It was a Sunday morning.
The house was already filled with movement and voices before I even opened my eyes. I got up and did my usual morning routine, brushing, cleaning, sweeping the quiet rhythm that started every day.
Mom was in the kitchen, already shouting at my sister, Monet, for waking up late. I joined her to make breakfast white rice and chicken stew. I took charge of the rice while Monet blended the tomatoes and pepper, and Mom handled the stew. The scent filled the whole house, warm and familiar. After we ate, I went back to my room, stretched across my bed, and opened my phone. I didn't reply to anyone yet I just went through statuses, one by one, absentmindedly.
Then I stopped.
On Jovi's status, I saw a young, fair, tall guy. He caught my eyes immediately. The kind of fine that makes you pause without meaning to. She was wishing him a happy birthday.
I replied to her story:
"This boy is fine."
She sent back a moon emoji her favorite.
I smiled and texted, "Tell him one of your friends wants to wish him a happy birthday."
She laughed and said, "Okay."
A few minutes later, she texted again:
"He's asking for your picture."
I hesitated for a second, then sent her one of my short videos my favorite one and told her to send it to him. A few minutes passed before she forwarded his reply.
"Wow. Send more."
I laughed softly. Then she said he had asked for my number. She sent it to him and added, almost too casually, "I have a crush on him."
I froze for a moment.
My intention wasn't anything serious I just thought he looked good, maybe I could post him later, nothing deep. But still… something about her saying that made my chest tighten.
Then his message came in:
"Hey, I'm Ronny."
I smiled and replied, "I'm Barbie but my real name is Elaria."
"What does Elaria mean?" he asked.
"Attraction."
He sent a laughing emoji. "No wonder you magneted me." I couldn't help but laugh too.
The conversation flowed easily. He was funny, warm, kind of flirty, but not too much. But then Jovi noticed I was replying slower than usual.
"You're replying late," she texted.
I told her I was sorry, that I'd been chatting with Ronny.
Then she sent a long "okayyyyyyyyyyy" the kind of reply that didn't sound like her. Jovi never spoke to me like that. Something in her tone felt off, like a small wall had suddenly appeared between us. I stopped chatting with Ronny for a while and focused on her.
"Don't worry," I said, "I don't like him. We're just friends." She didn't say much after that, just sent a short "Okay."
Then, after a few minutes, she texted again.
"Come to my lesson tomorrow."
"But there's no school," I replied.
"Lie and come out please."
I smiled. "Okay."
Later that night, Ronny and I continued chatting. We talked about random things songs, school, what kind of people we liked. He told me he'd be at the lesson too, that maybe we'd meet there.....Before I slept, I told him, "I'm coming to see Jovi tomorrow."
He said, "Okay, then we'll see each other."
I smiled at the screen for a second, then turned it off and lay back. My heart was oddly calm like I didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but part of me wanted to find out.
And that night, I fell asleep thinking about both of them Jovi and Ronny unaware that things were already starting to change.