CHAPTER 1 MISS CLUMSY

"It was love, nothing else"
Author: Bhani Khamnam

Anya Dalton is a 16-year-old girl studying at West High School. She's been walking to and fro in her room, typing frantically on her phone and contemplating how to approach the situation.
Stressing over an incident, worried sick, she furiously murmured, "Oh... what do I do now? I shouldn't have chased Julie in the hallway! If... if I didn't, I wouldn't have..."

IN THE KITCHEN

Anya's mom, Taylor, was cooking, and as she was very curious about her surroundings, she heard someone murmuring and soon realized it was her own daughter's voice. Taylor put down the kitchen cloth she was holding after quickly wiping the dinner table. She slowly walked out of the kitchen and went to her daughter's room.
Taylor is a single mother, 42 years old. Mrs. Taylor Delton works as the head librarian at Anya's high school. She always makes sure her kids are safe and everything they need is provided.
As a concerned mother, she always ensures her only son and daughter are safe and sound. Hearing her daughter murmuring made her curious. Taylor got closer, but Anya was still lost in her thoughts.

"Sweety... is everything okay?"

Anya was startled for a second as she didn't expect someone to call her suddenly. Not wanting to say anything about what happened at school, Anya quickly calmed herself down, and breathing in and out a few times, she responded, "Mom... yes! Everything is fine."
Hearing Anya's response, Taylor felt better. "Oh, okay. Well, dinner's ready. Also, call your brother too. I'll prepare the table."
"Okay, Mom, I will do that," Anya responded obediently.

Mrs. Taylor put the last ingredients in the dish and closed the lid. She picked up a towel, dried her hands, and walked toward Anya's room, knocking softly. "Anya, come, let's eat."
All this while, Anya had been sitting on her bed looking at a notebook, holding it and examining it closely. She was feeling strange until she heard her mom calling outside. She immediately responded,
"Okay... I'm coming."
Mrs. Taylor walked back to the kitchen and started setting the table—plates, food, and everything. It was a sight to be admired. She was not only a librarian but also an excellent cook.

Back in her room, Anya inhaled deeply. Suddenly, the incident that happened at school slowly started creeping back...

FLASHBACK
At School

Anya sat beside a window, lost in her own world, deep in thought...
From a distance, her best friend Julie Megwar entered the classroom and began scanning the room like some kind of detecting device... Beep! Beep! Her eyes stopped scanning when she noticed Anya looking outside the window. Smiling mischievously, she tiptoed toward her and stepped quietly.
"BANG!!" Julie screamed loudly near Anya's delicate ear. Startled, Anya shook a little. "Why did you do that for?" she asked, her face showing utter shock.

Julie, acting as though she'd been deceived, replied in a sarcastic tone, "You didn't notice me coming, so I decided to surprise you." Frowning, she gave Anya big teary eyes.

Anya suddenly grabbed Julie's hand, smirking slightly on the left, "You call that a surprise? Then here's a surprise punch for you!" She punched her, but it had no impact on Julie.

Julie laughed sarcastically, "Ouch! You hit like a baby," and then grabbed Anya's bag and started running.

Anya furiously screamed and started to chase Julie, "Julieee... stop right there!" Julie continued running down the hallway, giggling with the bag.

Julie, still running and having fun, cheerfully replied with mockery, "Anya... come and get me... if you can, of course."
Anya yelled, "Wait till I get you!!" as she chased after Julie, both of them giggling.

To be continued...


---