Self

Chapter 19

Xandra almost flew down the stairs and made a beeline for the

school gates, where Yale’s car was easy to spot, parked right by the curb.

Leaning casually against the front of the car, Yale was the picture of college cool in a beige tee under a long dark gray coat paired with sharp black slacks. He was a head–turner, and the passersby could not help but sneak second glances.

He glanced at his watch three times in as many minutes.

They had said 10:00 A.M., and time was ticking by.

A sweet and gentle presence enveloped him as he was about to dial

Xandra’s number.

Xandra’s arms found their way around Yale’s neck as she purred, ” Have you been waiting long?”

“You’re late,” he said, a playful edge to his voice as he peered down at her, hands casually pocketed.

“Sorry, I swear I’ll be punctual next time,” she said, relieved to see he

was not upset.

“Get in,” he said, a knowing smile tugging at his lips. He could easily read her little schemes but chose not to call her out on them.

Xandra hopped into the passenger seat, filling the car with her bubbly chatter nonstop.

Yale gripped the steering wheel, eyes locked on the road ahead, only occasionally tossing back a brief reply.

At the crossroads, Xandra’s gaze drifted out the window, where a massive LED billboard flashed an ad for the brand–new Universal

Studios. Her heart skipped a beat, and she gently pulled on Yale’s. sleeve, eyes sparkling excitedly. “Babe, can we hit up Universal Studios today?”

“Sure.” It was all about making Xandra’s birthday memorable, and Yale was cool with whatever made her happy. He handed her a gift bag stamped with a fancy jewelry brand’s logo. “Happy birthday.”

Xandra peeked inside and gasped. “No way! Is this Celestia’s latest limited edition bracelet? It’s super pricey and, like, impossible to find!”

She quickly slipped the bracelet out of the box and onto her wrist, admiring the shell design and the glittering white diamonds.

She could not resist waving it in front of him. “It looks amazing, right? How’d you know I’d love this?” Her voice was a soft, sweet murmur that seemed to dance right into his heart.

The light turned green, and Yale hit the accelerator. Glancing over, he caught Xandra snapping pictures with her phone and said

offhandedly, “I’m glad you like it.”

Rainie had promised to take her somewhere special, but Yara had not expected her to arrive so early. She was barely awake when the phone

rang.

Rainie’s voice rushed through the line, “Let’s go, Yara! I can’t find a parking spot down here! You have ten minutes!”

Ten minutes later, Yara hopped into the car, sandwich in hand for

Rainie.

Rainie nibbled on it and said, “You’re always right on time.”

The sports car zipped through the streets, a blur of speed, until it pulled up outside Universal Studios. Yara craned her neck, a bit stunned. “This is your surprise spot?”

“Ugh, studying and cramming every single day is the worst. It’s the

weekend; it’s time to kick back and have fun! I’ll snag us a couple of tickets. Hang tight here, okay?”

She was back before Yara knew it.

Rainie was not just clutching two tickets; she also had a pair of

adorable headbands.

“One for each of us,” she said.

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