"Honestly, I can't say. Only time can answer that," she replied.
"So, can we head to class now?" Regina asked.
"Yes, we can," Amira responded.
"But he went to get you something, didn't he?" Regina pressed.
"Yes, he did, but the way people keep staring is getting on my nerves," Amira said, turning away.
"Hey, wait for me," Regina called, hurrying after her.
"Hey, babe," Amelia greeted Fredrick warmly.
"What were you doing with Amira?" she asked, her tone light but curious.
"It was Henry who wanted to speak with her. I merely followed along," Fredrick explained. "You have nothing to worry about. You're the only one I see—no one else."
"I know," she said, smiling as she kissed his cheek.
"Ahm! Sis?" Amira called out.
"Yes?" Regina answered.
"Don't tell me those two are dating," Amira murmured, watching Reina and Fredrick from a distance.
"They are. Is there a problem?" Regina asked.
"So Reina has a boyfriend, and yet I caught her kissing Andrew in the restroom the other day?" Amira said quietly.
"You what?" Henry demanded, appearing unexpectedly.
"Nothing," Amira replied quickly. "We were just discussing someone."
"I thought I heard Reina's name," he said suspiciously.
"You must have misheard," she replied.
"If you say so." He handed her a packet. "Here—your snacks."
"Thank you," Amira said, accepting them with a faint smile.
"I have to go now. We'll talk later," Henry said.
"No problem," she replied.
Once he left, Regina turned to Amira. "Did I hear you correctly?"
"I don't understand her," Regina continued. "She's dating Fredrick and cheating with Andrew? That's horrible."
"Gina, what she does is none of my concern," Amira replied calmly. "It's her life."
"But Fredrick is innocent," Regina insisted.
"That's true—but there's nothing we can do."
"We could tell Henry… or even Fredrick," Regina suggested.
"Regina," Amira said firmly, "have you forgotten the meaning of minding your own business?"
"You're right," Regina admitted.
"And you said she dated Henry as well?" Amira asked.
"Yes. Everyone knew—except one person," Regina replied.
"So she's been involved with Andrew, Fredrick, and Henry?" Amira scoffed. "Some girls truly lack sense."
"Come on, Henry isn't that kind of man," Regina objected.
"I know. Still, something about it all feels wrong," Amira said.
"Amira, Henry is your friend now, and that makes Fredrick your friend too," Regina said. "You can't just stand by and watch him marry a slut."
"Marry?" Amira repeated sharply.
"Yes. They're engaged. Fredrick plans to marry her after school."
"What?" Amira exclaimed in disbelief.
"So… are you going to do something now?" Regina asked.
"Maybe," Amira replied quietly.
At that moment, the bell rang, signaling the end of break. After a few more classes, the final bell echoed through the halls, and as students began filing out, Henry and Fredrick approached Amira and Regina.
"Hi, princess," Henry said, taking Amira's hand before greeting Regina.
"Hi—and welcome to the family," Fredrick added, shaking their hands.
"Thank you," they replied.
"Isn't someone missing?" Amira asked.
"Reina went to submit her assignment. She missed the deadline yesterday," Fredrick explained.
Amira and Regina exchanged knowing glances.
"You two wait here. I need to use the restroom," Amira said.
"All right," Henry and Fredrick agreed.
Inside the restroom, Amira pushed open one stall after another—until she reached one occupied by two people engaged in sex.
"Holy shit," Regina breathed.
Reina scrambled to fix her clothes as Andrew hurriedly adjusted himself and slipped out.
"So this is how you 'submit assignments,'" Amira said icily.
"Amira, please," Reina begged. "We can talk about this. Just don't tell Fredrick."
"The fact that I caught you once before and you still continued is infuriating," Amira replied. "I can't promise you anything."
"Fred loves you," she continued coldly. "Everyone admires your relationship. Every girl dreams of having someone like him, and you had him served on a platter of gold—yet you chose this."
"Let's go," Regina said, pulling Amira away.
When they returned, Henry and Fredrick looked at them curiously.
"What took you so long?" Henry asked.
"Sorry," Amira said smoothly. "Reina was pleading with the teacher to accept her assignment."
"So where is she now?" Fredrick asked.
"I'm here," Reina said, approaching them.
"You asked for ten minutes—it's been an hour," Fredrick said gently.
"The teacher delayed me," Reina replied sweetly. "I'm sorry for keeping my baby waiting."
"It's fine, love," Fredrick said, kissing her.
"People are watching," Regina murmured.
"Sorry," Fredrick said sheepishly.
"Princess, you seem off. What's wrong?" Henry asked Amira.
"Off?" she echoed. "I'm fine."
"So how long have you two been together?" Amira asked.
"A year and six months," Fredrick answered proudly.
"That's wonderful," Amira said. "You look perfect together."
"I admire the trust you share," Regina added.
"Thank you," they replied.
"You must love her deeply," Amira said.
"I do. I can't imagine life without her," Fredrick confessed.
"And you're certain neither of you will ever break the other's heart?" Amira asked.
Reina met Amira's gaze knowingly. Amira ignored it.
"I'm certain," Fredrick said. "She's my everything."
His words pierced Amira's heart. She longed to tell him the truth—but knowing how profoundly he trusted Reina, she realized he would never believe her.
And so, she chose silence.
"So, you two are going to wait for your driver here?" Henry asked as they reached the gate.
"Yeah, we will," Amira replied.
"I couldn't talk to you the way I wanted. Guess we'll talk tomorrow," he said.
"Sure," Amira responded. "Are you trekking home?" she asked later.
"Yeah, it's not far from here," he replied.
"And Reina?" Regina asked.
"Today's Friday. She usually spends the weekend with Fred at our house," he answered.
"Okay then. Bye," Amira and Regina said.
"Bye," they replied, waving as they left.
"Why didn't you tell him?" Regina asked once they were alone.
"Gina, with how much he loves and trusts her, he wouldn't believe me unless he saw it himself," Amira replied.
"True, but there's no way she would do that again… unless she doesn't love him," Regina said.
"Reina doesn't love Fred. She's just using him," Amira said flatly.
"She's from a wealthy family," Regina added.
"Reina? She's just a heartless soul who doesn't care about anyone's feelings—that's the only definition I can give her. Just like Edward's big sister's ex," Amira replied.
"Well, I guess not only men are wicked; women can be too. She's just a playgirl," Regina said, worry creeping into her voice.
"Fred happens to think like my big sister. The only difference is that he isn't rushing into relationships," Amira said.
"So you're saying he's letting love cloud his reasoning?" Regina asked.
"Exactly," Amira said with a smile. "This is why I love you—you're smart."
"I don't blame him, though. We women are good at acting," Regina said.
"Gina, good at acting, you say? As far as someone is pretending, there's always a clue somewhere. You just need to observe carefully," Amira said with a smile.
Just then, Jack arrived, and they all got into the car and headed home.
"Amira, you seem to know people's character so well," Regina said inside the car.
"I just happen to be observant. That's all," Amira replied.
"For the fact that your friend is about to go through what my big sister is going through right now, and you're just sitting here doing nothing, even though you could save him from making the mistake of his life… that really makes you wicked," Regina pointed out.
"Wicked, you say? Eish! That hurts coming from you," Amira said with a playful smile. "Minding my own business is called wickedness now? Seriously?"
"Minding your business? Amira, he is your business now. He's your friend," Regina countered.
"Okay, but since you're so worried about him, why don't you be the heroine here? You're the one who caught her with another guy, remember?" Amira shot back.
"Okay… how about we give her some time?" Amira suggested.
"If I understand you correctly, you're saying we should just let her do as she pleases? How does that help?" Regina asked.
"She felt sorry earlier, didn't she?" Amira asked.
"Yes, she did," Regina replied.
"So I think she will change. Since I'm friends with Henry and Fred now, I can warn them about her. If she continues, then I can act," Amira said confidently.
"Oh… okay," Regina said with a smile.
"So, we're good now, right?" Amira asked.
"Yeah, we're good," she replied.
Just then, they reached home. Amira went straight to her sister's room, where Mirabel and Richard were also present.
"Zoe, you can't hurt yourself over a guy who isn't worth your tears," Richard said firmly.
"He has moved on, so why are you still hung up on him?" Mirabel asked, worry etched on her face.
"Because I love him. I can't believe he ended things," Zoe said through tears.
"Zoe, if you can stop crying and keep yourself busy, you'll forget him before you know it," Richard said.
"What's going on here?" Amira and Regina asked as soon as they entered.
"Your sister wants to kill herself because of a guy," Mirabel said sadly.
"Kill herself?!" the girls exclaimed in unison.
"She hasn't eaten for days," Richard added, frustration clear in his voice.
"Mom, bro, can you give us some time to talk to her?" Amira asked.
"We've tried, but she won't listen," Richard said.
"Just give us some time," Amira insisted.
"Okay," Richard said, and left.
Seeing Mirabel so down, Regina embraced her. "Mom, don't worry. She will be fine. We promise we'll make sure she comes around," Regina consoled.
"Okay… if you say so," her mother said and left.
Zoe immediately broke down, and Amira went to her side.
"Calm down, sis," Regina said, gently caressing her sister's hair.
"When did you start crying over some jerk? You say you love him, and he betrayed you. Why can't you accept reality?" Amira asked.
"I can't… because I love him too much. It hurts," Zoe sobbed.
"But crying won't bring him back. It will only make you feel worse," Amira said softly.
"I don't care… just let me cry," Zoe said weakly.
"Before you think of hurting yourself over some worthless jerk, did you think of me, Mom, your big brother, and Gina? Did you think about how we would feel?" Amira asked.
"I understand you're hurt, heartbroken, and betrayed. Life is unfair sometimes. But the only way to beat life at its own game is to be strong, no matter what comes your way," Amira continued.
"You worry about your friends being married while you're not, but there is a time for everything. Your man will come when it's your time—you just need patience and strength."
"How long am I supposed to wait? I'm not getting any younger. Why am I so unlucky in relationships? Is it a curse?" Zoe asked bitterly.
"Zoe, you dated three guys, and it didn't work out. Instead of facing life and waiting for the right person, you rushed into relationships, and now this is the result. Please, I beg you, take a chill, calm down, wipe your tears, and go back to work. You'll forget Alex in no time," Amira said firmly.
"How am I supposed to concentrate?" Zoe asked.
"By relaxing your mind. We're going to help you with that. I hate seeing you like this—it hurts too much. Please stop, sis," Amira said gently.
"Amira is right. You have to take a break from relationships. You'll get married when the time is right. Now, go get dressed, have lunch, and we're going out," Regina added.
"I have no interest in going out," Zoe said weakly.
"Well, you have no choice. Go take care of yourself," Regina insisted.
"If we come back and you're not ready, I'll be really mad at you," Amira warned.
"Okay, I'll do what I need to do," Zoe said, heading to the bathroom. The sisters left, determined to help her heal.
"Ah… so, what are we having for lunch?" Reina asked, glancing at Fred, who was absorbed in a game on the television, and Henry, who was busy with his phone.
"Anything is fine," Fred replied casually. "Right, bro?" he added, looking at Henry.
"Yeah," Henry said, and then dialed Amira's number.
"Okay, if you say so," she said, rising to head to the kitchen to prepare something.
"Why isn't she picking up?" Henry asked after the fourth attempt at calling.
"Maybe she's just busy or something," Fred said, eyes still fixed on the screen.
"How sure are you?" Henry pressed.
"She's not avoiding you. Being busy is the only explanation. Calm down and call her later tonight," Fred advised.
"Okay," Henry replied, before joining him in the PS game he was playing.
"Ah… bro, can I talk to you?" Henry asked, his attention partially on the game.
"Sure," Fred said.
"I know this might sound strange, but… Reina isn't the kind of girl you should marry," Henry said carefully.
"Why? I thought you liked her," Fred replied, still focused on the PS game.
"She made sexual advances toward me the other day. She's not to be trusted, and as it stands, I doubt her fidelity to you," Henry said bluntly.
"This is the second time you've said this. I don't know why you're bent on ruining my relationship when you know how much I love her," Fred snapped.
"Fred, I'm serious. She's dating you and making advances toward another man. That means she doesn't love you," Henry insisted.
"You know what? I'm done talking about this. I'm not letting her go—that's final," Fred said firmly.
Henry was about to respond further when Reina's voice interrupted: "Lunch is served!"
"Okay," they both said, dropping their controllers and heading to the dining room.
Henry sat to Fred's left, and Reina to his right, serving the food with a smile.
"Here you go," she said, placing Fred's plate down. "And here's yours," she added, serving Henry, then taking her own seat.
"How is it?" she asked as they started eating.
"Delicious," Fred replied.
"Thanks," she said with a smile.
"Ah… is the food not to your taste?" Reina asked calmly.
"It is! It's good," Henry said reluctantly.
"Are you mad at me?" Reina asked curiously.
"Can you just keep quiet and let's eat in peace?" Henry said, irritation clear in his tone.
"Okay," Reina replied, a little sadly.
"Don't take it to heart. He's just frustrated because the girl he's been trying to reach hasn't answered or returned his calls," Henry explained.
"No problem," Reina said with a smile, resuming her meal.
"Ah… babe!" Fred called.
"Yes, baby?" she replied.
"Are you seeing anyone else besides me?" Fred asked, a fork halfway to his mouth.
"Where is that coming from?" Reina asked, surprised.
"Just answer the question," Henry interjected coldly.
"No, I'm not. Why would I? I have you," she said sincerely.
"It's not like I expect you to admit to being a bitch," Henry said sharply.
"Bro? That's it? You're getting angry for nothing," Fred said, raising his hands.
"I don't get it. Why are you so blindly in love with her? She hasn't done anything to you, and this is really frustrating," Henry said before leaving the dining room.
"You suspected I was cheating because Henry said so?" Reina asked, surprised.
"It's not like that," Fred replied.
"Then what is it? I thought you trusted me," she pressed.
"Of course I do. That's why when he told me, I corrected him—I told him you wouldn't do such a thing," Fred explained.
"But you just asked me if I was seeing someone else," she said, frowning.
"I asked to show him the truth," Fred said softly.
Reina sighed. "I thought you didn't trust me."
"No problem. I just want you to know I love and trust you," he said, leaning in to kiss her. "Now, let's eat."
"So, what are we wearing?" Gina asked.
"You know we always match," Amira replied. "Why are you asking?"
"I think this is okay, right?" Regina asked, holding up a pair of blue jeans and a white crop top with red lettering.
"Yeah, it's perfect," Amira said with a smile, taking the clothes from her.
They got dressed and headed to Zoe's room, where she was finishing her makeup.
"Ooooh, look who we have here!" Amira said, smiling. "Sis, you look amazing."
"Wow! You look beautiful," Regina added.
"You're sure?" Zoe asked, finally done with her makeup and standing up.
"Hundred percent," they both chorused.
"Okay then, we're good to go," Zoe said, grabbing her bag.
"Okay, Highness," Regina said with a grin.
Downstairs, Richard and Mirabel were sitting, clearly waiting to see how the talk with Zoe had gone.
"Are you two heading out?" Richard asked as they approached.
"Yeah," Amira replied.
"Why?" Mirabel asked.
"Someone needs some fresh air," Regina answered, and Zoe came down shortly after.
"Hey! Who do we have here?" Richard said, pulling Zoe into a hug.
"How did you guys do it?" he asked curiously.
"Well, we haven't really done anything yet. She's not fully okay, but by the time we get back, she will be fine," Amira explained.
Mirabel smiled gently. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm… not fine. These kids practically blackmailed me into coming out. Their words affected me, but I'm curious to see what they have in store to make me feel better," Zoe admitted.
"Oh… okay," Richard and Mirabel said together.
"But you girls had lunch, right?" Mirabel asked.
"Sure, we did," Gina replied.
"Maid!" Amira called.
"Yes, my princess?" the maid said, hurrying in.
"Serve lunch," Amira instructed calmly.
"Okay, my princess," she replied and left.
"So, where are you three headed?" Richard asked.
"Nowhere in particular… just everywhere we can think of," Amira replied.
"Okay, if you say so," Richard said, as the maid returned with the food.
After lunch, they set out, visiting the beach, Shoprite, and an amusement park, enjoying themselves thoroughly. By the time they went to the club, it was already 7 p.m.
"This is amazing. I've actually forgotten about Alex," Zoe said, laughing. "It's like he doesn't even exist. I never knew spending time with people you love could relax your mind this much."
By 9 p.m., they returned home. Exhausted, Zoe, Amira, and Regina went straight to their rooms, lying down and dozing off even without bathing.
Meanwhile, Henry lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had been trying to reach Amira all evening, to no avail.
"Is she avoiding me?" he muttered, thinking about what he might have done wrong. Slowly, sleep took over.
THE NEXT DAY
Amira woke feeling less tired than the day before. She stretched and wiped her eyes, noticing Regina waking up.
"Good morning, Amira," Regina greeted.
"Good morning, sis. Hope you slept well," Amira replied.
"Yeah, I did. And you?" Regina asked.
"I did," Amira smiled.
"Ah… I think I heard your phone ringing last night, but I was too tired to pick it up or wake you," Regina said, heading to the bathroom.
"Who could be calling?" Amira asked, searching for her phone. She found it under the blanket.
"Wow! Fifteen missed calls… how did I not hear it ring?" Amira muttered. She dialed the number immediately, and it picked up on the first ring.
"Hey, Henry! Good morning," she greeted.
"Good morning. Finally felt like returning my calls, huh?" he asked coldly.
"No! I wasn't ignoring you on purpose. I was busy," Amira explained.
"Busy? Then why didn't you text me? You were supposed to pick up my calls," he snapped.
"I… I'm sorry, I—"
He cut her off. "We'll talk later. I have something really important to do," and hung up.
"Oh no! He thinks I ignored him intentionally! And he won't even listen to my explanation!" Amira moaned.
"Who won't listen?" Regina asked, applying her body lotion.
"Who else? Henry! He's been calling since yesterday, and now he thinks I ignored him on purpose. He won't even hear me out," Amira said sadly.
"What do you do now?" she asked herself.
"It wasn't your fault. Try explaining it to him," Regina advised.
"I just said that… and he won't listen," Amira replied.
"Then make him listen," Regina said firmly.
"How will he believe me?" Amira muttered.