Trying something different

Sapphire's POV

I sighed, feeling stressed, and stared at the ceiling as I lay in bed. It was a Saturday, and I had woken up unusually early. The sounds of my mom cooking in the kitchen had roused me - the singing, clinking of utensils, and sizzling of food on the stovetop. My mom could be quite loud at times.

I slowly got out of bed without checking my phone and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. Then, I strolled downstairs to the kitchen. My expression was neutral, and I hadn't noticed how downbeat I looked.

"Morning, Mom," I said, eyeing what she was cooking.

"Morning, Sapphire. You look really down. Just waking up?" my mom asked, her lips curving into a small smile as her gaze shifted from the cooking food to me.

I responded in a flat tone, "Yeah. I had a really weird dream too. I think that's partly what's affecting my mood."

I walked over to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. My mom smiled and asked, "What happened in your dream? Did you lose another match in one of your games again?" She let out a gentle laugh and turned to face me, leaving the food to cook for a moment.

I stared at my mom blankly before taking a gulp of water. "Nah, not today. Just a weird encounter with a classmate. Can't remember much of it," I replied, tossing the bottle of water up and catching it.

My mom smiled and gestured for me to grab some dishes. I took one for me and another for her, since we were the only ones awake. My dad and younger sister were still asleep, probably because it was only 7:00 in the morning.

My mom took the plates from my hand and served me a hot, steamy omelette. She could see the slight excitement in my facial reaction. "Food will brighten up your day. Don't worry about it," she said with a wide smile, handing me the plate.

I took it from her and walked over to the living room. Nobody really used the dining table except my mom. I usually ate in my room or on the sofa so I could get a good view of the TV.

As usual, I took a seat on the sofa but didn't feel like switching on the TV. There wasn't really anything good to watch on TV these days.

I glanced around, realizing my phone was still in my room. I let out a groan, forcing myself to get up and retrieve it. I would have brought my food along, but my mom had a strict "no eating where you sleep" policy, which I found annoying.

As I picked up my phone, it buzzed with notifications. I scrolled through them, only to see 12 messages from Chloe. I sighed inwardly, wondering why she had to be so persistent with her texts. Chloe was one of the few friends I regularly talked to; most people in my contacts felt like a waste of time and energy to me.

As I returned downstairs, I was greeted by the chirpy presence of my 13-year-old sister. She was still basking in the glory of her recent birthday, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes good-naturedly. We were an unlikely pair, my sister and I. While she embodied the quintessential princess vibe, complete with a flair for drama and a love for all things sparkly, I was more of a laid-back, no-frills kind of person.

Our differences often led to humorous clashes, with my sister accusing me of being a "grump" and me teasing her about being a "drama queen." But despite our joking, deep down, I loved her to bits. She was a ball of energy and enthusiasm, always eager to take on the day and make the most of every moment. I, on the other hand, was more of a introverted, analytical type, often content to spend hours reading or playing games.

As I sat down on the sofa to enjoy my breakfast, my sister bounced into the seat across from me, chattering excitedly about her plans for the day. I listened patiently, nodding along and making supportive noises as she talked about her friends, her school, and her latest obsessions. It was a familiar routine, one that I had grown accustomed to over the years. And despite our differences, I was grateful to have my sister in my life.

As I savored my omelette, my sister's chatter gradually faded into the background. I focused on reading Chloe's messages instead. She had a quirky habit of sending multiple messages instead of combining them into one.

"Space stone! You won't believe this..." she began. I mentally combined her messages into a single, coherent text. "Space stone! You won't believe this... I just saw this new movie coming out and I was so excited when I saw it had come out... I was going to see it with my boyfriend, but I thought, why don't I tag you along?"

I raised an eyebrow at Chloe's grammar. She could be a bit careless with her sentence structure at times. "There's this guy my boyfriend hangs out with, and he's definitely gonna be your type because he is c-u-t-e. He's willing to meet you too. Think about it, SS. It's not an action movie this time, but a romantic one. Hehehe."

I placed a hand on my forehead and couldn't help but chuckle at Chloe's playful teasing.

"Hello! Space stone," my sister called out, a hint of annoyance in her voice. I immediately looked up from my phone, my eyebrows furrowing in response.

"Shut it. Don't call me that," I said firmly.

My sister continued eating, her expression nonchalant. "That's what your girlfriend calls you, so whatever."

A hint of irritation crept into my tone. "What is your problem? Thirteen going to your head or something?"

My sister blinked, looking confused, as she took another bite of her food. "I don't know what that means," she said. "I was talking to you, and you were on your phone. It's rude." She pointed out, her voice matter-of-fact.

A mischievous glint flashed in my eye as I stared at my sister. "Who's complaining?" I asked, goading her.

Her eyes widened, and her eyebrows furrowed as she uttered angrily, "Me, duh! Why do you always have to be so annoying?"

I muttered under my breath, looking back at my phone. "I could say the same for you." My mind began to wander back to Chloe's messages. Despite my initial hesitation, I decided to agree to the double date. After all, it was better than spending the day with my chatty sister.

I texted Chloe back: "Alright, I'll go. But don't call me SS in front of him. I don't want him thinking I'm sick or something. Gosh." I couldn't believe I was actually going on a double date. I felt awkward about it and worried about what to wear.

Chloe responded almost immediately: "Great. I don't know what's gotten into you, but I like it. We meet up by 4:30. You two can chat a bit before we go see the movie."

I panicked, typing out a frantic message: "But I don't have anything to wear! What do I do?!"

Chloe reassured me: "Panic not, my stone."

I rolled my eyes, typing out a response: "Stop."

Chloe continued to tease me, but eventually suggested I wear the outfit we had bought for our vacation. I agreed, feeling a bit more at ease.

As I finished my conversation with Chloe, my mom approached me, taking my phone out of my hand. "No phones. Finish your food, then you can play with your phone."

I sighed, feeling annoyed. "I was just about to do that."

****

As I stood in front of the mirror, I examined the outfit I had put together. The original ensemble, a brown skirt and a white long-sleeved tight shirt, had been purchased last year, but I had only worn it once or twice. I decided to make some adjustments to suit my taste.

I swapped the tight white top for a cream-colored sweater, which I left untucked. I paired it with the brown skirt, cream leg warmers, and white ankle boots. My short, grunge-style hair was clean and styled. I added a few accessories: a silver wolf necklace pendant and two gold bangles on my right arm.

As I admired myself in the mirror, I felt a surge of confidence. "Who says I couldn't style myself?" I thought, smiling.

I checked the time on my phone and saw that it was 3:57. I had to hurry. I bid my family farewell and headed out. Upon arriving at the designated location, I immediately spotted Chloe. I approached Chloe and her boyfriend quietly, covering her eyes from behind. A smile spread across her face as she immediately recognized who was behind her.

"You made it!" she exclaimed, her voice vibrant with excitement. She removed my hands from her eyes and turned to face me. "I actually thought you'd bail," she added, her grin widening.

I smiled brightly in response. "I just wanted to try something different and get out of the house."

As we chatted, Chloe's boyfriend greeted a tall, handsome guy with a simple yet stylish outfit. He wore a brown top, cream trousers, and white sneakers, which complemented his black wavy undercut hair and long earrings. There was something familiar about him, yet slightly different. As our eyes met, I felt my heart skip a beat.