119

119

Sophia’s POV

Jenny was scrolling through her phone, eyes lighting up every time she came across something she liked. “Soph, you won’t believe the new collection I just found. Look at this dress.” She turned her phone to show me a picture of a sleek, black midi dress with an asymmetrical hemline.

I smiled. Jenny always had an eye for fashion. “It’s nice, really sleek. You think it’ll look good on you?”

“Good on me? It would be perfect on me.” She grinned, putting her phone down. “I’ve been eyeing it for days now. It’s one of those pieces you just know will turn heads.”

I laughed. “You’re so good at that. I swear, I could never just ‘know’ what works for me. I’m still in that jeans-and-t-shirt phase of life.”

She scoffed playfully, giving me a mock look of horror. “Sophia Anderson, that’s criminal. I mean, don’t get me wrong, jeans and a tee have their place, but you’ve got a killer body. Why are you not showing it off more?”

I shrugged, laughing again. “Maybe because I don’t have the ‘Jenny Fashion Gene.’ I have no idea what looks good on me half the time. If it’s comfy, I wear it.”

Jenny rolled her eyes. “You are way too modest. You could pull off anything if you tried, trust me.” She picked up her phone again, scrolling through another set of photos. “We need to go shopping soon. I’m talking full-on, wardrobe-overhaul kind of shopping. No more excuses.”

I grinned at her enthusiasm, but the thought of a whole shopping spree seemed tiring. “You know I love you, right? But shopping for a whole new wardrobe sounds… exhausting.”

“It’s only exhausting if you do it wrong,” Jenny said, waving her hand dismissively. “I’ll make it fun. We’ll try out some new styles, get you out of your comfort zone. Maybe even—dare I say it—a bit of color?”

I laughed. “Color? I don’t know, that seems like a stretch.”

“Oh, come on, Soph. It’s not like I’m suggesting neon green or anything. You could totally rock a deep red or even a bold blue. Trust me, once you see yourself in something outside your usual, you’ll be obsessed.”

I leaned back, considering it. “Okay, maybe. But only if we keep it manageable. I don’t want to come back with an entire truckload of clothes.”

Jenny raised an eyebrow. “You say that now, but just wait until we’re knee-deep in the sale racks. You’ll be thanking me.”

I shook my head, smiling. “You’re relentless. But okay, I’ll take you up on the shopping offer.”

Jenny clapped her hands together like she’d just won a victory. “Yes! I’m telling you, you’re going to love it. We’ll make a whole day of it—brunch, shopping, maybe even some coffee after. It’ll be the perfect escape.”

The Idea actually sounded kind of nice, especially after everything that had been happening lately. A day out, just the two of us, talking about nothing important and getting lost in something as light as fashion—it was exactly what I needed.

“So,” Jenny continued, “what’s going on with school? You keeping up with all your assignments?”

I sighed, thinking about the heap of work I still had to get through. “Barely. I feel like I’m constantly behind. And don’t even get me started on that history paper. It’s killing me.”

Jenny made a face of sympathy. “Ugh, don’t remind me. I’ve got an essay due for my chem class, and I haven’t even started it yet. I’ve been way too distracted lately.”

“I get that. It’s hard to focus sometimes, especially when there’s so much going on outside of class.”

Jenny nodded. “Exactly. And then there’s this professor who’s impossible to please. Every time I turn in a paper, he’s like, ‘This isn’t what I was looking for.’ It’s like, then tell me what you want, man!”

I chuckled. “Sounds like every professor ever. They want you to read their minds.”

“Right? It’s exhausting.” Jenny leaned back, letting out a dramatic sigh. “I can’t wait for this semester to be over. I’m so ready for a break.”

“Same,” I agreed. “Summer can’t come fast enough. Do you have any plans yet?”

She shrugged. “Not really. Maybe a few weekend trips or something, but nothing major. What about you?”

“I’m not sure yet. I was thinking maybe I’d stay close to home, maybe catch up on some reading. But honestly, a vacation sounds tempting.”

Jenny’s eyes lit up. “Ooh, we should plan something together! Like a girls’ trip. We could go somewhere warm, sit by the beach, drink fruity cocktails—total relaxation.”

“A girls’ trip would be fun,” I said, starting to warm to the idea. “But you know me, I’m more of a staycation kind of girl.”

“Yes, I know,” Jenny said with mock exasperation. “But maybe this summer you’ll surprise me and agree to some adventure.”

I laughed. “We’ll see.”

We lapsed into a comfortable silence for a moment, and I realized how good it felt to just talk about normal things. School, summer plans, clothes—things I would’ve focused on all the time before my life took a turn into the extraordinary. It was like taking a breath of fresh air, and I could tell Jenny felt the same way.

“So,” Jenny said after a pause, “I’ve been thinking about changing my hair.”

I looked at her, surprised. “Really? What are you thinking of doing?”

She played with a strand of her dark hair, twisting it around her finger. “I don’t know. Maybe something lighter for summer? Or I could go for a bob. You know I love to switch things up.”

“I think you’d look amazing with lighter hair,” I said. “Like, a caramel color maybe. It would suit your skin tone.”

“Yeah?” She smiled, clearly considering it. “I’ve been thinking about it. Something fun for summer, you know?”

“Do it,” I encouraged her. “You always look great no matter what you do with your hair.”

She laughed. “I do, don’t I?”

I rolled my eyes. “Modest as ever, I see.”

She shrugged, grinning. “What can I say? When you’re right, you’re right.”

We both laughed, the sound filling the room, and for the first time in a long while, I felt a sense of normalcy. It wasn’t forced, it wasn’t contrived—it was just me and my best friend, talking about life the way we always had. And I needed that more than I realized.