We drove quietly for about two minutes before she spoke up.
"So, Duckling, huh? That's such a lame name—and then ugly is added to it? How do you survive being called that? Honestly, you should be prettier than Nikki. She hides under makeup, acting like she's all perfect."
She hides under makeup, acting like she's all perfect.
Okay, she's definitely sassy.
"I just ignore them," I told her.
She sighed and parked in front of my house.
"Mind if I hang out? No one's gonna be at the hotel yet," she said casually.
She lives in a hotel. That's actually kind of cool.
"Sure," I replied.
We walked into the house together, and she followed me into my room.
"Shit! Dude, this is amazing. Did you draw these or paint them? This is sick!" she exclaimed the moment she saw my artwork.
Remember when Chloe called me an art nerd? When I said I was consumed by the world of art—this is what I meant. I'm an artist, but no one really knows except my mum, dad, Chloe, and now... Barbiee. This was what I'd wanted to show Steven the other day.
"I just paint and draw. It's nothing," I said, trying to stay humble. But inside, my heart leapt with joy.
I tried to look humble, but deep down, my heart was bursting with pride.
"What do you mean, it's nothing? Does anyone at school know you do this?" she asked, sounding genuinely serious.
"Not really," I replied.
"Well, that's probably why they call you Ugly Duckling," she said, laughing.
To be honest, I didn't find it funny. But I forced a laugh anyway.
We spent the rest of the day painting together. She insisted I teach her something, so I took her down to the basement—my messy art zone.
Later, I introduced her to my dad, and surprisingly, they got along really well.
"My mum died when I was seven," I told her as she flipped through my family's photo album.
I regretted saying it the moment the words left my mouth. I don't like talking about things like that. But somehow, around Barbiee, I felt… warmth.
"I'm sorry," she said softly, tapping my back. "If you don't wanna talk about it, it's fine."
I nodded and changed the topic.
We talked about Nikki and her group, played, laughed, painted, and talked for hours. Before we knew it, time had slipped away.
"Shit, it's 7 p.m.! I gotta run. I had a great time with you, Griselda!" she yelled, dashing downstairs.
"Me too!" I called back.
She said goodbye to my dad and left the house.
The next day at school, we walked in together. Everyone was staring and whispering.
"Isn't that Duckling? What's she doing with Barbiee?" I overheard someone mutter.
I glanced at Barbiee to see her reaction—she was just smiling.
When we entered the classroom together, Miss Wendel raised an eyebrow. "Oh! The new besties," she said.
Nikki scoffed. "In her dreams."
Barbiee paused, then smiled. "Yes, Miss Wendel, she's a great friend. We spent a lot of time at her house yesterday. Did you guys know Griz is an art master?" she asked the class.
I felt a mix of embarrassment and irritation. She had gone too far.
"Yeah, she's so damn good!" Steven yelled, making Nikki's face tighten in anger.
I quickly sat down and lowered my head.
"Hey! Can you stop being so shy?" Barbiee whispered to me.
I looked up and smiled at her.
After two periods, it was lunch break. Nikki, Tia, and Maya walked up to our table.
"Barbiee, let's go eat together. Ignore Duckling—she'll ruin your appetite," Nikki said, throwing a smug glance my way.
Bang! Barbiee slammed her book on the table and stood up.
"Listen, Nikki—or whatever you call yourself. Do you know the kind of people I hate the most? The ones who think they're perfect. Don't make me go any further. Griselda, let's go."
She turned and walked off, leaving Nikki, her girls, and the rest of the class in stunned silence.
"You should've ignored them," I told her gently.
"Not everyone is the same, Griselda," she replied, striding into the cafeteria.