Her phone buzzed in her hand.
The glowing interface flickered out like a thought dismissed.
[Lumi [š«]: Amy~ Are you ignoring me again? It's winter break, you have no excuse š¤ WAKE UP, SLEEPY STORM EYES.]
Amy blinked.
A smile crept across her face ā genuine, tired, soft.
Lumi Isen. Warmth in human form. Lovable, bubbly, and absolutely terrible with personal space. The kind of girl who'd make everyone a birthday card just to see them smile. The kind who always knew when Amy was lost in her own head... and dragged her back out.
She didn't remember this exact message from last time. But that made sense. She hadn't been paying attention back then.
'But I am now.'
Before she could answer, her phone began to buzz again ā this time, a call.
Risa.
Amy accepted.
"Finally," came a familiar voice, sharp and playful, with that ever-present edge of amusement. "Did Lumi's glitter bomb of a message shake you from the abyss, or did you need my voice to summon you back to the land of the living?"
Amy rolled her eyes and leaned back against the headboard.
"I was awake," she lied.
"Uh-huh. And I'm the class president."
Risa Hirano. Clever, impulsive, the sharp contrast to Lumi's sweetness. She always had a joke ready ā and always knew when Amy needed one. An only child, but to Amy and Lumi, she was a sister.
"You sound like you're actually calling for a reason," Amy said, brushing her hair back.
"I am. Tonight. Party. Remember? That thing you pretend to hate and still show up to?"
Amy paused.
The party. That party. The one she went to just because Sara would be there. The one where she said nothing.
This time, she wouldn't waste it.
"Yeah," Amy said quietly. "I remember."
"Are you okay?" Risa's tone shifted slightly ā still light, but with that flicker of awareness only real friends had.
Amy smiled faintly. "I'm better than okay."
A pause.
Then Risa snorted. "Liar. You sound like you just unlocked enlightenment or something."
Amy stared at her reflection in the dark phone screen.
"Maybe I did."
"You seriously sound weird," Risa said, suspicion creeping into her playful tone. "Like you had an out-of-body experience or found religion in your cereal box."
Amy smirked. "Let's go with... clarity."
"Uh-oh." Risa gasped. "Did you finally accept that you're in love with Sara? Because Lumi is going to combust if you did it without her present."
Amy's voice caught. It was stupid, how easily the name still hit her. Not because she doubted it. But because it was real now. This time, it was possible.
"I didn't say that," she muttered.
"You didn't have to." Risa's voice softened. "You've only been staring at her like she's the moon since sophomore year. And no offense, Ames, but you're the worst liar I know."
Amy leaned back, phone pressed to her cheek, eyes drifting to the ceiling. "She never saw me."
"She saw you," Risa said. "She just didn't know what she was looking at."
A beat of silence stretched between them.
Then Risa cleared her throat, trying to bring the mood back up. "Anyway, Lumi's got your dress, right? That disaster-pink one she bought specifically for this exact scenario?"
Amy laughed under her breath. "You mean the one she forced me to try on while humming wedding music?"
"That's the one. You owe me for distracting her while you escaped the fitting room."
"She still got photos."
"I know. She sent them to me. Framed. Twice."
Amy rolled her eyes. "You're both impossible."
"And yet, you love us," Risa said smugly. "Now be ready by seven. No ghosting. No excuses. No backing out like last time."
"I won't."
Risa paused. "...Wait, seriously?"
"I'm done running."
Another silence. This one felt like an agreement.
"Damn," Risa said finally. "Okay. That was cool as hell. You're officially a protagonist now. I expect a dramatic entrance and at least one slow-motion head turn."
Amy chuckled. "Only if you play the music."
"Done. I'll bring a speaker."
The call ended with the soft beep of a promise sealed.