She eventually fell asleep. In her dream, she saw an old man trying to stab her, but she woke up abruptly before he could reach her.
She checked her phone and saw that it was still midnight. Unable to sleep again, she stayed awake until morning.
Her phone rang suddenly, jolting her upright. Checking the caller ID, she saw an unknown number, but she somehow knew it had to be Xavier.
"Hello, who is this?" she said, pretending not to know who was calling.
"I called to tell you not to come to school. I'll come pick you up at home," the person on the other end said.
Before she could respond, the call ended.
"Rude," she muttered. "He didn't even wait for me to reply."
She quickly dashed into the bathroom to shower. She didn't want Xavier to arrive while she was still unprepared.
A few minutes later, she came out and began dressing. She wore a floral short gown, leaving her hoodie behind, and let her hair fall freely down to her waist. She stood in front of the mirror, checking herself for the first time in a long while.
She marveled at her appearance, realizing she had forgotten how she looked.
She stared closely and noticed she hadn't changed much. Her skin looked fairer, her face smoother, and her lashes appeared longer.
Still looking at herself, she touched her face, picked up a brush, and gently brushed her hair. She applied lip gloss, making her lips look moist and glossy.
Picking up her phone, she checked the time. It was still 8:00 a.m.
"Wow, I got ready early today," she murmured.
She headed to the dining room and saw her family already seated and eating. As she stepped in, all heads turned toward her.
"My baby girl, you look so beautiful," her father exclaimed. "Why haven't you been dressing like this all this while? Come here," he said, stretching his hand toward her.
She took it, and he guided her to sit on the chair close to him.
"Sweetie, you look lovely," her mother said warmly.
"Thanks, Dad. Thanks, Mom," Lara said shyly.
"Why the change, Lara? It's like you've got yourself a boyfriend," Moses teased. "Don't you agree with me, Dante?" he added, turning to him.
Dante nodded. "See? Dante agrees with me."
Lara blushed.
"Stop it, Moses. Stop teasing her," Mrs. Williams scolded.
Moses stopped, and they continued eating.
Mr. and Mrs. Williams stood up first, hurrying to leave as usual.
"Bye, kids. Lara, Dante, make sure you leave early. Moses, since you'll be resuming school next week, don't go out and don't stress Vicky. Once you're done eating, go to your room and rest—you're not strong enough to be running around."
"Noted, ma," Moses said, placing one hand on his forehead and stamping one foot on the floor like a soldier.
When they were done eating, Dante left for school, while Lara waited for Xavier in her room.
Her phone rang, and she saw it was Xavier calling.
"He must be here now," she muttered as she answered.
"Hello," he said calmly. "I'm outside your house."
"Okay," she replied and hung up.
She picked up her phone and camera and headed outside. When she opened the gate, she saw him leaning against a car.
"I thought you'd come with your bike," she said.
When he noticed she wasn't wearing her hoodie and saw her hair flowing freely, different emotions flickered across his face, but they disappeared almost instantly.
"You're not wearing your hoodie today. Why?" he asked as he opened the door for her.
"I decided to remove it since I'm not going to school," she replied.
"Where are we going today?" she asked as she entered the car.
"You'll see when we get there. And before I forget—you look gorgeous," he said, closing the door and walking around to the driver's seat.
He started the car and drove off.
They traveled for a long time, passing through different cities and villages.
"Are we not there yet? Why is it taking so long?" she asked, looking out the .
"Be patient. Just a little more distance to cover," he replied.
He stopped at an eatery.
"Is this the place we're going?" she asked in disbelief.
"No. I just want to get some snacks for you, because we might leave there late in the evening."
"Why not just tell me where we're going?" she asked.
He smirked and stepped out of the car.
When he returned, he was carrying lots of cookies, donuts, and soft drinks. He started the car again, and they continued their journey.