Kelvin's message popped up on Ariel's phone late Friday evening just as she was rearranging her desk.
Kelvin: Hey beautiful š How are you? Can we meet up this weekend? I promise I won't be too annoying this time.
Ariel smiled faintly at his message but hesitated before replying.
Ariel: I'm good, Kelvin. I'm sorry, I'll be busy this weekend. I'm going out with my boyfriend.
The typing dots appeared almost immediately.
Kelvin: Boyfriend? Wow. You should have warned me before I fell for your smile š©.
Kelvin: But okay, I see how it isā¦ Ariel the heartbreaker. š
Ariel giggled softly at his teasing.
Ariel: I'm not a heartbreaker. I just didn't think I needed to announce my relationship to every new friend I meet.
Kelvin: Fair enoughā¦ but still, you could've warned me before I started daydreaming. Anyway, I hope he knows how lucky he is.
Ariel read the message twice, smiling despite herself.
---
Later that evening, she and Favour sat cross-legged on Favour's bed, their books temporarily forgotten as they chatted about everything from school assignments to random gossip.
"Samuel has been so sweet these days," Favour said dreamily, hugging a pillow. "Sometimes I still can't believe we're finally together."
Ariel grinned. "I can tell. You can't go two minutes without mentioning him."
Favour tossed the pillow at her playfully. "And you? How's Divine? You two areā¦ still very much in love?"
Ariel blushed. "We'reā¦ we're good."
Before Favour could tease her more, there was a knock at the door. Emily's cheerful face appeared as she pushed the door open.
"Hey girls!" she greeted, stepping in and dropping her bag on the floor.
"Emily!" Favour said, scooting over so she could sit. "We were just talking about weekend plans. You got any?"
Emily grinned. "Actually, I was thinking we could hang out ā just us girls. No guys, no distractions."
Favour clapped her hands in excitement. "Yes! I'm in. Ariel?"
Ariel hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "That sounds fun. Can we invite Sophie too?"
Emily nodded. "Sure, the more the merrier."
Ariel quickly called Sophie. "Hey, we're planning a girls' hangout tomorrow. You in?"
"Of course," Sophie replied cheerfully over the phone.
After hanging up, Ariel messaged Divine, letting him know she wouldn't be free.
Ariel: Hey, love. I can't make it tomorrow ā girls' hangout. I promise we'll see each other after.
His reply came quickly.
Divine: Alright. Have fun.
She smiled, relieved he didn't sound upset.
---
The next day, the four girls met at the park. The late afternoon sun bathed the place in a golden glow as children ran around laughing and couples strolled hand in hand. Ariel, Favour, Emily, and Sophie found a quiet bench under a large tree and sat, sharing snacks and talking.
"This feels good," Sophie said, stretching her arms. "Just us, no boys."
"Yeah," Emily agreed with a mischievous smile. "Let's give them a taste of being left out for once."
The girls laughed loudly.
Suddenly, a familiar voice called Ariel's name.
"Ariel?"
They turned to see Kelvin walking toward them, dressed casually in a white T-shirt and joggers, his hair a little messy from the wind.
"Oh wow," Ariel murmured under her breath.
Kelvin grinned. "What are the odds? I didn't think I'd run into you here."
"Hey, Kelvin," Ariel greeted politely.
"Hi, ladies," he said, giving them a charming nod. "Sorry to intrude, but can I steal Ariel for just a minute?"
The girls exchanged amused glances, and Sophie smirked. "Go ahead. We'll wait."
Ariel followed Kelvin a short distance away.
"So," he said as they walked slowly along the path, "why did you lie to me about going out with your boyfriend?"
Ariel blinked. "I didn't lie ā my plans just changed. We decided to cancel."
Kelvin looked at her skeptically. "Hmm. Convenient. You probably just didn't want to hang out with me."
She giggled. "It's not like that. I just needed some girl time."
Kelvin smirked. "Alright, alright. I believe you ā but you should know, Ariel, it was a pretty boring weekend until I saw you. You just saved me from dying of boredom."
Ariel laughed softly. "You're dramatic."
"Maybe," Kelvin said, grinning. "But seriously, you look amazing today. If I were your boyfriend, I wouldn't let you out of my sight."
Before Ariel could reply, a familiar voice cut through the air.
"Ariel?"
She turned, startled, to see Divine standing a few feet away. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were fixed on her and Kelvin.
"Divine!" she said, surprised walking towards him.
Divine walked closer then gave her a short hug. "Hi," he said shortly, his gaze shifting to Kelvin.
"Oh, hey," Kelvin said, extending his hand. "You must be the famous boyfriend I've been hearing about. I'm Kelvin."
Divine took his hand but held it firmly, almost challengingly. "Divine," he said simply, then slipped his arm around Ariel's waist, pulling her closer.
Ariel felt her heart skip at the possessive gesture.
Kelvin raised his brows, smirking slightly. "Nice to meet you, man. Ariel's been great company."
Divine's eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing.
Kelvin gave Ariel a playful salute. "Guess I'll let you two enjoy your day. See you around."
As soon as Kelvin walked away, Divine turned to Ariel, his voice low. "Why were you standing so close to him? Laughing like that?"
Ariel blinked. "We were just talking. You're jealous?"
Divine exhaled sharply, clearly fighting to keep calm. "Yes. I don't like seeing another guy make you laugh like that. Especially not some random guy I don't know."
Ariel touched his arm gently. "Divine, you have nothing to worry about. He's just a friend. You're the one I love."
Divine's expression softened, though a hint of frustration lingered. "I know. I justā¦ I don't like feeling like I could lose you."
"You won't," she said softly, squeezing his hand. "Trust me."
Just then, the girls walked up to them. Favour grinned knowingly at Divine's arm still around Ariel.
"Everything okay?" Sophie asked with a teasing smile.
"Yes," Ariel said quickly, though her cheeks were pink. "Everything's fine."
Divine forced a small smile, but deep down, jealousy still burned in his.