The Best Mistake (GL)

Mine Only

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THE moment she saw Aly the next day, she could tell that her best friend was okay. It also seemed that she had forgotten about what happened last night.

"I'm sorry for being so harsh last night." She started while waiting for their breakfast to be served.

They met at their usual breakfast place, where she and her three best friends mostly spent their morning talking. But her concern was only about Aly, which she intended to settle today. Lois and Caddie knew about the meeting, and they were okay with it.

Aly cackled. "Is that for real, Heathe? You know how to say sorry."

"Actually, I'm not really sure if this is the right thing to do." She rolled her eyes, from which she earned another laughter from Aly.

"Looks like you're now associated with a good company. That's great."

"Tease me more and I'll take back what I said."

"All right, all right. Chill. Caddie told me everything from last night. I take no offense about it because I know you're only worried. Besides, the truth really hurts."

"I just don't want you to bear something you don't deserve."

"I won't, Heathe, don't worry. I may have loved Francine and I pity her, but I think I should stop. She has to face the outcome of her recklessness."

Still unconvinced, she stared at Aly momentarily. She wanted to make sure that Aly wouldn't really take the burden that shouldn't be hers in the first place. And it looked like Aly knew that kind of look from her.

"Okay, without me. She has to take the responsibility without me." She added dismissively.

She took a breath of relief. "Good. That's all I need to hear."

"Very prudent."

"Of course. You know me."

They both laughed.

She realized that Ayen was certainly right. Aly would be able to understand her once she was sober. What surprised her was her best friend didn't get angry even if she admitted that she had called her and Francine unpleasant things last night. Aly just laughed it off, instead. She was bemused, knowing that her best friend did not make any big deal out of what happened.

"My bad, I didn't get a chance to meet the girl who went with us last night. I now feel ashamed 'coz she definitely saw me in that state." Aly said while shaking her head.

She waited for the waitress to finish serving their meals before responding, "You met her once, anyway."

"Yeah. Caddie told me that she was the girl who snatched the victory from you."

"Hmm..."

"Can't you still move on?"

She smirked.

Not that she couldn't accept defeat. She just wouldn't want to give her friends anything to celebrate.

Their topic became random as they resumed having their breakfast. It looked like Aly was not suffering from a hangover. Her best friend was more than okay. She would insert a topic about Ayen and make fun of her. The usual Aly.

After meeting up and talking about nothing important with Aly, she left to go to the farm. It was time to poke fun at Ayen.

As she drove her Foxtrot through the farm, the feeling of excitement rushed through her veins. A smile plastered on her lips was made by thinking about Ayen. Just thinking about her has brightened her entire day already. She was happily whistling a song while traveling down the road. Even if it took her more time than her usual drive 'coz she was trying to be careful, it did not matter. As long as her dead-end was to get to the ravishing farm girl living in the middle of the rural area and not toward the underworld.

When she arrived, she noticed the two big bikes that were parked in front of the house. Her smile instantly faded as soon as she recognized to whom the bikes belonged. She stationed her car near the motorbikes before climbing down in haste. She took a glance at her wristwatch to double-check if she had arrived on time. The farmers were supposed to be taking their break at the moment. If Ayen wasn't in their house, she had the idea of where to find her.

Before she could start knocking on the door, a girl suddenly peeked from her side. She was perplexed for a moment and moved back.

"Are you Heather?" Asked the girl with a broad smile on her lips.

"Yeah." She nodded. "I'm looking for—"

"Sandra." The girl interrupted before extending her hand.

She was agape for a moment. Still confused, she accepted the handshake. "Heathe."

"See? I'm right. I've been seeing you in magazines. My mom keeps on telling me that you've been going around here. And they are right, you're gorgeous."

She slowly slid her hand from Sandra's hold, because she found it awkward. "Uhm, I'm looking for Ayen."

"Oh, Ayen? She's just around. Roaming with her well-off friends, as usual." Bitterness was evident in the way Sandra spoke Ayen's name.

She decided to ignore it, considering her initial motive for going to the farm was about Ayen. "Oh, I see. Well then if that's the case, I should get going now." She forced a smile despite being uncomfortable.

She was thinking of walking back to her car to go home. Or call her friends and do something, instead. But as she walked past Sandra, the girl seemed to have thought about something. Sandra unexpectedly held onto her arm to stop her from leaving. "You just came here. It's such a shame if you won't be able to see Ayen." She grinned.

She knew girls like Sandra and the kind of smile that was plastered on her lips. That smile was subtle— a smile associated with lousy thoughts.

She was not going to fall for it. "I guess. Ayen's busy. So, I'll just get back here next time."

The longer she stared at Sandra, the more she felt uneasy. She was sure as hell that something was stirring up in her head.

"Maybe I can help you. Do you want me to lead you where they are?"

She tried inching away but Sandra only ambled forward. The way Sandra behaved looked like she was not gonna let her go at any moment. If it wasn't for Ayen, she might've played along with Sandra, willingly. Because that was something she was good at— flirting.

She should keep her record clean to impress Ayen, as well as try her best to get along with everyone. Eventually, she couldn't refuse this girl and taint her good image for being rude.

An idea popped up in her mind, since Sandra was persistent. Ayen might get mad at her if she saw them both, but it was the only way for her to see her one and only princess. "O-okay. Can you take me where they are?"

Sandra had failed to conceal her disappointment. Even if she insisted that they should find Ayen, it looked as though it wasn't a great idea at all. That made her more curious about what was the matter between Sandra and Ayen, but she most likely wanted to know the issue directly from Ayen.

As expected, Sandra couldn't control herself anymore when she finally clung to her arm. The action made her feel more uncomfortable, but it was never easy for her to shove a female away.

"Okay. Let's go!" Sandra cheerfully blurted out.

She didn't know if she had made the right decision. As they moved along, she started to imagine Ayen's upset expression. She believed that Ayen knew about her reputation when it came to s****l dalliance. Seemed like everybody did. So she was thinking of a better explanation once they saw Ayen.

Sandra was talking nonstop but she was not paying attention. She would nod her head but the truth was she was growing irritated, especially when Sandra kept on telling stuff only about herself. Perhaps, trying to impress her.

"How long have you been friends with Ayen?"

Perhaps, Sandra had noticed that she was uninterested in their topic so she started asking, instead.

"One month, I guess."

"Oh, I was thinking a little longer. But you seemed too close, didn't you?"

"Well, because we have a lot in common. So, you know, we get along well."

"Really? Do you race as well?"

She nodded. "We actually met at one event." She didn't realize how wide her lips stretched into a smile as she recalled the night that she first laid eyes on Ayen— her rival, who unexpectedly turned into the apple of her eyes.

Up until that moment, she couldn't believe that she lost a bet that night, for the first time, to a girl. But she was more glad than enranged. Thinking about it over and over again, it couldn't crash her ego anymore. She was truly elated that the event had occurred and she had a chance to meet the one.

Her senses came back to reality when Sandra scoffed. "Ayen's friends are also racers. They are all fond of playing along with the Death God. I really have no idea how Ayen became a racer to think that she was very timid when we were still kids."

"Uhm, nothing's wrong with it, I guess?" Her brows constricted. The way Sandra spoke about Ayen had constantly been accompanied by resentment.

Which upset her, to be honest.

Sandra shrugged. "Yeah, nothing's wrong. It only makes me wonder how she can afford to be a racer. She's not even capable of buying her own motorcycle, how much more of a car?"

She cleared her throat, "You can be a racer as well. If you know how to drive even if you don't have your own car. Because sometimes, a race car is sponsored."

Sandra turned to her halfway, which made their faces almost adhere to each other. "If that's so, could you teach me how to drive?"

Before she could construct her answer, shrilled laughter distracted them. As she diverted her eyes to the direction where it was coming, she met Ayen's frigid stare.

She was right about the big bikes. Those belonged to Cole and Trinity. All of the girls refrained from laughing and looked at them, directly. She unintentionally pushed Sandra because she felt edgy. From the look on Ayen's face, she could tell that her princess was not happy.

"Sorry for interrupting your date." Cole's snide remarks never failed to piss her off, instantly.

She turned to her. "I pity your date if you think walking is some kind of dating."

Cole smirked. "I did not expect to bump into a stray a.ni.mal."

"Thank you for describing yourself to me, Cole. Mind you, you're in my territory." She retaliated.

Cole did not respond, which made her rebuttal win the conversation.

"What are you doing here?"

Ayen's question warded her off. She barely swallowed when she saw the look on her face. It was insouciant.

What was she thinking?

"You don't need to know, babe. Let's go."

She knew there was nothing wrong with the endearment Cole had called to Ayen as well as when she clutched an arm to Ayen's forearm, hauling her in the opposite direction. It was a simple, friendly gesture. But ever since she started to like Ayen, she tended to find simple things huge to deal with. It might be selfish, but she did not want any other friend of Ayen's to touch, call or even stare at her the way she wanted herself to do to her.

Only she had the right to do those things.

The weather was cool but the sun would envy her for radiating off too much heat. Her frowning face was evident. "I came here to see Ayen, you wanker."

"What di—"

"Cole." Ayen put an arm against Cole's chest to block her from bolting toward Heathe.

If Cole hit her, this would be the first and last shot for both of them. She would make sure that it was not going to be an easy battle.

"Are you even her friend?" Cole turned to Ayen, astonished.

She had the triumphant smile lurking and ready to show off when Ayen neither confirmed nor denied their friendship. Her glee just died.

"Please, don't make a scene here." Ayen castigated.

Silence took over for a moment. She did not show her dismay or else Cole would've noticed it and used it against her. Ayen looked at her with an unfathomable demeanor. She didn't like to guess what she was currently thinking.

"What do you want from me?" Ayen finally asked.

If Ayen was playing so innocent as not to get nagged by Cole, it was irritating. Ayen knew her reason for coming here. However, something was very important for today.

She traipsed toward her, ignoring the taunting thoughts in her mind. "I have something to tell you." She stated and, without even thinking, she held Ayen's hand. She smiled inwardly when she felt the girl tense a bit.

Cole and Trini were obviously flabbergasted the moment she held Ayen's hand. Ayen complained unintelligibly while she was stuck staring at her brown eyes as they flared with beauty.

As a grin painted her face, her hold became tighter. The virtual light bulb on her head switched on. Without further hesitation, she dragged her run away from the entire group. On any day, she knew Ayen would've struggled to let go of her. But fortuitously, she did not refuse. They were like an eloping couple from their strict parents. Her illusion was nothing but perfection.

They were both catching their breaths when they stopped under the huge Narra tree. Enough distance for them to talk privately despite no one even following behind.

She was wiping her sweaty forehead when she noticed that she was still holding Ayen's hand. She abruptly flinched, not that she didn't want to hold her but she suddenly felt something inexplicable while their hands were entwined. Which also made her heart beat at such a fast rate that it was even deafening. She looked at Ayen and never missed the chance to get mesmerized by her charm even though she was sweating under the native hat that she was also wearing.

"I guess this is enough distance, yeah?" She finally broke their silence.

Instead of responding, Ayen merely stared at her. She felt her cheeks flush, but thanks to the heat she could deny that she was actually gushing.

"Hey!" she snapped.

Ayen jolted, blinking her eyes. "What really brought you here? You were even with Sandra."

She cunningly smiled at the way Ayen sounded. It was as if she heard a fraction of jealousy in her question. "For starters, I was looking for you. But you were not home. I happened to see Sandra around and asked about you. She told me that you're with your friends. She volunteered to accompany me in finding you." She explained, trying to sound delighted about Sandra's company to see if Ayen would flinch about it.

Although Ayen appeared not affected, she could sense otherwise. Her action could be ascribed to a jealous girlfriend, but instead of getting irritated about it she unbelievably liked it.

"I don't wanna think that you're only jealous." Her itchy gob just couldn't be refrained from taunting Ayen.

"Why should I?" Ayen cackled.

She shrugged. "Anyway, Cole is your best friend, right?" She asked, which turned her to feel jealous.

She couldn't accept the fact that her enemy and the girl she liked were best friends and there was nothing she could do about it.

Ayen confirmed it by firmly nodding.

"Why, of all people?" Those words were not supposed to be spoken. And she was sorry for herself when Ayen scowled.

"What do you mean? Cole and Trinity are my best friends. I don't see anything wrong about it."

Fair point. But there were still questions in her mind that she dared not to ask because she didn't want Ayen to get mad at her. She massaged her nape, instead. "Yeah. Nothing's wrong. Sorry for that impractical question."

"I wonder why you're mad at Cole when she is really kind."

She smirked. "I don't know how you would define the word kind. But for me, she is the worst person I've ever known." She shook her head, refusing to believe Ayen's take on Cole.

"Hmm... I have no idea what happened to both of you, and I don't want to get caught up in between. So, please stop fighting whenever I'm around. I don't wish to witness one of you dying in front of me."

"You should tell her that. I didn't even initiate an insult when we saw each other a while ago."

Ayen sighed. "Right. I think I should remind her, as well. Anyway, let's go back to your purpose. I don't remember anything that we should be doing today."

"Y-yeah." She bit her lower lip as she tried to construct an explanation.

Ayen was right, they did not talk about going out. She only wanted to see her and tell her the good news. "We didn't, but we have now. We'll do a renovation."

"Renovation? Where? You do know that I'm required to ask my parents' permission, especially since it's harvest season. I can't go anywhere and waste my time on nonsense."

"It's a paid job, by the way. That means you're not going to waste your time."She elucidated in an unoffensive way possible.

She wanted to prevent Ayen from thinking that she was going to enslave her, yet she couldn't think of any other way to convince her. She knew how much Ayen needed to earn for college. She wanted to help as much as she wanted to be with her.

As a matter of fact, she had already hired workers to do the renovation. The only thing she and Ayen would be doing was to see if things were going as planned.

Ayen pouted. "Much higher than what I'm earning from the farm, or even from racing?"

She totally understood Ayen's extreme need to earn money. She needed it for her education. Hence she couldn't help but be more allured to the girl who had it all— beauty, brain, and dreams. Nevertheless, she wouldn't tell Ayen the truth, because she figured that Ayen wouldn't accept money that she didn't work hard for.

"Much higher." She wiggled her brows.

Ayen faced her with a calculating look. She looked evenly at her, trying to convince the girl with her pleading eyes. Much to her amazement, what was happening seemed to be the other way around. Ayen's eyes were so charming that she couldn't lure her.

"So, where is it gonna be?" Ayen finally asked when she was about to lose hope.

"Hilltop. Our Naive Kingdom." She beamed.

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