It’s the weekend, so I’m enjoying some quiet time in my room. It’s been five days sirid and I became acquainted, and ever sihen, we’ve pretty much been inseparable.

  Since her mum works te a lot, I’ve been going to her house after school, watg movies or random sits together. Because of that, I haven’t had much time to write or read—which is a problem since I aspire to be a part-time author.

  Part-time, because writing full-time seems exhausting and stressful. I want to enjoy writing, not feel pressured to make money from it.

  I’ve also missed reading, so I pn to spend this Saturday m catg up before trying to tinue writing my superhero novel iernoon.

  Gng at the wall clo my room, I hat it’s currently 9 AM. I feel a bit peckish but not hungry enough to go downstairs and make breakfast.

  I’ve just woken up and still want to roll around in bed while reading on my phone.

  I pulled my bighter around me, sinking further into my pillows. My room was quiet, just the way I liked it—no background noise, no distras.

  Finally, a moment to myself.

  I unlocked my phone and opened up the book I’d been reading, pig up where I left off. The words blurred slightly from my sleep-heavy eyes, but after a few lines, my brain fully engaged.

  This is nice.

  No Astrid talking my ear off, no sit ugh tracks in the background, no one draggio versations I hadn’t pnned for.

  Just me, my bed, and a good story.

  I got about two chapters in before my phone buzzed.

  Speak of the devil…

  I sighed, already knowing who it was before I even checked.

  Astrid: What are you doing?

  I debated ign her for a while. Not out of annoyance, but because I really wao just enjoy my book in peace.

  Another buzz.

  Astrid: Henry, don’t leave me on read, you emotionally stipated book gremlin.

  I smirked slightly, shaking my head.

  Instead of replying, I turned my phone on Do Not Disturb a back to reading.

  I sted about ten minutes before there was a loud knock at my bedroom door.

  Frowning, I sat up. “What the—?”

  The door swung open.

  Astrid.

  Standing there ipants and an oversized hoodie, looking very pleased with herself.

  I blinked. “You’re in my house.”

  She grinned. “Observant as always.”

  “How the hell did you get in?”

  “Your mum let me in,” she said casually, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. “She likes me, by the way.”

  I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Of course she does.”

  Astrid flopped onto my bed without hesitation, stealing half my b in the process.

  I gave her a look. “You do have your own house, you know.”

  “Yes, but mine is empty and b,” she said, tugging the b more around herself. “Yours has you.”

  I scoffed. “That’s not a selling point.”

  “For me, it is.”

  I rolled my eyes, setting my phone down. “What do you want, Astrid?”

  She stretched her arms above her head. “Just wao hang out.”

  I sighed dramatically. “Astrid, it’s 9 AM on a Saturday.”

  “Yes, and?”

  I stared at her. She stared back, pletely unbothered.

  “…You are ridiculous.”

  She smirked. “A, here I am.”

  I shook my head, already resigning myself to the fact that I was not going to get my peaceful m back.

  Astrid nudged me with her foot. “So? What were you doing before I graced you with my presence?”

  “Reading.”

  “Ooooh, a Henry Cssic,” she teased. “What book?”

  I picked up my phone and showed her the cover.

  She squinted. “The Night War? Sounds dramatic.”

  “It is.”

  She hummed, then looked at me expetly. “Tell me about it.”

  I frowned. “What?”

  “The book,” she said. “Tell me what it’s about.”

  I stared at her suspiciously. “Since when do you care about books?”

  She shrugged. “Since I started hanging out with you. Now, spill.”

  I sighed, but surprisingly, I didn’t hate the idea of expining it.

  So I did.

  And for once, Astrid actually listened.

  ***

  “So, what now?” I asked, raising a brow at Astrid, who was lying oummy, leisurely reading under my b.

  “Hmm?” she hummed, gng up at me with a small smile dang on her lips.

  I couldn’t help but fixate on that for a moment before blinking and f myself to look away.

  “I mean, have you had breakfast yet? Also, don’t you have any other friends to hang out with?” I asked.

  “Am I a bother?” she asked, pouting slightly.

  “No…” I said, hesitating.

  “Great.” She fshed me a teasing smile. “I know I’ve been gy, and I promise I won’t bother you too much. You actually do whatever you want today… I’ll just be h.”

  “So, no other friends were avaible?” I deadpanned.

  “No, they were. I just wao hang out with you. Plus, my ex was blowing up my pho night and this m, and I finally had enough—so I blocked aed him,” she said smugly.

  “Woohoo,” I celebrated uhusiastically.

  “You’re awful, you know that? I wonder why I even hang out with you,” she sighed dramatically.

  “Because I’m charming, witty, and absolutely geous?” I said seriously.

  Astrid snorted.

  Astrid shook her head, still grinning. “Charming? Debatable. Witty? Sure. Geous?” She paused, giving me an exaggerated once-over. “Eh.”

  I scoffed. “Excuse you—I’ll have you know I’m a solid seven on a good day.”

  She hummed, tilting her head like she was actually sidering it. “Mmm… I’d give you a six.”

  I gasped. “Six?”

  “Okay, fine, six-point-five,” she teased.

  I gred at her. “I don’t have to sit here and be disrespected in my own bed.”

  Astrid giggled, curling deeper into the b like she belohere. “A, here we are.”

  I sighed dramatically, rubbing my face. “God, you’re a menace.”

  “And you love it,” she said smugly.

  I ignored her, getting up from the bed. “e on, since you’re h today, we might as well get breakfast.”

  Astrid groaned. “Ugh, but I’m so fy.”

  “You literally just admitted to ing.”

  “Yeah, but I nning on moog off whatever you make ter.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Not happening. Get up.”

  She pouted but eventually sat up, stretg with a small yawn. Her hoodie slipped slightly off her shoulder, revealing the thin strap of a tank top underh.

  I looked away, heading for the door.

  She hopped out of bed, trailing after me. “So, what’s for breakfast, chef Henry?”

  “I don’t know. Probably just eggs and toast.”

  Astrid sighed dramatically. “I was hoping for something more extravagant.”

  “Yetting eggs. Take it or leave it.”

  She huffed. “Fine.”

  We headed downstairs, the house quiet except for the faint sound of the TV pying from the living room. My mum must’ve left it on before heading out.

  Astrid slid onto a kit stool, watg as I grabbed the eggs and bread. “You always cook for yourself?”

  “Yeah,” I said, crag an egg into a pan. “My mum’s busy most of the time, so I just make whatever.”

  Astrid hummed, resting her on her palm. “I like that about you.”

  I g her. “What?”

  “You’re self-suffit,” she said simply. “It’s kinda nice.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “You saying that because I’m feeding you?”

  She smirked. “Partly.”

  I shook my head, flipping the egg. “You’re impossible.”

  “A, you still put up with me,” she said sweetly.

  I didn’t respond.

  Because she wasn’t wrong.

  A fortable silence fell over us as I finished cooking. I pted our food a a pte in front of her.

  Astrid’s eyes lit up. “Aw, look at you, making me breakfast like a doting boyfriend.”

  I shot her a dry look. “Eat your food before I take it back.”

  She grinned but picked up her fork. “Yes, boss.”

  We ate in easy silehe occasional k of utensils filling the space.

  After a while, Astrid nudged my foot uhe table. “Hey.”

  I looked at her. “What?”

  She hesitated for a sed, then smiled. “…Thanks.”

  “For what?”

  “For letting me hover.”

  I stared at her.

  Then, slowly, I smirked.

  “I didn’t let you hover,” I said. “You just refused to leave.”

  She ughed, shaking her head. “Same thing.”

  I didn’t argue.

  Because, at this point, I was starting to think maybe she was right.

  ***

  After breakfast, we migrated bay room, Astrid flopping onto my bed like she owhe pce.

  I sat at my desk, opening my ptop. “You do realize you leave nht?”

  She gasped dramatically. “Kig me out already? Henry, I thought we had something special.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You literally just invited yourself ain.”

  “A, here I am,” she said smugly, hugging my pillow.

  I sighed, rubbing my temples. “I was gonna write today, you know.”

  Astrid perked up slightly. “Oh? Your super-secret superhero novel?”

  I gave her a suspicious look. “Why do you sound so ied?”

  “Because it’s you,” she said, propping herself up on her elbows. “And you alk about the things you actually care about unless I pester you.”

  I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. “Yeah, well, it’s still a work in progress.”

  “ I read it?”

  “No.”

  “ I watch you write it?”

  “No.”

  Astrid pouted. “You’re no fun.”

  I turned bay s, ign her whining.

  For a while, she was surprisingly quiet. I assumed she was scrolling on her phone or messing around, but then—

  “I think it’s cool, though,” she murmured.

  I frowned slightly, gng over my shoulder. “What is?”

  “That you have something like this,” she said, resting her on my pillow. “Something you actually care about.”

  I blinked.

  Astrid wasn’t teasing this time. There was no smug smirk, no pyful gleam in her eye—just a quiet kind of siy.

  I didn’t know how to respond to that.

  So I didn’t.

  Instead, I turned bay ptop and started typing.

  Astrid didn’t interrupt.

  She just stayed there, tent to hover in my space.

  The sound of my typing filled the room, steady and rhythmic. Astrid stayed quiet—for once—probably scrolling on her phone or just watg me like a weirdo.

  I was about ten minutes into writing when I felt movement behind me.

  Then, before I could react, Astrid draped herself over my shoulders, resting on my head as she peeked at my s.

  I sighed. “Astrid.”

  “Henry,” she mimicked, voice way too amused.

  I reached up and flicked her forehead lightly. She gasped, dramatically pulling away and clutg her head like I’d mortally wounded her.

  “You abusive little goblin!” she accused.

  I smirked. “That’s what you get for invading my personal space.”

  Astrid narrowed her eyes, then—without warning—she spun my chair around so I was fag her.

  I barely had time to process it before she climbed onto my p, straddlih zero hesitation.

  I froze.

  She smirked, tilting her head. “Oh? No snarky ebao sarcastic remark?”

  I exhaled slowly, staring at her. “You’re pying a dangerous game, Astrid.”

  She grinned. “Am I?”

  I leaned back slightly, resting an arm on my chair. “You’re awfully bold for someone who just got dumped.”

  She pouted mogly. “Oh, Henry, are you intimidated?”

  I scoffed, my hands resting on the armrests, very muot toug her. “No. I just think you’re trying way too hard to mess with me.”

  She hummed thoughtfully, tapping a finger against her lips. “Maybe… but you don’t seem like you hate it.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “You really like testing boundaries, don’t you?”

  Astrid leaned in slightly, her faly inches from mine. “And you really like pretending you’re ued.”

  I held her gaze, unimpressed. “You done?”

  She studied me for a sed, searg my expression for something.

  Then, suddenly, she smiled—a real ohis time.

  She poked my cheek. “Yeah. I’m done—for now.”

  And just like that, she hopped off my p like nothing happened, flopping bato my bed like she hadn’t just pulled that.

  I let out a slow breath, shaking my head. “You are ridiculous.”

  Astrid gri me from the bed, stretg her arms over her head. “A, you still haven’t kicked me out.”

  I rolled my eyes and turned bay ptop, trying to ighe smug look on her face.

  This girl was going to be a problem.