“Morning, Aria! Guess what? You were so right!” Beth’s voice is practically bouncing off the walls with excitement. How is she so energetic this early?
“Wow. Someone’s hyper. How are you even functioning right now?” I yawned, barely awake.
“Two cups of coffee, girl,” she laughs. “Oh, wait—sending you a photo now. You’re not ready for this.”
Ding.
Still half-asleep, I squint at my phone as the picture loads.
“Aria,” Beth teases, her tone dripping with amusement, “tell me this isn’t proof that you’ve got an eye for beauty.”
I blink a few times, my brain slowly catching up. Then it clicks, and I sit up a little straighter. “Wait… Beth. Is this—?”
“That’s right!” she said, sounding victorious. “That’s Coach Mark. Samantha got him super drunk at Daisy’s party, and let’s just say… things happened. Beard? Shaved clean. Glasses? Gone. The girls tied back his hair, threw some makeup on him—and boom! Total makeover. Look at him! He looks like a whole rockstar.”
I stared at the photo, conflicted. Okay, sure, Coach Mark looked shockingly good with his new look. But… doing all that while he was drunk? Without his permission? That didn’t sit right with me. That’s a line crossed, no matter how good the makeover turned out. If I were in his shoes, I’d feel so violated.
But Beth sounded so excited, and I didn’t have the energy to dive into a debate about it and ruin her vibe. So, I just said, “Well, uh, hopefully he’s cool with it. And that no one gets in trouble. Let’s just hope practice later isn’t too weird.”
Beth’s tone shifted, like she wasn’t expecting my reaction. “Wait, what? I thought you’d be thrilled! You’re always talking about how he needs a new look.”
I sighed. I could’ve said something about respecting people’s boundaries, but Beth wasn’t one to let things go. And honestly? I was way too tired to argue. “I mean, I’m all for a transformation. I guess I just need to see him in person to really appreciate it.”
It was the safest answer I could think of, but in my head, all I could think was: This should’ve been his choice, not some drunken group decision.
It’s crazy how quickly a “fun” idea can cross a line. People don’t always think about how their jokes or pranks might hurt someone. Maybe I was just being cranky from waking up, but still—it didn’t sit right.
“Aria? Hello? Are you even listening?” Beth’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
“Sorry, zoned out. What were you saying?”
She laughed. “Girl, you need caffeine. Anyway, I was saying you should swing by the studio before practice. We can head to school together. Maybe even dance for a bit, like old times!”
Beth’s family owned a dance studio, and she loved dragging me there. Not that I minded—I missed dancing.
“I’ll check my schedule,” I said, glancing at the package on the table. “I need to let my mom know about practice and sort out a couple of things first. I’ll call you back.”
“Okay, but don’t ghost me!” she said, probably with one of her signature dramatic sighs.
“Got it,” I said with a small laugh, hanging up as I shook my head. Beth’s energy was something else.
I tossed my phone onto the bed and made my way to the bathroom. After finishing up, I flushed and headed to the closet to grab a fresh outfit—nothing fancy, just a white T-shirt and denim shorts. Perfect for the warm weather.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Back in the bathroom, I stripped down, took off my wristwatch, and stepped into the shower. The argan oil and honey shampoo smelled heavenly, and the cocoa butter soap was a nice touch too. After rinsing off, I toweled off, drying my hair as well.
I own a hairdryer, but let’s be honest—I only use it when I’m feeling fancy. Today wasn’t one of those days.
Feeling refreshed, I smiled at my reflection in the mirror. It’s one of those mirrors that shows the door behind you. Sometimes that’s creepy, but it has its perks. I grabbed my worn clothes and wristwatch, took a moment to check if the bathroom needed cleaning, and, satisfied, walked out. Laundry went into the basket, wristwatch back on, and I settled on my bed.
“Aria, are you still asleep?” Mom called from downstairs.
“No, Mom! Coming in a bit!” I yelled back.
I glanced at my phone—8:12 a.m. Why I checked it instead of just looking at my wristwatch? Who knows. Unlocking my phone, I skimmed through my messages and emails, seeing if I’d missed anything.
That’s when my attention landed on Aunt Marie’s name. She’d sent me five messages.
Five. She never messages this much. We aren’t exactly close, so this sudden burst of communication felt... odd.
Message 1 (10:00 PM): Aria, how are you?
Message 2 (10:01 PM): (video)
Message 3 (10:02 PM): I sent a video, and this is important.
Message 4 (10:03 PM): Open the parcel first before watching the video.
Message 5 (11:01 PM): Where is Kyle?
But really why would aunt Marie ask for Kyle? I wish she would contact him like any normal aunt would do. Bet if she contacted him directly, he’d probably think the world was ending. I turned again towards the parcel.
I really don't feel like opening it.
I glance out the window, noting the grey sky. Was it like this when I woke up? I can't quite remember. Standing up, I begin walking toward my desk where the parcel rests, still unopened.
As I neared, a cool breeze swept through the room, making me shiver. Definitely rain on the way. I sighed, looking at the sunflowers in the vase next to the package. Even with the gloom outside, they somehow still looked bright and happy.
Urgh... I really don't want to open this package.
My stomach growled, reminding me I hadn't eaten yet.
Fine, I'm hungry—let's get this over with. I grabbed the scissors from the drawer, snipped through the strings, and tore away the remaining wrapper. Now, all I could see was a plain cardboard box. I used the scissors to cut through the tape, revealing what was inside. A bunch of shredded paper spilled out, looking like a confetti. I dug through the mess and found two envelopes and two small boxes.
I opened the first envelope that came to hand. Inside was a 1/4-length white ticket, plain but with bold, large text across the top: *Billy's Boat*. The date was printed in red in the center, and there was a reminder below that read: *strictly no luggage*. I stared at it, confused. What was this for?
Next was the second envelope. The note inside was brief but cryptic:
KYLE
Code
Meet
GUY16
I paused. The name Kyle stood out, but that didn't explain the rest. Did Aunt Marie mistake my name for Kyle's? No, that didn't make sense. She had clearly addressed the letter to me and asked about Kyle in her message. But Aria and Kyle were nowhere near similar names, right? My name's obviously feminine. So, what was this all about? Was this intended for me or him? I shook my head. Whatever it was, I needed to keep going.
Next, I turned to the boxes. The smaller one seemed lighter, so I started with that one. Inside, I found a red bracelet, its design simple yet striking. It was made of sturdy nylon rope, knotted with a single medium-sized red glass bead at the center. It resembled a *fate* or *lovers* bracelet, though thicker than usual. The bracelet rested delicately on a small pillow inside the box, making it look almost like a piece of jewelry you'd see on display in a mall.
What am I supposed to do with this bracelet?
I set it aside, still unsure. Then I opened the second box, and to my surprise, inside was a Canon camera. My mind raced—what was the point of all this? Why was I getting these things? I scrolled through Aunt Marie's messages again, hoping to make sense of it all.
Ah, she did say to watch the video she sent in my phone after opening the package. Alright, I thought. Maybe this will explain everything.
(Video)
Clicked