"Claudia." Michelle's voice made the students who were yelling at Claudia silent at once.
"This is my party. And I decide who I want in my brother's house, and in my party. Claudia, Nadia, Sandra, get the hell out of my party." Michelle ordered and the students shot at Claudia to leave immediately.
"Miguel, are you just going to watch your sister, I mean, this maid's daughter yell at me like that?" Claudia stared at Miguel with a dramatic expression.
"Claudia, leave."
"Really?" Claudia exclaimed.
"Get out, Claudia. No one is repeating it." Claudia stormed out of the house and slammed the door loudly.
Her minions followed.
★★★★★★
The party ended at almost midnight, and students headed home.
Isabella, Daniela and Diana spent an hour extra in Miguel's apartment and they couldn't get over Miguel and Gabriela's What If question.
Rafael, Damien and Isabella had laughed their heads off, while Miguel was just nowhere to be found.
Gabriela was seated in the dining, eating cake with an unreadable expression.
"Gabriela, what if I kissed you?" Diana asked Gabriela and winked.
They laughed again.
Gabriela didn't look at them.
"Gabriela, what if I kissed you?" Daniela sounded even more dramatic and they laughed louder.
"Gabriela, what if I kissed you?"
"Gabriela - "
"Stop!" Gabriela snapped in anger.
"Please, where's Michelle? I'll like to say bye to her before leaving."
"She's upstairs." Rafael replied her, still giggling. She ran upstairs. Her cheeks were tomato red. She was sweating heavily.
"This guy is nuts. How could he ask me that in front of everyone? I'm not attending lectures for the whole school year, to save myself from further embarrassment."
"Michelle??"
"Michelle?" She had no idea which room was hers. She saw Miguel but she ignored him.
"Gabriela." He pulled her.
"Where are you going? That's Michelle's room."
"Where are you going, that's Michelle's room!" Gabriela imitated him.
"Miguel, why did you ask me that question? What do you want them to think?" Gabriela yelled.
"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was saying. I wasn't in control of my words..."
"So you're thinking of turning this friendship into a relationship. Oh please, I'm not in for that. My goals are getting good grades, having a success story, being a self-made woman, and love can come next. But now, and with you, it's not fucking happening."
"Thanks for pointing the room." She walked away and opened Michelle's door. She was baffled to see her standing there.
"Sorry for eavesdropping. Well, I think you should say what you mean and mean what you say." Michelle's expression was blank but when Gabriela went to sit on her bed, she broke into hearty laughter.
Michelle sat on the bed too, tilted her head and was still giggling.
"What if I kissed you?" She spoke in an attractive way Gabriela had never heard before. Gabriela was pissed, still.
"Please. Stop. I thought you were comfort."
Michelle wrapped her arms around Gabriela's waist.
"C'mon Gabriela. I had a friend in high school and she literally told me everything about herself. From her private life to the guys she had crushed on.. I expect the same from you, because personally, I don't lie to anyone I call a friend. And I keep secrets a lot too. You can tell me if you like Miguel, and I'll keep it."
"Your brother and I are just friends. I like flirting because I think it's fun and cute, not because I wanna be the star or the main character." Michelle broke the cuddle.
"Okay, if you say so. I won't argue."
"Everyone knows that you gave that answer just to make Claudia go crazy. But I think it's more than that."
Gabriela stood up.
"I'm here to say bye. See you when, 'cause I don't think I'll be in college tomorrow." Michelle was surprised.
"Why? Is something coming up?"
"No. I just wanna stay back. Everyone won't stop talking about the What If game stuff and it's killing me."
"Okay..Relax. I'll check up on you if I can. It means you're gonna be missing the annual sports festival basketball match. Miguel's in."
"Really? Wasn't it supposed to be Daniel's team?"
"After the training session, the coach suddenly picked Miguel's team. Exciting, right?" Michelle's eyes brightened.
"Boring." Gabriela rolled her eyes.
"Won't you be present to cheer for him? Who knows, seeing you might energize him."
"Bye." Gabriela left her room, slamming the door hard.
"Girls, I'll be in the car."
~~~~THE NEXT MORNING~~~~
The loud phone beep startled Gabriela and woke her up from her dream.
The Sea Prince and Sophia were on the terrestrial land, changing their forms to human. They were about to kiss when the beep woke Gabriela up.
She sat up panting heavily.
"I'm done with these mythical novels. I'm stopping them.These dreams will come to an end." She said between her pants. She took the phone and saw the notification.
A message from Miguel.
'Hi, I'm sorry for what happened last night during Michelle's birthday party.'
"What happened?" Gabriela wondered.
"What if I kissed you?" Miguel's voice played in her head and she rolled her eyes. She rubbed her temples, trying to relax.
She typed an alphabet but she erased it and threw her phone angrily at the wall.
"Shit!" She growled.
"What's wrong with me? I think I need to go to the hospital. This embarrassment will be too much for me if I attend lectures."
Isabella entered the room all dressed up.
"Good morning Gabriela, the cutest, prettiest, sassiest, sexiest Gabriela Flores." Isabella was being dramatic.
"Why are you up so late?"
"I'm not attending college today." Gabriela declared suddenly and Isabella's eyes widened a little.
"What's the issue?"
"Why are you pretending not to know the issue?"
Isabella recalled.
"Oh. That. Understandable. We're skipping college too."
"Why?"
"We've decided to go shopping and probably a makeover too. I can see you have a crazy hair day already." Gabriela ran her fingers in her hair.
"That sounds nice."
"And it's on you."
"C'mon Isabella!!"
"Gabriela, don't be a let down. Please."
"Fine. Wait for me outside."
~~~~~~
Gabriela, Isabella, Diana, and her sister Daniela descended upon the largest shopping mall in the city, determined to indulge in a day of 'Shut Down The Mall.' The sound of laughter and chatter filled the air as they spent millions on an array of luxury items – designer shoes, high-end bags, exquisite jewelry, and stylish outfits.
After hours of shopping, their arms were laden with bags, and their driver pulled up to load the spoils into the car. As they drove to the makeover spa, the group chatted and laughed loudly, still basking in the high of their shopping spree.
As they cruised through the streets, they spotted Michelle standing at a humble ice cream stand. "Michelle, what are you doing here?" Gabriela asked, raising an eyebrow. "This stand doesn't exactly scream luxury."
Michelle smiled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Their ice cream is one of the best, trust me. It's even better than what you'd find in fancy restaurants and eateries."
Her friends teased her good-naturedly, saying it wasn't true. Michelle playfully defended her choice, and before long, she was invited to join them in the car.
"Why didn't you attend college today?" Isabella asked.
"I'm not bold enough to attend college after telling Claudia to leave my party last night." They all giggled.
When they arrived at the makeover spa, Gabriela boldly asked for the most expensive treatment, setting the tone for a day of pampering and indulgence. As they were whisked away by the attendants for manicures, pedicures, and hair treatments, the group erupted into fits of laughter.
Michelle, however, was feeling a bit out of her element. She yelped in surprise when the aesthetician accidentally pricked her skin during a particularly intense treatment. Her friends burst out laughing, and Michelle couldn't help but join in, her initial unease melting away.
Finally, the makeover was complete, and the group gathered in front of a large mirror. They gasped in unison as they caught sight of their reflections – they were all stunning, their beauty enhanced by the expert treatments. Gabriela, Isabella, Diana, and Daniela looked like they belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine, while Michelle, despite her initial hesitation, was beaming with confidence.
The group cheered and hugged each other, their laughter and chatter filling the spa once again. They were all gorgeous, and they knew it.
They changed into their new outfits to match their look.
Gabriela was wearing a black tank top with a white tight mid-thigh skirt that hugged her curves. She wore round zebra color glasses and her hair was straightened.
With her makeup, she looked like a Latina diva.
"Gabriela, you're stunning!!" Her friends complimented.
★★★★
"It was a good idea to take Gabriela shopping. But I'm so tired!" Diana yawned and stretched on the couch.
"Me too, girl. The makeover is right on point. You look like a sea princess." Isabella replied with a compliment and Diana laughed.
"Really? Thanks! You're not bad either." Diana's eyes were fixed on the TV, watching their favorite show.
Isabella's sudden phone ring startled the girls. She picked it and answered the call, her face etched with confusion.
It was an unknown contact.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Isabella. It's Rafael." Isabella's eyes widened and she chuckled.
"Rafael! Hi."
"Michelle shared your contact."
"Oh...okay..."
"Why weren't you at college today? Michelle said you went for a makeover."
"Yeah, Gabriela wasn't confident enough about attending lectures yesterday after last night's issue. So we decided to make her happy today."
"That's nice of you. Your makeover day really made Michelle happy too. She's extremely beautiful and Damien can't stop staring." Isabella chuckled again.
"Is Damien into Michelle that much?"
"Yeah, he likes her."
"Miguel and Damien are on their way for our movie night. I'll text you later."
"Alright, bye."
"Who are you talking to with that broad smile?"
"Broad smile? I don't understand."
"Who called?" Diana was being interrogative.
"Rafael." Isabella avoided her gaze trying not to blush.
"Oh my gosh! What did he tell you?"
"Nothing. Why are you so interested?"
Diana kept mute and watched the TV. She had a mischievous smile on her face.
Isabella rolled her eyes.
"I'm going upstairs."
"Hmm."
★★★
Gabriela saw another apology text from Miguel. Her phone was broken.
She frowned.
"What does he want from me?"
'We lost the first and second round of our basketball match.' He sent with a sad emoji. Gabriela's heart sank.
'Sorry about that.' Gabriela replied.
'Are you coming to college tomorrow?' Immediately after the text came in, her phone rang and Miguel was on the caller ID.
"What's wrong with him?" She answered the call and hit the record button.
"Hi, Gabriela. I know you're frowning now but I want you to forgive me. I played badly today despite everyone cheering, because I was thinking about you and how you must have felt when I said that. I'm just feeling a little awkward about having a female friend for the first time. And you're everything I want as a friend, a pretty cool person. But it still feels awkward." His words made her smile.
"It's okay, Miguel. I forgive you. Will you be able to play basketball well now?"
"No."
"No? Why?"
"I want you present for the last round tomorrow. It's our final match. And if we win this, we'll have the award. The first two rounds didn't really matter. They were just to have more points. I won't be able to play without seeing you."
Gabriela paused. She recalled Michelle's words.
"Won't you be present to cheer for him? Who knows, seeing you might energize him."
She shrugged.
"What are friends for? Of course! I'll attend college tomorrow, just for you."
He smiled.
"Thank you, Gabriela."
"I'll hang up now, I need to go to bed early."
"You don't do late night calls?"
"No, bye." He hung up.
~~~~~~~~
Gabriela searched her entire wardrobe for a perfect outfit.
After an hour of searching, she found a white crop top with a red inscription 'Came For You' and a red heart.
She smiled and chose the outfit.
She wore it with a black mid-thigh skirt, accentuating her wide hips and curvy shape, putting her thighs on display.
She combed her long straight shiny black hair in front of her mirror, applied blush on her face and cocoa brown lipstick, smacking her lips to spread the lipstick and pouting, admiring herself in the mirror. She polished her nails and wore star earrings.
Diana entered the room.
"Gabi! We're gonna be late!" She exclaimed. Gabriela picked her handbag.
"Let's go, I'm ready!"
"Gabriela, you're looking different today. What's the occasion?"
"What do you mean?"
"You toned up your makeup. It's brighter than usual."
"You talk too much, let's go, girl!!"
★★★★
The sun beat down on the vibrant stadium, its basketball-themed design a testament to the main event of the annual sports festival. The stands were packed with students and teachers from both The White's Academy and Kingston College, their colorful jerseys and flags a sea of blue and white. The air was electric with anticipation as guests from outside the school and various college sport boards looked on.
In the stands, a flurry of blue flags waved high, symbolizing support for Kingston College, while a sea of white flags fluttered in the breeze, representing Miguel's team, The White's Academy. The two teams, their jerseys gleaming with sweat, stood on the court, their eyes closed in prayer. A moment of silence hung in the air, each player seeking a blessing for success.
Gabriela was walking in the hallway holding the flag supporting her college team.
Sandra was coming towards her.
Gabriela tried to avoid her but Sandra hit her hard with her shoulder.
The drink Sandra was holding splashed on Gabriela's jacket.
"Oops, sorry. Next time, watch your step. This hallway is spacious enough for you to move your ass around."
"If I didn't wear this jacket, you would have ruined the crop top your dad would work his whole life and still wouldn't afford." Sandra's eyes widened in shock.
"Yeah. I heard your story. A poor girl with a pathetic story, who wants to be Miss. Popular by being friends with Claudia."
Gabriela pushed her out of the way and went straight to the girls' changing room.
She slid the jacket down her arms, taking it off. She headed to the restroom to wash her sticky hands.
"What kind of a drink is as gross as that?"
When she was done, she returned to the changing room and was baffled.
Her jacket was missing.
"Where's my jacket?" She thought. She began her search, opening drawers and checking shelves.
She saw Claudia's locker and tried to open it. It was tightly closed but after opening it with force, a blue bra fell out.
"Ugh! What's this?" She picked the bra by the strap and stared at it with a digusted look.
"Claudia wears this?" She brought it closer to her nose and stuck her tongue out, irritated.
"Ah, shit! I'm gonna die." Claudia and her minions came in.
"What are you doing with my bra? It's not yours!"
"Give me my jacket."
"Came For You." Claudia read the inscription on her crop top.
"You came for Miguel? Now let me warn you Gabriela Flores. If there's anything between you and Miguel, it's better you stop it." Claudia walked closer to her and they glared at each other. She was fuming.
"Blablabla. I'm only here for the sake of friendship. To support my friend and cheer till he wins. You, deal with your anger issues." Gabriela replied sassily and threw the bra on Claudia's face.
"Keep your bra and let me have my jacket. It stinks, but your personality stinks more."