'What?' Maeve thought, her mind reeling with surprise. 

Over the years, asking William about the mysterious message he sent five years ago had turned into a recurring joke, something she never expected him to actually reveal. But now, everything was changing—he was really going to tell her...

Caught off guard, Maeve stared at him, her mouth hanging open in a comical expression that made William chuckle softly. His laughter snapped her out of her shock, and she quickly closed her mouth, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"I will tell you," he said, drawing out the moment, "but not right now."

Maeve's heart sank a little. 'Of course, not right now,' she thought cynically, assuming it was all just another tease. But just as she began to retreat into her disappointment, William cut through her thoughts.

"I want to tell you on my birthday," he announced.

Maeve suddenly remembered his upcoming birthday party on January 11th, which he had invited her to. It struck her how quickly time had passed; he was going to be older than her. 

Over the years, she had watched him grow taller and stronger. When they first met, he had actually been shorter than her—a memory that brought a nostalgic smile to her face. 

In her mind, he was still that adorable little boy with golden hair, even though she knew he had matured so much since then.

That night, Maeve found herself unable to sleep, her mind buzzing with thoughts of William and what his revelation might be. Her infatuation with him was starting to take up as much time as her schoolwork, though her grades remained unaffected. 

But it was becoming increasingly clear to her friends that something was up—they could tell she had someone special on her mind.

"So, what do you think I should wear to William's party?" Vivi whispered to both Maeve and Alice as they were in class.

"Shut up, Vivi, I'm trying to concentrate," Alice said, her eyes fixed on the textbook in front of her.

Vivi, having long since abandoned her protest against being called by her nickname, responded with a sassy retort. "It's not like you'll get a better grade than me and Maeve even if you listen!" She flashed a mischievous grin at Alice's back.

Alice shot around in her seat, her expression a mix of irritation and amusement, as if she were ready to scold Vivi. But before she could respond, the math teacher interrupted the class and turned to address them.

"Alice, how many times do I have to say not to talk and turn around?" the teacher scolded, her gaze fixed on Alice.

Maeve, who had remained silent, couldn't help but suppress a giggle at the mix-up; it was Vivi who had started the conversation, not Alice. However, her amusement did not go unnoticed, and she received a gentle reprimand from the teacher as well.

When the class finally ended and the break began, the three girls huddled together.

"I still don't know what I'm going to wear!" Vivi lamented, her brow furrowed in thought.

"It's not like William will look at you anyway," Alice teased, nudging Vivi playfully.

"I'm not trying to impress William; it's his cute friends from the other class that I'm interested in!" Vivi confessed with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Careful, or you'll start drooling," Alice joked, earning a surprised gasp from Vivi.

"Drooling?!" Vivi exclaimed in mock horror, prompting laughter from both Alice and Maeve.

"You don't even know their names, Vivi!" Alice pointed out, shaking her head in amusement.

"Who cares? It was love at first sight!" Vivi declared dramatically, causing Maeve and Alice to exchange amused glances.

"I have an idea," Vivi suddenly announced, a spark of excitement in her eyes. "Let's all go to my house after school tomorrow and get ready together. After all, this is the biggest party of the year for the seventh graders, thrown by one of the most popular guys. All his gorgeous friends will be there!"

"You're so boy-crazy, Vivi. I don't know how you manage good grades when I spend all day studying," Alice remarked with a playful grin.

"So, tomorrow at my place?" Vivi proposed, looking eagerly at her friends.

Alice agreed enthusiastically, and they both turned to Maeve, who felt a pang of anxiety at the thought of what lay ahead. Agreeing meant subjecting herself to an afternoon of dress-up in Vivi's extensive wardrobe—her closet was practically the size of a small room—and enduring the inevitable makeup and heels. Though daunting, these were her friends after all.

"Fine, fine! I'll go too!" Maeve relented, unable to resist the infectious enthusiasm of her friends. The three girls exchanged excited smiles, looking forward to their pre-party preparations.

***

The next day, as Maeve approached Vivi's house, she was struck anew by its grandeur. She had visited several times before but the mansion's vastness never failed to impress her. 

A towering gate opened onto an expansive garden dotted with a sparkling fountain, leading up to the stately home that looked like something straight out of the eighteenth century.

The next day, as Maeve approached Vivi's house, she was once again taken aback by its sheer magnificence. 

Though she had visited several times before, the grandeur of the estate never ceased to amaze her. As she neared, the first thing that caught her eye was the imposing wrought iron gate, ornate and towering, hinting at the opulence beyond.

Once through the gate, Maeve found herself on a sweeping cobblestone driveway that meandered through sprawling, manicured gardens. 

Towering oaks and delicate cherry blossoms framed the path. At the heart of the garden, a majestic fountain stood as a centerpiece, its waters dancing gracefully in the sunlight, casting shimmering reflections across the verdant lawns.

Beyond the fountain, the house itself stood regally, reminiscent of a grand manor from the 1800s. It was a masterpiece of architectural beauty, its façade adorned with intricate stonework and soaring columns that evoked the craftsmanship of a hundred artisans. 

The large bay windows offered a glimpse of the opulence inside, with curtains that fluttered slightly as if breathing life into the structure.

"Oh, here you are!" Vivi's voice crackled through the intercom, spotting Maeve through a security camera. She buzzed her in remotely. "You know the drill, just follow the path through the garden until you reach the big door. Alice is already here."

Navigating the sprawling garden took Maeve a full three minutes before she reached the massive door, which Vivi always seemed to underestimate.

"Hi!" Vivi greeted her at the door, flanked by Alice and her two bounding dogs, Pink and Blue, who immediately showered Maeve with affectionate licks.

"Literally, who names their dogs after colors," Alice commented, stepping out from behind Vivi.

"I was five!" Vivi protested, and the familiar bickering began.

Maeve couldn't help but laugh; their playful arguments were endlessly entertaining.

"So, let the pre-party begin!" Vivi declared with a flourish.

Maeve was well aware that this "pre-party" at Vivi's was practically an event in itself, often leaving her more drained than the actual party. She suspected Vivi and Alice knew about her crush on William, which was the real reason she'd agreed to endure three hours of primping.

"It's 4 PM, and we have until 7, then a 30-minute drive to the party," Alice noted, checking her watch.

"Yes, only three hours! We have to hurry!" Vivi exclaimed, leading the charge up the stairs with Maeve and Alice trailing behind, trying not to trip.

Once in Vivi's room, the atmosphere shifted as Vivi and Alice suddenly turned to face Maeve, as if on cue. Maeve could tell they had something planned, though she was not privy to the specifics.

"Did you really think we'd take three whole hours to get ready?" Alice asked, a mischievous smirk on her face.

"Well, actually yes," Vivi said, giving Maeve a knowing look. Alice shot Vivi a glare that screamed, 'You're messing up the plan!'

"But we'll be interrogating you while we do it!" Alice declared, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

Vivi turned away briefly to whisper to Alice, "Are you stupid? We weren't supposed to say that! We were supposed to be more intimidating!"

"Like you'd intimidate her with that stupid face of yours," Vivi shot back quietly.

Unbeknownst to them, Maeve could hear every word; their stage whispers were not as discreet as they thought.

"Guys... you know I can hear you, right?" Maeve called out, half embarrassed and half amused by their antics.

Startled, they both spun around, rubbing their heads in a synchronized gesture of feigned confusion.

Maeve sighed, already anticipating the barrage of questions about her feelings for William. She knew her recent behavior had been obvious, and now, ready or not, it was time to face the music with her friends.

"You're going to ask if I like William, aren't you?" Maeve predicted their question.

"How did you know!?" Vivi and Alice exclaimed in unison, eyes wide.

"Just a hunch," Maeve replied with a wry smile.

"I'll tell you the whole story," she promised.

As they delved into the business of getting ready, the room buzzed with the hum of the hair dryer and the click of makeup cases. Between choosing outfits, applying makeup, and styling hair, Maeve unfolded her story with William. 

She recounted everything from their first meeting to the recent distance that had crept into her friendship with William.

Maeve finished her story just as Vivi was curling her hair and Alice was dabbing the last touches of makeup on her face. "So now he's just ignoring you?" Vivi asked, pausing with the curling iron in hand.

"Not exactly ignoring, but we don't talk much anymore, just hellos in class. You'd never guess we were childhood friends if I hadn't told you," Maeve explained.

"I still can't believe he was your childhood friend!" Alice exclaimed.

"But from what you told us, I think he liked you," Vivi chimed in, causing Alice to shoot her a skeptical look.

"He literally doesn't talk to her at school! We couldn't even tell they were friends before!" Alice countered.

"But think about it," Vivi insisted, setting the curling iron down for a moment. "What's the number one rule of rom-coms? Come on, Alice, you know this! We didn't stay up watching them all night in fifth grade for nothing!"

"When a guy suddenly starts avoiding the girl and dodges hugs, it usually means there's something more..." Alice muttered reluctantly.

"Exactly!" Vivi exclaimed. "And isn't it weird how he avoids hugs now, but still chats with you outside school? If he didn't want to be friends, he'd just ignore you completely. And you said he still texts you in school, even though you don't talk much there."

"My theory," Vivi continued, warming to her topic, "is that he's liked you since childhood and just doesn't know how to express it. And boys are silly—instead of talking more, he talks less because he's embarrassed."

Vivi grinned, pleased with her analysis, but the moment was shattered by a sudden burning smell. "Vivi! Be careful!" Maeve yelped as they all noticed her hair smoking slightly from the curler.

"That was close!" Maeve said, patting down her locks to cool them.

"Look, Maeve, maybe there's truth to what Vivi's saying. I don't know," Alice added gently. "But whatever happens, be careful with your heart. We're here for you, no matter what."

"Thanks, guys," Maeve said, her heart warmed by their friendship. As she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, she couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement for the evening ahead.

A/N: Sorry for this break again! I got sick for like 2 weeks :(

Still, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!