Later that afternoon they entered the principal's office and politely asked about Brianna. But to their shock, he told them there was no record of such a student in their class. Even when they tried describing her, he brushed it off as a childish prank and threatened to discipline them.
They had no choice but to leave.
Just as they stepped out, they ran into Andrew.
"Hey Chloe, hey Cherry."
"Hey Andrew. What's up?" Chloe replied, trying not to sound nervous.
"Nothing much. I just haven't seen you in a while. You good?"
"Of course I'm good. We're good."
He smiled.
"Great. I'm having a birthday party this Saturday. Wanna come?"
"Uh… sure. I'd love to," she said with a nervous little laugh.
"Perfect. I'll see you there. Six-thirty."
Cherry beamed at Chloe all the way down the hallway, teasing her but also promising to help her look stunning for the party.
---
Later that evening, Chloe asked her mom for permission to go. But her mom refused instantly, reminding her of her Saturday chores at the restaurant and her schoolwork.
Chloe stood there speechless. Then finally she burst out:
"This isn't fair, Mom. My grades are already good enough!"
"Life is not fair, darling," her mother replied.
"Can't I have a normal life?" Chloe growled as she stormed off to her room. She slammed the door, locked it, and threw the invitation into the bin.
After crying for a long while, she picked up the pen and her diary again, pouring her anger and sadness onto the page.
She ended it with:
"I wish my mom would just give me space sometimes to live my own life."
She closed the diary and went to bed.
---
The next morning, Chloe ate breakfast with her siblings while her mother gathered laundry from Chloe's room. That was when she found the invitation in the bin.
"Chloe, it looks like you were invited to something. Why did you throw this away?"
Stunned, Chloe looked up.
"You didn't want me to go, remember? So what am I doing with it?"
Her mother blinked in confusion.
"I said that? Maybe you heard me wrong, dear. I don't remember you asking me anything."
Chloe froze.
"So… you're saying I can go?"
"Of course," her mother replied. "You're old enough to make your own decisions and live your life."
"…Okay. Thanks, Mom," Chloe said, smiling nervously.
She headed to school and immediately told Cherry everything.
"Don't you think this is weird?" Cherry asked.
"You think so?" Chloe replied.
"First the mysterious disappearance of Brianna—no one remembers her—and now your mom? Something's off."
Chloe crossed her arms.
"Honestly, I don't understand it either. I mean, I'm happy I can go to Andrew's party, but I'm creeped out too. She doesn't even remember our conversation from last night."
Cherry shivered.
"Very strange. It's like your fate is being rewritten."
Chloe stopped walking.
"Wait… what did you just say?
"Uhhh… like your fate is being rewritten," Cherry said nervously.
"OMG—Cherry, I think that's it!" Chloe exclaimed. She hurriedly pulled the pen and diary from her bag and showed them to her.
Cherry raised a brow. "I don't think you want to write that line in your diary, Chloe," she teased.
"No, no, no—look at this." Chloe opened the pages, pointing.
"The day before Brianna disappeared, I wrote about her. And after that… she vanished."
She flipped to another page. "And my mom? I wrote about her too. And now look what happened."
Cherry frowned. "But you've been writing in your diary for years. This has never happened before."
"I know," Chloe whispered. "What if… it's the pen?"
Cherry blinked. "Isn't that the weird-looking pen we got from Facilier? Chloe, you're saying it's magical or something? No way."
"Okay then," Chloe said. "Let's test it. Think of something we can wish for."
Cherry bit her lip. "Uhm… okay. I'd really love if I got an A+ on that chemistry test."
Chloe wrote the wish.
The pen began glowing.
Moments later, their chemistry teacher called out in class, congratulating Cherry on her very high score.
Cherry froze.
Chloe froze.
Then—
Chloe: "O—"
Cherry: "M—"
Both: "GGGG!"
They burst into laughter.
"This is amazing!" Chloe said. "I literally have a wishing star. Think of what we could do!"
"Girl, I feel like making a whole list right now," Cherry squealed.
Chloe giggled. "Same… but let's be careful."
---
THE PARTY NIGHT
The next day, they used the pen to write themselves beautiful dresses and a nice ride for Andrew's party. When they arrived, they became the center of attention. Andrew walked up to them, complimenting how stunning they looked.
Cherry winked at Chloe and slipped away, leaving them alone.
Andrew: "So… do you attend parties often?"
Chloe: "Why do you ask?"
Andrew: "You look nervous."
Chloe: "Well… it's been a while."
Andrew: "You don't have to feel nervous around me. I got your back."
Chloe rubbed her forehead shyly.
"Thanks, Andrew."
"So uh… I wanted to tell you something," Andrew said.
But before he could continue, Chloe's phone rang. It was her youngest sister, Tanya.
Tanya: "Chloe?"
Chloe: "Tanya?! What is it?"
Tanya: "I'm hungry… and I can't find Jace anywhere. Where are you?"
Chloe: "Where's Mom?"
Tanya: "She's been in and out of the house… she's barely listening to me."
Chloe: "Okay baby sis, I'm on my way. Just stay inside, okay?"
Andrew looked concerned.
"Everything okay?"
"I'm sorry," Chloe said. "I really need to go home."
"Do you want a ride?" he offered.
"No, it's fine. Thanks a lot. Bye."
Chloe and Cherry rushed back and found Tanya sitting outside.
"Come here, sis," Chloe said, hugging her. "Why are you out here?"
"Have you seen Jace?" Tanya asked.
Moments later, Jace walked up the street—dirty, tired, and covered in dust.
"Where the hell are you coming from looking like that?" Chloe snapped.
"Just… hanging out with some friends."
"Till this late? Get inside. Now."
Cherry eventually headed home, promising to check on her later.
---
AT HOME
Chloe walked in and found her mother on her laptop. She didn't even notice Chloe had returned.
In the kitchen, Chloe confirmed there was no food. So she cooked a small meal for herself and her siblings, fed them, and tucked them into bed.
Then she marched to her mother.
"Mom…"
"Oh hey sweetie," her mom said. "Back already? Did you enjoy the party?"
"I came back an hour ago."
"Oh… is that so?"
Chloe's frustration snapped.
"Mom, what's wrong with you? You didn't prepare dinner. And you let Jace wander off until 8 p.m. without knowing where he was?"
Her mother's face hardened.
"Listen, Chloe, I won't have you talk to me like that. I've just been… sidetracked. And Jace is a man. He needs freedom."
"Mom! He's twelve! What is going on with you?"
"Don't tell me how to be a mother," her mom snapped. "If you want that position, you can have it."
She walked away, leaving Chloe frozen, shaken.
Chloe stared at the pen later that night.
Was it changing her mother's personality too?
The pen had brought miracles into her life—
but slowly, she was beginning to misuse it.
And Cherry was becoming worried.
One afternoon:
Chloe: "You know what, Cherry? Since I have something like this… I should use it to transform myself."
Cherry: "What do you mean?"
Chloe: "With this pen, I can finally step out of the shadows. I can be like a queen! We could be queens. Real IT girls—but not like Brianna."
Cherry: "Chloe… that's not a good idea. You're looking for too much attention."
Chloe: "Maybe. But then Andrew would finally notice me."
Cherry: "Girl… if he's for you, you don't need to change who you are."
Chloe: "Don't worry, I've got this... sometimes you just need a little glow up"