Morning arrived with soft sunlight streaming through the curtains, gently illuminating Mikha’s room. She stirred awake, feeling unusually well-rested despite the events of the previous night. The lingering headache she’d expected was only a dull throb now, and for a moment, she allowed herself to relax.
She glanced at the clock on her bedside table, it was already past 11 AM. I must’ve slept like a rock, she thought, stretching lazily before finally pushing herself out of bed.
After freshening up, Mikha made her way downstairs. The house was quieter now, the lively energy from the night before replaced by a calm stillness. She spotted Stacey lounging on the couch, scrolling through her phone.
"Morning," Mikha greeted, her voice still a bit groggy as she plopped down on the couch beside her sister.
Stacey glanced up, smirking slightly. "Morning, Sleeping Beauty. You missed breakfast, by the way."
Mikha rolled her eyes, brushing off the teasing. "Whatever. Where’s everyone else?" she asked, glancing around the empty living room.
"Oh, they’ve all gone home," Stacey replied casually. "Sheena and Aiah left earlier. Sheena was feeling better, so Aiah helped her get back."
Mikha’s heart sank slightly at the mention of Aiah’s name. "She already left?" she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.
Stacey nodded, not noticing the subtle shift in Mikha’s expression. "Yeah, around 8 AM, I think. She said goodbye, but you were out cold. I didn’t want to wake you."
Mikha leaned back against the couch, her gaze drifting to the window. A faint sense of disappointment settled in her chest, though she wasn’t quite sure why.
"Did she... say anything?" Mikha asked after a moment, her voice quieter now.
Stacey looked at her curiously. "Not much. Just thanked us for letting her stay. Why?"
Mikha shook her head quickly, brushing off the question. "No reason," she replied, forcing a casual tone.
But as Stacey returned to her phone, Mikha found her thoughts drifting back to the quiet conversation in the kitchen the night before. It felt strange now, knowing Aiah was already gone, the connection they’d shared lingering like an unfinished sentence.
She sighed softly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she muttered to herself, "Guess I'll just see her tomorrow.."
Stacey glanced at her briefly, raising an eyebrow. "What’d you say?"
"Nothing," Mikha replied quickly, standing up and heading toward the kitchen. "Just need some coffee."
As she busied herself with the coffee maker, waiting for the machine to do its magic, her phone buzzed on the counter. Picking it up, she saw a message from Johanna:
Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. Hangover?
Mikha smirked faintly, typing a quick response.
Uhuh... let’s grab some coffee :(
Within seconds, Johanna replied:
What? Weren’t you making your coffee right now?
Mikha froze, her fingers hovering above the screen. How did she know i was making coffee? Her gaze flicked toward Stacey, who was lounging on the couch.
Mikha narrowed her eyes, piecing it together. Could Stacey have given Johanna her number?
Still staring at her sister, Mikha typed back to Johanna:
How did you know that?!
This time, the response took a little longer:
Oh, just a hunch. Or maybe I’ve got my ways ;)
Mikha’s suspicions deepened when she caught Stacey grinning at her phone, typing away with an air of amusement. Something about it felt off.
Narrowing her eyes, Mikha set her coffee cup down and moved quietly, sneaking up behind Stacey, who was so engrossed in her texting that she didn’t notice Mikha’s approach.
As Mikha peeked over Stacey’s shoulder, her jaw clenched. Sure enough, it was Johanna. And not just that, they were blatantly flirting.
Johanna: You really know how to make mornings fun, Stace. ;)
Stacey: Well, someone’s got to keep you smiling, right?
Johanna: You’re doing a great job of it. Better than Mikha’s coffee-making skills, I bet.
Stacey: Ouch! But true. Her coffee is tragic.
Mikha’s eyes widened as she read the messages, her annoyance flaring. "Seriously?" she muttered under her breath, loud enough for Stacey to hear.
Stacey jumped, nearly dropping her phone. "Mikha!" she yelped, spinning around to face her sister.
Mikha crossed her arms, glaring at her. "What the hell are you two talking about?"
Stacey tried to play it off. "Just... small talk. Nothing serious."
"Small talk?" Mikha repeated, arching an eyebrow. She pointed at Stacey’s phone. "You two were obviously flirting."
"And just a reminder, you're not into girls, staks" Mikha stated, "or did you change your mind, and started it with Johanna?" She added with sarcastic tone.
Stacey blinked, caught off guard by Mikha’s question. For a moment, she looked genuinely flustered, which was rare for her.
"What?!" Stacey exclaimed, her cheeks flushing slightly. She laughed nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"No!It's not like that. We just exchanged numbers and started texting, no big deal, Mikha." She said, almost defensively
Mikha crossed her arms, her gaze skeptical. "Could’ve fooled me with the way you’re texting Johanna. You were practically batting your eyelashes through the screen."
Stacey rolled her eyes but couldn’t quite hide her embarrassment. "Okay, fine, maybe I’m just... experimenting a little," she admitted with a shrug. "But it’s nothing, Mikha. It’s harmless. Johanna’s fun to talk to."
"Harmless?" Mikha repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Stace, you’re flirting with my friend. This isn’t Tinder. You better stop."
Stacey held up her hands defensively. "Whoa, calm down. I’m not messing with anyone. Johanna knows it’s all in good fun. Besides," she added with a sly grin, "she seems to like it."
Mikha groaned, rubbing her temples. "Of course, she does," she muttered. She likes you, idiot, Mikha thought.
Stacey tilted her head, noticing Mikha's faint muttering but not quite catching the words. "What?"
"Nothing," Mikha replied quickly, "Don’t push it, Staks" She shot her a flat look
Stacey watched Mikha retreat to the kitchen, her lips curling into a mischievous smile. "OA," she murmured to herself, shaking her head. She glanced back at her phone, a message from Johanna lighting up the screen, but her attention lingered on Mikha for a moment longer.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Mikha took a deep breath, gripping her coffee mug tightly. She stared at the steaming liquid, her reflection rippling on the surface.
She shook her head, trying to brush the thought away. "None of my business,"
Moments later, her mind wandered back to the night before, the quiet kitchen, the shared moment with Aiah, and the subtle shift in the air between them. Her lips twitched into a faint smirk, though it quickly faded as the present reality snapped her back.
Before she could get too lost in her thoughts, Stacey’s voice called from the living room. "Mikha, you’re not mad, right?"
Mikha rolled her eyes, took a sip of coffee, and yelled back, "Just stop being annoying, Staks!"
