Sweet but bitter

Celine arrived right on time, knocking at the door with her usual impatient rhythm.

“I’m telling you, Lyla, this is still a terrible idea,” she said the moment she stepped inside.

“Relax,” Lyla replied with a bright, determined smile. “It’s going to be fine. You’ll see.”

From the kitchen doorway, Lyla’s mom peeked out, baby Sam balanced on her hip. “No disasters in there, girls,” she warned playfully. “I just cleaned the counters.” With that, she kissed Sam’s head and carried him off to bed, leaving the two friends to their mission.

They quickly turned the kitchen into their little bakery, measuring flour, cracking eggs, and laughing at their own mistakes. The sweet smell of butter and sugar soon filled the air.

“You should write something bold like I love your attitude on the note,” Celine teased, smirking.

Lyla’s face went crimson. “Are you crazy? He’d think I’ve lost it!” She laughed nervously, almost spilling the bowl of sugar in her fluster.

By the time the cookies came out of the oven, the whole house was wrapped in their warm, golden scent. Lyla set aside a plateful for her family, then carefully picked out the best ones—six perfect cookies with just the right amount of chocolate chips—and placed them in a pastel box. She slipped a folded note inside that read:

You’re sweet like these cookies, happy birthday.

Staring at the words, her heart skipped. “Isn’t this too corny?” she muttered.

“You’re overthinking,” Celine said, munching noisily on a cookie. “He’ll either eat them or toss them. Simple.”

Just then, the front door opened.

“Oh, Celine! What a surprise,” Lyla’s dad greeted warmly, loosening his tie as the smell hit him. “Wow, what’s this delicious aroma?”

“Hello, uncle,” Celine said with a grin.

“Cookies, Dad,” Lyla replied, holding one out proudly.

He chuckled, patting her head. “They look perfect. I’ll taste them after I freshen up. Honey, I’m home!” he called out to his wife as he disappeared down the hall.

That night, Lyla lay sprawled on her bed, hugging her pillow as her mind refused to rest. Excitement fluttered in her stomach, tangled with dread. She imagined Kael smiling as he tasted the cookies—then imagined him laughing, tearing her note in front of everyone. Her chest tightened. She tossed and turned, watching the glowing digits of her clock until, at 2 a.m., she finally sat up.

Her heart was still racing from a dream in which Kael had rejected her, the laughter of his friends echoing in her ears. Reaching for her glass of water, she took a shaky sip in the darkness.

“Shh, Lyla,” she whispered to herself, pressing the cool glass to her lips. “You’re just overthinking. Nothing bad will happen.”

But even as she lay back down and pulled the blanket over her, her thoughts refused to quiet. She clutched her pillow tight, staring into the shadows until, at last, exhaustion pulled her into a restless sleep.

Through every lecture that day, Lyla could barely focus. Her hands trembled as she tried to jot down notes, and her mind spun in endless circles. By the time recess came, her stomach was in knots. Today was it—no more backing out.

Kael sat at his usual table, surrounded by classmates handing him wrapped gifts and cards. He accepted them with the same indifferent expression, tossing them aside without a second glance. His cool detachment only made Lyla more nervous.

With Celine at her side, Lyla walked toward him, clutching the pastel box like it was her lifeline. She could already feel Sabrina and Emily’s sharp stares on her, their smirks ready to tear her apart.

“Kael…” Lyla’s voice wavered. “I have something for you.”

Kael lifted his head lazily. “Huh? Oh, you brought me something too? Just like the others?” He leaned closer, his husky voice sending shivers down her spine.

“Nerd giving a nerdy gift,” Liam snorted.

“Shut up,” Kael muttered without looking away from Lyla.

Her hands shook as she held the box out. “I… I got you cookies.”

For a moment, silence hung in the air. Kael’s eyes never left hers as he flipped open the lid. Then, to everyone’s surprise, the corners of his lips curved upward.

“He’s… smiling?” Sabrina whispered to Emily, jealousy dripping from her voice.

“I love chocolate chip cookies,” Kael said simply, his tone warmer than anyone expected. Even Jeremy and Liam exchanged shocked looks.

Without hesitation, he picked one up, took a bite, then another, finishing two cookies as the cafeteria stared in disbelief. “They’re heavenly.”

Celine, giddy with pride, blurted out, “Of course they are! Lyla and I spent the whole day baking them. She’s so in lo—” She froze, realizing too late what had slipped out.

Lyla gasped, her cheeks burning crimson. “Celine!”

Jeremy smirked. “Oh, love? We’re doing this again?”

Kael’s eyes narrowed as he stepped closer. “Do you love me, Lyla? Admit it.”

Her breath caught in her throat. The entire cafeteria hushed, eager for the spectacle. Her knees felt weak under his stare.

“Lyla, look at me!” Kael’s voice rose, commanding. Her heart hammered so hard she thought it might burst.

She forced her gaze up, her voice trembling. “…Yes. Yes, I do.”

Gasps echoed around them. For a second, Kael just studied her, unreadable. Then he smirked, tossing the empty cookie box onto the table.

“You’re not that bad, I’ll admit. We could get along.” With that, he turned and walked away, leaving everyone stunned.

“Kael, are you serious?!” Sabrina called after him, but he didn’t bother to answer.

Celine immediately threw her arms around Lyla. “Girl! We did it!” she squealed.

But Lyla just stood frozen, heart pounding, unable to process what had just happened.

Outside, Liam shoved his hands into his pockets and raised a brow.

“Kael, are you serious? Since when do you find her attractive?”

“Exactly,” Jeremy added, reaching out to slap Kael’s shoulder. “That’s what I’m wondering too.”

Kael smirked faintly, his gaze distant. “I don’t know. But there’s something about her innocence. She’s not like the others… not calculating, not fake. She doesn’t even know what she’s doing half the time.” He paused, his voice lower. “I hate cunning people. She’s definitely not one of them.”

Liam whistled. “So what—you’re seriously gonna hang out with her now?”

Kael shrugged, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “Maybe. Let’s see where it goes.”

Meanwhile, Lyla and Celine walked down the hall, still buzzing from what had happened. Lyla hugged her books to her chest, her face bright pink.

“He did not say he liked me, okay? All he said was ‘you’re not that bad.’ That doesn’t mean anything!” Lyla rambled, trying and failing to hide her giddy blush.

“Girl, please.” Celine gave her a look. “That’s practically a huge hint. You’re glowing right now.”

“It’s probably a dream. Pinch me, I need to check.”

Instead, Celine flicked the back of Lyla’s head. “You’ve lost your mind.”

Lyla broke into a laugh and hugged her friend tightly. “Okay, okay—I’ll admit it. I’m really happy.”

“That’s more like it!” Celine grinned, squeezing her back. “And you should’ve seen Sabrina’s face—it was priceless!”

At that, they both burst out laughing, their voices echoing down the empty corridor. For once, Lyla didn’t care about the stares. She couldn’t stop smiling.

Later, after school ended, Lyla went home with a spring in her step. She was too happy today, her cheeks hurting from smiling nonstop.

“You’re in a good mood today. What’s up, honey?” her mom asked while serving her lunch.

“Oh, mom, I just… scored really well on an oral test, and the teacher appreciated me,” Lyla said quickly, trying to sound casual.

“That’s so good! I’m proud of you,” her mom said warmly.

But the real storm didn’t hit until later that evening.

Her phone buzzed with a notification. An unknown number.

Probably a random promotion, she thought, but curiosity made her open it.

“Hey… is this Lyla?”

Her eyes widened. Heart pounding, she typed back: Yeah… who are you?

The reply came almost instantly.

“Kael.”

Lyla’s heart nearly stopped. She let out a scream so sharp her mom rushed into the room.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes, mom! I just… hit my toe!” she blurted, clutching her phone like it was treasure.

Her mom frowned, unconvinced. “Be careful. And Sam, finish your vegetables! You’ve been playing with them for half an hour!”

Lyla stared at the screen, rereading the name a hundred times. No way… Kael?

Another message popped up.

“So now you’re acting up, princess?”

“Yeah because I'm a girl so I gotta have an attitude”, she typed back.

She almost fainted. Princess? She buried her face in her pillow, kicking her legs under the blanket to contain her excitement.

Smooth. Real smooth, she scolded herself.

She quickly screenshotted the conversation and fired it off to Celine.

Seconds later, her best friend’s reply came through in all caps:

“LYLA GIRL. HE CALLED YOU PRINCESS. GIRL, YOU’RE LIVING MY DREAM.”

Lyla stifled a giggle, but another text came from Kael:

“I can handle it”

Handle what? she wondered, her cheeks burning.

“Why are you smiling?” her mom asked, peering at her suspiciously.

“Oh—Celine just sent a really funny meme,” Lyla said quickly, hiding her phone under the table.

Her mom nodded, but her eyes narrowed. She knew something was up.

That night, Lyla and Kael’s phones never seemed to rest. One message after another, their conversation flowed effortlessly—from silly jokes to random confessions, and even moments of unexpected sweetness. Hours passed without them even realizing.

By the time Lyla glanced at the clock, her eyes widened. 2 a.m.? Oh no…

“I think we should sleep,” she typed reluctantly. “I’ll meet you at school.”

Almost instantly, his reply appeared.

“Aww, and what about a kiss?”

Her cheeks flamed red. She stared at the screen, her heart racing so fast she could barely think straight.

“Shut up!” she typed furiously, her fingers trembling.

She quickly locked her phone and tossed it onto her nightstand, burying her face in the pillow to hide her uncontrollable smile. Her chest felt like it was glowing, her blush refusing to fade.

Now,her dreams belonged entirely to him. She dreamt of Kael’s teasing grin, the way his eyes softened when he looked at her, and his voice echoing in her head. But when morning came, a nervous thought clawed at her:

How on earth am I supposed to face him at school after all that?

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