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Lavinia entered the house, followed by Rocky with quiet steps.
The inside of the house was warm, filled with the scent of boiling jasmine, while the mother sat in the living room with a bright face full of curiosity.
She didn't wait long before handing her daughter's guest a cup of hot tea and saying with a spontaneous smile:
– "Are you my daughter's friend? Strange… I thought she had no friends other than Mikel."
Lavinia immediately panicked, as if her mother's words wounded her pride, and rushed to silence her:
– "Mooom! Stop talking like that!"
But Rocky wasn't fazed. He straightened up and looked at the mother with bright eyes, speaking with calm confidence:
– "Actually, I don't think so… Lavinia is very popular at school. Everyone knows her, and everyone likes being around her."
The mother raised her eyebrows in genuine surprise, a short laugh escaping her:
– "Lavinia?! Popular?! Haha… my boy, you must be joking. This daughter of mine is the head of all trouble."
Lavinia stood up, waving her hands to stop her:
– "Mooom! Stop it right now!"
But Rocky continued, smiling as if determined to defend her in front of her mother:
– "On the contrary… Lavinia is fun, optimistic, and she has a strange ability to turn any boring class into a place full of laughter. Her presence attracts others in a way that can't be ignored."
There was a sincerity in his tone that made the mother fall silent for the first time and look at her daughter with different eyes.
Then he leaned back in his seat, his voice filled with memories:
– "I remember the first time I saw her… last year, at the school gate.
She was arguing with one of the boys. I didn't understand what was happening at first, but I soon realized he had been trying to harass one of the girls.
Lavinia didn't hesitate for a second… she confronted him with full force, grabbed him by his shirt, pushed him against the wall, and hit him with a boldness that shocked everyone."
A faint smile appeared on his face as he remembered:
– "She was incredible then… strong, afraid of nothing, and at the same time beautiful in a way that can't be denied. From that moment, I knew this girl was anything but ordinary."
Lavinia lifted her head in shock, her face redder than cherries, and said while trying to hold herself together:
– "What?! You've known me since last year?! Why didn't you say that before?!"
Rocky laughed softly:
– "It's true that I knew you, but we never met in person. There was no occasion, so I didn't tell you. But…"
He paused for a moment before continuing with steady eyes, "I always wondered why you yelled at me on my first day at school."
Lavinia grew flustered, scratching her neck while laughing nervously:
– "Ahh… actually… just because you… looked like someone I know… hahaha."
Rocky smiled lightly:
– "It was a memorable encounter, wasn't it?"
Lavinia lowered her gaze shyly, then whispered:
– "Umm… yes."
He continued speaking to the mother, describing her in his own way—how she laughed in class in a way that melted everyone's tension, how she helped her classmates without expecting thanks, and how her mere presence filled the place with energy. He spoke with sincere enthusiasm, as if talking about her gave him a hidden sense of pleasure.
The mother listened with genuine amazement, looking at her daughter with eyes she had never used before. When Rocky finished, she stood to bid him farewell with a wide smile, while Lavinia walked him to the door in quiet embarrassment.
She closed the door behind him, and the mother turned to her, placing a hand on her hip:
– "Hmm… I never expected you to be such an admirable person at school. I honestly thought you were nothing but trouble."
Lavinia lifted her chin with fake pride:
– "Yes yes… I'm the center of attention there!"
The mother chuckled lightly, then added playfully:
– "By the way… he's quite handsome, isn't he?"
Lavinia gasped loudly, her face turning red:
– "Moooom!!! That's enouuugh!"
She ran to her room, practically exploding from embarrassment.
She threw herself onto the bed and began remembering Fareed's words about the album's effect on her present.
She wondered silently: "Mira was in my future… but now she's completely gone. I didn't change that much… but will the same thing happen with other people in my life? Will they suddenly disappear?"
A wave of anxiety washed over her, one she couldn't shake off.
The next day…
She got up sluggishly, dragging her feet as if she were carrying weights.
She hated going to school on this cold morning. She stepped out of the house and found Mikel standing there waiting for her.
He gave a sideways smile and said:
– "By the way… I saw Rocky going into your house yesterday."
She stopped suddenly and looked at him with disdain, placing her hand on her face:
– "Impossible! Are you spying on me? I can't believe this!"
Mikel's face turned red, and he waved his hand nervously:
– "Huh?! Spy on a loser like you?! Damn it… I just saw him by coincidence, that's all!"
Lavinia laughed mockingly:
– "Oh right… he only came to give back the math notebook I lent him. Don't be jealous!"
Mikel's face grew even redder, and he shouted, flailing his arms:
– "What?! Me?! Jealous of you, you tall giraffe?! Never! You're not even my type. I like girls who are cute and pretty… not an angry giraffe!"
Lavinia gasped in shock, then shouted as she chased him:
– "You rabid dog! Who cares about you anyway?!"
He started running while laughing, his brown hair flying with his fast steps and his bag bouncing on his back, while Lavinia chased him from behind, yelling:
– "Get back hereeeee!"
During literature class, the students were asked to work in groups. By Lavinia's bad luck, she was placed with Rocky and Mikel together.
She sat in front of them with her hand on her head:
– "Why… why do I have to deal with these two at the same time?!"
Rocky and Mikel sat beside each other, each staring at the other as if lightning was crackling between their eyes.
As for Lavinia, she let out a loud sigh:
– "Come on, guys, let's start."
The three of them began working, but while Rocky and Mikel were focused, Lavinia got distracted laughing and mocking everything.
Her loud laughter made Rocky stop writing.
He lifted his head, watching her laugh until her eyes watered, and smiled unconsciously.
Mikel caught this scene. His face stiffened, and he felt something tighten in his chest. He muttered sternly:
– "Lavinia… we're trying to study right now."
She responded with childish annoyance:
– "Yeah yeah… but it's really boring."
Mikel lost his patience and shouted:
– "If it's boring, then leave the group!"
She smirked mischievously:
– "As if I wanted to stay with you of all people… you idiot!"
The teacher shouted from afar:
– "You in the back! Are you studying or chatting?!"
They all froze in place, trying their best to pretend they were concentrating.
After class ended, everyone scattered in different directions. As for Lavinia, she headed toward Fareed's section.
He was sitting like a king on his throne, one leg crossed over the other, surrounded by a crowd of girls screaming his name. Some asked for his number, others begged him to date them.
Fareed ran his fingers through his carefully washed white hair, speaking with arrogance and vanity:
– "Sorry, ladies… I can't please everyone. There's a long line waiting for just one date with me."
Lavinia stood behind the door, whispering to herself:
– "Damn… just a stupid old man. I don't know what's so great about him."
At that moment, a shy girl stepped forward and asked:
– "Fareed… I want to ask you, what's your relationship with that second-year student?"
Soon another question followed, then another, until the whole place filled with voices.
Fareed smirked arrogantly and said with full confidence:
– "Ah… her? She's just another girl who's obsessed with me, like all of you here. She follows me everywhere."
Lavinia's face turned red with anger. She clenched her fists, thinking: "Obsessed with you?! Me?! You arrogant fossil…"
She stepped out from behind the door and stood directly in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest, her voice dripping with challenge:
– "Wh-aaat did you just say?"
Fareed froze for a moment, his lips trembling:
– "I-I was just joking, girl."
He stepped closer, trying to fix the situation, speaking with a mocking tone:
– "Lavinia… my girl, I missed you. You look beautiful today."
But suddenly, as he stood in front of her, a student rushed by accidentally and bumped into Lavinia's back, pushing her forward—
—straight into Fareed's chest…
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