7-0 HELLO. ESSACTLY... bless.

JUUUUUNA, VEEEERA, HI. IVE JUST WAVED.