A goodbye never said

Chapter 4

Melissa's POV

.

"So... Maya is dating your best friend?" Monica says, her eyes wide, like this is some crazy reality show plot twist. We're sitting on beanbag chairs in her room. It's quiet, too quiet, like the room is holding its breath, waiting for the next bit of drama.

"Yeah, apparently," I reply, still in shock. I'm trying to process how my life just turned into the latest episode of The Real Housewives of High School.

Monica tilts her head and furrows her brows. "And no one thought to tell you? Not even your best friend?"

I shake my head. "Nope. Not a single 'oh hey, by the way, I'm dating Maya now' text. Nothing."

Nicole pipes up from the corner of the room, where she's scrolling through her phone like she's hunting for gossip to snack on. "Michael... the one who lives in Italy? He doesn't even go to our school. That Michael?"

Sophie, who's been too busy painting her nails to care about much, finally chimes in. "Wait, is this the Michael who says 'Ciao Bella' every time he calls you? Like, who does he think he is? Romeo?"

I laugh, but it's more of an "I-can't-believe-this-is-happening" laugh. "Yeah, that Michael."

Monica leans forward, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Wait, wait, wait. So let me get this straight. You've known him your entire life, and somehow Maya, the girl who couldn't tell the difference between lasagna and ravioli, snatches him up?"

"Exactly! Like, how does that even happen?" I throw my hands up. "I mean, Michael and Maya? They're like pineapple on pizza—sure, some people like it, but it still feels wrong."

Sophie shrugs, blowing on her nails. "Well, maybe she's into Italian. Who wouldn't want to date a guy who says 'Ciao Bellas' every five minutes?"

We all burst out laughing because honestly, Michael does say "Ciao Bellas" more than a normal human being should.

Monica pretends to swoon dramatically, clutching her heart. "Oh, Michael! Ciao Bellas! Marry me and feed me pasta forever!"

Nicole nods, grinning. "I mean, it's not the worst pick-up line. It's better than 'Do you like cheese?'"

Sophie raises an eyebrow. "Who said that to you?"

Nicole waves her hand, dismissing the memory. "Doesn't matter. Just know boys are weird."

I shake my head, trying to keep a straight face. "Yeah, and here I was thinking that Michael being Italian meant something special. I didn't realize 'Ciao Bellas' was a community pick-up line."

Monica snickers. "Welcome to the club, girl. We all fell for the accent at some point."

The conversation switches to random gossip about school, boys, and Sophie's latest shopping spree, but I can't stop thinking about the parking lot. That moment when we all saw Maya climb into Michael's car. Sophie, Nicole, Monica, and I had just finished eating pizza (ironically) when we spotted them.

Nicole had been the first to notice. "Is that... is that Maya getting into some guy's car?"

"Oh my God. That's Michael."

Sophie nearly choked on her soda. "What? Your Michael?"

Monica, always the one to state the obvious, said, "Well, she sure didn't waste any time."

The whole scene felt like something out of a bad rom-com. I watched in disbelief as Maya, all smiles and hair flips, hopped into Michael's car like she'd won some grand prize. And then—ciao bellas. Michael had spotted us and, without missing a beat, gave us the signature "Ciao Bellas" line. Like, dude, read the room.

We'd just stood there, all four of us, speechless.

Monica cracks up again at the memory. "The look on your face when he said 'Ciao Bellas'—priceless. You were like, 'Did he really just say that?'"

Nicole grins. "Yeah, I mean, you could've heard a pin drop."

I roll my eyes. "Don't remind me. I'm still recovering."

Sophie chuckles, stretching out on the beanbag. "It's like he thought he was being charming or something. Meanwhile, we're all standing there like—"

"Like, what the heck?" Monica finishes, throwing her hands up for emphasis.

We all burst out laughing again, and for a moment, the weirdness of the whole situation feels manageable. Maybe it's not so bad after all. Maybe Michael's just... well, being Michael. And Maya? She's not going to last long with him if she doesn't learn the difference between lasagna and ravioli.

As Monica reaches for the remote, I smirk. "You know what? Maybe I'll start saying 'Ciao Bellas' too. You know, just to confuse people."

Nicole laughs. "Please don't. We'll never hear the end of it."