I woke up early on a Saturday morning, replaying Bruno Mars over and over in my AirPods while I smiled at the time I spent with Leigh yesterday. Honestly, Leigh Boyce's perfect deep voice has replaced Bruno Mars' in my ears right now while I cling to my favourite scented napkin.

I know it's a bit crazy, blushing to myself at eleven o'clock under my duvet, but I can't help it. I feel so happy and excited.

The main reason is that Leigh rejected Embry. I wish I could see her face right now. After all the effort she put into pursuing him, it didn't work. Her mission failed miserably.

The other reason is that I know Leigh and I have a strong connection between us. And that is enough to give me a perfect weekend vibe until my mom barges into my bedroom and yanks away my cosy duvet, just like last Saturday.

Groaning, I scowl at her. "What? It's Saturday. Can't I have some me-time?" I complain.

"Ava, get up. It's almost noon. No matter how tired you were, you've had enough sleep," Mom says, placing her hands on her hips.

"But I'm not feeling well," I lie. I really want to spend the day in my room, reminiscing about Leigh's smile.

Mom leans over to check my temperature with her hand. She narrows her eyes at me. "Okay, come on, I will take you to the hospital. You need a shot," she says.

My heart jumps to my throat. I have to confess. The thing is, I don't like anything related to medical treatment, especially syringe injections.

"What? No way. Aren't you a doctor? You should find some alternatives, like cooling my skin with cold water and letting me rest in my room for the day, like you used to," I remind her.

"Yes, that's because your temperature was high then. Now, it's normal, so I think you need a medical injection," Mom states with concern.

"You know what? Fine. I'm getting out of bed. You win," I huff and stand up in my shorts and tank top.

"Perfect," Mom smiles. "God, you're so adorable on weekends." She rolls her eyes and heads towards the door.

"That's because you keep interrupting my sleep," I complain.

"Ava Lancelot, get ready. I'm taking you shopping," she announces before disappearing from my room.

Shopping will do. I need more casual outfits and some girls' stuff. So I hurry to the bathroom, where I spend less than ten minutes. After drying my hair and putting it into a smooth ponytail as usual, I put on a pair of denim trousers and a pretty peach blouse that my aunt got me for my birthday.

"You slept well, Ava?" Christian asks from the living room, where his eyes are fixed on the football game. I don't even understand how he notices me, honestly.

"Yes," I answer.

"I made breakfast. Yours is in the oven. You should warm it up," he informs me. I two-finger salute him before heading to the kitchen.

I find potato cake with egg, excluding bacon, and also extra banana bars that make me grin wider. I immediately want to thank Christian for making a perfect breakfast. I quickly make my tea and sit at the table, enjoying my meal and going through messages from the groups of my former and current school, including the girls' group, where only Suri posted a picture of her garden, and no one has replied yet.

I click on Instagram, where I see new updates from Hills High students, including Embry. She has uploaded two updates: one is a table setting with two cups of wine and an evening city view, and her location says Eiffel Tower restaurant. The other picture is of her glamorous self in a red silk dress, perfect hair, and full makeup. The photo is taken by someone sitting across from her at the table. The caption says, "More food, fewer pictures, Boyce." The caption is accompanied by adorable emojis that make my jaw drop in disbelief at her audacity to fool everyone into thinking Leigh took her out last night when he was actually with me at the exact time she posted that picture.

Embry is literally the most obsessed person I've ever met. She thinks lying is going to make her the most popular student. I feel sorry for her because I can already see it blowing up in her face.

God! I'm sure she went to that dinner with her neighbour, whom she manipulates into getting things done her way.

**

"I need new books, and I don't see a book section here," I tell my mom.

"I know a perfect place for that. Let's finish here. It's just a few blocks from here," she smiles at me and stops at the tea section.

"How many packs of TG tips do you need, Mom?" I laugh while she keeps adding pack after pack of her favourite tea brand to the trolley. "Why can't I find Twinings? I have less than ten bags left. Wait, Mom, do they even provide Twinings in America? If not, I'm utterly finished."

Mom had helped me choose new clothes and a small beige leather backpack earlier, along with some new underwear and unnecessary girls' sanitary items, which I'm used to by now. Back when I first started my menstrual cycle, Mom and my aunt took me to a store and stocked up on feminine hygiene products, making it clear to everyone that the girl with them is no longer a kid anymore.

"There should be Twinings around here," Mom says while helping me search for my favourite tea.

After shopping for the things provided for English people, excluding Twinings, which I couldn't find even though Mom swore it was somewhere in the aisle, we headed to the cashier and made our payment.

Then, we loaded everything into Mom's Audi trunk and headed to the place she claimed was perfect for me.

"Barnes and Noble booksellers," I read the significant words on the two-story concrete building when Mom parked after a short drive.

"You'll find any book you wish for here."

"Then may the soul of your credit card rest in peace," I say with excitement.

"Young lady, you have a limit," she warns me as we step through the glass door. I devilishly smirk at Mom and immerse myself in my own world. "Don't purchase books with mature content," I hear Mom say from a distance.

"What are you, an American novel racist?" someone calls out to me as I browse through 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane.'

Twisting my body, I find a blonde-haired teenage boy in a Barnes and Noble shirt smiling at me. "What? Are you seriously profiling your customers?" I firmly ask him.

"And there's the accent. Now I'm not surprised you've been piling up English books in your cart," the young man says.

I want to tell him that I'm the one paying, not him, but my politeness gets the better of me, and I end up explaining myself. "I just moved here. I'm not familiar with modern American literature."

"Allow me to show you some bestselling books in America. Don't worry; we have excellent novelists too. It's not just Britain that boasts the Bronte sisters, J.R.R. Tolkien, or J.K. Rowling," he says, his smile infectious as he leads me to a corner.

"The Year of Magical Thinking is a fascinating story, and 'The Known World' is highly educational as well," he hands me the two books and crouches down to grab another from below. "I suggest you read 'The Road' and, of course, 'The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake,'" he grins widely and hands them to me.

"This should be interesting," I chuckle at the title.

"Oh yes, it is. I wouldn't want to spoil it for you," he winks and continues perusing a stack of books.

"I think we've successfully passed the educational recommendation system. Meanwhile, we should head south," he says.

"To the uninformative recommendation system?" I smile as he glances at me.

"No," he chuckles. "To see what your peers are reading these days," he adds and hands me a four-book series by Elle Kennedy.

"Off-Campus," I read the title.

"Colleen Hoover," he places a stack of books on top of the four in my hands. "Addicted to You series," he grabs a pyramid-shaped stack and grins at me.

"Is this what people my age are reading these days?" I ask, quite surprised by the sheer number of books.

"Yes, but you would also need Anna Todd and Jenny Han to complete your collection. I'm sure you've read the Twilight series," he states.

"How many books do Anna Todd and Jenny Han have? They must have more than one. Nowadays, it seems kids my age read book series. And what is Twilight?" I inquire.

"No way. There's no way you haven't read Twilight. It feels like everyone in the world has read it. But have you seen the movie?" he asks.

From his expression, I suddenly feel left out.

"No."

"Wow, then you'll need Anna Todd, Jenny Han, and Stephanie Meyer. And once you're done with the books—I promise to buy you the movies as a gift. That way, you'll completely understand what kids your age are reading these days. I mean, in case you stop by another time," he says in a thick American accent, while his cheeks take on a rosy hue.

Raising my eyebrows at him, I playfully ask, "Kids my age? How old are you? Eighteen?"

Laughing, he shakes his head. "Yes, I'm eighteen. I'm taking a year off before I go to Ohio University," he informs me.

"If Google has taught me right, isn't that quite far away from here?" I question the charming blonde man.

He continues to laugh. "It is indeed far away, like across the country," he explains.

"Well... I wish you good luck," I tell him with a warm smile as he loads more books into his arms, confirming that Anna Todd, Jenny Han, and Stephanie Meyer have written multiple books.

"Thank you. Do you live around here?" He asks as we head down the stairs, both of us carrying a full basket and books in our arms.

"I live in Eagle Hills." I flash a small smile at him.

"Summerlin, right?" He asks.

Nodding, I confirm, "Yes, Summerlin."

"God, there you are finally," Mom laughs and approaches us with widened eyes. "I hope you've set a limit," she adds when she sees the number of items I've picked.

"Yes, that's precisely why I didn't grab everything in the store," I defend myself, and Mom's mouth forms an 'O' while her eyes narrow.

"Can we make the payment?" Mom ignores me and asks the guy next to me.

"Yes, ma'am," he says and leads us to the payment process.

***

"I think I saw a Starbucks on our way here," I mention to Mom.

"Yes, but there's a cafe nearby. It's more like a breakfast restaurant, but they serve delicious tea," Mom informs me with a smile on her face. She must be excited about the place.

"Tea will do. Right now, with my empty stomach, I'll take anything, even if it's dinner," I groan, and Mom laughs.

Mom pulls up in front of a small, cosy establishment with fewer than ten cars parked in the parking space. "Let's feed our stomachs then," she jokes.

The restaurant is even cosier inside, with a half-wood, half-brick interior. We find a table and settle down when the waiter approaches to take our orders.

"Everything seems to have bacon," I mutter quietly, and Mom shoots me a glare while she orders white meat and salad, along with two cups of tea. She requests that the tea and muffins arrive first before the main dish.

"I'll have steak and chips with a sunny-side-up fried egg, topped with béarnaise sauce," I politely order.

"It's a beautiful place," I tell Mom after our tea and muffins arrive. "And the tea is amazing."

"Christian brought me here during my first week in Las Vegas," Mom says, sipping her tea. "And then, whenever I happen to pass by this area, I stop for their tea and muffins. Sometimes I bring my car for a wash nearby and come here to relax."

"The place is undoubtedly relaxing," I say as I look around. "When you told me on the phone that you were growing plants in the backyard, I thought it was all tomatoes and cucumbers. But then I realized you've cultivated different types of mint."

Smiling, she blushes instantly. "Christian loves mint, and so does Leigh. I guess the two men infected me with their obsession."

Blushing at the mention of Leigh, I laugh. We enjoy our main courses while discussing my school and how I'm adjusting to the new environment. I assure Mom that I'm having a good time in Vegas and that Lilith and Leigh are really nice.

When we arrive home, it's almost evening, and no one is home except for Christian, who is watching sports, just as we left him. "Did you eat? Take a shower? Anything a human does?" Mom asks him curiously while I head upstairs for the third trip to deliver what we bought.

"I ate bread," I hear Christian say, followed immediately by Mom's disapproving hiss.

After unloading the car and delivering everything to my room, I sink into my bed. When I open my eyes, it's dark, and Lilith is standing above me.

"Thank goodness you're alive," she jokes. "You need to unpack these shopping bags. I almost tripped on my way in."

"Yes, I will. God! I'm so tired," I croak.

"Get up; dinner is ready. Afterwards, I'll help you organize everything." She pulls my arm until I give in and follow her downstairs, where Mom, Christian, and Leigh are seated around the table.

Leigh. My eyes are fixed on him as I make my way to my seat. "You've slept too much today, Ava," Mom tells me.

"Because I am exhausted," I reminded her, just as Sawyer sent me a photo of the teddy bears her ex had sent her.

I quickly typed a response, "He seriously isn't giving up," and started serving myself.

"Tomorrow, we're heading north," Christian announced.

"To Uncle Emmanuel's? Fucking wonderful," Lilith huffed, and Christian shot her his usual warning glare. "I'll probably be sick by morning. You four should go without me," she added, and Leigh couldn't hold back his laughter.

"Lilith Boyce, tomorrow everyone at this table is going to Emmanuel's," Christian emphasized each word slowly.

"What's that? Goodness gracious, I don't want it," I declined the salad Leigh handed me.

"What's wrong? Don't you like the food?" Christian asked me, sounding concerned.

"Sorry, no, I mean the pasta is perfect. Perhaps I'll have it without the salad," I smiled apologetically at the four pairs of eyes on me.

"Baby," Mom started.

"The salad dressing has ruined the point of having a healthier salad. I don't see sugar in salad—doesn't that belong in dessert?" I said quietly, avoiding their gaze. It feels strange to have a sweet salad and then again in pasta with sauce. No way.

When I looked up, everyone was trying not to laugh at my statement. "Sorry, here's the salad Christian made for both of us." Mom passed a bowl of familiar salad, while Leigh looked at me in amazement.

"I wish the girls were here. They would find this very interesting. So English," Lilith said to me, laughing.

After dinner, I headed to my bedroom, showered, and changed into my cartoonish pyjamas when Lilith joined me. We arranged my scattered bedroom while listening to One Direction songs.