The garden had never felt so alive—probably because Elara was violently ripping weeds out of the soil like they were her enemies in disguise. Her ponytail drooped, her sleeves were muddy, and her mind begged for something exciting.
That's when she heard footsteps.
She turned to see Mia approaching, holding two juice bottles like peace offerings.
"Hey," Mia said, a little shy. "You looked like you were about to start eating the weeds."
Elara grinned. "Tempting. Got something tastier?"
Mia handed her a bottle and sat beside her on the cracked stone edge of the flowerbed.
They sipped quietly for a few moments, the garden oddly peaceful. It felt like a pause button had been pressed on all the drama.
"Thanks," Elara finally said. "For the juice."
"And... why did you do that?" Mia asked, curious.
Elara shrugged. "Couldn't help it. I hate people like Emily."
A moment passed.
Then Mia took a deep breath. "I used to be close to Emily… we were best friends, actually."
Elara turned to her. "Wait, what?"
"She wasn't always like this," Mia continued. "But when my dad's company, SkyNova Corp, started failing… everything changed. Her parents—big-shot CEOs of ZenithSky Innovations—wanted her around rich and 'worthy' people only. She listened. Just… left me."
Elara frowned. "Wow. That's cold."
"She replaced me with Jessi," Mia said bitterly. "Jessi's like her personal megaphone. No brain, just echo. She bullies people to stay in Emily's good books."
Elara laughed. "I've met parrots with more personality."
That made Mia giggle, the heaviness in her eyes easing a little.
"What about the three newly transferred students?" Elara asked, stretching.
"Oh, them?" Mia's face lit up. "The chubby one is Ron—he's obsessed with food and naps. The thin one with the messy hair is Rei—he thinks he's hilarious, but most of his jokes are disasters. And the third—Evan—don't even get me started. Mr. Attitude himself. Acts like a prince, talks like a king, probably dreams of being a god."
Elara burst out laughing.
Mia smiled. "They're a mess, but harmless."
Then, her tone softened again. "And Calix… I don't know. He's always distant. He doesn't bully, but he doesn't stop it either. Rumors say he used to be close with Emily too. Something happened. Now he's like… lightning in human form."
Elara looked intrigued. "You think he's dangerous?"
"Maybe. Or just hiding something."
A sudden loud crack of thunder startled them.
"I think the sky agrees," Elara muttered.
They both stood as the wind picked up. "Let's go," Mia said. "Before it rains."
Just then, they heard a weird creak behind them. Curious, they looked back at an old garden statue wobbling slightly in the breeze.
"Did it… move?" Elara asked.
"No way," Mia said. "But... maybe we should check."
As they ran toward it, Mia's shoe slipped on a patch of wet mud. "Waaah—!"
In a panic, she grabbed the statue's arm for support. The old marble let out a loud crack! as the hand snapped off and crashed to the ground.
There was silence.
The statue's hand rolled twice… then stopped right in front of Mia's shoe.
She stared down at it like it might explode. "Oh no. Oh no-no-no—"
Elara took a step back. "You didn't mean to, right?"
"Of course not! I just tried not to die—"
"—and the statue sacrificed its hand for you," Elara said solemnly. "A true hero."
Before Mia could reply, a sharp voice pierced the air.
"What exactly is going on here?"
Both girls turned like synchronized puppets.
It was Miss Feng, the strictest teacher on campus, arms folded, eyes narrowed like a hawk who just spotted two very naughty pigeons.
Elara raised a hand slowly. "Miss Feng, allow me to explain—"
"No need. I saw everything from the window."
"Then you saw the part where the statue attacked her first?" Elara said, deadpan.
Miss Feng's eyes narrowed further. "Basketball hall. Tomorrow. After class. You two will clean it spotless."
Mia muttered, "We're so doomed."
Elara sighed. "This better count as PE credit."
They looked at each other—then burst into quiet giggles, covering their mouths like little kids who just broke something in a museum.
The bell rang in the distance. School was over.
"I should go," Mia said. "My bus leaves soon."
"I'll walk you to the stop," Elara offered with a small smile.
The two girls walked together through the garden path. The sky was cloudy, the wind cool. For a while, neither of them spoke. But it wasn't awkward. It felt peaceful, like they were slowly becoming friends without needing to say it.
At the bus stand, Mia turned to Elara. "Thanks for today… really."
Elara smirked. "What? For smashing statues or saving your butt from falling?"
Mia laughed. "Both."
"See you tomorrow?"
"Yup."
Mia climbed into the bus and waved. Elara waved back, then started walking home.
She didn't stop by her mother's restaurant like she usually did. She was already super late. And tired. And slightly still worried about the statue thing.
When she reached home, the lights were on. She opened the door and peeked inside.
Her mom, dad, and little brother were all waiting at the dinner table.
"There she is," her mom said, arms crossed. "You're late."
"Hi, love you, I'm alive," Elara said quickly, kicking off her shoes.
"Room. Change. Now."
"Yes, ma'am."
She ran upstairs, changed into her comfy clothes, tied her hair in a messy bun, and came back down to join the table.
Zhiyu, her little brother, looked at her with wide eyes. "Did you fight someone again?"
Elara grinned. "Not exactly. But something broke."
He blinked. "Was it a bone?"
"Nope. A statue."
Their parents stared at her. She just smiled and picked up her spoon like nothing happened.
Zhiyu giggled. "School sounds awesome."
"You have no idea," Elara said, and took her first bite.
The room filled with warm light, clinking spoons, soft laughter—and just a tiny bit of mystery that clung to Elara's heart like a shadow.
Tomorrow was another day.
And maybe… another adventure.