Anvaila Emerson, a vibrant party lover, juggles her crush on Kevin Diaz, the basketball team captain, and the return of mysterious Austin Smith to senior year. Caught in a high school drama, Anvaila faces the complexities of emotions, friendships, a...
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The drive to Nana’s house had been long, full of awkward silences and bursts of loud chatter from Pearl. Austin had, as usual, been teasing me about my driving skills, while Pearl alternated between complaining about the heat and singing off-key to the playlist. I was both grateful and unsettled by how easily the three of us fell back into our usual dynamics, but something felt off, like I was too aware of Austin’s presence now.
We arrived, and Nana’s house immediately brought a sense of warmth that I hadn’t realized I missed. The air smelled of home—wood, lavender, and the faintest trace of cinnamon. Aunt Alina greeted us at the door, and soon we were inside, dropping off our bags. Nana smiled softly, her eyes twinkling with warmth. It felt like everything had been frozen in time, just as I remembered.
“Why don’t you all freshen up? Lunch will be in about an hour,” Aunt Alina suggested, motioning toward the hallway. “Pick a room, get settled, and relax for a bit.”
I glanced at Pearl, who was already making her way toward the hallway, her usual energy in full force. I looked over at Austin, who stood by the door, seeming to scan the room without actually looking at anything.
As I started walking toward the stairs, Nana stopped me with a gentle hand on my arm. “Anvaila, there are only two guest rooms available right now,” she said softly. “The other one is being used as an office for Alina’s new start-up. But these two are yours.”
I turned to Pearl, who immediately threw her hands up in dramatic exasperation. “Two rooms? Two?” she exclaimed, her voice rising. “We’re gonna have to share?!”
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “It’s not the end of the world, Pearl,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “Besides, if you want the bathroom first, you better call dibs.”
Without missing a beat, Pearl bounced up the stairs and threw herself at the room next to the bathroom. “Done! I get the bathroom first, no arguments!” she called, already looking far too pleased with herself.
I sighed. Of course, Pearl wasn’t going to let a thing like ‘sharing’ get in the way of her personal space. But I didn’t have the energy to argue. Instead, I glanced over at Austin, who was still lingering by the door. He looked at me like he was waiting for something—some kind of direction, maybe?
