The Plan in Action
1029 Words
There’s a popular saying — “Things are easier said than done.”
And whoever said that was absolutely right.
Saving money for the bikinis turned out to be way harder than Jane and I had imagined. Sure, our plan was moving along—barely—but our bodies and habits were paying the price. I hadn’t tasted my favorite afternoon ice cream in days, and Jane had practically gone through withdrawal from her gummy worms. Every time we passed a snack shop, our eyes would betray us.
I just hoped all this sacrifice would actually lead somewhere.
“Can’t we just take a movie break? I’m dying here,” Jane groaned, slumping dramatically across my study table.
“It’s been two hours,” she added with a whine, “aren’t you tired?”
“No movie break until we finish this chapter,” I said, shooting her a firm look.
She groaned again, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling. “You’re evil.”
“Discipline, Jane,” I replied, flipping another page in my textbook. “Finals are five days away. No slacking.”
Jane had been staying at my place for three days to study—it was her parents’ idea so we could motivate each other. But between her endless complaints and snack cravings, it felt more like babysitting than studying.
“Alright, fine,” I said finally, when she wouldn’t stop grumbling. “We’ll take a break later—thirty minutes, before dinner.”
“Make it an hour,” she bargained immediately, sitting up with hopeful eyes.
I raised a brow. “You’re impossible.”
“Please! I need to finish at least one episode of Shadow Love,” she said, clasping her hands in mock prayer.
I sighed, pretending to consider it. “Okay, one hour. But you owe me.”
“Deal!” she said, beaming as she grabbed her phone.
We went back to reading in silence—well, almost silence. Jane’s pencil kept tapping on the table in rhythm with her humming.
About an hour later, a familiar voice called from the kitchen.
“Girls! Dinner’s ready!”
Jane shot me a look of betrayal. “You said we’d get a break before dinner!”
I shrugged. “How was I supposed to know Aunt Mira would finish early?”
She squinted at me like she was plotting revenge, then sighed dramatically and dragged herself up. “Fine. But you owe me two breaks tomorrow.”
I grinned, following her to the dining room.
The smell of grilled beef and herbs hit us first—it was divine. My aunt had outdone herself again.
“This looks amazing!” Jane squealed as she sat down, her earlier fatigue forgotten.
“You like it?” Aunt Mira asked with her usual warm smile.
“Like it? I love it! Please adopt me!” Jane said, hugging her dramatically.
Aunt laughed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “You’re always welcome here, sweetheart.”
I grinned, already halfway through my first bite. “It tastes even better than it looks,” I mumbled with my mouth full, giving Aunt a thumbs-up.
“Eat up, girls. You’ve both been working hard,” she said, plating another piece of beef for Jane. “That’s your reward for being such good students.”
“Thanks, Aunt!” Jane said, already chewing happily. She closed her eyes and sighed. “This is so good. I could cry.”
“You’re too dramatic,” I said, chuckling.
Dinner stretched longer than it should have—filled with laughter, teasing, and more second helpings than either of us needed. By the time we were done, both of us were full to the point of discomfort.
“Thank you for the meal,” we said in unison, bowing slightly as we cleared the table.
“That’s alright, my darlings,” Aunt said gently. “Leave the dishes. I’ll take care of them.”
We didn’t argue. With full bellies and heavy limbs, we trudged back toward my room.
Halfway down the hall, Jane suddenly said, “I know what’s going on.”
I turned, confused. “What?”
“You’re anxious about finals,” she said matter-of-factlly. Her tone was unusually serious. “You’ve been tense all week.”
I tried to deny it, but she wasn’t wrong.
“Let’s take a walk,” she suggested. “Fresh air might help.”
I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Alright.”
I grabbed a light jacket, and together we stepped out into the cool night.
The neighborhood was quiet, wrapped in the calm hum of crickets and the faint sound of traffic far away. The air smelled of wet earth and blooming jasmine.
Jane stretched her arms out dramatically. “Ahh, freedom! It feels so good to be outside.”
I smiled faintly, my shoulders relaxing for the first time all day.
Truthfully, she was right—I had been anxious. The finals, the party plans, the savings—it all weighed on me. I hadn’t realized how much until the silence of the street wrapped around us.
We walked slowly, side by side. The pavement glistened faintly under the streetlights, still damp from the evening dew.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” Jane asked suddenly, catching my gaze.
I blinked. “Huh? I wasn’t—”
She gasped dramatically, her eyes widening. “Do I look hot?”
I laughed. “No.”
“Sexy?”
“Nope.”
“Cute?”
“Not even close.”
“Then what? Breathtaking? Be honest!” she teased, grabbing my chin and turning my face toward hers.
I rolled my eyes. “Focus. There’s a road ahead. You don’t want to die yet, do you?”
She pouted. “I hate you.”
“Mutual,” I said dryly.
She laughed, shaking her head as we reached the bend in the road. But then, my laughter faded.
Something caught my eye.
I froze mid-step.
“What?” Jane asked, confused.
“Jane…” I whispered, my heart beginning to race. “Look.”
- Writer
