Chapter 5: Saturday Plans
2106 Words
Friday always felt different.
Maybe it was because everyone at Westbridge Academy seemed to become ten times happier the moment the final bell approached.
Students were already talking about their weekend plans before lunch.
“I'm going to my cousin's house.”
“We're having a party Saturday.”
“My mom booked us a table at that new restaurant.”
“I have basketball practice.”
Kiara listened to the conversations around her without joining any of them.
She sat at her usual desk, finishing the last few lines of her history assignment while the classroom slowly became louder.
Outside the window, the sky was bright and clear.
For once, Kiara was looking forward to going home.
She had no plans for Saturday.
No school.
No assignments she couldn't finish later.
No reason to leave the house.
And, most importantly, no reason for her parents to worry.
She packed her books into her bag and stood.
“Kiara.”
She stopped.
Adrian was standing beside her desk.
He had his backpack hanging from one shoulder and his usual relaxed expression on his face.
“Do you have a minute?”
Kiara looked at him suspiciously.
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether you're about to give me more work.”
He laughed.
“No. Actually, I wanted to talk about the project.”
Kiara sighed dramatically.
“Of course.”
Adrian pulled out his notebook.
“We're running out of time.”
“I know.”
“It's due next week.”
“I know.”
“And we still have a lot to finish.”
“I definitely know.”
He smiled.
“So…”
Kiara waited.
Adrian leaned slightly against the desk.
“How about we go to the library tomorrow?”
Kiara blinked.
“Tomorrow?”
“Saturday.”
“I know what Saturday is.”
“Good. We're making progress.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Very funny.”
“I'm serious. We could meet at the library around two. Work for a few hours and finish most of it.”
Kiara hesitated.
Two o'clock.
Saturday.
Library.
Her parents would never agree.
Not without a driver.
And definitely not without one of the security men following her.
She could already imagine the conversation.
Where are you going?
Who are you going with?
How long will you be there?
Who's driving you?
Why can't they come here?
It was exhausting just thinking about it.
Kiara closed her notebook.
“What if we don't go to the library?”
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
“Where else would we go?”
“My house.”
The words came out casually.
But Adrian's expression changed.
Only slightly.
So slightly that Kiara almost missed it.
“You want me to come to your house?”
“Yeah.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
He stared at her for a second.
Kiara frowned.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“That wasn't a 'nothing' face.”
Adrian chuckled.
“It's just…”
He paused.
“Your house?”
Kiara nodded.
“Why are you saying it like I suggested we study on the moon?”
“Because you've never invited me anywhere.”
“We're project partners.”
“Exactly.”
“So?”
“So it's just unexpected.”
Kiara shrugged.
“We need somewhere quiet.”
“The library is quiet.”
“My house is quieter.”
Adrian looked at her.
There was something about the way he was looking at her that made Kiara uncomfortable.
Not because he was staring.
Because he looked confused.
Almost like he was trying to figure something out.
“What's wrong with my house?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you acting weird?”
“I'm not acting weird.”
“You are.”
He smiled.
“Maybe I just didn't expect you to invite me over.”
Kiara sighed.
“Look, if the library is easier for you, forget it.”
She picked up her bag.
“No, wait.”
Adrian stopped her.
“It's not that.”
“Then what is it?”
He didn't answer immediately.
Students passed them on their way out.
Someone shouted Adrian's name from the hallway.
He ignored them.
Then he looked back at Kiara.
“Are your parents going to be okay with it?”
Kiara almost laughed.
“They'll be fine.”
That wasn't exactly true.
Her parents would probably ask twenty questions first.
But if she explained that she was completing a school project, they would eventually agree.
Probably.
Adrian nodded slowly.
“Okay.”
Kiara smiled.
“Okay?”
“Okay.”
“So you're coming?”
“I didn't say that.”
Her smile disappeared.
“What?”
“I said okay.”
“You just agreed!”
“I agreed that your parents would probably be okay with it.”
Kiara stared at him.
“You're impossible.”
“And you're confusing.”
“How am I confusing?”
“You're always so private, and now suddenly you're inviting me to your house.”
Kiara's smile faded.
She didn't like where this conversation was going.
“It's just a house, Adrian.”
“Sure.”
She looked at him.
“Why are you saying it like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you don't believe me.”
Adrian shook his head.
“That's not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?”
He smiled again.
“Forget it.”
Kiara hated that answer.
But before she could push him further, another voice called from the doorway.
“Adrian!”
He turned.
One of his friends waved from the hallway.
Adrian looked back at Kiara.
“I'll see you Monday.”
“Wait.”
He stopped.
“What about tomorrow?”
He shrugged.
“I'll think about it.”
Kiara stared at him.
“You're the one who asked me to meet tomorrow!”
“I know.”
“And now you're thinking about it?”
“Apparently.”
She shook her head.
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
They walked in opposite directions.
But neither of them noticed the student standing farther down the hallway.
Watching.
Not them exactly.
The notebook in Kiara's hand.
The same notebook she had been carrying since English class.
The one with the strange note.
The one that had already raised questions neither of them knew how to answer.
By the time Kiara got home, she had almost convinced herself Adrian would come around.
Almost.
“Welcome home, Miss Kiara.”
Mr. James took her school bag.
“Thank you.”
“How was school?”
“Normal.”
He smiled.
“Normal is good.”
Kiara walked toward the stairs.
Then stopped.
“Mr. James?”
“Yes?”
“Is Mom home?”
“No, Miss. She said she would be home later.”
Kiara nodded.
“What about Dad?”
“Same.”
Of course.
She continued upstairs.
Her room was exactly how she had left it.
Quiet.
Clean.
Too quiet.
Kiara dropped onto her bed and stared at the ceiling.
Then her phone buzzed.
She grabbed it.
Adrian:
I might actually come tomorrow.
Kiara smiled.
Then another message arrived.
Adrian:
But I still think the library makes more sense.
Her smile disappeared.
She typed.
Kiara:
Why?
Three dots appeared.
Disappeared.
Appeared again.
Then—
Adrian:
I don't know.
Kiara frowned.
That wasn't an answer.
She typed again.
Kiara:
You clearly do know.
No response.
A minute passed.
Then five.
Nothing.
Kiara placed her phone beside her.
She didn't understand him.
And somehow, she had the strange feeling that Adrian didn't understand her either.
Which was probably the problem.
Because Adrian Cole had spent the entire week noticing things about Kiara that other people didn't.
The way she looked over her shoulder.
The way she went quiet when people asked personal questions.
The way she never talked about where she lived.
The way she never complained about money, even when other students did.
But there was one thing he didn't know.
Almost nobody at Westbridge knew.
Kiara Bennett was not poor.
She wasn't on a scholarship.
She wasn't struggling.
And she definitely didn't live in some tiny apartment somewhere outside the city.
She simply never talked about her family's money.
At Westbridge, people had filled in the blanks themselves.
Kiara wore simple clothes.
She rarely joined expensive outings.
She didn't brag about vacations.
She didn't arrive at school in a flashy car.
She walked.
So people assumed.
Some thought she was on a scholarship.
Others assumed she came from a modest family.
Nobody bothered asking her.
And Kiara preferred it that way.
She didn't want people suddenly treating her differently.
She didn't want invitations because of her father's money.
She didn't want fake friendships.
She didn't want people looking at her and seeing her family before they saw her.
So she kept quiet.
But now Adrian wanted to know where she lived.
And somehow, that felt dangerous.
Not because there was anything wrong with her house.
But because once Adrian saw it…
He might start seeing her differently.
That evening, Kiara finally brought up the subject with her mother.
Her parents were at the dining table.
Dinner had been served, and her father was talking about something that had happened at work.
Kiara waited until he finished.
“Mom?”
Elena looked up.
“Yes?”
“Can I have a friend come over tomorrow?”
Her father stopped eating.
Her mother looked at her.
“A friend?”
“It's for a school project.”
“What friend?”
“Adrian.”
Her father's eyebrows lifted.
“Adrian?”
Kiara sighed.
“Yes, Dad.”
“The same Adrian you mentioned before?”
“Yes.”
“The basketball player?”
“Dad.”
“What?”
“You make it sound like I'm inviting a celebrity.”
Her father smiled.
“I was just asking.”
Her mother exchanged a quick glance with him.
“Where were you planning to work?”
“At home.”
Her mother nodded.
“That should be fine.”
Kiara relaxed.
“Really?”
“Of course.”
Her father smiled.
“As long as you finish your work.”
“I will.”
“Good.”
Kiara smiled.
Then her mother added casually,
“Mr. James will make sure everything is ready.”
Kiara froze.
“Mom…”
“What?”
“Can we not make it a whole thing?”
Elena looked confused.
“What do you mean?”
“I just want to work on a project.”
Her father laughed softly.
“You're acting like we're going to send a marching band to welcome him.”
Kiara groaned.
“Please don't.”
Her mother smiled.
“Fine. We'll leave you alone.”
Kiara nodded.
“Thank you.”
She returned to her food.
But something still bothered her.
Adrian hadn't actually agreed to come.
And she couldn't understand why.
Saturday morning came quietly.
Kiara woke later than usual.
No school bell.
No rushing.
No uniform.
Just sunlight coming through her curtains.
She spent the morning reading, helping Chef Daniel in the kitchen, and answering a few messages.
Around noon, she checked her phone.
Nothing from Adrian.
She waited.
12:15.
Nothing.
12:30.
Still nothing.
At 12:47, her phone finally buzzed.
Kiara picked it up.
It was Adrian.
Her heart gave a tiny jump.
Adrian:
Hey.
She replied.
Kiara:
Hey.
A few seconds later—
Adrian:
About today…
Kiara waited.
Then—
Adrian:
I think we should just meet at the library.
She stared at the screen.
For some reason, that bothered her more than it should have.
She typed.
Kiara:
Why?
This time, his reply came quickly.
Adrian:
Because I think it's better if we keep things simple.
Kiara read the sentence twice.
Keep things simple?
What was that supposed to mean?
She looked around her enormous bedroom.
Then toward the hallway.
For the first time, she wondered something she hadn't considered before.
Maybe Adrian wasn't avoiding her house because he didn't want to come.
Maybe he was avoiding it because he knew something she didn't.
Kiara typed one last message.
Kiara:
Okay. Library it is.
She put her phone down.
But she didn't feel okay.
Not even a little.
And somewhere across the city, Adrian was staring at his own phone, wondering whether he had made the right decision.
Because there was a reason he didn't want to go to Kiara's house.
And it had nothing to do with the project
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