My heart skipped, because isn’t that what I’ve wanted? Someone to see me and not demand, not mock, not push? Someone who sees me and makes sure Iknowthat they do. Be a safe space I can go to whenever I need someone, and come to me when they need anything too. Give me a purpose and be mine. That’s all I ask for. Good friends.
I dropped my gaze, nodding again. This time, it wasn’t just to answer her. It was to hide the smile threatening to spread across my face.
“Oh? Layla!” My head lifted up as Jennie raised her arms, waving them in the direction of Layla, who was jogging towards us like a human sunshine.
Oh wow, I thought to myself as she reached us.
“Hey.” Her voice was soft, gentle, like a breeze brushing against my ears. She gave me a small wave. Instinctively, Ireturned an even smaller one, but it made her giggle. “I’m Layla, but I’m sure this chatterbox already told you,” she added.
I gave a shy smile and nodded. She slid onto the bench beside me, still smiling, that kind of smile that somehow makes you feel safer just by being near her.
“Aurora. Like the princess,” she said, tilting her head at me.
I blinked, confused.Princess? Sleeping Beauty? Me?
She seemed to read my thoughts. “I mean, you’re pretty, like a princess. Hence Sleeping Beauty but not the actual princess,” she clarified, glancing me up and down. “You’re more like… Rapunzel. You know, after Flynn cut off her hair, it turned brunette. But you just have longer hair.”
I couldn’t help but smile. Her energy, it wasn’t loud or overwhelming, just… warm, like sunlight sneaking through a window.
“You got here so quick,” Jennie leaned over, speaking to Layla with a playful grin.
Layla chuckled. “I was just around the corner to come get you for lunch, but I saw you two together, so I waited.” Then Layla’s gaze shifted to me, soft and earnest. “I didn’t want to overwhelm you. I would have been more than happy to have lunch alone if you wanted to keep getting to know Jennie and Aly, but I’m really glad you welcomed me too.”
Her words made my chest tighten slightly. There was no pressure, no expectation, just genuine thoughtfulness. How could I not welcome that? Why didn’t I welcome it sooner? I avoided these three girls like they were danger, but no. Not even close. They’re… everything. Everything I want and want to be.
A familiar voice cut through our small circle. “Oh? Since when did this happen? And why did I not know?”
I looked up to see Aly striding toward us, eyebrows raised, her expression caught somewhere between suspicion and delight.
Jennie chuckled, tossing her a look. “It just happened. She agreed to join us, like, a few minutes before you walked over.”
Aly’s eyes darted to me, widening. “You did?!” Her grin spread fast, bright and unguarded. “Oh my God, that’s amazing! Our group is complete.”
Complete.
The word hit harder than it should have. My chest squeezed so tight I had to glance down at my lap to hide the heat threatening to rise in my face.
Complete meant whole.
Complete meant I wasn’t extra, or temporary, or a mistake they’d laugh about later.
For so long, I convinced myself kindness was just a mask people wore before they showed me the truth, that I didn’t belong anywhere. But Jennie’s shy smile, Layla’s warm eyes, and Aly’s unfiltered excitement all told me the same thing… they wanted me here.
Not for entertainment, not for pity. For real.
Chapter Nine
Aurora
The rain wasn’t falling, it was crashing. Sheets of it spilt from the sky, pounding against the pavement so hard it blurred the world into streaks of grey. Umbrellas bloomed open, cars pulled up sleek and warm, engines purring as doors swung shut and laughter slipped away into the storm. One by one, they disappeared, friends, couples, classmates. All of them. And then there wasme.
The last girl standing at the entrance, backpack strap digging into my shoulder, staring at the wall of water between me and the street like it was alive. Helpless.
My shoes would soak through in seconds, my notes ruined. I thought about running, about braving it, but my legs stayed frozen. Because of course… of course I’d be the one left behind.
As I took a deep breath, ready to sprint, make a run for it, I felt a buzz in my back pocket. My phone. I moved back just a little to make sure the rain didn’t drop on my phone before pulling it out.
Silverwood Girlies?
