By the time morning came, the girls were back in their usual rhythm.
Raye stood in front of the mirror, brushing her shoulder-length curtain bangs, trying to tame them into place. She squinted at herself. "Why do I look like I got into a fight with a lawnmower?"
Jane, already dressed neatly in jeans and a crisp white top, raised an eyebrow. "Because you don't know what you're doing?"
"Oh wow," Raye replied flatly, "thank you for the professional consultation, Dr. Insults."
Jane smirked and started applying her lip gloss. "I'm just being honest." Then, with a small sigh, she added, "By the way… did you notice that Luis's cousin , he kept staring yesterday. At you."
Raye froze, brush still in her hair. She turned slowly, blinking. "...Excuse me? "
She didn't remember if anyone was staring , when she had someone else how could she??!! .
Also ,she had too much problem ....that she ended up stress eating because of that guy , and now Jane was talking about another .
Hell nah !!
She need eye surgery . ASAP !
"You heard me," Jane said, crossing her arms. "He was watching you the whole reception. Like—you know—the look,.... Remember, the one who was sitting beside us when you were stress eating ..a bad habit you refuse to leave " .
Raye frowned then muttered an o
She snorted so loudly she nearly choked on her own laughter. "Jane, Luis's cousin was staring at the food table. I saw him. That man was in love, but not with me—with lasagna.". she glanced at herself on the mirror smiling in satisfaction. " I am trying too , but I can't help it, when I feel like I am going through the whole stress of life in one week " .
Jane narrowed her eyes. "You're in denial."
"No, you're in delusion," Raye shot back with a grin. "Besides, if he really was staring at me, it's probably because I was stuffing my face like a wild raccoon. Not exactly wife material."
"Maybe he's into raccoons," Jane teased.
Raye snapped her eyes to Jane walking to her bed she picked up a pillow before throwing it at her.
"You need therapy."
They both burst out laughing, the sound filling the small apartment.
When it was finally time to head for school, Jane shoved her notebooks into her bag while Raye double-checked her schedule. "We should book a taxi. I don't want to drag my bag through the bus again."
"Agreed," Jane said, tying her shoelaces. "Last time, I almost committed a crime because someone elbowed me."
Raye rolled her eyes but was already tapping on her phone to book a ride. A few minutes later, they were standing outside with their bags, waiting. The morning air was crisp, and Raye stretched like she hadn't slept in a decade.
She gave her a sidelong look. "So, first day back after the wedding chaos. Think we'll survive?"
Jane smirked. "I'll survive. You'll thrive. That's how this works."
Raye wanted to argue , but she knew that was true .
She was thriving this days .
Raye shook her head, laughing softly, and just as the taxi pulled up, she muttered, "You know, sometimes I think we're the definition of opposites."
"Maybe," Jane said, sliding into the car with her usual careless grin. "But we're still stuck together. Lucky you."
And with that, they set off, the city rolling past as they headed back to school, bantering the whole way like always.
The library was quiet, sunlight streaming through tall windows, dust motes dancing in the beams.
Raye sat at a corner table with Jane, textbooks and sketchbooks spread out.
Alex, a classmate from her Art History course, leaned close, flipping through his notebook as they discussed the latest assignment.
"…and if you look at the brush strokes in this period," Alex said, holding up a page, "you can see how the artist emphasized movement over realism. It's subtle, but important."
Raye nodded, tracing a finger along her own notes. "Yeah, I noticed that too. I tried replicating it in my sketch, but it looks… messy."
Jane chuckled softly, operating her phone "Messy can be good. Sometimes the problem is the point."
Raye glanced at Jane with a small smile .
"Do you even know what we are talking about ".
"Nope , but I can see stupid drawings and it's pure confusion " Jane spelled out the confusion exaggeratedly while Raye rolled her eyes .
Alex laughed, reaching lightly to point out a detail in Raye's sketch—and in the process, their hands brushed. She barely noticed, but he kept his hand lightly resting over hers, emphasizing the lines he was talking about.
"See, if you angle the shading like this," Alex continued, moving his fingers gently over the sketch, "it gives more depth here."
Raye nodded, leaning closer, completely absorbed. "Oh… okay, that makes sense. I can try that in my next draft."
Jane glanced between them, smirking. "You two make a good… study team."
Raye barely noticed the comment, focused on the discussion, sketching and talking animatedly.
Alex was clearly enthusiastic, pointing out details and asking questions about brush techniques, color mixing, and composition.
He was a new student , so he had asked Raye for help on some class project Mrs Hadley had given them and Raye had ended up making him teach her .
The irony !!.
Meanwhile, Kyle had entered the library quietly, intending to meet Raye .
He had seen her enter into the library together with her blondy friend and now he was here .
He stopped or more like paused mid-step, eyes scanning the library, and then—there she was.
He froze when he saw Raye and Alex, her hand still in Alex's lightly. He lingered in the shadows for a moment, silent, eyes darkening.
Raye, laughing softly, hand in Alex's.
He said nothing, didn't step forward.
A faint tension pulled at his posture.
Kyle's jaw tightened slightly. Not angry… just calculating. His dark eyes narrowed, absorbing every movement. The warmth of her hand in someone else's was like a spark of heat behind his ribs.
After a beat, he turned sharply and walked away without making a sound, leaving the scene unnoticed by anyone.
Raye, Jane, and Alex continued their discussion, completely unaware of Kyle's presence—or the storm of feelings he left behind.
Their conversation flowed naturally, all about lines, colors, and technique, the library quiet except for the soft scratching of pencils and whispered commentary.
Minutes passed.
Laughter, exclamations over a clever shading trick, and Jane's occasional dramatic commentary filled the table.
Kyle's shadow was gone, but the lingering thought of him remained like an invisible weight Raye didn't even notice.
Raye was still hunched over their sketches, oblivious, while somewhere down the hall, Kyle's steps echoed in silence, tension simmering behind every measured pace.