As the days went by, school became more exciting and enjoyable with Sandra and Louis around. Our bond grew stronger with each passing day. We hosted home parties, had sleepovers, went for movie nights, and sometimes sat outside together, staring at the stars.
Sunday finally arrived, and we had planned a beach outing.
I was upstairs, still packing a few things, when Louis honked outside. I hurriedly grabbed my stuff, rushed downstairs, and said goodbye to Mum and Dad.
I sat in my usual spot and apologized for the delay. Louis responded kindly and continued driving.
Something immediately caught my attention.
Sandra looked different.
She was unusually quiet, her face clouded with thoughts. Curiosity got the better of me, so I turned towards her.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
She didn't respond. She simply stared blankly ahead, almost as if my voice had never reached her.
Through the rearview mirror, I could see her face clearly. Her eyes looked slightly watery, and her expression made it seem like she was holding something back. Something painful. Something she wasn't ready to say out loud.
I felt concerned.
But what bothered me even more was Louis' reaction.
He didn't seem worried at all.
Maybe that was just one of his flaws. He was the type of person who acted like nothing affected him. The kind of person who simply didn't care, even when things around him were falling apart.
Watching him drive carefully as if everything was perfectly fine, while Sandra sat there with her head lowered like she was carrying the weight of the world, I decided to distract myself.
I took out my phone and opened Instagram, my favourite app.
As I scrolled through my feed, a particular post caught my attention.
I stopped.
It was about Sandra.
The comments were filled with harsh words and people attacking her.
My fingers froze.
"Was this the reason for Sandra's behaviour?" I whispered.
I continued reading, and honestly, it was heartbreaking.
But what could I do?
I couldn't judge her or pretend I understood what she was going through. After all, I was still the new girl. I had only just arrived, and there was still so much I didn't know.
I put on my earphones, played some soft music, and stared out the window, admiring the beautifully structured city as we drove through the streets.
Eventually, Louis stopped the car.
"We've arrived," he announced with a smile.
He stepped out and opened the trunk to take out our things.
I still couldn't understand what was happening between them.
As friends, shouldn't Louis be comforting Sandra? Shouldn't he be checking on her?
But he was doing the complete opposite.
However, Sandra didn't seem to want anyone's attention, so why should I worry more than the person actually going through it?
I stepped out of the car and stretched my arms, allowing the warm summer breeze to brush against my skin.
Louis created a comfortable spot for us, arranging everything neatly before walking towards the sea.
I sat at our spot, taking a few selfies.
Sandra was still inside the car.
"Hey."
A voice suddenly caught my attention.
I looked up to see a young man standing in front of me.
"I can see you're having a great time."
For a moment, I froze.
Honestly, I was speechless.
He was tall, with striking amber eyes, dark brown straight hair, a sharp jawline, a pointed nose, and a well-built body.
He was easily a 10.
"Hey," he repeated, waving his hand slightly in front of my face.
I quickly snapped back to reality.
"Uhm… oh, hey."
From the way my voice came out, it was obvious I was nervous.
The kind of nervous feeling that made my mind go completely blank.
He sat down softly beside me.
I noticed his scent, his clear skin, and the confidence he carried. My eyes accidentally wandered over him as if searching for something I couldn't explain.
"I'm Liam," he finally said, breaking the silence.
"I'm Maila. Mai," I replied with a soft smile.
"You're the new girl, right? You're cool. I've been seeing you lately with Louis and San. They're your friends, I guess?"
"Yes, they're my friends," I answered confidently.
"Oh, I thought so," he said. "So why are you sitting here all by yourself? Where's San? I haven't seen her come out yet."
I suddenly became unsure of what to say.
Had he seen the post?
Did he know why Sandra was hiding?
"Uhm…" I cleared my throat. "She's a bit car sick, so she'll stay in the car for a while."
Liam looked at me with slight doubt, like he knew I wasn't telling the complete truth.
The silence became uncomfortable, so I quickly changed the topic.
"You've been here since level one?"
Of course, I already knew the answer, but I just needed something to say.
"Yes," he replied softly. "This is my hometown, remember? I'm an old guy here."
He chuckled.
And for some reason, that small laugh stayed in my mind.