The clock ticked close to 11 PM, and I found myself once again lingering at the Anderson's, where the cosy living room resembled an artist's haven thrown into creative chaos. Textbooks stacked precariously next to scattered art supplies and snack wrappers covered every available surface, while the soft glow of a lamp offered a warm refuge against the night.

Luca lounged on the couch, his fingers flicking through his phone. A twinkle of mischief danced in his eyes as he declared, "Guess what, everyone? I just snagged gold in the Procrastination Olympics! My event? Starting a project at the very last minute!"

"Ha! That's rich! I just set a personal best in 'Ignoring Homework Until I'm Desperate'!" Lila proclaimed, stretched out on the floor like a sprawled masterpiece amidst her half-finished artwork.

I couldn't help but join in the banter, "Looks like procrastination runs in the family."

"Hey!" they shouted in unison, laughter bubbling up at her teasing.

"Nice strategy! But I seriously think my late-night speed-building technique deserves some credit. I once crafted an entire volcano project in under two hours!" Luca shot back, a grin plastered across his face.

Lila raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Yeah, but are we forgetting how that masterpiece exploded all over the living room? Mom was not amused," she said, her lips curling into a mock frown.

Luca burst into a hearty laugh. "It was a 'truly' spectacular representation of volcanic activity! Who knew baking soda could be such a force of nature?"

"Right, and who knew that would keep you cleaning until midnight? Sounds like a solid addition to your procrastination time!" she retorted, a smirk dancing on her lips.

"Touche! But at least I woke up at ten this morning. Gotta give that a gold star!" he replied, puffing out his chest proudly.

"Well done, you procrastination champion!" Lila responded, mock-saluting him. "But don't forget my achievements. I conducted an expert analysis of the new show by binge-watching two entire seasons!"

Intrigued, Luca raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly did that research paper turn out for you?"

Leaning back with a triumphant grin, she replied, "Let's just say it was filled with unexpected plot twists. Who needs boring facts when you can have drama?"

With a playful nod, Luca pretended to jot down notes. "So, research paper on modern literature: must include an exhilarating chase scene and a dramatic love triangle... Brilliant approach!"

"Believe it or not, I ended up with a B-," she said, satisfaction shining in her eyes.

"Wait, that's how you scored that grade?" I chimed in, feigning disbelief.

Lila giggled at my expression. "Of course not! I did study and balanced it with my binge-watching, and hey, I'd call that a fair trade."

I glanced at the pile of homework around them, realization dawning. "Alright, we really need to wrap this up soon. School's tomorrow, remember?"

"Yeah, let's finish this up." Lila yawned.

After about an hour later, we called it a night.

As I lay in bed, my mind couldn't help but travel back to a week ago. Trust my luck, I just had to be paired with the new student, Fiona. From the moment we were paired to the conversation we had after class, my thoughts drifted far.

I remembered the unfamiliar ease I felt as we talked, sure, I was still paranoid about us working together, but maybe it wouldn't be as bad as I imagined.

Although we exchanged numbers, I hadn't received a call from Fiona since then. Maybe, the new girl wasn't different from the others, so I had gotten started on the project already.

I was actually relieved if that was the case, which I desperately hoped it was.

As my mind wandered and wandered, I soon fell into a deep slumber.

At dawn, I had already taken my bath and was getting ready to make breakfast while Lila took hers.

Since I wanted to keep it simple, I decided to make pancakes, bacon, and eggs. While the pancake batter was mixing, I fried the bacon and eggs.

Just as I was plating our delicious spread, Luca wandered in, still caught in the clutches of sleep. "Good morning, Kay," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he tried to wake up. I turned, a smile spreading across my face at his dishevelled look-hair tousled, eyes half-closed.

"Good morning, Luca! I made your favourite coffee," I said, handing him a steaming cup of freshly brewed magic.

His response was just as I expected. With a dramatic flourish, he exclaimed, "Oh, Kayla, what would I do without you?" and pulled me into a warm hug. I chuckled, a playful grin on my lips. "Uhm, nothing?"

We both erupted into laughter, the sound echoing through the kitchen and mingling with the enticing scents of breakfast-a perfect start to our day.

As we tried to calm our laughter, Lila sauntered in and said, "Good morning, guys." We responded with a cheerful, "Morning, Lila." We were all seated for breakfast when Lila asked, "Aren't you coming to school today?" The question was directed at Luca, who was still in his pyjamas. He replied, "Yeah, I'd just love to have breakfast first."

We ate breakfast, exchanging a few words here and there, but we weren't the type to chat much while eating. After we finished, Luca rushed to get ready for school while Lila washed the dishes. I was sitting on the couch, watching the last episode of Gilmore Girls Season 4. The kiss scene between Luke and Lorelai was everything I had hoped it would be.

After some time, we finally left for school. Luca was our designated driver for the week, so we took his Toyota Corolla.

We drove in comfortable silence. I could feel Luca's eyes on me as he glanced at me a few times through the rearview mirror, while Lila looked out the window, finally shoving her phone into her pocket. As we got closer, I felt my chest tightening gradually, making it harder for me to breathe.

Luca pulled over, opened the door, and crouched down in front of me, gently holding my shaky hands. At that moment, it felt like I could finally breathe again as Lila soothingly rubbed my back while hugging me. The rest of the ride remained quiet. Lila sat beside me in the back, and I rested my head on her thighs.

I've often wondered what I did to deserve these two friends. Even after twelve years of friendship, I still haven't figured it out. But whatever it was, I'm grateful that it brought them into my life.

We arrived at school shortly after and headed to our respective classes, Luca and I had Biology, while Lila had Art, so we went our separate ways. Luca and I walked to the back of the Biology classroom and claimed the very last seats.

"Are you a parking ticket? Because you've got 'fine' written all over you," he said while I let out a small chuckle. He didn't stop there. "Are you made of copper and tellurium? Because you're Cu-Te!" he continued. I couldn't help but burst out laughing, which drew some attention from the other students in the class. I couldn't stop; I knew he just wanted to hear me laugh to make sure I was okay, and I really appreciated that.

"Okay, that's enough now," I said, still laughing as I playfully hit him. It was just something I did by habit, and the twins had gotten used to it. But as I kept laughing, I suddenly heard a familiar voice say, "Hey, Kayla." As soon as I heard it, the smile on my face disappeared.

Holy crap!