"Eonni do you need assistance at the pastry shop today?"

"Yeah eonni we have free time. We can help"

The eager beavers Sunyoung and Jinri were following Amber again, bugging her if she needed help with her shift at their pastry shop.
All she could do was massage her temples again. First Song Qian making up stuff about her "boy problem" then there's Henry and being the top notcher plus Soojung catching Henry and her interaction and publishing the "Topnotchers First Encounter Ever" artice now these two.

I swear I'll graduate bald

She was about to answer them when Henry passed by behind the two girls and winked at her. Amber just grimaced and shook her head.
"No."
"Awwww..." Sunyound and Jinri said in chorus

---
"Why do you think is he acting this way all of a sudden. He took notice of me out of the blue."

"Well, we're just a few exams away from the finals. But damn, a point away from you huh? He must've worked his off. Talk about desperate!"

Amber glares at Soojung

"So what if I'm also desperate to graduate as valedictorian?"

Soojung was quick to make up to her friend

"You're a totally different case! You need to buy your reputation back" she says before making the first bite off her cupcake "did I mention these are really good? Did you bake these?"

"Don't change the subject here. And no, I didn't bake those."

They were both in the school paper's publishing office, Amber brought cupcakes for Soojung, the head of the school paper, to bribe her into not publishing her article about Henry and Amber finally talking to each other for the first time. And she hates it when she's in the spotlight. Especially if it's like this.

"You've got lots of free time to be here. Usually, you're burying your face in your textbooks!"

"I had to make sure none of those slimy articles of yours come out..." Amber glares at the younger one

"Aww... Why not? Plus did you know that it's almost prom season?" Soojung's squeal was so high pitched, Amber swears her eardrums just popped

"Oh God, did the cupcakes not do the trick? And what's with you getting hyped about prom all of a sudden? Your grades are in danger young lady!"

"Can I just say something crazy?" Soojung clasps her hands together and faces the older friend

"Aside from everything else you just said? If there's something crazier than all those, hit me with your best shot."

"I ship you both. All the more reason for me to publish this article." she gleefully says, returning to typing on her computer, humming

"WHAT?!"

"Did I mention I'm sorta friends with Henry now?"

"WHAT??"

"Mm-hmm... I used my... charms~" she winks and Amber swears she just felt her lunch kinda crawl back in

"WHAT???"

"I actually might convince him to take you to prom"

"Oh ho ho no you don't. How bout you and him go to prom. Besides dresses aren't my swag"

"I didn't know you knew that word, Amnerd"

"Did you just call me Amnerd?" the Amnerd scoffed, like how dare she

"Sure did. It's what Henry calls you behind your back. See? He talks about you"

Who's side is this woman really on, I mean REALLY?

"Look here missy, the last thing that's gonna happen in my life is me wearing a dress and me going to prom with Henry, ya hear?" she turns Soojung's computer chair so they are eye-to-eye and Soojung just smiles coyly

"Oh yeah? You gonna spend time with your cats?" Soojung was crossing her arms across her chest

"You know who I'll allow to take me to prom? The Bumster."

"Ew. You call Kibum... Bumster?" Soojung fakes a gag and Amber felt a bit humiliated inside because that sounded so uncool just now. Why did I even do that

"Whatever. But mark my words, he's so gonna take me to prom. If he doesn't I'll allow you to publish this crap your making"

---

"What? No way."

"Key please?" they were sitting inside the Lius' pastry shop. Amber especially invited Key over just for this matter.

"Wow. You're so worked up about prom huh? It's still a month away and yet here you are begging me to be your date" Key was flattered about the thought of the smartest girl in school practically asking him out and at the same time he was afraid because this girl is also the infamous Chem monster (he heard it from the rumors, they weren't classmates back then but Key likes gossip and all that jazz).
"You must understand... It's a matter of grades and reputation" she holds both of hands which were sitting innocently on top of the table.

"Uhh... okay? Your grades, you're doing good. Your reputation? Did you have any to begin with?" The Bumster's laugh fades away when he saw Amber fumble for the butter knife beside her
"O-okay... Shutting up..." he 'zips' his mouth

"So you'll go with me?" Dammit, if only Amber's hopeful smile wasn't so cute, he would've said NO in a heartbeat.

"Ugh, fine."

"Oh my gosh thank you sooo much. Did I mention I love you?" Amber stands up and starts squishing the life out of her friend in a tight hug

"Woah there easy on the Bumster... Random confessions eh?" He says, straightening his jacket

"Ew no. And you should drop that Bumster thing. It seriously sounds lame." Key just pouts and Amber pats his back telling him he gets free cookies for agreeing about the prom. Cookies which made him perk up and excited because dammit Momma Liu makes rad cookies.

"And so I shall be taking my leave. Sayonara to ya'll" was the last thing he says before exiting through the glass door

Amber feels nothing but relief because that's one problem off her list. Sayonara indeed to Soojung's article. A confident smile was revealed as she returns behind the counter, arranging the pastries inside the glass display. Humming as she does so.

*beep*

"Who the heck would text me at 10pm??"

New message from unknown number:
10:27pm                                      
Sup.

Somehow Amber knew who this person was yet she refuses to believe herself because she's sure this person got her number from a certain person named Soojung

Reply:                                          
Who's this?

Please don't be Henry Please don't be Henry Please don't be--

*beep*

New message from unknown number:
10:28pm                                       
Henry :>

Jung Soojung I swear!

Should I reply or not
Maybe I should threaten him. See if he stops.
No I shouldn't I'd just be giving in to what he wants me to do

No

New message from unknown number:
10:30pm                                         
Are you still studying at this hour? Is that your secret?

10:31pm                                         
Why aren't u texting back tho

10:33pm                                         
Yah. Have u fallen asleep dat fast?

10:39pm                                         
Lol

11:40pm                                          
You left me hanging again. You're so gonna get it. Hope you rest well. Peace out.

On the other side of the line, Amber was biting her nails until whew he finally gave up.

Rename contact
Name: secondratehamster

Much better

She did feel better by naming him that. Even she questions herself sometimes.

"Yo, closing time." Jackie tells her as she enters the shop

They close up and start walking their way home.

"So how's the boy problem coming along?" The elder nudges the person beside her

"I told you I'm not having any!" Amber retorts, recalling the messages she recieved that night

"If you say so" Jackie shrugs, pulling out the house keys and unlocking the door

Amber was silent as she took off her shoes by the doorway

"Hey, would you call it a boy problem if a boy is trying to take your place academically?" She shyly asks, avoiding eye contact

Jackie's grin was from ear to ear, hearing this all of a sudden "Oooohhh~ what is this?" She starts clapping in between laughs as her younger sister blushes "this boy sure is keeping your attention"

"How could he not?? He's the school council president! Plus he's a spot lower than me, academically AND he threatened me that he'd be valedictorian by graduation day so yeah I'll be working my off because of this sudden assault!"

Jackie keeps on smiling obviously not listening to the 'important' details
"So... Is he hot?"

"What? Ugh." Amber just scoffs because That's not the point here!!

"C'moooon~"

"Well" she hesitates "I guess he is? But tha--"

"SMITTENNNNN!" then Jackie just starts Harlem Shaking out of nowhere and all Amber wanted to do right now was to flee the scene because gosh! Was the hallway getting hot or what

"I'm going to bed."

The next day, she thought her sister would've recovered but, no

Before she woke up
"Yo lover girl! Wake up!"

Showering
"You tryna be as fragrant and clean as possible for the maaaan?"

Dressing up
"Yo, pick something more eyecatching" *presents a halter blouse*

Breakfast table
"So what's his name?"

"Who?"

"NO ONE MOM! I'm running late. Bye!"

"I'll drive you to school~" Jackie singsongs which earned her a glare from the younger because they both knew their mom would always allow that, heck, even encourage them

"Yes, that would be so much better, go on" Mrs. Liu smiles sweetly, the eldest daughter smiling confidently and proudly

Amber knew this was just some excuse so Jackie can bother her more with the "boy problem" thing

"So what's his name?" Jackie queries, not taking her eyes off the road

"Do I really need to tell you? You don't even know the guy. What's the point?" Amber rolls her eyes

"Exactly. So you can tell me about him. Come on we're almost there"

Amber hesitates, should she even? Well, she's right, she doesn't know the guy, why worry?

"Henry Lau" she says begrudgingly through gritted teeth as they park in front of the school looking at the huge tarpaulin of the student council president's face was hung outside, congratulating him for winning an inter-school speech contest.

They never hang my face like then when I won tons of times already. The bias is real. Heck, maybe it was Henry himself who funded that. psh.

"What? What's his name again??"

Amber just points at the tarpaulin and there "HENRY LAU" was printed in extremely large letters

"Woah." was all Jackie could say

"Yeah. Woah indeed. Like can you believe they made a tarp--"

"Isn't that the guy back then?" Jackie gapes

Amber had to stop fumbling for stuff in her backpack "What? What guy?"

"Sixth grade"

"Wot? I don't remember him." okay now Amber was getting nervous

"Shiz, how could you forget that guy?"

"WHAT? FORGET WHAT? I remember sixth grade perfectly like hello.... Scandal~"
Jackie doesn't know if she should be scared of how her sister is handling things right now or laugh at it.

"No wonder he's trying to get your attention" She leans back, smiling.

"Okay, if you're not gonna make sense within the next 3 seconds, I'm getting off." The younger one was ready to grab the door's handle

"He's that dude who says "Amber, you're so pretty" everyday during sixth grade! How could you forget him?"

And then Amber's memories came flooding and raining down on her all at once
It was that short guy with slicked, midparted hair with hints of acne who tells her "Amber, you're so pretty"
she remembers he was her lab partner that time
I put the most lethal combination on his test tubes because gosh I hated how we became lab partners. His was kinda on purpose kekeke
She barely remembered who he was because she REALLY tried to erase his existence from her memories. The boy used to traumatize her with how he looked. tsk, bad Amber. Okay now she actually feels kinda guilty because the potato back then turned into a hot potato.

"Yo, you recallin' everything now?" Jackie was waving her hand in front of her sister's dilated eyes

"Holy , yes I remember him now"

"He was your admirer haha now he's you competition. That's what you get when you don't notice people's affection."

"ew. You knew how he looked back then. Ugh, maybe those chemicals actually did something good on his face after he transfered."

"So you did his on purpose. You really were a bully." Jackie tsks, amused

"Hey I wasn't!" Amber mumbles "okay, maybe towards him, But definitely not towards everyone!"

"You seriously didn't remember him when you first heard his name?"

"Well duh, I never called him Henry back then"

Jackie just raises a brow

"I called him Annoying nerd" Amber smiles recalling it

"Whatever, Amnerd. Go along, you're gonna be late"

Did my sister just call me Amnerd?

She looks over her shoulder as she realized that when she got off
"Did you just call me that??"

"Well it suits you. See ya" Jackie rolls up the window then drives away.

Freaky week, I tell you

A/N: oh would you look at that, i'm still alive lol

so yeah, sorry for not updating for quite a while. this chapter has been collecting dust in my evernote haha. anyway, i can't really promise that i can update soon. college and whatnot. also slow internet. yeah.

okay. bye for now :*