Victim

Way to go, Momona...

Momona's POV

"Momona?" Malia says softly as she steps into my room, her voice cautious, like she's unsure if she should even be here.

I'm staring at my phone, scrolling aimlessly, pretending to be deeply engrossed in something important. The truth is, I don't want to talk to her right now. I know I overreacted. I know I'm being petty and childish, but I'm too damn stubborn to admit it.

"Are you okay?" she asks, sitting down beside me on my bed.

I glance at her briefly, but I stay silent, my lips pressed into a thin line. She doesn't look angry or annoyed like I thought she might. Instead, her expression is soft, concerned. She reaches out, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder and begins to caress it slowly. The warmth of her touch and the small smile she offers make my chest ache. She's comforting me, even though I'm the one in the wrong.

She's way too good for this world...

"Momona, could you please just tell me what's wrong?" she pleads, her voice tinged with desperation.

I sigh heavily, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "I'm sorry for throwing that matcha in Kylie's face and acting all childish-not letting her in or hearing her out," I mutter, the words tumbling out harshly. I glance back at my phone, trying to mask my embarrassment with annoyance.

Without warning, she snatches my phone out of my hands.

"Malia!" I snap, glaring at her. She just smirks, slipping it under her leg like a mischievous kid hiding candy.

"I didn't ask you that," she says, tilting her head with a knowing look. "And maybe it'd be better if you told Kylie that, don't you think?"

A faint laugh escapes my lips despite myself. I shake my head in exasperation. "You're not giving my phone back until I talk, are you?" I ask, though I already know the answer.

She shakes her head, her eyes sparkling with determination.

I take a deep breath, trying to collect my thoughts before speaking. "It's not that I don't want you to find your person. I just don't want it to be Kylie," I finally admit, my voice quieter now, almost ashamed.

Her brows knit together in confusion, and I see the faint flicker of disappointment in her eyes. "Why? I mean... you and her were cool at first, right?"

I bite the inside of my lip, hesitant to say it out loud. But she asked for it. "Kylie hooked up with Xóchitl," I say flatly. I pause, bracing myself, then add, "Not once, but twice. And the worst part? It was just a few hours after Xóchitl and I broke up."

Malia looks away, her throat bobbing as she gulps. I know she's uncomfortable hearing about the hook up between them. She tries to act like it doesn't bother her, overcompensating and acting as if that didn't happen. But I can see it in her body language-it still stings.

"It's not really Kylie who's the problem," I continue after a moment. "It's the fact that she's another person I have to worry about when it comes to Xóchitl."

"Another?" Malia asks, her tone tinged with curiosity and something else-apprehension.

I sigh again, rubbing my temples. I know she's not going to like what I'm about to say. "Well... at first, it was you."

"Momona," she says, her voice firm but tinged with exasperation. "I've told you a million times-Xóchitl only makes flirty comments as a joke. She does that with everybody. It's not serious, just like Kylie."

"Yeah, Malia-with everybody. That's the whole damn problem," I snap, my voice rising slightly. "And the fact that there's a resemblance between Kylie and Xóchitl just makes it worse. Did you forget what Kylie does to everybody with those comments?"