It's me, guys.
[ I look at myself in the mirror and—wow. I look different. Like… literally different.]
( My hair is left open, soft waves falling over my shoulders, with a few curls framing my face—Ava did my hairstyle perfectly. The makeup is light, clean, and just enough to make my features glow—of course, Mila's magic. The butterfly earrings I'm wearing were a gift from Rhea, and they look perfect on me, catching the light every time I move.)
And the dress—
[ An olive-green, knee-length gown that hugs me just right.]
( I don't even realize when my body starts moving on its own. I'm twirling. Actually twirling like a child.)
Mila watches me nervously, biting her lower lip lightly.
"A–are you satisfied, Aira? Or do you want to change something?"
I stop mid-twirl and turn toward them, eyes wide.
"Are you kidding me, Mila? I've never looked this perfect in my life."
Ava grins proudly. "Yeah, I know. You're literally looking like an actress."
Rhea smiles shyly. "You could… work in that field, you know."
I laugh, a light pink blush creeping onto my cheeks. "Shut up, you guys. I'm not that perfect."
Then I point at them. "Look at yourselves first."
( Ava owns the room in a black satin mini dress with thin straps, silver heels kicking it up. It screams her bold vibe—elegant but daring. Her high ponytail swings, a few loose strands teasing her face.)
( Mila glows in a soft beige off-shoulder dress flowing to her knees. It's classy, calm, pure her gentle aura. Hair half-tied, half-open, she's effortlessly stunning.)
( Rhea lingers a step back in deep wine-red—simple, striking. The shade amps her quiet confidence; neat hair and minimal makeup make her shine subtly.)
"All three of you look insanely hot," I say, dead serious. "I mean it."
Ava smirks. "Obviously. We didn't spend two hours getting ready for nothing."
Mila finally relaxes, smiling. "Okay, guys. Then let's go before we ruin this look by overthinking."
Rhea nods. "Yeah. The night's waiting."
- And for the first time today, I feel it—
- Excitement chasing out the tension.
- Lightness drowning the fear.
- Like tonight might actually be… fun.
"Of course, girls," I say, picking up my small bag. "Tonight, we enjoy."
( Ava grabs her clutch, Mila claims a classy mini bag like mine, and Rhea—classic Rhea—slips just her phone into her hand.)
( We walk out of Ava's room together and head toward the parking area of her house. The night air is cool, the garden lights glowing softly. Mila's car is parked near the driveway—a sleek, classy sedan. Not flashy like Ava's family cars, but elegant. Rich in a quiet way. Just like her. Her father being a famous author showed in her taste—simple, refined, expensive without shouting it.)
- Mila unlocks it with a beep
[Ava immediately claims the front passenger seat, flipping her hair dramatically.]
"Obviously, I'm sitting here. I get carsick in the back."
"Liar," Rhea mutters, sliding into the back seat.
( I follow Rhea and I slide into the back seat, sitting side by side, while Mila takes the driver's seat and starts the engine.)
( As soon as the car pulls out of the gate, Ava connects her phone to the music system. Loud music fills the car, energetic and fun.)
Ava turns halfway in her seat and says dramatically, "Okay, rule number one—if anyone looks at Aira for more than three seconds, we glare at him."
I roll my eyes. "Ava—"
"And," Mila cuts in calmly, eyes still on the road, "if anyone looks at any one of us—all four—for more than three seconds, we glare."
Rhea nods seriously. "Together."
Ava grins. "United front."
I laugh, shaking my head. "You all are insane."
"Protective," Ava corrects proudly. "Very protective."
Rhea leans closer to me and says softly, "By the way, Aira… you're looking really beautiful tonight."
I turn toward her and smile warmly. "And you look stunning, Rhea."
Her cheeks immediately turn pink.
"I—stop," she mutters, looking away.
Ava notices and smirks. "Ohhh, look at someone blushing."
Mila chuckles. "Rare sight."
Rhea groans. "I hate you all."
( The city lights blur past the windows as the car moves smoothly through the road. Ava sings loudly—completely off-key.)
Mila sighs. "Please stop. You're committing a crime against music."
"Jealousy," Ava replies, "doesn't suit you."
( I lean back against the seat and laugh seeing ava and mila)
( Ava is singing at the top of her lungs, completely lost in her own concert. Mila keeps glancing at her through the rearview mirror, clearly irritated.)
"Stop singing," Mila snaps. "You're traumatizing the speakers."
Rhea bursts out laughing. "Let her live, Mila."
"I am living," Ava says dramatically. "This is my moment."
[ Before Mila can argue back, the car slows down.]
"We're here," Mila says.
( The party venue is huge—a modern party house glowing with warm lights, music already thumping from inside. The moment we step out of the car— Surprise.)
- He's there.
- Luka.
( Leaning casually against his bike like he owns the night. White T-shirt, black leather jacket, black pants. Effortless. Annoyingly handsome. When his eyes land on us, his lips curve into that familiar, dangerous smile.)
[ He straightens up and walks toward us.]
"Oooh," he whistles softly. "So the beautiful ladies have arrived."
Ava flips her hair instantly.
"Hello, Luka."
Rhea smiles shyly.
"Hi."
Mila gives a polite nod.
Luka looks at Ava, Rhea, and Mila one by one.
"You three look stunning tonight."
[ Then he places a hand on his chest dramatically.]
"And someone just blooms my heart."
- I already know what's coming.
[ He steps slightly to the side, tilting his head, and points behind them.]
"Because the most beautiful flower was hiding back there."
- His finger points straight at me.
- I roll my eyes. Hard.
"Spare me."
[ He laughs, clearly entertained.]
"Still cold. I missed that."
Ava leans toward me and whispers, "He's flirting again."
"I can see that," I mutter.
[ Luka steps closer, lowering his voice just enough.]
"So, Aira… is this the part where you pretend I don't exist, or the part where you admit you missed me?"
I look at him flatly.
"This is the part where I walk inside."
"Ouch," he says, placing a hand over his heart again. "She's cruel."
"But unforgettable," Mila adds dryly, passing us and heading toward the entrance.
Rhea grabs my arm. "Come on before they start fighting."
( The music grows louder as we walk inside. The house is packed—lights flashing, people dancing, laughter everywhere. The energy is wild, intoxicating. )
[ Luka leans closer to my side, his lips brushing near my ear, his voice low and teasing.]
"Don't mind their stares," he murmurs. "Just enjoy, okay… little liar."
- I freeze for half a second.
- Then—relief.
( This is the Luka I know. The annoying, confident, slightly overprotective one. The weight on my chest eases without me even realizing it. The stares are still there, burning, curious—but somehow, they don't bother me as much now.)
- I straighten my shoulders.
- Yeah. I can do this.
Before Luka can say anything else, a guy in a crisp shirt—tall, grinning too wide—cuts in from the side, eyes locked on me. "Hey, green dress. You own this place tonight."
[ His stare lingers past three seconds. Ava materializes like magic, glaring daggers.]
"Eyes up, buddy." Mila flanks her, united front locked. Rhea glances back from her booth, eyebrow arched.
( Luka also stepped forward, placing himself right in front of me, his shoulder brushing mine on purpose.)
"Dude," he said coldly, eyes locked on "she's out of your reach."
"And that crisp T-shirt?" he added with a scoff. "Yeah, looking awful on you. So back off."
He lifted his hands in mock surrender, laughing as he stepped back.
"Whoa, feisty squad."
[ His friends snickered, but he backed off.]
Mila wrinkled her nose, eyes sharp. "Cheap."
Rhea nodded, crossing her arms. "Seriously."
[ Ava looked him up and down once—slow, unimpressed.]
"Ugh, forget it," she muttered, clearly done with him.
Then she grabbed my hand firmly, "Come on! I have to introduce you guys."
( She drags all of us toward a group near the center of the party, where a girl in a champagne-colored dress is laughing with a few people. The moment she sees Ava, her face lights up.)
"AVA!" she squeals, pulling her into a hug.
"This," Ava says proudly, turning to us, "is Naira. The reason we're all here tonight."
[ Naira's eyes sweep over us—quick, appreciative, impressed.]
"Oh wow," she says. "You didn't tell me you were bringing goddesses with you."
Rhea blushes instantly. "Thank you."
Mila smiles politely. "You have a beautiful place."
Naira nods. "Enjoy it. Drinks are on the left, dance floor on the right, terrace upstairs if you want air."
( She's gone before we reply—a friend tugs her toward another cluster. She nods, smiles, towards us then, vanishes like a social butterfly into the swarm.)
Ava claps her hands excitedly. "Okay, girls. First rule—no standing in corners."
Mila raises an eyebrow. "Second rule?""We enjoy."
( The music shifts—louder, deeper—and I immediately know something is wrong when Ava smirks like that.)
"Oh no," I say quickly. "No. I'm not dancing."
She grabs my wrist. "You are."
( Before I can protest, she drags me onto the dance floor. Since she's barely an inch taller than me, it somehow makes it worse—she spins me effortlessly, twirling me like she's been waiting for this moment her whole life. I stumble, then laugh.)
( Mila laughs too and immediately pulls Rhea in. Rhea resists at first—shy, hesitant—but Mila doesn't give her a choice. Two seconds later, Rhea is laughing, cheeks red, finally moving with us.)
And just like that, the four of us are dancing.
- No rules.
- No thinking.
- Just laughter, messy moves, and music pounding in our ears.
( I can feel people watching—we're impossible to miss—but for once, I don't care.)
( I even catch Luka's stare from the side, leaning casually, drink in hand, eyes fixed on me.)
- That's when an idea hits me.
- I grin and march straight toward him.
"Hey," I say, grabbing his hand before he can react. "Your turn."
"What—Aira—"
- Too late.
- I pull him onto the dance floor.
( The moment Luka joins us, everything turns wild. Five of us dancing like crazy, laughing, spinning, bumping into each other like high schoolers with zero care. Ava cheers, Mila almost spills her drink, Rhea laughs so hard she has to hold onto me, and Luka—Luka actually laughs, shaking his head but dancing anyway.)
- For a moment, nothing else exists.
- Just us.
( In last we are all breathless and exhausted, we stumble off the dance floor together, collapsing near the couch.)
Ava fans herself. "I'm officially dead."
Mila nods. "Same."
[ Rhea giggles, trying to fix her hair.]
[ Luka looks at all of us and smirks.]
"Wait here, girls. I'll get some juice."
( And just like that, he disappears into the crowd—leaving us glowing, laughing, and high on the night.)
( We were still catching our breath, laughing softly, when a group of girls walked toward us.)
"Hey, guys," one of them said sweetly, holding a tray. "Some juice?"
( I looked up. There were four of them—well-dressed, confident, clearly part of the popular crowd. The girl standing slightly in front had sharp eyes and a polished smile. Her presence was strong, almost commanding.)
"I'm Layla," she said, smiling like we were old friends. "You all danced really well. Honestly, everyone was watching you."
Ava blinked, surprised. "Uh… thank you."
Mila smiled politely. "Yeah, thanks."
[ Rhea gave a small nod, already feeling shy again.]
Layla handed us each a glass. "You looked exhausted, so we thought you might need this."
[ The juice looked normal—fresh, colorful, harmless. Nothing about it felt off.]
"Cheers," Ava said casually, lifting her glass.
( We followed, laughing lightly, sipping without a second thought.)
Layla's smile widened just a little. "Seriously, you girls have amazing energy. Especially you," she said, glancing at me. "You really know how to own the floor."
I smiled back, unaware. "Thanks. That's sweet of you."
Inside, none of us knew the truth--
- None of us knew that Layla's eyes lingered on me a second longer than necessary.
- None of us knew why her smile never quite reached her eyes.
- And none of us knew that the juice wasn't just juice.
- Slowly—so slowly it felt natural at first—the room began to spin.
- Ava laughed louder than usual, leaning against Mila.
- Mila's words started coming out slower, softer.
- Rhea blinked, shaking her head slightly.
[ And me?]
- I just thought it was the music.
- The lights.
- The excitement.
[ We didn't know Layla.]
[ We didn't know her reasons.]
- And we definitely didn't know that this moment was about to change the night completely.