Neko

30

Even though I was grounded for the rest of the week, my mom couldn't stop me from fulfilling school obligations-especially ones that involved extra credit. I'd signed up months ago for a helping day at the middle school, something that a few of us from my grade, including Ashley, had agreed to do. The extra credit was an easy win, and besides, helping the younger kids seemed like a harmless enough distraction from the mess I was dealing with at home.

Ashley and I met up in the school parking lot early that morning, both of us in matching school volunteer T-shirts that felt a little too big. We were supposed to help set up and run different activity stations, kind of like a field day for the middle schoolers. It was simple enough-corralling excited twelve-year-olds and making sure they didn't lose their minds in the chaos of it all.

"At least your mom couldn't keep you from this," Ashley said as we walked toward the middle school building. "It's for school, and it's extra credit, so she really didn't have a choice."

"Yeah, but I'll probably get an earful when I get home," I muttered. "Still grounded, still under surveillance."

Ashley rolled her eyes. "She's overreacting, big time. But at least today will be a break from all that. Plus, we'll probably get to leave early."

We headed to the gym where a handful of other volunteers were gathering. The middle schoolers were already starting to arrive, their energy levels way higher than mine had been at that age. I tried to put the stress of being grounded-and, of course, everything with Steve-out of my mind and focus on the task at hand.

After a quick briefing from the teachers, we were each assigned to different stations. I was given the job of helping with a relay race outside, which didn't seem too bad. All I had to do was make sure the kids didn't trip over each other and keep things moving smoothly.

As the day went on, I found myself working with a group of girls who seemed to know the ropes. They ran around like little speed demons, laughing and cheering each other on. One of them caught my eye-a girl with dark brown hair and striking blue eyes. There was something familiar about her, but I couldn't quite place it.

"You're really good at this!" the girl said to me with a wide grin after finishing one of the races. "You make it more fun than some of the other volunteers."

I laughed softly, shrugging. "Thanks. You're pretty fast! What's your name?"

"Abby," she said proudly, bouncing on her feet with energy. "I'm in seventh grade."

I smiled, but the feeling of familiarity lingered. "Nice to meet you, Abby."

Throughout the rest of the morning, Abby stuck around, asking questions about high school and peppering me with all sorts of comments about her favorite activities. She was sweet, and I found myself liking her immediately. She was funny and sharp, and something about her reminded me of someone-someone I couldn't quite put my finger on.

It wasn't until lunch that the pieces started to fall into place. I was sitting with Ashley, taking a break, when Abby came up to me, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey, Nala, I forgot to ask-do you know my brother?"

I blinked, momentarily thrown off. "Your brother? Uh, who's your brother?"

"Steve," she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

My heart dropped.

*Steve*. Of course. Those blue eyes. That confident grin. I should have realized it earlier. Abby was Steve's little sister. The girl I'd been helping all morning-the girl who seemed to have taken a liking to me-was *Steve's* sister.

"Oh," I said, trying to hide my shock. "Steve's your brother?"

"Yeah!" Abby said brightly, completely oblivious to the internal chaos I was feeling. "He's picking me up later today."

"Right. That's... cool," I said awkwardly, exchanging a quick glance with Ashley, who looked just as surprised as I was.

As much as I liked Abby, the last thing I wanted was to run into Steve again-especially after what had happened in that empty classroom the other day. The thought of seeing him, of being anywhere near him after he'd cornered me, made my stomach churn. I'd been doing everything in my power to avoid him since that day, and now, fate had decided to throw his little sister into my life, of all people.

I spent the rest of the day trying not to think about it, focusing on the activities and doing my best to stay in the moment. Abby kept hanging around, asking me questions and telling me all about her school life, and I genuinely enjoyed talking to her. She was funny and charming, and for a while, I almost forgot who her brother was.

Almost.

But as the day came to an end, and the kids started lining up to get picked up, my anxiety spiked again. I hadn't seen Steve all day, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he showed up to collect Abby. I just had to get out of here before that happened.

"Ready to leave?" Ashley asked, slinging her bag over her shoulder as the volunteers started to wrap up.

"Yeah, let's go before-"

Before I could finish my sentence, I saw him. Steve, standing near the entrance, scanning the crowd with that usual easy confidence that set my nerves on edge. I froze on the spot, my heart racing. He hadn't seen me yet, but it was only a matter of time.

Abby spotted him first and waved excitedly. "There's Steve! I'll see you later, Nala! Thanks for today!"

"Yeah, no problem," I said quickly, forcing a smile. "See you, Abby."

Ashley gave me a sidelong glance. "You okay?"

"No," I muttered under my breath, tugging at her arm. "Let's get out of here."

We started walking toward the exit, but just as I thought I'd managed to avoid another awkward encounter, Steve's eyes locked onto mine. He straightened up, his expression shifting the moment he saw me. A flicker of something-maybe surprise, maybe something else-crossed his face.

Panic surged through me. I turned on my heel, practically dragging Ashley toward the parking lot. I didn't need another confrontation with Steve, not after how weird things had gotten between us.

"Come on, come on, let's go," I whispered, trying to keep my voice steady as I hurried away.

Steve didn't call out to me, but I could feel his gaze burning into my back as I made my way out of the school. I didn't dare look back. Not this time.

Ashley, sensing my tension, didn't ask any more questions until we were safely outside and on our way home. By then, my heart had stopped racing, but the awkwardness still lingered.

"You were really trying to avoid him, huh?" she said with a half-smile.

"You have no idea," I muttered. "I just... can't deal with him right now."

Ashley raised an eyebrow but didn't press. She knew better than to dig too deep when I wasn't ready to talk. And right now, I wasn't sure I'd ever be ready to unpack everything that was going on between me and Steve-or whatever *this* was.

For now, all I wanted was to get home, curl up with Charlie, and try to forget about the strange turn my life had taken.