Part 4

“Good morning,” Ailia’s chipper mood the next morning did little to change Bibi’s sour one. She had cried herself to sleep and then had awoken feeling far from refreshed. Bibi grunted in reply.

“What’s wrong?” Ailia asked worriedly. Today her hair had extra volume: it kept flying and sticking to her lipgloss.

“I’m just missing Bernard.” Bibi sighed.

Ailia’s face turned sad at her friend’s plight. She softly touched Bibi’s elbow, making Bibi look up. “I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

Bibi gave her a hesitant smile. “I’m alright. I need to toughen up.”

She started to walk again, giving Ailia no choice but to catch up or else be left behind. Ailia did the former, maneuvering through the crowded school hallway. And, among the loud teenage conversations, Bibi could have sworn she heard Ailia quietly say, “Missing someone is the farthest thing from weakness.”

*

The boys, as usual, were waiting for Bibi and Ailia at the girls’ lockers. They were both smiling but Xzavier, upon seeing Bibi’s glum expression, frowned.

He went up to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “What’s wrong, sugarplum?”

Bibi was slightly taken aback; sugarplum was the pet name Bernard always called her. She couldn’t think of how Xzavier had found out about it, but she also couldn’t deny how comforting it was to be called something she hadn’t been called since Bernard left.

“I’m just missing Bernard.” She admitted.

Xzavier’s brown eyes turned soft. “Ah, the brother. Where is he again?”

Bibi shrugged sadly. “I’m not really sure anymore. I haven’t heard from him in weeks.”

As soon as he was done with high school, Bernard had enlisted in the army. It had always been his dream to fight for his country, no matter the risks. And, as it turned out, he was a great soldier. Which meant traveling to places even his family couldn’t know about and sending brief messages so as not to reveal his location. Bibi prayed for him every night and knew that God would keep him safe, but that didn’t stop her from missing one of her best friends.

“Sometimes no news is the best news,” Xzavier said gently.

Again, Bibi was slightly surprised. Xzavier was known around school for being sarcastic and having a dry sense of humor. He was not known for comforting girls or being sensitive. Bibi was beginning to find she liked this side of Xzavier, however.

“Yeah, I guess. Sometimes I just wish he would come home.” Bibi turned her head and was startled to find just how close their faces were, since Xzavier’s arm was still around her shoulders. For a moment time seemed to freeze and it was just them. And then, the bell rang, breaking their small dome of closeness.

Xzavier unwrapped himself from around Bibi and then turned to face her. He tucked her chin slightly with his hand, smiling gently. “Be careful what you wish for.”

Then he disappeared into the shoving crowd of late students, Zaiden at his heels.

Ailia, who had been talking with Zaiden and thus missed Bibi and Xzavier’s entire exchange save for Xzavier’s last parting line, looked at Bibi strangely and asked, “What was that about?”

Bibi grinned, suddenly not missing Bernard quite as much as before. “I’ll tell you after math.”

*

“I just don’t understand why it’s called a ‘driveway’ when you park there.” Bibi was saying as she opened her front door. 

“Well, maybe it’s supposed to be like ‘driveaway’ only without the ‘a’.” Ailia followed her into the foyer and closed the front door behind her.

“Maybe.” Bibi was still unsure but the scent of cookies in the air stopped her train of thought. She followed the smell into the kitchen, where her mother was making snickerdoodles.

“These look delicious, Mrs. Oda.” Ailia said to Bibi’s mother.

“Suck up,” Bibi whispered out of the corner of her mouth, soft enough that her mother couldn’t hear.

“Thank you! Why don’t you have one?” Mrs. Oda offered.

Ailia sent a gloating smile at Bibi as she took a cookie. It was warm and still gooey in the middle.

“Can I have one, Mom?” Bibi asked.

“Sure, sure,” Mrs. Oda waved a spoon in the direction of the fresh cookies and Bibi took two. After a sharp look from her mother, she put one back.

Salma Oda was a short woman with striking brown eyes and slightly curly brown hair. She was a receptionist in the mornings and spent her afternoons baking to her heart’s content while her husband was at work.

Bibi and Ailia headed towards the door but stopped when Mrs. Oda called after them, “Two packages arrived for you, Bibi. I put them on your bed.”

Bibi shared a look of surprise with Ailia and then turned back to her mother. “What? Another gift?”

“Yes,” Mrs. Oda stopped slapping cookies on the sheet to lock eyes with her daughter. “Who keeps sending them to you?”

“We don’t know. That’s the problem.” Bibi said, slightly frustrated. She hated mysteries.

Mrs. Oda nodded and let the girls go upstairs without further questions.

Once in Bibi’s room, the girls turned to her bed. Just as her mom promised, there were two packages there: one long and skinny, the other square and fat.

“Déjà vu.” Ailia commented as they both stared down at the gifts.

“Yeah, really.” Bibi wavered on whether to open it right away or bask in the feeling of having a surprise. But Bibi was not known for her patience. So she ripped open the larger box, letting the lid fly through the air and onto the floor. Then, of course, she had to gasp. Because what girl wouldn’t upon seeing her dream dress in reality?

It was strapless, with beading along the top of the bodice and trailing down to the left hip, where the dark purple material was gathered slightly. The same purple material traveled down, hugging the hips and then puffing out somewhat almost to the ground.

Bibi traced her fingers down the dress. It was a rich purple and was smooth to the touch. Nestled beside it were deep purple elbow-length gloves, like the kind you see in women’s tea parties. Then, in the other box, there were the shoes: these delicate silver things that seemed all slim straps with a small heel. Bibi loved them. They matched the purple mask, which was outlined in silver and even had purple feathers on the corners dyed to match the dress.

Bibi shook her head, her dark eyes darting across the marvelous gifts. “This is crazy.”

“Look,” Ailia had spotted something on the ground. She bent and picked it up; it was a miniature rectangular piece of paper that must have fallen from one of the boxes in Bibi’s excitement. Ailia handed it to Bibi, who read it aloud.

Just in case.

And that was all. No name, no “Prince Charming” signature. It was just written in that loopy, tight script.

Bibi sat down on the bed beside her beautiful dress. Ailia leaned against the windowsill.

“Do you think,” ventured Bibi after a quiet moment, “that the same guy who’s sending you gifts sent these to me?”

“I don’t know.” Admitted Ailia. She crossed her arms and scrutinized the presents. “It seems a little strange for someone to be sending gifts to both you and me, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, very weird.” Agreed Bibi.

“I know.” Ailia began to pace. “Especially considered we’re friends. I mean, whoever is sending us these things has to know we’re best friends, right?”

Bibi rubbed her eyes. “You would think.”

“But what if,” Ailia stopped pacing and turned to Bibi, her clear blue eyes shining. “What if it’s two different people and they’re just writing so that the letters look similar.”

Bibi shrugged. “Anything’s possible.”

“I know, right?” Ailia giggled. “You’re getting cryptic messages and beautiful gives from a mystery guy and I’m getting letters from Prince Charming! This is so fun!”

Bibi grinned at Ailia, but it dimmed slightly the longer she looked at her. Her thoughts went to her feelings yesterday, when she got mad at Ailia for not even attempting to find out who her prince charming was. Could it be that she just didn’t want to know?

Bibi voiced the last question aloud and, to her surprise, Ailia’s cheeks turned a light shade of red.

“I’m shy.” Ailia admitted. “Boys don’t talk to me, besides Zaiden and Xzavier. But for the first time someone likes me enough to send me gifts! He’s sweet and kind and got me glass slippers for goodness’ sake! I just want to enjoy this. The moment I find out his true identity is the moment things get complicated.”

Bibi just blinked at her. She never realized Ailia was that sensitive about how quiet she was. It was true that boys never ventured to talk to her but it wasn’t as if Ailia went out of her way for them, either.

“Do you want to find out who he is?” Bibi asked.

Ailia smiled sadly at her and rolled one shoulder in a shrug. “I just want to be loved.”