THREE

Have you ever been scared to tell someone something important because you know their reaction will hit you like Newton’s third law? I’m not talking about my parents. I’m talking about Millie.

She knows me better than anyone else, probably even better than I know myself sometimes, so whenever something big comes up, I can almost feel her judgment before I even tell her.

I glance at her through the edge of the cards I’m holding, wondering how on earth I’m going to sneak out without telling her. She knows me too well—if I try to lie, she’ll pick up on it immediately. 

“You’re gonna bore holes through my face if you keep staring at me like that,” she quips, pulling me out of my thoughts with that familiar smirk of hers.

She flips her cards over, revealing her hand with a flourish, letting me know she’s won this round too. I sigh, revealing my losing hand and setting it on the bed.

She raises an eyebrow, clearly concerned. “You’ve lost twice now,” she notes, leaning in with a look of mock horror. “Are you feeling okay?” I never lose, not in card games that’s for sure.

I give her a small, tight smile and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “Yeah, just… feeling a bit hot,” I say, trying to brush it off, but she’s instantly on high alert, reaching over to press the back of her hand to my forehead. Her touch is gentle, almost instinctive.

“Temperature feels normal. Anything else bothering you?” she asks, her green eyes studying me closely.

I shake my head quickly. “Nope, I’m good,” I say with a forced smile, inwardly realizing that faking an illness isn’t going to get me anywhere.

My phone pings, and I glance down at it, hoping she doesn’t notice. It’s a message from Jugyoung: Be there in an hour to pick you up—wear something chic!

Biting my lip, I type back, Millie’s here, I don’t know how I’ll pull this off.

I glance at Millie from the corner of my eye. She’s watching me, her eyes sharp and focused, and my heart skips a beat.

I can’t tell if she’s suspicious yet, but that’s enough to make me turn my phone screen off quickly.

“Who was that?” she asks, her gaze flicking between me and the phone.

“Oh, just Mariam from my Chemistry class. She wants the notes for tomorrow,” I say as casually as I can manage, turning my attention back to her.

Millie pops a caramel nut in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully before commenting, “She should do her own homework for once.”

“Yeah, I totally agree,” I reply, trying to laugh along. But my mind is elsewhere, stuck on the fact that in just an hour, Jugyoung will show up at my place, fully expecting me to slip out of here and join her for the party at James’s.

I hate lying to Millie or keeping anything from her. Even thinking about hiding something from her gives me this tight feeling in my chest.

Millie’s the type who doesn’t do well with secrets; she picks up on everything. One look at my face, and she’ll know something’s up, and once she senses it, she won’t let go until she figures it out.

But at sixteen, I’m finally feeling ready to live a little. In all these years, I’ve never had a boyfriend, never had anything close to a “real” teenage experience.

And as much as I adore her, Millie’s like this invisible shield around me, ensuring any guy who might’ve even thought of being interested keeps his distance.

I don’t want to look back and wonder what if—what if James and I vibe? What if there’s actually a spark between us? What if I actually end up missing out on something just because I’m too scared of her reaction? 

For once, I want to take a chance.

Millie’s hand reaches into the caramel nut bag, pulling one out and popping it into my mouth with that familiar, no-nonsense look on her face.

Just then, her phone buzzes. She glances at the screen before pressing it to her ear. “Hello?” she says, her expression unreadable, eyes flicking toward me briefly before looking off toward the wall.

I can’t hear who’s on the other end, but her voice sounds neutral. That’s Millie’s poker face, and if there’s one thing she’s perfected, it’s hiding her thoughts when she doesn’t want me—or anyone—to know them.

“Alright, where are you?” she asks, still watching me but with a distracted air. “I’ll be there in five minutes,” she says, then hangs up.

I shift on the bed, doing my best to keep my nerves in check. “Who was that?” I ask, a casual smile fixed on my face as my heart picks up speed.

Millie straightens up, smoothing down her jeans and adjusting her tank top. “It’s Hannah from my team,” she explains. “She’s stuck at school without a ride. Her mom’s still at work, and her boyfriend’s busy, so… I’m her last resort, I guess.”

I raise an eyebrow, pretending not to care too much. “What’s she doing at school this late?” I ask, trying to keep the conversation going to buy myself some time to process this unexpected coincidence.

Millie just shrugs, shaking her head. “No clue. Our practice ended ages ago, but I guess she’s got her reasons.”

With a quick “I’ll be back soon!” and a wave, she heads out the door. The moment I hear it click shut, my phone lights up. It’s Jugyoung calling. I pick up, still in a bit of a daze.

“Did she leave?” she asks, a laugh hidden in her tone.

“Yes, but…” I glance toward the door, lowering my voice. “How did you know she’d be gone?”

There’s a pause, then Jugyoung’s playful voice drifts through. “Because I planned it, obviously. The whole Hannah thing? That was my idea.”

My eyes go wide, and I can practically hear her smirk through the phone. “Wait—what? How’d you even get Hannah to go along with it?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she teases. “That, my dear Grace, is my little secret. But what matters is, you’ve got the perfect window now, so get glammed up and ready in ten minutes! I’ll be there to pick you up.”

“Okay, okay!” I squeal, suddenly all excitement and nerves, the thrill of doing something unexpected rushing through me.

Hanging up, I bolt to my closet, throwing open the doors. Every “sensible” outfit I’d normally wear for my parents approval suddenly feels like the last thing I want.

Tonight, I want to feel… different.

I pull out a fitted black top, one I’d never wear to school, along with a pair of jeans that are tight in all the right places. It’s a little rebellious, a little unlike me—but tonight, that’s exactly what I want. I slip on a pair of chunky boots, adding a bit of edge. 

My fingers fly through my hair, brushing it out, and I swipe on a hint of eyeliner and mascara, just enough to make my eyes pop.

A dab of lip gloss finishes it, making me look just a little less like “Grace the Good” and a little more like someone who belongs at a party.

Standing back, I take one last look in the mirror, nerves and excitement mixing in my chest. Just as I’m slipping my phone into my pocket, I hear Jugyoung’s car pull up outside.

As I make my way downstairs, I spot my parents snuggled up on the couch, totally absorbed in an episode of their favorite show, Mysteries Uncovered.

The room has this warm, cozy vibe with them all tucked in under blankets, so when I walk in, all dressed up, their attention snaps to me, both of them looking equally stunned.

It’s like I’ve just morphed into an alien. A tiny wave of self-consciousness hits me as their eyes stay glued on me.

I clear my throat and try to sound casual. “Um, so, one of Jugyoung’s friends is throwing a party, and she invited me to come too. Can I go?”

There’s a beat of silence as they exchange glances, then, to my complete surprise, their faces break into smiles. My mom is practically beaming.

“Of course, you can! I can’t even remember the last time I saw you going to a party!” she says, her eyes bright with encouragement. 

I let out a small, relieved laugh, caught off guard by her enthusiasm.

My dad chimes in, giving his usual dad-approved nod of approval. “Go have fun,” he says. “Just…not too much fun,” he adds with a playful smirk. “And make sure you bring a jacket.”

I nod, patting my side bag to show I’ve got it covered. Then Mom squints a little, the curiosity peeking through. “So, is Millie waiting outside?”

My stomach tightens just a little. Keeping my cool, I shake my head. “No, Millie isn’t coming. Something urgent came up for her, so…it’s just me tonight.”

Before they can ask more, I add, “So, um, maybe don’t mention this to her? She might feel a bit left out since I’m going without her.”

My parents share a look before nodding. “Alright, we’ll keep it to ourselves,” Mom says with a smile.

Another honk sounds from outside, a reminder that my ride’s waiting. I give them a quick wave goodbye, and a grin spreads over my face as I step outside, nerves giving way to excitement.

Jugyoung pops her head out from the passenger seat, practically bouncing as she waves at me to hurry up. Charlotte is behind the wheel, glancing over with a nod, her face unreadable.

We’re not really friends—she’s more of an acquaintance I’ve barely exchanged words with over the last couple of years—but her presence feels oddly reassuring.

I slide into the backseat next to Hannah, and she immediately squeals.

“Oh my god, you look so goated!” she says, eyeing my outfit with an approving grin.

I laugh, glancing over her outfit—a tiny tube top and a miniskirt. “Right back at you! You look hot, too.”

Charlotte smirks, shifting the car into gear as she pulls out of the driveway. I lean forward, looking over at Jugyoung.

“So, how’d you manage to sneak out looking like that?” I ask, gesturing to her own party-ready outfit.

She laughs, waving a hand dismissively. “Oh, I walked out in jeans and a hoodie—super casual. Changed in Charlotte’s car. Charlotte’s my alibi; my parents think I’m studying with her tonight.”

I glance between them, feeling a bit impressed and slightly curious about when they’d even gotten close enough to plot together like this.

“I have a feeling tonight’s going to be insane,” Jugyoung says, her eyes sparkling as she wiggles her shoulders with excitement.

I nod, feeling it too, but there’s this strange, quiet worry niggling at the back of my mind. A part of me can’t help but wonder if Millie will somehow find out about this.

It’s not like I’m doing anything wrong—this is just a regular party, something tons of people do all the time. Still, with Millie’s absence looming over me, there’s this nagging feeling, like I’m breaking some unspoken rule between us. 

But I push the thought down, looking out the window as the city lights start to blur around us.