Chapter 23

rly short im sorry :((

“manon, i… i’m really proud of you,” dani whispered. “you’ve… come so far. and… that’s brave of you.”

megan’s jaw unhinged and rehinged. “okay, game plan: come here every night and we work on everything.”

the three spent the next few hours sprawled on dani’s bed, the whiteboard that lara and yoonchae had used now covered with red expo-marker markings about ways to cry at a proposal and whatnot.

LARAS POV (YES THERE WILL BE TEA)

lara was curled up on a small kitchen stool squished between manon and yoonchae. sophia was at the stove, per usual, pancakes on the griddle, and hummed a good morning when megan and dani padded downstairs together.

lara couldn’t help but notice how effortlessly pretty her best friend looked. megan’s pink bangs were knotted together with the rest of her hair in a messy bun, and her pyjamas were frumpled in the cutest way possible. “morning,” megan mumbled, pouring a mug of hot coffee for herself.

dani followed right behind her, fruits tossed into the blender and mixed into a smoothie.

when all six girls had settled down, lara broke the silence with a clang of her fork on her glass. “i’m having a crisis. there’s this… person who i like, but they’re i think talking to someone else. i want to ask this person out, but i’m not sure how. how would all of you guys want to be asked out, so i can get an idea?”

sophia began. “if they’re talking to someone else, you should figure out what that actually means first. don’t assume. just ask them directly. clear. mature. no games.”

manon added, “depends. does this ‘person’ know you like them? or are you just suffering in silence?”

yoonchae, the half-asleep scary delusional now-adult mumbled, “if you like them, i think they’d want to know. even if it’s scary. the worst thing is not saying it at all.”

dani commented, “oh please. just flirt harder. make them notice you. if they’re not official, it’s fair game.”

megan waved an arm. “if someone likes me, i’d rather they just tell me. i hate guessing games.”

lara smiled softly. “thanks, girls. i’ll try that later.”

the girls returned to their pancakes, oblivious to how very wrong dinner would go that night.

after a day of rehearsals, six weary bodies piled together in the van back to the KATSEYE house. lara made a beeline to her room, which she and yoonchae called “the machiavellian den.”

“chip,” lara declared, “i need help.”

yoonchae didn’t bother looking up from the cooking game she was playing. “what do you want, larz?”

“so… remember what i said at breakfast today?” yoonchae thew her controller aside.

“who is it?” she demanded eagerly.

lara hesitated. “promise you won’t tell anyone?”

yoonchae’s face froze in realization. “it’s megan… isn’t it?”