To be her

Chapter 7

Secrets and Sisterhood

"Guys, it's nothing like that!" I groaned, already regretting bringing up the flowers.
Jane raised an eyebrow, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "If it's nothing, he wouldn't send you flowers."
Zoey nodded eagerly, her mischievous grin widening. "Exactly. Flowers don't just show up for fun, you know."
I rolled my eyes, trying to stay calm. "I promise it's nothing. And if it ever is something, you two will be the first to know. Can we please move on now?"
Jane sighed dramatically but relented. "Fine. But if there's tea to spill, you better spill it. All of it. Don't even think about holding back."
Zoey smirked. "We need every drop, okay?"
"Okay, okay," I said, raising my hands in surrender. "But speaking of tea, Zoey, don't think you're off the hook. You didn't tell us about you and Zayn."
Zoey's eyes widened, her face turning a delightful shade of pink. "What? Who told you?"
Jane and I exchanged a look before bursting into laughter. "Do you think we're blind?" Jane teased. "We've seen the way he looks at you."
"And Daniel may have mentioned something about you two hanging out," I added, unable to hide my grin.
Zoey's cheeks flushed deeper as she stammered, "It's not a big deal! We just went on one date and... had a moment. That's all."
Jane leaned closer, her eyes sparkling. "So, do you like him?"
Zoey hesitated, biting her lip. Her lips eventually curved into a shy smile. "He's... kinda cute."
Jane and I erupted into playful squeals, teasing her until she grabbed a pillow and whacked us both.
"But seriously," Jane said, once the laughter had died down, "do you think Mr. Luke has a thing for me?"
Zoey's eyebrows shot up. "Wait, Luke? As in Mr. Luke?"
"Yes, that Luke," Jane clarified, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably.
Zoey and I exchanged a look. "I think he's dating someone," Zoey said hesitantly.
"Do you?" Jane challenged.
Zoey shrugged. "I mean, he's our teacher. How are we supposed to know what's going on in his personal life?"
"Well," Jane declared with a mischievous glint, "there's only one way to find out. Stalk his socials!"
"Of course, that's your solution," I said, rolling my eyes.
For the next half-hour, we dove deep into his profiles, analyzing every post, caption, and tagged photo. We found absolutely nothing of substance. Jane leaned back with a triumphant grin. "That's good news for me, right?"
Zoey and I groaned.
Once we'd finished dissecting Luke's lack of an online presence, we shifted focus to the real task at hand: finding law firms to work for.
The three of us huddled around my laptop, scrolling through listings and reading reviews. It was one of those moments that felt quintessentially us: the quiet intensity broken by bursts of laughter, the way we bickered like siblings but always ended up on the same page.
"This one specializes in corporate law," Zoey said, pointing to a sleek-looking firm on the screen.
"But their reviews are terrible," Jane countered, wrinkling her nose. "No thanks."
I clicked on another link, scanning the details. "What about this one? They offer internships with flexible hours and mentorship programs."
Zoey nodded thoughtfully. "That sounds promising. See? This is why we're such a great team—we balance each other out."
"More like we enable each other's procrastination," Jane quipped, earning a laugh from both of us.
By the end of the evening, we'd shortlisted two law firms and one legal consultancy. It felt like a small victory, but one worth celebrating.
Zoey stretched, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Okay, now that that's done, let's unwind. Zayn just texted me. He's going to a party at a club with his friends and invited us to come along."
I glanced at Jane, who immediately perked up. "But not like this," she declared, gesturing at our casual outfits.
"Fine," I said. "Let's get ready."
Back at the house , the excitement was electric. Jane chose a sea-green dress that made her look ethereal, while I picked a sleek navy-blue number that oozed elegance. Zoey, of course, went straight for her signature look: a fiery red dress that turned heads everywhere she went.
Jane whistled. "If I were a guy, I'd kill to date you."
"Same," I added with a laugh.
"Okay, okay," Zoey said, brushing off the compliments but clearly pleased.
We piled into the car, laughter filling the air as we drove toward the party. But just as we were pulling out of the driveway, someone knocked on my window.
I froze, glancing at my friends. "Did we forget something?"