"What's that smell?" Kayla asked as she made her way to the kitchen. Lexy stood there, a spatula in hand, as she carefully placed the noodles into a large, covered green bowl.
"I'm done, Kayla. Can you help me set the table?" Lexy asked, smiling as she glanced at Kayla. The delicious aroma of the well-garnished noodles filled the air, making Kayla's stomach growl. She licked her lips hungrily.
The noodles were a masterpiece—decorated with lobsters at the corners, fresh onions, a hint of spice from chili peppers, vibrant tomatoes, tender carrots, and fresh leaves scattered artistically around the plate. Kayla's mouth watered just looking at it. Without wasting another second, she grabbed her spoon and dove into the dish, devouring it.
"This is so good!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled as she chewed.
Lexy stared at her, a chuckle escaping her lips. "I can't quite hear you. What did you say?"
Kayla swallowed her food and grinned. "I said, this is amazing! So delicious!"
Lexy smiled in satisfaction, her eyes glinting with pride as she glanced over at Raven, who was glaring at her from the other side of the room.
"Are you sure you don't want to—" Lexy began, but Raven interrupted her, her voice cold.
"No."
Lexy raised an eyebrow, a sly smile curling on her lips. "Oh, I wasn't talking to you, Raven. I was asking Kayla if she wanted some water, since the food is quite spicy."
Raven bit her lip, clearly embarrassed. She glared at Lexy, her face flushed with frustration.
"And just so you know, I wasn't about to tell you to get up and eat my food. I don't care whether you eat or not—it's none of my business." Lexy snapped, settling down at the table with a smug look on her face.
"Mm, yummy." Lexy said, licking her lips as she stared at Raven from the corner of her eyes, her tone dripping with mockery. She had wanted to ask Raven to join them for food, but teasing her seemed much more fun.
Kayla, not wanting to let the tension drag on, turned to Raven and asked, "Are you really sure you don't want to eat? It's so delicious."
Raven shook her head dismissively, still staring off in the distance, clearly uninterested.
"It seems some people are going to starve today," Lexy commented, twirling her fork around her noodles. She couldn't resist glancing at Raven, who looked more and more frustrated by the minute.
Just as Raven opened her mouth to retort, a loud voice echoed from the door.
"Kayla!"
"Kayla!" the voice repeated, with an edge of irritation.
"What now? Do you want me to choke?" Kayla shouted back, rolling her eyes.
Lexy chuckled as they both turned to face Roman, who stood in the doorway, his handsome face twisted with anger. But as he stepped inside and inhaled the savory aroma of the food, his expression shifted.
He looked at Kayla, then at Lexy.
"Ca—" he began, but before he could finish his sentence, Lexy had already placed a generous serving of noodles on his plate. Without missing a beat, she slid a spoon toward him from the holder on the table.
Meanwhile, Raven nervously bit her nails, her internal struggle apparent. She wanted to join them, but her pride held her back. However, she knew that if she didn't join in, Lexy would surely mock her for it. She finally relented and moved to the table, though she did so begrudgingly.
"Mmm," Roman moaned, his eyes closing in appreciation as the flavors hit his tongue. Lexy couldn't help but fixate on him for a moment. She never thought she'd be sitting here, sharing a meal with one of her idols—the ruthless fighter from the ring. It felt surreal.
"So, you must be...?" Roman asked, breaking the silence. His voice was low and calm, a stark contrast to the anger from moments earlier.
Kayla rolled her eyes, already sensing the direction this conversation was heading.
"Lexy Chen," Lexy replied with a warm smile, extending her hand across the table. Roman hesitated for a second before shaking it.
"From China, right?" Kayla asked, still surprised. The monolid eyes and the straight bangs were so distinctly Chinese, but Lexy's overall look was a unique blend.
"Yeah, partly," Lexy answered.
"Oh, I see. So how come 'partly'?" Kayla asked, taking a bite of her noodles.
"My dad's Chinese, and my mom's American. We just moved from China to Los Alamos, along with my twin brothers and my twin sister," Lexy explained, her tone casual.
"Wait, you have a twin?" Kayla asked, incredulous. She stared at Lexy, her eyes wide with disbelief. The badass queen in front of her having a twin? It didn't seem possible. She couldn't help but wonder—was her twin sister just as fierce, or was she the complete opposite, pure and innocent?
"Yeah," Lexy replied, her voice flat.
Kayla's curiosity got the better of her. "Why don't you tell me about her?"
Lexy's expression darkened, and she dropped her fork with a frown. She locked eyes with Kayla before speaking.
"No, my twin sister is a... well, let's just say she's a bitch."
Kayla blinked in surprise. "Okay, then."
"So, can I ask why she doesn't come to Flinix High?" Kayla pressed, clearly intrigued by the possibility of meeting the other half of this fascinating pair.
Lexy smirked wickedly. "Who said she doesn't? Or maybe you just haven't met her yet?"
Kayla shook her head, confused. "Nope, haven't met her."
"Well, no wonder," Lexy shrugged nonchalantly, and the conversation fell into an awkward silence. Raven, still standing off to the side, gave a longing glance at the table. Her stomach rumbled, but she remained silent.
Finally, Roman broke the silence with a sudden question. "By the way, who owns that limo parked outside my house?"
Kayla paused, glancing nervously at Lexy for help. But Lexy, ever the troublemaker, just blurted it out.
"The vice principal of Flinix High," she said, as if it were the most casual thing in the world. "Oh, and in case you were wondering, it's a stolen limousine."
"A stolen limousine?!" Roman exclaimed, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as veins popped in his forehead from sheer disbelief.
Kayla bit her lip, fully aware of the mess Lexy and Raven had created—breaking into the vice principal's office, stealing his limo. She just hoped Roman wouldn't take it too seriously.