«Sometimes the people who change your life don't arrive with a warning. Sometimes they simply bump into you in a hallway and accidentally turn your world upside down »
Naveah's Thought
"I've never cared about what people thought of me. I know who I am. I know what I like. I know myself better than anyone else.
So why did one innocent smile from a stranger make my heart forget how to behave?"
---
The moment I walked into the orientation hall, I knew the entire school year was officially beginning.
Students filled every seat, conversations blended into one loud sound, and teachers moved around making sure everything was organized.
As Student Council President, I was used to being watched.
People knew my name.
They knew my family.
They knew my position.
But today felt different.
Maybe it was because it was the beginning of a new semester.
Maybe it was because something about the air felt different.
Or maybe...
It was because of her.
The new girl.
Aria-Sage.
After the hallway accident earlier, I hadn't expected to see her again so soon.
But when I entered the hall and saw her sitting a few rows away, looking around with a mixture of curiosity and nervousness, something strange happened.
She looked up.
Our eyes met.
And she smiled.
Not a polite smile.
Not the kind people gave me because I was Naveah Graysen.
It was a genuine smile.
Bright.
Excited.
Almost innocent.
And my heart...
Skipped.
I froze.
Wait.
What?
What did my heart just do?
I stared ahead, completely confused.
No.
Absolutely not.
"Naveah."
I mentally shook myself.
"Naveah, you may be a masculine female, but you're into boys."
I repeated the sentence in my head.
Again.
And again.
Like a desperate attempt to convince myself.
"Naveah, you may be a masculine female, but you're into boys."
Because that was the truth.
Right?
I dressed differently.
I had seven brothers who taught me how to fight, how to survive, and how to never let anyone push me around.
I wore oversized clothes.
I kept my hair in a wolf cut.
People often mistook me for a boy.
But I was still me.
And I liked boys.
Simple.
Easy.
Except...
Why was I thinking so much about a girl's smile?
"Naveah."
I ignored it.
"Naveah."
Still nothing.
"Naveah!"
I suddenly jerked back into reality.
Camellia was staring at me.
Her eyebrows were furrowed with concern.
"Are you alright?"
I blinked.
"I'm fine."
"You completely zoned out."
"I was thinking."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You were staring at the new girl."
I immediately looked away.
"No, I wasn't."
She smiled.
That dangerous smile.
The one that meant she already knew something.
"I didn't say anything about who you were staring at."
I stayed silent.
Camellia Anthony Kilian was a problem.
A very observant problem.
---
A few minutes later, the orientation ended.
Students slowly began leaving the hall, returning to their normal schedules.
Aria, Camellia, and I walked toward the locker corridor together.
Almost immediately, I noticed the attention.
People turned their heads.
Whispers followed us.
They always did.
"Oh my goodness, I wish the president would look in my direction. She's so cute."
"Vice President Cam is so adorable. I'm jealous of her boyfriend."
"I wish our president liked girls. I'd do anything to date her."
I ignored them.
Years of being at Ashwood Academy had taught me how to block out unnecessary noise.
Camellia, however, heard everything.
"They're always worshiping you and wishing you were theirs," she teased while opening her locker.
"They just love him."
The second the words left Aria's mouth, both Camellia and I froze.
"Him?"
I turned toward her.
Aria looked confused.
"Yes. You."
There was silence.
A very long silence.
Then Camellia slowly looked at me.
I looked back at her.
She was trying so hard not to laugh.
I sighed.
"Aria."
She looked at me.
"I am not a boy."
Her expression changed instantly.
"What?"
"I'm not a boy."
She blinked.
"But..."
"I am a girl."
I watched as realization slowly crossed her face.
"Oh."
I continued calmly.
"I know I dress differently. I know I look masculine. But I'm still a girl."
I paused.
"I'm not transgender. I'm not pretending to be anything. I'm just Naveah."
Aria's cheeks turned slightly pink.
"Oh my God."
She covered her face.
"I'm so sorry."
"It's okay."
"No, seriously, I didn't know."
Her embarrassment was almost adorable.
Almost.
"I really apologize. I should have asked instead of assuming."
I smiled slightly.
"It's fine."
The bell rang before she could say anything else.
She looked toward the classroom hallway.
"I have to go."
Then she quickly grabbed her books.
"Again, I'm sorry."
And just like that...
She disappeared.
Camellia waited until she was gone.
Then she turned toward me.
"Interesting."
I already knew where this was going.
"Cami."
"She thought you were a boy."
"Yes."
"And she was smiling at you."
"Yes."
"And she looked disappointed when she found out."
"No."
"Naveah."
I sighed.
"Don't start."
She laughed.
"I'm just saying..."
I grabbed my books.
"Don't."
"You have a crush."
"I don't."
"You haven't even known her for a day."
"Exactly."
"Then why are you denying it so hard?"
I had no answer.
Which annoyed me.
---
Later, in the library, Camellia continued her investigation.
"She definitely likes you."
I opened my textbook.
"No, she doesn't."
"Did you see her face?"
"Cami."
"Did you see how she rushed away?"
"Cami."
"Did you see how shocked she looked?"
I closed my book.
"How exactly am I supposed to act like a girl?"
She tilted her head.
"What?"
"I have seven brothers."
"So?"
"So I've spent my entire life surrounded by boys."
I leaned back.
"They taught me how to be myself."
Camellia crossed her arms.
"You make it sound like having brothers turned you into a warrior."
"It did."
She laughed.
"You're impossible."
"And you're dramatic."
"True."
We both smiled.
But even while I returned to my book...
Even while I pretended everything was normal...
I couldn't stop thinking about one thing.
A girl named Aria-Sage.
And the strange way my heart reacted when she smiled at me.
Camellia stared at me with the most serious expression she could possibly make.
Which, coming from her, was never truly serious.
"I haven't been influenced by my brothers the way you have been influenced by yours," she argued.
I slowly looked up from my book.
"Oh really?"
She narrowed her eyes.
I smiled.
"Well, well, well, Cami. If I remember correctly, you learned judo."
Her expression changed immediately.
"And as if that wasn't enough, you also learned karate, taekwondo, and kung fu."
She opened her mouth to speak, but I continued.
"Do you want me to remind you that we both learned judo and karate at Kokodan Judo Institute in Tokyo, Japan?"
She closed her mouth.
"Or should I mention the taekwondo lessons at Kang's Global Taekwondo Centre in Seoul, Korea?"
I leaned closer.
"Or maybe the kung fu training at Shaolin Temple Area in Henan Province, China?"
I gave her one of my sweetest smiles.
"So please, pray tell, am I wrong, or do you want me to continue?"
For a second, she stared at me.
Then she covered her mouth, trying desperately not to laugh.
"My God, Nav."
She shook her head.
"You're actually hilarious."
"I'm just proving my point."
"No, you're proving that you never let anything go."
"You're supposed to be used to that."
I lifted my book again.
"We've been friends for a very long time."
She smiled softly.
That was the thing about Camellia.
She could complain about me all day, but she knew me better than anyone.
A few moments passed before she spoke again.
"So..."
I already knew that tone.
"What?"
"What are your thoughts about Aria?"
I immediately looked up.
"No."
She blinked.
"I didn't even finish."
"I know where this is going."
She smiled.
"She's cute and—"
"Oh my God, are you serious?"
I closed my book.
"Are you nuts or delusional? Because the last thing I need right now is you shipping me with the newbie."
"I mean, she is cute."
"And?"
"And..."
She smiled mischievously.
"Maybe there's something there."
"Cami."
"What?"
"No."
She rolled her eyes.
"Why?"
"Because."
"That is not an answer."
I sighed.
"What do you want me to tell my parents?"
She tilted her head.
"You could tell them you like someone."
"It wouldn't work out."
"You don't know that."
"I know myself."
She leaned forward.
"Let's be realistic, Naveah. Are you single?"
"Yes."
"Are you in love with anyone?"
"No."
"Are you in a talking stage?"
"No."
She raised her hands.
"Then what exactly are you scared of?"
I looked away.
"I..."
My voice softened.
"I don't think I can."
The teasing expression disappeared from her face.
Then she asked quietly.
"Are you still hung up on that son of a bitch?"
I frowned.
"Come on, Cami. He didn't mean to—"
"He didn't mean to do what?"
Her voice was sharper now.
"Cheat on you?"
I stayed quiet.
"Break your heart?"
"Cami..."
"Upload on the school forum that he dated you because of a bet?"
My grip tightened slightly around my book.
"Enough."
She stopped.
"That's enough."
The silence between us lasted for a moment.
Then her expression softened.
"Listen, darling."
She reached across the table.
"I'm your best friend. I would never hurt you."
I looked at her.
"And you know that."
I nodded slowly.
"So trust me, okay?"
"But—"
"No buts."
She smiled gently.
"Everything that happened between you and Cayden happened six months ago."
I looked down.
"You didn't love him, remember?"
I didn't answer.
"You dated him because you needed a partner for school activities at that time. We both know that."
She squeezed my hand.
"So stop punishing yourself for something that doesn't define you."
After a moment, I nodded.
"Okay."
Her face immediately brightened.
"Good."
Then, of course, she returned to her favorite topic.
"Now, about Aria—"
"Cami."
"What?"
"It's fifteen minutes before class."
"But I'm not done talking about—"
"You know what?"
I stood up and picked up my books.
"Let fate do whatever it wants."
She stared.
"What?"
"If things work out between Aria and me, then I'll just go with the flow."
Her eyebrows lifted.
"Go with the flow?"
I nodded.
"What are you? A wave? Water? A fish?"
I laughed.
"One second you're saying it won't work, and now you're leaving it to fate?"
"Cami, let's hurry to class."
She sighed.
"Fine."
She packed her things.
"But we are not done with this conversation."
"Yes, Mom."
She rolled her eyes.
---
When we arrived at class, I walked toward my assigned seat.
Or at least, I thought I would.
Because Camellia wasn't there.
I looked around.
She was sitting six seats away from where we were supposed to be.
I walked over.
"Cami."
She didn't respond.
"Why aren't you sitting in your seat?"
"I don't want to."
Her voice sounded strange.
I narrowed my eyes.
"Are you eating?"
"What?"
She looked up.
And there she was.
My best friend.
Looking exactly like a chipmunk storing food.
I couldn't stop the laugh that escaped.
"Cami..."
She frowned while still chewing.
"What?"
I sat beside her and brushed a few baby hairs away from her face.
"Drink this."
I handed her my water bottle.
She accepted it quietly.
"I'll go get my things so I can sit here."
She nodded.
A few minutes later, I returned.
"Nav?"
"Hmm?"
"You should stop treating me like I'm fragile."
I looked at her.
"Aren't you fragile?"
She gasped.
"I am not."
I smiled.
"You are."
She pouted.
"You treat me like I'm your partner."
"Of course you're my partner."
"NO, I'M NOT."
I laughed.
"Cami, you are."
I shook my head.
"We've literally been together since I was three and you were two."
She smiled.
"You're my partner in crime."
She looked away.
"You always treat me like I'm your girlfriend when I'm actually not."
I laughed.
"Let's renew a bet."
Her face changed instantly.
"Which bet?"
"The one we made when we were thirteen and fourteen."
"Absolutely not."
She looked horrified.
"Not under any circumstances."
"Why?"
"It was a terrible bet."
"It was fun."
"You forced me into agreeing."
I grinned.
"Wait."
I pointed at her lunch bag.
"Is that why you refused to put your lunch in your locker?"
She looked away.
"Obviously."
"Why?"
"Because I didn't eat breakfast."
I blinked.
"What?"
"I wanted to be the first person to talk to you today."
I smiled softly.
"I didn't eat breakfast either."
For a moment, we just looked at each other.
And I remembered why Camellia wasn't just my best friend.
She was family.