CHAPTER 2: STOLEN PICTURE

They no longer saw each other daily after starting college since they went to different schools. However, they made sure to bond at least once a week when they weren't too busy.

Among them, she and Brent were the only ones who still saw each other daily since they lived just one house apart. Brent often hung out at her house whenever his cousins bothered him at his aunt's place.

This setup worked in her favor since her mom, a businesswoman, was often away for work, traveling to sell products. Her father had passed away a long time ago, and as an only child, she often found herself alone at home when her mom was away. Luckily, Brent was always around.

She had met the two girlfriends Brent had before. She never knew why they broke up, but both relationships lasted two years.

It had been almost a year since Brent broke up with his last girlfriend.

As for her? As usual, she was still hoping Nick would notice her despite being surrounded by other girls.

That day, she was in her room with Eunice, Katrina, and Joe. They had deliberately excluded Brent because it was supposed to be a "girl thing."

Since it was their semester break, they finally had time to gather again.

"Seriously, Zyline? You haven't had a boyfriend because you're still waiting for Nick to court you? My God, girl! With your beauty, you should've had several boyfriends by now," Joe said dramatically.

She laughed at her friend's expression. Joe was wearing a silk nightie, while the girls wore pajamas. It wasn't nighttime yet; in fact, it was just noon, and they had just finished eating. They were on her bed, snacking on chips.

"Yeah, you should move on from Nick," Eunice chimed in while munching on Chippy.

"Girls, he doesn't even have a girlfriend right now," she said with a hopeful smile.

The three exchanged glances.

"But give it a day or two, and he'll have a new one," Katrina said.

"I honestly thought there was something going on between you and Brent," Joe teased.

"Ew, no," she said, wiggling her nose.

"Hey! Don't act like Brent is unattractive. He's their campus hottie, you know? Haven't you noticed all those girls stopping by my store? Turns out they're just asking about Brent. Even I admit I've fantasized about him a few times," Joe said, looking up at the ceiling with a playful smirk.

The three of them burst into laughter.

"Brent and I would never work, okay? Anyway, back to Nick. Remember our camping trip tomorrow? Let's play truth or dare, and when it's my turn, dare me to sleep in a tent far from the others. Then you guys draw names for who will join me in the tent, and of course, make sure it's Nick's name that gets picked!" she suggested excitedly.

"Girl, that's practically trapping Nick. What if something happens and you end up pregnant? We'd be dead meat when your mom finds out," Joe said disapprovingly.

"Girls, nothing's going to happen, okay? Especially since you'll all be nearby. Please?" she pleaded.

Once again, the three fell silent, focusing on their snacks before exchanging looks.

"Please? Support me on this," she said, pressing her palms together like praying and looking at each of them pleadingly.

Joe rolled his eyes and stuffed his mouth with chips.

"Pretty please?" she repeated.

"Fine! Ugh, we're only doing this because you're our friend," Joe relented reluctantly.

Her smile widened, and she hugged Joe tightly.

"Ew, girl! Your boobs are squishing me. Gross!" Joe protested dramatically.

The room erupted in laughter. Moments later, there was a knock at the door before it opened.

"Zy, I just got in and—oops! Am I interrupting something?" Brent peeked through the door, ready to close it again, but Joe stopped him.

"Oh, come on in, Brent. Why are you acting shy? Didn't Zy's boyfriend get the memo that today is girls-only day?" Joe said, emphasizing the word boyfriend.

Joe always referred to Brent as her boyfriend because they were inseparable.

She just laughed it off. She had even given Brent a spare key to her house since he came and went so frequently.

Brent finally stepped in, grabbed a handful of chips, and sat on the bed. He stared at Joe's revealing outfit.

"Do I need to wear something like that to join in?" he asked, making them all burst out laughing.

"Yes! Pretend to be a girl, or we'll kick you out," Joe declared.

Joe rummaged through their bag and handed Brent a pink knee-length nightie paired with a bra.

Brent's eyes widened at the sight of the outfit.

"If you don't want to wear it, you can leave," Joe said sternly.

The three girls giggled as Brent scratched his head, stood up, and headed to the bathroom with the outfit.

They all whistled when Brent emerged, laughing as he struck a pose against the wall, raising a leg and smacking his behind.

Their laughter doubled as they took in his outfit. Despite the see-through material, Brent wore shorts underneath. The fabric couldn't hide his muscles, and Joe threw him a purple wig, which he promptly put on.

"Wait, something's missing. Let me put makeup on you," she said, her eyes watering from laughter.

Brent approached her and sat on the bed. She grabbed her makeup kit and knelt on the bed to face him. Eunice and Katrina tried to help, but Joe stopped them.

"Let Zy do the honors. She's the makeup artist for her boyfriend, after all," Joe teased.

She gave Joe a look but couldn't help laughing. She started applying makeup to Brent's face. As she worked, Brent stared at her intently, making her feel self-conscious.

When she moved to apply lipstick, he puckered his lips. She swallowed nervously as her eyes lingered on his lips. In all their years as friends, she'd never noticed how alluring his lips were.

She was startled by a flash of light.

"Perfect!" Joe said excitedly, staring at their phone.

Joe had taken a picture of them, catching her mid-stare at Brent's lips.

"Look, girls! Isn't this cute?" Joe showed the photo to Eunice and Katrina, who gasped, looked at her and Brent, and covered their mouths.

"What's with the reaction?" she asked, intrigued, as she grabbed the phone.

Her breath hitched at the sight of the photo. They looked like a couple about to kiss.

Her face suddenly warmed at what she saw.

"Let me see," Brent said as he took the phone from her hand.

Before she could see his reaction, she quickly gathered her things and got off the bed.

"I'm going to the kitchen to cook," she said absentmindedly as she headed toward the door.

"But we just ate," Eunice pointed out.

She froze. Oh, right. She automatically glanced at Brent and saw him staring intently at their picture. She even caught him suppressing a smile.

Why is he smiling?

Then, she noticed him pressing something on Joe's phone, and shortly after, his own phone chimed.

Did he just send the picture to his phone?

Unable to believe what she'd just witnessed, she averted her gaze from him and continued out of the room.

She'd go ahead and prepare some snacks for them. Whatever.