I shove a crumpled list of school supplies back into my bag, wondering how three months could just... vanish. I still remember the first day of summer, the heat and freedom stretching out in front of me like forever. And somehow, forever turned into twelve weeks of hanging out, tennis matches, and way too many iced coffees. Now, the first day of school's staring me down like a deadline I'm not ready for.
Looking back, it's been a blur: a few beach days, way too many late-night texts with Theo, a road trip with Dahlia where we got lost twice. Each day, one folding over the next, like a page turning before I even had time to read it. Maybe it's just what happens when things are... good. They don't feel long; they just slip by.
Cadence and I already finished our back-to-school shopping last week, so we've been free. I still have today before the trading return to high-school. Cadence it standing behind me on her stool, brushing my hair; she's been begging me to let her style my hair for the past two weeks— she's been "styling-deprived".
"Oh. My. Gosh." She says dramatically, her voice so low I almost jump.
"What? Did you cut my hair?! Cadence, I swear, if you got another comb stuck in my hair—"
"No, silly! I've finally figured out how to make your Dutch braid look good!"
Ouch. That was more insulting than hopeful. Oh well. My phone pings in my lap, but Cadence won't let me look down when styling, so I lift it in front of my face. It's a text from Dahlia.
Dahlia: Hey, Kiara!
Dahlia: Aadhi and I are inviting you and Theo for, like, this end-of-summer dinner thing tonight! You down?
Kiara: Sure!
Kiara: It's not formal, right?
Dahlia: No, just casual.
Gray dots linger on the screen for a moment before they disappear, then reappear, as if Dahlia's deciding whether to send her message. That's not a good sign; Dahlia's hardly ever unsure of herself.
Dahlia: You might want to get a little dressy, judging by the fact that ~ahem~ Theo's gonna be there. [wink emoji - wink emoji]
I almost chuck my phone across the room to avoid letting Cadence see the message.
Kiara: Dahlia!
Kiara: Why do you keep thinking I like Theo?! I promise I don't!!!
I bite back a thought: If I don't like him, is it because I lov-
Dahlia: Sure. I'll see you there! I'll pick you up at 8:00 tonight, OK?
Kiara: OK! See you there :)!
I set my phone back down, and then glance at Cadence.
"Cadence..." I say hopefully, looking up at her. "I need your help."
