Surprises part 2

"Whoa," Szeina countered their curious stares. "Wait, you saw that?"

"Let's just say that there are three pairs of eyes shooting dagger looks at your mysterious ride from somewhere visible." Neyandro replied. He was leaning on the door that led to the Veranda, a smug look on his face. His arms were crossed against his chest.

"From my peripheral view, he was quite handsome." Granola teased, batting her eyes at Szeina.

"Oh no, we're not having that talk right now."

Szeina evaded them, making her way to the ready glass and poured herself a grape juice from the glass pitcher standing beside the bucket containing the champagne bottle.

Granola followed after her. She took the glass away from Szeina and took a sip from it herself, garnering an eye roll from the latter.

"You're not running away from this. Who was he?"

Giving up the hope of hiding Yvann's identity, Szeina blew out a sigh.

"He was the same guy who got me in detention. Whatever you're all thinking, dismiss it right this instance. The guy is a jerk."

But even when she said that, Szeina knew he wasn't entirely the same jerk whom she had met yesterday.

"A jerk you ignored your phone calls for?" Neyandro smirked at Szeina. She rolled her eyes in response to his teasing.

Knowing she doesn't stand a chance on the argument, Szeina put her hands up in surrender.

"You know what, whatever. You guys have no mercy."

"Aww, Szeina is no longer a little girl. She's all grown up now."

Neyandro cooed.

Both Queedor and Granola laughed at their little game of teasing.

"Still, " Queedor interrupted. "No boyfriends."

"With the exception of that cute boy with you in the car." Granola immediately chimed in, a huge grin on her face.

Szeina made a face.

"Not going to happen." She clarified.

"Who knows," Granola persisted and would have continued with the joke if not for Szeina's expression turning into a scowl.

"Alright, let's get this party started then." She announced, prodding Queedor in the side with her fingers. She gestured towards the champagne.

Without words being exchanged, the latter understood what she meant. In a matter of minutes, the champagne bottle popped open and the four of them held a glass filled with it.

They gathered in a small circle by the table and held their champagne flutes up high.

"To Szeina! May she always have the smile plastered on her face and spread the warmth of that smile to the people she meets." Granola stated, her eyes twinkling as she caught Szeina's gaze.

"And may she continue to bloom into the flower that she was meant to be." Queedor winked in Szeina's way.

Now all eyes turned towards Neyandro. He cleared his throat.

"To Szeina, a happiest birthday, little sis." He gave her his signature smirk before each of them clinked their glasses together.

After each of them had taken a sip, Szeina smiled at her little family.

"Thank you, all of you. This is sweet even though my feet are already killing me. I'm grateful to have you all in my life."

"Cheers!" Granola enthusiastically raised her glass, downing her drink right after.

Queedor took the glass away from her when she finished her drink. Almost on reflex, Granola whined and reached out for the glass in Queedor's hand.

"Just for tonight." She begged.

Queedor stood his ground and shook his head.

"I can't have you drunk tonight."

Szeina glanced at Neyandro. They exchanged a knowing look and silently took their leave, allowing the two the privacy that they needed.

Farther out into the backyard past the Veranda, a bench was available to sit on under a gigantic tree.

A lamp post provided the light which they needed there. Tiny vines from the nearby plants wrapped themselves around the legs of the bench.

No longer masking the pain from the heeled shoes, Szeina took them off and had herself sit on the bench.

She let out a relieved sigh for freeing her feet from the brief torture she endured.

Neyandro joined her on the bench.

"Did you like it?"

Szeina turned her attention to him. His smug expression was gone, and so was his trademark smirk.

"What are you referring to?"

"My simple gift."

"Simple?" Szeina knew it was far from simple.

She lost possession of her Camry as it was part of a crime scene.

Her car key and the key chain were part of the things she also lost together with her car.

"Yes, simple." Neyandro replied with nonchalance.

"Now that you mentioned it, how did you manage to find it?"

"I have my ways."

Szeina wanted to push and ask further. However, she knew Neyandro wouldn't tell.

He rarely tells her anything.

In fact, the two of them bicker and tease each other most of the time, but they barely talk to each other.

Except for the times like currently, the two of them would mind their own business.

Living in the same house and seeing each other often didn't equate that the two of them had a super tight bond.

Some people would see it that way.

However, for Szeina, it wasn't the same. Neyandro tends to keep to himself. He rarely shares about anything.

When he does, it would only be a onetime thing. There would be no part two of him talking about himself.

"Whatever." Szeina scoffed.

"On a more serious note, who was that guy? Aside from being the jerk responsible for your detention."

"Just a classmate. Our English teacher made us do this project. Hence, the reason why I couldn't answer any of your calls a while back. I was busy."

At the back of her mind, Szeina had a different version of what she just termed as busy.

"Why do I sense that there's more to it than what you're saying?"

Szeina stared at Neyandro and squinted her eyes.

"What, are you a psychic now?"

Neyandro chuckled.

"Just admit it. Something happened between you and this guy. Come on, don't be shy."

"It's not what you're thinking."

"Enlighten me then."

Szeina knew Neyandro wouldn't stop nagging her regarding Yvann unless he gives him something.

Coming to a decision, she looked towards the starry sky.

"I kind of spilled the part about why I had to transfer school. We had some sort of screaming confession."

Neyandro whistled.

"That's some heavy stuff. How did he take it?"

Szeina's shoulders sag. She turned her gaze back to Neyandro, catching him already staring at her.

"How do you think? I thought I had the last speech. Until I realized what I just said. Bloody idiot, right?"

"Indeed," Neyandro agreed. "But, for the record, you learned something about him, too. So, the world is still fair enough. Don't fret too much, little sis."

"Ugh," Szeina grimaced as she picked the silver stilettos and got on her feet. "Leave it to you to ruin a pleasant moment. Anyway, I'm starved. I'm going back there."

Neyandro slowly followed Szeina's action. He stood at his full height and smiled sweetly at her before breaking into a sprint.

"Race you!"

Szeina shook her head. Neyandro might be older than her, but his maturity level was nowhere to be found.