Chapter 16: Secrets, Sleep Masks & Chaos O'Clock
Saturday – 6:42 p.m. – Aria's Room
Lana tossed her overnight bag onto the bed dramatically.
"I brought snacks, face masks, nail polish, and enough tea to gossip all night."
Aria blinked. "I brought... two hoodies and leftover pizza."
"Perfect," Lana grinned. "We're starting with face masks. Let's look like swamp goblins."
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7:15 p.m. – Face Mask Philosophy
Both girls had green goop on their faces, hair up in messy buns, and Lana was reading Aria's sketchbook.
"Is this Aiden?!" she gasped.
Aria tried to grab it. "It's—just practice!"
"He has jawline energy in this," Lana teased.
Aria mumbled something about how his smile was hard to draw "right."
Lana smirked. "You've got it bad, huh?"
Aria buried her face in a pillow. "Shut up."
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8:22 p.m. – Music & Heart-to-Hearts
They played soft music, painting their nails.
Then, out of nowhere:
"Do you think Noah ever noticed me?" Lana asked quietly.
Aria looked over. "Lana. He definitely notices you. He watches you like you're a math equation he can't solve."
Lana giggled, half crying. "Why is that the cutest thing ever?"
"Because it's Noah. And you're you."
They shared a quiet moment, both secretly realizing:
Love wasn't loud. It was soft and steady.
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9:41 p.m. – The Prank Call
Lana: "We need to prank call someone."
Aria: "No."
Lana: "Yes."
They ended up calling Ethan and pretending to be a pizza delivery driver.
Lana (weird accent): "Your pineapple mushroom pizza is outside."
Ethan: "I didn't order—wait, mushroom?"
Aria (whispering): "He's falling for it."
Ethan: "Wait… is this Noah?!"
He hung up.
They lost it.
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10:59 p.m. – The WTF Moment
They opened Aria's closet looking for extra pillows and discovered:
A box of old childhood drawings.
A life-sized cardboard cutout of a K-pop idol.
A sock full of glitter labeled "emergency sparkle."
Lana stared. "I don't even have questions anymore."
"I don't have answers anyway," Aria shrugged.
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12:00 a.m. – Midnight Confessions
They lay under fairy lights, shoulders brushing.
"I've never told anyone I liked Aiden," Aria admitted.
Lana smiled. "Then tonight, let it be your first time saying it out loud."
Aria whispered:
"I like Aiden. Like, a lot."
Lana took her hand and softly said,
"And I like Noah. A lot."
Silence. Safe, warm silence.
And then:
"Want more tea?"
"Obviously."
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A night of green masks, wild pranks, and truth-telling under fairy lights.
One that would stay with them... always.