# Chapter 9: Unexpected Encounters
"So come on, let's go!" Priya insisted, refusing to take no for an answer as she pulled Kayla along. Instead of heading to the cafeteria, they found themselves in a quiet, secluded area—a beautiful garden with a small fountain. For a public school, Kayla hadn't known what to expect, but this place felt surprisingly luxurious and impressive.
"Thank you, I guess," she said, biting her lip.
"We are friends, aren't we?" Priya replied, a smile playing on her lips.
"Can I ask you a question?" Priya continued, pursing her lips. After receiving a nod from Kayla, she added, "Though I don't mean to intrude, did your parents really—"
"No," Kayla interrupted, already knowing what the question was about.
"Oh," Priya nodded, realization dawning.
"I think I should take my leave," Kayla said, standing up. Her lessons were over, and she needed to head home to look for a job—one that could help secure her parents' freedom from that horrible cell.
"Oh, I see," Priya said, standing up as well. She wrapped Kayla in a warm hug before Kayla walked out of the garden. Just then, her phone rang.
"Where are you, Kayla?" an angry voice yelled from the other end, and she rolled her blue eyes.
"What is it?" she asked nonchalantly.
"I'm outside, so come out."
"Excuse you! Look, Mister Man, if you don't tell me why we're in a hurry and what you're doing here at my school, then you better just leave because I'm not coming out any time soon."
On the other end, Roman pinched the space between his eyebrows, trying to figure out how to handle Kayla. She had a knack for frustrating him without even trying.
Meanwhile, Kayla strolled through the hallway, taking her sweet time to annoy Roman. With her head held high, she suddenly spotted three beautiful girls in cheerleader outfits chatting near their lockers. They looked stunning, but the middle one, with ash-blonde hair and a tall, slender figure, stood out as particularly exquisite.
"Hey, new bee!" one of them called out. Great. Just great. Kayla silently prayed for help as she turned to face them, forcing a smile.
"Yes, can I help you?" she asked, maintaining a straight face.
"Don't be like that, New Bee. We just want to be your friends," said the ash-blonde girl, earning nods from the others.
"Yeah! By the way, I'm sorry we didn't even introduce ourselves. I'm Ashley," the girl continued.
"And these are my friends, Golda and Clarissa," she said, gesturing to the two girls beside her.
Golda had beautiful olive skin and magnetic gray eyes, while Clarissa, a dark-skinned beauty, boasted aqua-blue eyes and striking dark blue hair she had dyed herself.
"Nice to meet all of you. I really have to get going—see you lat—"
"Not so fast, New Bee! I wanted to invite you to my costume party tonight!" Ashley exclaimed.
"Costume party?" both Golda and Clarissa yelled in unison, confusion etched on their faces, which made Kayla frown.
"Please," Ashley urged, giving them a forceful gaze. The others nodded in agreement, turning their eyes back to Kayla.
"So, what do you say, New Bee?"
"I don't know," Kayla said, trying to think of her schedule.
"Oh, please don't tell me you're not going to come," Ashley pleaded, adopting a cute puppy-dog face.
"Fine, I'll come," Kayla relented, earning a hug from Ashley. With a sigh, she pulled away, bidding them goodbye as she walked off.
Once she was a safe distance away, Clarissa asked, "So, what are you planning?"
"Yeah, I didn't know we had a costume party to attend," Golda added, uncertainty in her voice. "Should we go get costumes ourselves?"
"NO! You idiots, don't go getting costumes! No one is wearing a costume; that's the whole point!" Ashley exclaimed.
"Ohh, I get it now," Golda replied, a look of understanding dawning on her.
"Poor girl won't know what hit her," Clarissa said, shaking her head with an evil smile creeping onto her face.
---
Meanwhile, Kayla made her way outside the gate when she spotted a black motorcycle parked in the school parking lot. She shook her head at the owner's foolishness. In the midst of other cars, they had chosen to park an old-fashioned bike. Gosh, she would have been totally embarrassed if it were hers.
Walking in a different direction, she suddenly heard her name. Turning around, she saw a smiling Roman jogging toward her. Gosh, he was just so handsome, she thought, though his face told a different story altogether.
*Why are you so handsome?* she mused to herself.
"I've been waiting for you, Kayla! Why do you always have to torment me? Ever since I met you, you've been the only one who gives me headaches because you always go against my will. Now come here; let me take you home," he said, pulling her along.
She easily pulled her hand away, making him frown in displeasure.
"Please don't hold me like that in public; you'll ruin my image! Even the way you're dressed screams 'bad boy.' I mean, who puts tattoos all over their body and heavy piercings? Please take your hands off; I don't want to give a bad impression to my teachers," she said, glancing around to make sure no one had seen them together.
"Kayla, when did you start caring about what other people think of you?" he asked, stepping closer. She instinctively took a step back.
"Since I'm at school, Roman! I have a reputation to uphold," she shot back, her heart racing as she tried to keep her composure.
"Who cares about their reputation when they're with friends?" he replied, a teasing grin spreading across his face.
Kayla rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Friends? You mean you're the only one making things complicated here."
"Complicated? Or exciting?" Roman challenged, taking another step closer, invading her personal space.
"Exciting?" she scoffed, trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach. "This is just a headache waiting to happen."
"Maybe it's a good headache," he said, a playful glint in his eyes. "You know, the kind that makes you feel alive."
"More like the kind that makes me want to run away," she shot back, unable to suppress a smile.
"Then why don't you let me take you home? I promise I won't bite," he said, his voice dropping to a more serious tone.
Kayla hesitated, caught off guard by the sincerity in his eyes. "Fine, but you have to promise not to embarrass me."
"Deal," he said, extending his pinky finger.
Kayla laughed, linking her pinky with his. "You're ridiculous."
"Ridiculous, but handsome," he said, winking.
As they walked toward the parking lot together, Kayla felt a strange mix of excitement and anxiety. She knew that getting close to Roman might complicate her life further, but a small part of her was curious to see where this connection might lead.
With every step, she felt the weight of her worries lift just a little, as if the chaos of her life might just find a way to weave itself into something unexpectedly beautiful.