“I missed you too,” I tell her the fact.
She pulls away, but her warmth still lingers on my body. Her eyes study me up and down before she pouts, “Why did you grow so tall? My neck will start hurting every time I talk to you.”
I bend at the waist until my face is level with hers. “Is it better now?”
Her grin spreads wide, and she nods. “Yes, but you can’t stay bent like this the whole day.”
If it were something that made her happy, then yes, I could. It’s that simple.
Before I can answer, Wen steps in and hugs me tightly, forcing me to straighten. I rest a hand on her back and pat.
“Will you start school again?” Wen asks.
I shake my head. In our school, everyone learns at their own pace. There are no grades or fixed classes, just one base level where we’re taught the essentials like reading, writing, and reasoning. After that, we’re free to choose whatever we want to study. Some finish early, some take longer. Leo and I completed our entire education beforewe started training under Pa. Now we’ll start working with Dad and Uncle, while also working toward our own goals.
She groans. “We’ve been boasting about you and Leo to literally everyone we know. Do you even realize how many people have become your fans already?”
Avira nods in agreement. “Yes, and they’re all desperate to meet you both.”
Wen’s grin sharpens. “Avi talks about you to every single person she meets. She’s told Travis so much about you that he’s practically waiting to take your autograph.”
My brows knit together. “Who is Travis?”
Wen’s grin only widens. “Didn’t Avi tell you?”
Avira rolls her eyes. “He’s nothing important.”
Wen bumps her elbow into Avi’s arm with a sly look. “If he’s nothing important, then why do you spend your entire lunch break talking to him? You can’t hide it, Avi. You like him.”
My frown deepens. My sister is spending her time with a boy.
Avira groans in annoyance. “That’s because he’s too clingy. I only talk about Zoan so he’ll get scared and stop trying to bother me.”
Before I can get more details, Iselyn pulls my attention away from their bickering. She steps closer and wraps her arms around me in a light hug.
“Hello, Zo,” she says brightly.
I pat her head. “Hello, Lyn.”
When she pulls back, her lips tilt into a mischievous smile, her voice dropping so that only I can hear. “Why did you never tell me Matleon is so handsome?”
She glances toward Leo, who is standing a few feet away, talking with Kaz, Zen, and Autumn. Her eyes return to me.
“Does he have a girlfriend?”
“You’re too young to be thinking about his girlfriend.”
She lifts her chin. “After ten years, I’ll marry him. Until then, it’s your responsibility to keep him away from girls.”
I arch a brow. “And what if he doesn’t want that?”
A smirk curls her lips. “I’m a Mikhailov. I get what I like. And I like Matleon.”
After a long, cold shower, I walk into the closet. My old clothes are gone, replaced with new ones perfectly tailored to my size—that’s Mom’s doing. But then something catches my eye, a splash of yellow among the muted colors. A quiet smile tugs at my lips. She must have fought with Mom to buy those.
I pull out a yellow T-shirt printed with cartoon figures and put it on. After hanging the towel back in the bathroom, I lie down on the bed.
As soon as my mind stops calculating every detail of the party, it returns to the single piece of information I had buried the moment it reached my ears.
