Ariella Garcia is an 18-year-old girl who dreams of leaving her current situation behind and starting a new life. She's fiercely independent, and her love for nature and animals is unparalleled. She's always surrounded by people who care about her...
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My cold finally cleared up, but the coughs were still sticking around. I was itching to get out of the house, especially since Alexandro had to head back to work after staying over three days ago.
He checked in on me regularly, but between his job and everyone else's busy schedules – Nic, Lucas, and Hazel included – I was starting to feel a bit lonely.
Yesterday, I hung out with Dion, who told me that Lucas was moving in with him. Seeing Dion so happy about it made me genuinely happy for them both. They're a great match, and this step just feels right for them.
My phone rang and I immediately picked it up.
"Hey, bestie!" she greeted me.
"Hey!" I replied, already feeling a smile tugging at my lips.
"Wanna hang out?" she asked eagerly.
"Sure," I said, already heading to my closet.
"Good cause I was already on my way," she declared, making me chuckle.
"I'll be there in 10. Love ya!" she signed off before I could get another word in.
I quickly threw together an outfit – flared jeans, a comfy black hoodie, a matching hair bow, and my trusty white sneakers. Fall had settled in, but it wasn't quite jacket weather yet.
Not even 8 minutes later, the doorbell rang, signaling Hazel's arrival. I practically ran downstairs to greet her, swinging the door open with a wide grin.
"Hey!" I exclaimed as Hazel enveloped me in a hug, planting a kiss on my cheek. "Missed you!"
"Yeah, it's been ages since we hung out properly," she replied.
"I haven't seen you since you left on the ball with Nick," I smiled not missing the faint blush on her cheeks.
"Something happened with Nick?" I prodded, raising an eyebrow.
Her attempt to play it cool was futile, and she rolled her eyes before answering. "Well, kind of. Let's grab some food first, then I'll tell you."
We hopped into her car, her playlist providing the soundtrack for our ride. One song in particular, Popular by an artist called The Weeknd, caught my ear. Hazel belted out every lyric flawlessly as I just hummed softly.
Arriving at a cozy café, we snagged a table by the window, surrounded by fall-themed décor and soft background music. After ordering drinks and dessert, I couldn't contain my curiosity any longer.
"So, spill," I prompted, giving her a knowing look. "You and Nic?"
Hazel looked momentarily confused before realization dawned. "Oh, yeah. We had a chat about... well, everything. I apologized for my words and told him how I felt."
"But isn't he dating someone?" I asked, recalling seeing her at Alexandro's grandad's birthday party, where she was his date.
"Yeah, but I told him it was okay if he didn't like me back. I just needed to get it off my chest. Turns out, their parents set them up on a date but both of them don't like each other that way," Hazel explained, taking a bite of her cake nonchalantly.
