🥀CHAPTER 7🥀
2086 Words
Allison's POV
The next evening, I stood in front of my mirror wondering why I had agreed to this.
A park. In the evening.
With Hilda and Matilda.
Suspicious.
I looked down at my outfit—blue jeans, a fitted white top, and a light jacket.
Nothing too dramatic. My hair was tied into a loose ponytail, and I had just enough lip gloss to make my lips shine.
I grabbed my phone and headed downstairs.
“Dad?” I called.
“Kitchen!”
I walked in and found him standing by the counter, reading something on his phone while eating an apple.
“You're going out?” he asked without looking up.
“Yes.”
“With who?”
“Hilda and Matilda.”
He finally looked up.
“Where?”
“The park.”
His eyebrows lifted.
“At this hour?”
“Dad, it's six in the evening, not midnight.”
He chuckled.
“I know. Just be careful.”
“I will.”
He pointed at me with the apple.
“And don't let those two convince you to do anything stupid.”
I gasped dramatically.
“Have you met your daughter?”
“Yes. That's exactly why I'm saying it.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Very funny.”
He smiled before pulling me into a quick hug.
“Have fun, trouble.”
“I will.”
My phone buzzed.
Hilda: We're outside.
I grabbed my jacket.
“I'm leaving!”
“Be back before ten!”
“Yes, Dad!”
I hurried outside.
The moment I stepped out, I saw Matilda's car parked by the gate.
I opened the back door and climbed in.
“You're late,” Hilda complained.
“I'm two minutes late.”
“Exactly. Two whole minutes.”
“Please drive before I change my mind.”
Matilda laughed and started the engine.
“You can't change your mind. We already came to get you.”
“Kidnapping?”
“Friendship,” Hilda corrected.
“Same thing.”
We laughed as the car pulled away.
The park wasn't too crowded when we arrived.
There were families scattered around, teenagers sitting on the grass, joggers passing by, and little kids running around with their parents.
The evening breeze was cool, and the setting sun painted the sky in soft shades of orange.
Okay... Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea.
We found a spot near a large fountain and dropped our bags on the bench.
“This is actually nice,” I admitted.
Hilda smiled proudly.
“I told you.”
“I didn't say you were right.”
“You basically did.”
Matilda pointed toward the food stalls.
“I'm getting something to eat.”
“You just ate before we left,” Hilda reminded her.
“That was at home. This is park food.”
I laughed.
“She's got a point.”
Matilda pointed at me.
“See? Allison understands me.”
“Don't encourage her,” Hilda muttered.
Matilda walked toward the food stalls, and Hilda followed.
I stayed behind, enjoying the breeze.
I pulled out my phone and started scrolling.
A few minutes later, I heard a familiar voice.
“Didn't expect to see you here.”
I froze.
No.
Absolutely not.
I slowly looked up.
Kaiden.
Standing a few feet away.
Wearing a black hoodie, jeans, and that irritatingly confident expression.
I stared at him.
“You've got to be kidding me.”
He smiled.
“Nice to see you too.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Walking.”
“In a park?”
“Yes, Allison.”
“Right.”
He glanced toward the food stalls.
“I came with Finn and Ryker.”
Of course.
As if summoned by his words, Finn and Ryker appeared behind him.
Ryker was holding two bottles of soda.
He spotted us and grinned.
“Well, look who we found.”
Hilda returned with Matilda at that exact moment, both carrying food.
Matilda stopped when she saw the boys.
“Oh.”
Ryker smiled.
“Hi.”
She looked at him.
“Hi.”
There was a tiny pause.
Something about the way they looked at each other made me suspicious.
Hilda noticed too.
She leaned closer to me.
“Interesting.”
“Don't.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“You were about to.”
She smiled innocently.
Kaiden walked closer.
“So you come here often?”
I stared at him.
“Are you seriously using that line again?”
He laughed.
“I had to try.”
“It didn't work the first time.”
“Maybe this time.”
“No.”
“Worth a shot.”
I shook my head.
“You're annoying.”
“And yet you're still talking to me.”
“I can stop.”
He smiled.
“I know.”
There was something about the way he said it that made me pause.
Not flirty.
Just confident.
I looked away.
“Where are you guys sitting?” Hilda asked.
Ryker pointed toward the grass.
“Over there.”
Matilda looked at me.
“Should we join them?”
I opened my mouth.
“No.”
“Yes,” Hilda said at the same time.
I glared at her.
She smiled.
“Come on.”
We eventually followed them toward the grass.
We sat in a loose circle, with Kaiden across from me.
Ryker sat beside Matilda.
Finn sat beside Hilda.
It didn't take long before everyone started talking.
“So, Allison,” Finn said, “what exactly do you do for fun?”
“Sleep.”
Ryker laughed.
“That's it?”
“It's a very important activity.”
Matilda nodded seriously.
“She once slept through three alarms.”
“Four,” Hilda corrected.
I pointed at both of them.
“Why do you remember these things?”
“Because we had to drag you out of bed,” Hilda replied.
Kaiden chuckled.
“You really love sleeping.”
“Don't judge me.”
“I wasn't.”
“You were.”
“I was thinking.”
“About?”
He shrugged.
“How much trouble you'd be if you actually tried waking up early.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Careful.”
He smiled.
“See? Exactly what I mean.”
Across from us, Ryker handed Matilda a bottle of soda.
She looked at it.
“I didn't ask for this.”
“I know.”
“Then why did you give it to me?”
“Because you were looking at mine.”
“I wasn't.”
“You were.”
“I was looking at the bottle.”
“Exactly.”
She stared at him for a moment before taking it.
“Thank you.”
Ryker smiled.
“You're welcome.”
Hilda leaned toward me.
“Something is happening.”
I whispered back.
“Definitely.”
Matilda looked at us.
“I can hear you.”
“Good,” Hilda replied.
Matilda rolled her eyes.
Ryker laughed.
“You two always this nosy?”
“Yes,” Hilda and I answered together.
“Figures.”
For a while, everything felt easy.
Too easy.
Until a group of girls walked past.
One of them suddenly stopped.
“Kaiden?”
He looked up.
A pretty brunette smiled brightly.
“Oh my God, it really is you!”
Kaiden nodded politely.
“Hey.”
She walked closer.
“I didn't know you came here.”
“Sometimes.”
Her eyes moved toward us.
Then toward me.
She gave me a quick once-over.
“So... who's your friend?”
Kaiden glanced at me.
“Allison.”
The girl smiled.
“Nice.”
I smiled back.
“Thanks.”
She looked at Kaiden again.
“Are you still playing tomorrow?”
“Yeah.”
“Great. I'll see you there.”
“Sure.”
She waved before walking away.
I looked at him.
“Popular.”
He shrugged.
“Comes with basketball.”
“Must be exhausting.”
“Sometimes.”
“I'm sure.”
He tilted his head.
“Are you jealous?”
I almost choked on my drink.
“What?”
“You looked annoyed.”
“I looked bored.”
“Same thing?”
“No.”
He laughed.
“I was just asking.”
“Don't.”
“Don't what?”
“Ask stupid questions.”
He smiled.
“Noted.”
I looked away.
But I could feel him watching me.
And for some reason, I didn't hate it.
The sun had almost disappeared when we decided to walk around the park.
Hilda and Finn went ahead, talking about school.
I walked behind them with Kaiden.
Ryker and Matilda were a few steps ahead of us.
“You know,” Kaiden said, “you've been quieter than usual.”
“Maybe I'm tired.”
“Or maybe you're thinking.”
I glanced at him.
“You're really observant.”
“I told you.”
“About me?”
“Yeah.”
I shook my head.
“You barely know me.”
“I'm working on it.”
I smiled despite myself.
“Why?”
He shrugged.
“I find you interesting.”
There was no teasing in his voice.
I looked at him.
“You don't even know me.”
“Exactly.”
“So why bother?”
“Because I want to.”
I looked ahead quickly.
My heart did something stupid.
I ignored it.
“That's your choice.”
“It is.”
We continued walking.
Neither of us said anything for a moment.
Then—
“Hey!”
We heard Matilda shout.
We turned.
Ryker was standing in front of her, looking amused.
“What?” he asked.
“You pushed me!”
“I barely touched you.”
“You absolutely did.”
“I was trying to stop you from stepping into the fountain.”
Matilda looked down.
She was standing dangerously close to the edge.
“Oh.”
Ryker laughed.
“Exactly.”
She folded her arms.
“You could've just said that.”
“I tried.”
“You're annoying.”
“That's two people who've told me that today.”
Kaiden laughed beside me.
“Welcome to the club.”
I looked at him.
“You're the president.”
He smiled.
“And you're the newest member.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Too late.”
I shook my head, trying not to smile.
But I did.
Just a little.
Later, we returned to the bench to collect our things.
As I picked up my bag, I noticed someone standing near the entrance.
A familiar face.
Hailey.
My smile disappeared.
She wasn't alone.
Pinkie, Ashley, Sarah and Grace were with her.
Why were they here?
Hailey's eyes found mine.
Then shifted to Kaiden.
Then back to me.
Her expression remained calm.
Too calm.
Kaiden noticed my sudden silence.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
He followed my gaze.
His expression changed slightly when he saw Hailey.
“Hailey.”
She gave him a small smile.
“Kaiden.”
The tension between them was immediate.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just... there.
Ryker looked between them.
Finn went quiet.
Matilda moved closer to me.
Hailey's eyes shifted toward her friends before returning to Kaiden.
“I didn't know you were here.”
“I didn't know you were either.”
“It's a public park.”
“Exactly.”
She smiled faintly.
“Enjoy your evening.”
She turned to leave.
But before she did, her eyes landed on me.
For a second, neither of us spoke.
Then she smiled.
Not warmly.
“See you at school, Allison.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Sure.”
She walked away.
I watched her go.
Something about that interaction bothered me.
Not because she said anything.
She didn't.
But somehow...
It felt like she had said enough.
I turned toward Kaiden.
“Your ex is interesting.”
He sighed.
“You have no idea.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Was that supposed to make me curious?”
“No.”
“Good.”
He smiled.
“Because you're already curious.”
I scoffed.
“Keep dreaming, Torres.”
He laughed.
And as we walked away from the park, I told myself I wasn't thinking about Hailey.
Or Kaiden.
Or the strange tension that seemed to follow them everywhere.
I was simply enjoying the evening.
At least...
That's what I told myself.
- Writer
