Few months later…
The cafeteria was loud like always, filled with the smell of oily rice, fries, and overcooked stew. Plates clanged, students laughed, chairs scraped the floor. Leslie and Gwen sat at their usual table, talking, but Leslie's mind was clearly somewhere else. Her spoon stirred her food slowly, her eyes unfocused.
"Are you still thinking about your aunt?" Gwen asked softly, noticing her mood.
Leslie sighed. "Yeah… I won't lie. I miss her a lot."
Gwen reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. "It's okay. You got me now. I'll always be here."
Leslie smiled faintly. "Thank you." Then she paused. "Umm… before I forget, tell me more about Eric."
Gwen blinked, confused. "Eric? Why?"
"You know… to blend in," Leslie said quickly. "And maybe put Tracy in her place." She lied smoothly.
"You said you were going to ignore her and stay out of trouble," Gwen said, her voice rising.
"I didn't promise," Leslie replied casually.
That did it. Gwen stood up, her chair making a loud noise.
"What's your problem?" Leslie asked, confused. "Why are you mad?"
"I'm not mad," Gwen said sharply, already walking away.
She left Leslie alone at the table. A moment later, loud cheers erupted at the cafeteria entrance. Heads turned. Ethan and Jason walked in, soaking in the attention. Jason spotted Leslie and walked over.
"What do you want, ape?" Leslie said, rolling her eyes.
Jason scoffed. "You should watch your mouth when talking to me. I mean, look at me… third most popular guy here. And you? Just a nerd."
"Stop flattering yourself, dude," Leslie replied. "And I'm not a nerd."
Jason smirked. "So what are you doing?"
"Oh, trying to jump into a pool and learn how to swim fast," Leslie said dryly. "Idiot."
"Your bad," Jason said, laughing as he walked away.
Leslie shook her head in disappointment.
* * * * * *
The Manchester's house was filled with warmth, light, and laughter. Dawn and Amy were in the kitchen, cooking, dancing around, singing badly and laughing harder. Daphne walked in, her face serious at first.
"I told you not to cook, Dawn. I can handle it," she scolded.
"It's fine, Mom. I'm okay," Dawn replied with a smile.
"I remember you enjoy cooking, Mrs Daphne," Amy added. "But wait until you taste our dish."
"Is that a challenge?" Daphne asked, laughing.
"Why not?" Amy replied.
Daphne tied an apron around her waist and joined them. Just then, Adam walked in, sniffing the air.
"Mmm… something smells really good. I can't even imagine the taste," he said, entering the kitchen.
He hugged all three of them, smiling.
"You people spoil me too much."
"Who said any of this is yours?" Dawn joked.
"If you won't give him food, I will," Amy said proudly.
"That's why you're my favorite," Adam said, winking.
"Leslie will hear about this," Dawn teased, and they all laughed.
Adam later sat on the couch, scrolling through his phone. He stopped at a picture of him and Ava in the park, both laughing. Her smile was bright, full of life. His chest tightened. He sighed and dropped the phone.
Daphne noticed and walked over. "You still miss her, huh?"
"Yes," Adam replied quietly.
"Ava would want you to move on," Daphne said gently. "And you have to be strong… for your child."
Adam nodded slowly. He wasn't ready to forget about Ava, but he had no choice. Dawn was carrying his unborn baby.
* * * * * *
The library was dead silent, filled with tall shelves and students bent over books. Leslie and Ethan sat together, whispering.
"What if I don't pass?" Ethan asked nervously.
"Dude, I'm a good teacher," Leslie teased. "If you don't pass, that's on you."
"Were you a teacher or something?" Ethan laughed.
"None," Leslie replied. "I just have teacher knowledge."
The librarian shot them a warning glare. They packed their books and rushed out, laughing. As they walked across the school compound, Gwen watched them from afar, her expression unreadable.
* * * * * *
The afternoon sun warmed Adam and Dawn as they walked through the busy streets of New York. Cars honked, people passed by. Dawn wanted fresh air, so they stopped at a park and sat quietly.
Suddenly, memories flooded Adam's mind.
Ava walking toward her dorm. A car pulling up. Adam stepping out.
"Are you jobless?" Ava asked, trying not to laugh.
"I can be jobless for you," Adam said. "What do you say?"
"Why are you stalking me?" she teased. "Don't you have a girlfriend?"
"I'm here to ask for your hand in marriage," Adam said jokingly.
"Have you ever been serious?" Ava asked before running off to class.
Adam snapped back to reality when Dawn called his name.
"I'm fine," he said quickly. "You don't have to worry."
"I miss her too," Dawn whispered.
"Yeah… everybody does," Adam said as Dawn rested her head on his shoulder.
* * * * * *
The next day, the school hallway was alive with noise. Leslie walked alone. Gwen had refused to walk with her. She spotted Eric and walked up nervously.
"Hey… hello… hi," Leslie said.
"That's enough hello," Eric teased.
"Sorry. I'm Leslie."
"I'm Eric," he said patiently.
"My friend is a designer," Leslie said quickly. "She likes your style and asked me to give you this."
Eric frowned slightly. "Your friend?"
"Yes. She's shy," Leslie replied.
Before he could respond, Tracy stormed over and shoved Leslie.
"What do you think you're doing talking to Eric?" Tracy snapped.
"He's not property," Leslie replied calmly. "And we were just talking."
She walked away, leaving Tracy furious, yelling at Eric. Gwen stood nearby, watching everything with tears in her eyes.