Priya extends a comforting hand, resting it gently on my thigh, while Grant pulls me close in a reassuring side hug. The warmth of their support wraps around me, and for a moment, we remain in a wordless embrace.
Priya breaks the silence, her hands resting on my shoulders, her deep brown eyes locking onto mine. “Don’t ever think for a second that we’re pitying you,” she asserts. “You’re incredibly strong, and you’ve got us. You’ll never be alone.”
Grant joins in, “Even though we’ve only just met. We’ve got your back, no matter what.”
Alli says, “We’re here for you, Serena.”
“You could call me at 3 a.m., and I’d pick up,” Grant jokes, lightening the mood.
“I live in the same neighborhood. If you ever need anything, just say the word, and I’ll be at your doorstep with all the junk food from 7-Eleven,” Priya assures me, her words leaving a lasting imprint on my heart. “You name the time, and we’re there for you.”
It takes everything in me to not cry or shed a tear. I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. “Thanks, it means a lot. I don’t normally like to dump this on people, so if you guys could… keep it on the low? I would rather not have the entire school find out.”
“Of course.” Grant answers as well and Priya follows suit. “Now that we just bonded, can we just talk about how fuckingamazing these egg rolls and brown sugar milk tea are together? It’s liquid gold.”
I snort at Grant’s interesting way of words. “Thanks, yours truly made it.”
Grant bites off his egg roll, “I’ll come every day for this golden drink.”
I burst into light chuckles, “I already have regulars, so you won’t be the first one to come in every day.”
“Oh, does the charming Serena Inthavong have a secret admirer?” Grant wiggles his brows. “Do tell.”
Dumb move, Serena. I take a sip of my drink, trying to ignore them. But when silence ensues and three pairs of questioning eyes stare at me, I realize they are actually curious.
“Oh, you wanted an answer to that?”
Priya lightly slaps my leg, “I heard from a little bird that Tyler Westman has been visiting you.”
How would she even know that?
“He’s my neighbor.” She explains simply. “Anyway,” she shakes her head, “I overheard him in his driveway, gushing about a girl he met at Boba Republic. I thought he was talking about a random customer who popped in and out. But I fully believe it’s you.”
“What makes you think that?”
I barely know the guy. Other than that, he won a baking contest when he was a kid.
Priya shrugs like it’s no big deal. “I just have a really good feeling about it.”
“You and your mind reading skills.” Grant huffs out. “Ignore her, she thinks she can see into the future. All because she knew Alli and Jared would hook up last summer.”
“Okay, and you gassed me up that I know everything because of my big head.” Priya babbles. “Look, Tyler is a great guy. If the door ever opened for him, you better barge right in.”
“Isn’t he just like every other guy on campus?” I say casually.
Priya shakes her head. “I’ve seen how Tyler acts with others, how he carries himself. He’s super nice and so helpful. We’ve been neighbors for years and he’s helped my dad carry in garden soil every weekend. And his sister? He’s there for her day in and day out, taking care of her needs without hesitation. Honestly, it’s pretty impressive how he juggles everything. And trust all of us when I say, he’s someone worth getting to know.”
“Isn’t he still with Cassie?” Grant questions.
“Were they actually dating, though? I thought they were just hooking up. No strings attached.” Alli questions, grabbing another egg roll.
“I don’t think so?” Priya adds on. “I’ve heard different things to be honest. He thought they were dating and she wasn’t ready.”
“Wait, I thought that it was the other way around?” Grant chimes in.
As the conversation dances around Tyler’s relationship status, I find myself uncertain…jealous? I mean, his relationship status shouldn’t matter, right? I don’t know Tyler. I don’t know Cassie. I don’t know their story. It’s not for me to know or gossip about.
Then again… why aren’t they together? Is it because of something Tyler did, or maybe Cassie?
