32 As I walked into the room, Oliver's stern expression incontinently caught my attention, transferring a bitedown my chine. He fixed his gaze on me and spoke with a firm tone, expressing his dissatisfaction," Youtook quite a while to show up."Feeling anxious and afraid of disappointing him, I cautiously moved closer, desperately searching for the right words to apologize."Mr. Oliver, I deeply apologize for my tardiness," I stammered anxiously.Oliver's tight expression suddenly transformed into a warm, captivating smile, revealing a set of gleaming, pearly white teeth that could easily dazzle anyone. I set up myself shortly stunned by thestriking change in his address. It was the second time I had ever seen him smile, and it caught me off guard.I also could not shake the feeling that when he was not smiling, he bore a striking resemblance to Mr. Miller. "It's alright," he replied in a soothing tone." As long as it's you, it does not count." I blinked, utterly taken aback b

christopher POVThree days earlier,On that particular day, Joe's parents were nowhere to be found, which meant it was just Joe, Peter, and me gathered in front of the TV, engrossed in our favorite video game, The Ultimate Formula 1 Speeder. The competition was fierce, but once again, I emerged victorious. Joe couldn't hide his frustration as he exclaimed, "Seriously? That's the 27th time I've lost to you today! You're unbeatable!"Grinning, I patted him on the back. "Hey, don't worry about it. You'll get better with time. Besides, it's all in good fun." Peter, always the peacekeeper, chimed in, "Guys, let's not make a big deal out of it. We're here to have a good time."As we took a brief break from the game, Joe's curiosity got the better of him. "So, tell me, what's going on with your cousin Oliver? Anything exciting happening?" I leaned back and sighed, "Oliver's visit has made things quite tense at home. We're dealing with another one of those serious family affairs." Peter, ever

36Christopher POVReluctantly, I picked up the phone, my tone laced with forced calmness. "Hello, Daisy," I greeted, bracing myself for the intense barrage of emotions about to come my way."You know, I've been trying to reach you for ages!" Daisy exploded, her voice seething with anger. "I couldn't help but think you were intentionally avoiding me!"Struggling to maintain composure, I offered an explanation, gently saying, "I apologize, Daisy. I was outside in the garden and had left my phone in my room."Ignoring my attempts to diffuse the situation, Daisy continued her assault, her voice a storm of fury. She berated me for not writing to her the previous night, failing to wish her a simple goodnight. I sighed inwardly, bracing for the onslaught of her anger."It's unforgivable, you know!" Daisy declared, her words piercing the air. "To not even take a few moments to wish your own girlfriend a goodnight!"In that moment, my annoyance swelled, but I masked it behind a calm façade. I

Little-angel POVI wake up in the morning, wriggling nervously with my working clothes. After a moment's vacillation, I make up my mind and head over to Sandy's room. I walk in unannounced and am startled by the pitch-dark surroundings. It is unusual for Sandy to be snoozing at this hour. Just as I am about to make my presence known, I hear a sudden loud "Boooo!!!" The scream nearly startled me out of my skin!heaving for breath, I spin around and found Sandy standing behind me. She jumped into my arms, a sportful smile on her face, and greeted me with a"Angie!" I release a shriek of relief and laughed along with her. I asked her what was going on with the no lights. Sandy laughed and with a mischievous grin, she explained, "Angie, you won't believe what happened! I was trying to fix the lights but accidentally disconnected them instead. Now I'm stuck in the darkness!" We both burst out laughing, sharing this amusing mishap.We laughed together, momentarily forgetting the weight of

40Little-angel POVAs I stood in the laundry room, a sanctuary of solitude, I found solace in the harmony of my own voice. My heart poured out its desires through that song, releasing the tensions that had been building up within me. As the lyrics flowed effortlessly from my lips, I couldn't help but be consumed by thoughts of my two dear companions and bestfriends, Sunshine and Sunrise. How I longed to be reunited with them, to know that I was missed as much as I missed them.Lost in this world of music, I failed to notice the entrance of Sandy. Her sudden applause startled me, and I blushed under the unexpected attention."Bravo!" she exclaimed wholeheartedly. "You have such a beautiful voice Angie."Unable to hide my surprise, I stammered out a shy "Thank you. I've always loved singing."Observing my radiant happiness, Sandy's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "You seem so happy. What's putting you in such a good mood?"Unable to contain my excitement, I flashed her a radiant smile. "