Fiona's POV

Today was a big day—Kayla was finally coming over! It was our first time hanging out as friends instead of project partners, and I could hardly contain my excitement.

"I can’t believe something so simple can make you this happy," Mum said, grinning as she gently played with my hair.

"Honestly, me neither," I chuckled.

"When's she supposed to arrive?" Mum asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"She should be here around 12 PM," I replied, checking the clock anxiously.

"That’s just 20 minutes away! Are you excited?" she pressed, her smile infectious.

"It's a mix of excitement and a little bit of nerves," I admitted, wringing my hands together.

"Don't worry! I promise the day will go smoothly," she said, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Thanks, Mum," I replied, feeling a little more at ease. I glanced at the clock again, my heart racing in anticipation. Today was going to be special I hoped.

It was barely ten minutes before the sound of the doorbell broke the quiet of my room.

Could it be her already?

The doorbell rang again, and I felt a flutter of excitement.

Okay, she’s definitely here.

I dashed to the door, flinging it open to find Kayla standing there, her face a mixture of anticipation and nerves, a vibrant fruit basket held tightly in her hands.

“Hey!” she greeted, her tentative smile brightening instantly.

“Hi! Come on in!” I exclaimed, stepping aside to let her in.

“I brought you this!” she said, lifting the basket proudly as if presenting a trophy.

“Oh wow, thank you so much, Kayla! This is amazing!” I replied, genuinely surprised and grateful.

“By the way, am I too early? I tried my best to stall,” she admitted, biting her lip slightly.

“Not at all! I was actually waiting for you, so it’s perfect,” I assured her, hoping to ease her nerves. I couldn’t help but admire her punctuality; she was always one of the first to arrive at school, and everyone noticed.

“Let’s head to my room. You haven’t seen it yet,” I said, leading the way as we climbed the stairs together.

As soon as we entered my room, Kayla lingered near the door, hesitating for a moment.

“Come on in!” I encouraged her, gesturing for her to step further inside.

Finally, she took a few steps forward, glancing around in awe. “Your room is beautiful,” she remarked, her eyes wide with appreciation.

“Thanks! My mum decorated everything; she really has an eye for it,” I replied, proud of my stylish space.

Kayla’s gaze landed on my bookshelf, and she pulled out a book, holding it up with curiosity. “Have you read this one?” she asked, her enthusiasm infectious.

I shook my head. “Not yet.”

“You’ll love it! It’s got the perfect mix of everything,” she insisted, her passion for the story evident.

“So, what book in the series are we starting with?” I asked before quickly rephrasing, “Wait! What book are you on now?”

“The third one; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” she said, her eyes lighting up at the mention of it.

This was going to be fun.

We spent the next hour diving into laughter as we read together, and I found myself discovering layers of Kayla I’d never seen before. My curiosity about her grew deeper with every shared giggle.

"Okay, that's enough!" she exclaimed, laughter bubbling in her voice.

It was the scene where Scabbers, Ron's mischievous pet rat, scurried around during the Quidditch match—so chaotic and hilarious!

And then, her stomach grumbled loudly, breaking the moment.

"Are you hungry?" I asked, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Kinda," she admitted, a sheepish smile creeping onto her face.

"We don’t have anything made right now. How about we head out and grab a bite?" I suggested, hoping to entice her.

"Sure! I know a fantastic pastry place," she replied with enthusiasm.

"And then we can treat ourselves to some ice cream!" I chimed in, my excitement matching hers.

"That sounds like a perfect plan!" she agreed, her eyes sparkling.

With that, we set off for brunch.

In about thirty minutes, we arrived at Jenny's, the charming pastry shop. It was buzzing with customers, and I noticed Macy's ice cream shop right across the street.

“Let’s head in!” Kayla's cheerful voice jolted me back to the moment.

“Absolutely!”

After a brief wait, we finally got our turn. Kayla ordered two decadent chocolate-filled croissants, while I opted for a slice of apple pie. The first bite was pure bliss—the sweet and savoury flavour danced in my mouth.

"This is incredible!" I exclaimed, savouring the moment.

"Jenny's definitely has the best pastries," she agreed, her eyes lighting up with happiness as she dug into her croissant.

“Do you come here often?” I inquired.

“Oh, all the time! The twins and I have made it our go-to spot, alongside the ice cream shop, of course,” she replied with a hint of nostalgia.

“That’s the ice cream shop I’ve been raving about!” I said, feeling a thrill of connection.

“Oh really? Macy's has such a reputation! It’s hard to believe we’ve never bumped into each other there,” she said, her brow furrowing in thought.

“Remember I told you I don’t indulge in ice cream often? That's probably why!” I chuckled. To shift gears, I suggested, “How about a game of 20 questions? It might help us learn more about each other.”

“Oh, okay! Do you want to start, or should I?” she asked, a mix of excitement and nervousness in her voice.

“I’ll kick it off. Let’s start simple—what’s your favourite colour? Mine’s pink,” I said, eager to know.

“Honestly, I don’t have one. If it looks good, I’ll wear it!” she replied with a playful shrug. “Alright, my turn! What’s your favourite food?”

“Mine’s a bit unique—it’s called Dolma! It’s Turkish and consists of rice, meat, pine nuts, and spices wrapped in vegetables. So delish! And I can’t live without Baklava, the sweet pastry filled with nuts and honey,” I shared, reminiscing about home.

“That sounds amazing!” she said, genuinely intrigued.

“What's one childhood memory you’ll never forget?” I asked, leaning in for her story.

She paused, her brow furrowing in thought. “Oh, it has to be the time I got lost in Disneyland when I was seven,” she said, laughter bubbling up as she recalled the chaotic adventure.

"What's the craziest experience you've had?" she asked.

"I think it has to be that Echo's concert, it was my first. I had so much fun that night," I explained.

"What's one superpower you wished you had when you were younger? I asked.

"I think it was invisibility," she said laughing at the memory.

"I wished I had super strength for some reason," I said laughing at little me's wishes.

"What's your dream career?" she asked.

"I'm not super certain yet, but something in the medical field,"

"I want to become a paediatrician," she said shyly.

"You can totally do it, I'm so rooting for you! You'll be an amazing doctor," I said.

"Thanks," she answered.

"What's the most heart-wrenching experience you've ever had?" I asked.

She took a deep breath. "You don't have to answer it,"  I added.

"No, it's fine,"

"I believe it's when my Dad left without any means of communication ever, almost like he vanished into thin air," she said, I could tell it hurt as she spoke.

"It's okay; you don't have to continue," I said, feeling guilty.

"No problem, you trusted me with your family issues; it's only fair of me to do the same," she replied.

"Now, what's the saddest experience you've ever had?" she said this time.

"It was when my pet dog died, we were pretty close, so it hit me hard," I said the tone of my voice as I spoke.

"What memory will you never forget?" she asked.

"There was this lake where I usually went to with my friends, so one day, this guy was trying to flirt with us, and while he was talking, he accidentally fell into the lake; it was so hilarious," I explained.

It was moments like these that made me realize I wanted to know more about Kayla, the captivating person beyond the laughter.