The afternoon sun was warm and gentle as I walked with Anastasia and Fiona toward the school gate. It was one of those golden hours when everything looked soft and peaceful… which would've been perfect if my stomach wasn't flipping like a pancake thinking about tonight's dinner.
The Vior family…
Theodore…
Marriage…
Nope. Too much. Shut down brain.
Fiona nudged me lightly. "You look like you're thinking about the meaning of life again."
I blinked. "Do I?"
"Yes," Anastasia said. "Your face does this thing—like you just remembered you left the stove on at home."
I groaned, covering my cheeks. "It's just a family dinner. Nothing dramatic."
Lie.
But a half-truth is better than total fiction… right?
We reached the school gate, a gentle breeze pushing our hair back. Students were walking past us, chatting about homework, food, crushes, and whatever normal teenagers talk about. Meanwhile, my life felt like a telenovela.
Anastasia stopped walking and sighed dramatically. "Sab… before you go…"
I turned to her, confused, and suddenly—
She placed both hands on my shoulders, staring deep into my soul.
"PLEASE," she said loudly, "don't trip again."
Fiona nodded solemnly beside her.
"Yes. We need you alive. In one piece. No hospital scenes today."
My jaw dropped. "W-Why would I trip?!"
Anastasia lifted one finger. "Reason one: your shoelaces sometimes betray you."
Fiona raised another finger. "Reason two: you get distracted easily."
Anastasia raised her hand again. "Reason three: your brain wanders to imaginary places."
Fiona followed. "Reason four: sometimes you walk without fully walking."
"…What does that even mean?" I asked, baffled.
"You know," Fiona said seriously, "your body walks but your soul… wanders."
I stared at them with the deadest expression ever.
"Are you two trying to send me off safely or trying to predict my death?"
They both hugged me instead.
"Sab," Anastasia whispered dramatically, "stay safe out there. The world is dangerous, especially for you."
Fiona nodded. "Especially sidewalks."
I shoved them lightly. "Stop it! I'm not that clumsy!"
Both of them stared at me.
…Right.
Okay. Maybe I was a little bit clumsy.
I adjusted the folder in my hands and lifted my chin. "I'll be fine. I'm just going to a family dinner."
Half-truth delivered.
And I didn't stutter.
Nice.
Fiona gave me a soft smile. "Enjoy your dinner, okay? And tell your mom I said hi."
"I will."
Anastasia wiggled her eyebrows. "And if there's a cute boy cousin, bring him home."
"NO."
Both of them laughed, and I couldn't help but smile. These two were chaos, sunshine, and comfort all in one. There was no way I could tell them the truth yet. Not until I understood it myself.
We waved at each other as we parted ways.
"BYEEEE SAB! DON'T TRIP!"
"WATCH OUT FOR SMALL ROCKS!"
"AND AIR! SHE TRIPS ON AIR TOO!"
I covered my face with my hands.
"Oh my gosh… please stop shouting…"
They didn't.
They shouted all the way until they disappeared down the sidewalk.
I shook my head, laughing quietly.
Those two.
I really couldn't survive school without them.
I walked alone now, the quiet settling around me as students thinned out and buses drove away. The breeze was calming, and for a brief moment… everything felt normal.
That is, until—
I tripped.
Not a dramatic fall.
Not even a loud stumble.
Just a tiny, perfectly Sabrina-like misstep on a small bump in the pavement.
I flailed my arms a little. "W–Wah—!"
But I caught myself.
Barely.
I looked left.
Looked right.
No one saw it.
I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness—"
Then a random stranger walked by and said, "Nice save."
I DIED INSIDE.
"Thanks," I muttered awkwardly and speed-walked away.
Great. Perfect. Amazing.
My clumsiness had fans now.
As I continued walking, my thoughts slowly drifted back to the dinner tonight. My stomach tightened again.
Dinner with the Viors.
With him.
Is Theodore going to be there?
Will we sit together?
Will his parents ask about… the engagement?
I pulled my phone out, checking the time. Almost five. Mom must be preparing already.
I kicked a tiny pebble on the ground as I walked.
What am I even supposed to wear?
What if Theodore looks too elegant and I look like a lost cat?
The overthinking started again.
But there was something else, too. Something softer hidden beneath all the nerves.
Curiosity.
What kind of person was Theodore outside school?
Did he smile?
Did he laugh?
Or was he just a serious, elegant, rich boy who hated noise?
A part of me wanted to know.
Another part wanted to run away to another country.
I reached the van waiting at the side of the road—our driver already holding the door open.
"Good afternoon, Young Miss," he greeted kindly.
"Good afternoon," I replied, slipping inside.
As the door closed and the car began moving, I leaned back on the seat, staring at the passing scenery.
My house.
Dinner.
The Vior family.
My future.
Everything felt like it was changing too fast—and I was just trying to keep up without tripping again.
Halfway through the ride, my phone vibrated.
A message from Mom.
MOM:
Sweetheart, don't be late.
Wear something elegant.
The Vior family values proper presentation.
I swallowed hard.
Elegant.
Right.
I typed back a quick reply.
ME:
Okay, Mom. I'm on the way.
I stared at the message longer than I should have.
This was happening.
Everything was truly happening.
No more avoiding it.
No more pretending this was just a "family dinner."
This was step one toward a future I didn't fully understand yet—
but couldn't escape.
I hugged the folder to my chest and whispered to myself:
"…Please let tonight go smoothly."
Because if there was one thing I feared more than marriage
It was tripping in front of my future in-laws.