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★01

Tayla turned toward the sound, watching as Amber emerged from her room, rubbing her eyes and yawning like a cat waking from a nap. Amber's dark curls were tied up in a messy bun, and her oversized hoodie looked like it was borrowed from some rock band's merch stand. She eyed Tayla, squinting.

"Morning, birthday girl," Amber mumbled, dragging herself toward the coffee machine like it was her lifeline. She grabbed a mug, staring bleary-eyed at the coffee dripping into it.

"Morning!" Tayla replied, unable to hide her excitement. She sipped her juice, feeling a buzz of energy coursing through her. Today felt different—a clean slate, the beginning of something new.

Amber finally took a sip of her coffee and glanced over at Tayla. "You look like you're about to burst. Plans?"

"Not yet," Tayla admitted, leaning back against the counter. "But it's my birthday, so it has to be good, right?"

Amber smirked. "You've got the whole day ahead of you. Something good is bound to happen."

The conversation was cut short when Kai burst into the kitchen, his signature grin already plastered across his face. "Happy birthday, Tayla!" He said in his usual enthusiastic tone, waving a piece of paper in the air. "Look what I got—birthday breakfast menu!"

Tayla raised an eyebrow, laughing. "Please tell me you're not cooking.""Relax, I'm only on juice duty," Kai said with a wink, setting the paper down on the counter. "Jaxon's supposed to handle the rest." As if on cue, Jaxon shuffled into the kitchen, his hair a wild mess, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He gave a half-hearted wave before heading straight for the fridge."You guys are hopeless," Tayla joked, her heart swelling with affection for her friends

Just as Jaxon cracked the first egg into a pan, the front door slammed open, and the heavy clack of heels echoed through the house. All three of them froze. The unmistakable voice of Mrs. Morgan, Tayla's mother, cut through the air like a whip.