Chapter 11: "Nike Dreams, Strawberry Clips, and a Glitch in the System"
Ophira's POV
Sister Day. The one day a month I let myself skip the gym, push aside the calorie tracker, and act like a normal human being instead of a sports machine with a Fitbit for a soul.
I was halfway through my pre-run stretches when Yasha thundered through the hallway, dragging Reese out of her office like a fashion-forward warden.
"We are not doing work today!" she shouted. "Sister Day!"
I smirked, arms crossed as I leaned against the doorway. "She's not wrong. Even warriors rest."
Reese gave me the kind of look you reserve for people who dare interrupt your spreadsheets. But she didn't argue. None of us really could—not when it came to this.
By the time she emerged from her room dressed like a Pinterest board titled Parisian Threat, I let out a low whistle. "Damn, Reese. Trying to outshine us on our own day?"
She just gave a subtle smirk. "Always."
Yasha led the charge. Like always. The rest of us followed—Paicey with her dramatic sighs, Gaia with her facts, Bailey floating like a whisper, Valerie trailing stardust with every step.
Me? I was just here for the Nikes.
But first: fashion.
Rose & Rue was Yasha's sacred ground. As she dragged Reese to inspect another off-shoulder dress, I wandered toward the men's section—more comfortable silhouettes, better cuts. Still, I kept an eye on my sisters, smiling as Paicey convinced Reese to buy a strawberry hair clip like it was the key to world peace.
My attention flickered when Gaia started calculating price-performance ratios out loud. Only Gaia would treat sneaker shopping like a science project.
"I saw this pair of Nikes with perfect heel stability," I told her, more to defend my future purchase than anything else. "It's not hoarding if it's functional."
"Objectively false," Gaia replied, not even looking up from her notepad.
We paused at the accessories kiosk, then at the bubble tea stand. Bailey, sweet as always, passed me a matcha drink without saying a word. We weren't the most talkative pair, but we understood each other in the quiet.
The photo booth was next. Yasha, of course, insisted. We crammed inside like over-sugared chaos in a glittery can.
Valerie's curls glinted in the booth's flash. Paicey made a face worthy of meme history. I flexed because someone had to bring the muscle. Reese was in the center—glowing despite pretending not to enjoy herself.
Click.
Flash.
Freeze-frame.
Moments like that? They were rare. Perfect in a way that made me hope time wouldn't move too fast.
We spilled out laughing, huddling over the strip like it was a national treasure. I cracked up at Paicey's tongue-out chaos, teasing her while Valerie claimed it as art. Gaia critiqued Yasha's mid-photo hair flip like a dissertation.
Then—
"Yasha!"
I turned instinctively at the voice.
Yuan.
I clocked him before the others even registered the name. The moment Yasha launched into his arms, I knew the mood would shift. Not in a bad way, just… different.
Then came the rest.
Raiden. Ozaire. Gared. Beck. Vayden. Percy.
The boys. All swagger and smugness.
Chaos.
I watched Reese's whole body stiffen at the sight of Raiden. The flirtatious energy between them was practically radioactive.
"Should've brought popcorn," I muttered to Valerie.
"Please," she whispered, "I live for this."
Still, I kept my eye on Ozaire.
He didn't look at me.
Not once.
Raiden called out something flirty. Reese snapped back. The usual. I laughed on cue, throwing in a sarcastic "Scandalous" when Yasha tried to defend herself.
But inside? A little glitch.
Just a little.
Yasha's giddy reunion turned into a full group date by the five-minute mark. My smile tightened.
Then Raiden said it.
"Ozaire's got a girl now."
And just like that, the glitch turned into a short circuit.
I didn't say anything. I didn't have to. No one noticed. Not even Yasha, who usually noticed everything.
Except Reese and...Valerie. Her sketchpad froze mid-line. She looked at me with soft confusion but didn't speak.
I laughed a little too loud at Gaia's quip. Tossed in a "Let's hit the next store" to keep things moving. If I paused, I'd think too hard—and this wasn't the place for that.
Later. I'd deal with it later.
For now, I shoved the feeling deep down and marched ahead like the athlete I was trained to be.
But the moment Ozaire brushed past me without a word?
That moment stayed.
And it stung.
"Sometimes, even in a crowd, your silence says everything. And sometimes, pretending it doesn't hurt is the only way to keep laughing with the people you love."