Solara had hoped she would find him soon, but this was much sooner than she had anticipated. Though this meant that she was correct when she felt he was nearby. Her face had pink dusting its cheeks and Valarie had noticed.

“Aww, does our little new girl have a crush already?” She teased. “He is rather hunky, isn’t he?” Valarie pat Solara’s head. “I’d say good luck, but you’ll need more than luck with him. Mira has him wrapped around her finger.”

“I see…” That’s who Mira reminded her of. Princess Marie… The woman Michael had been betrothed to in the past. “What is his name?”

“That’s Mikey. Knowing Mira, he probably already has a very warped image of you. She likes to lie to get her way. A real menace if you ask me.” Valarie huffed.

“Seems that way. Let’s go finish our lunch.” She walked back to her seat with her new found friends. She would handle this at another point. It wasn’t as if she didn’t have time.

After school, Valarie invited Solara out for a group activity. Apparently her father owned the karaoke joint and she could bring whoever she wanted, they just had to pay for their food. She happily agreed. She was a wonderful singer and enjoyed showing that off. When she arrived, she was escorted to the room they were given. Trish was up on the stage and although she was tone deaf, the girl was having the time of her life and it was fun to watch.

“Sol! Glad you made it!” Val ran over and hugged her. “Lyra is going up next but you’re free to go after her!” She sat back down in front of a tray of an assortment of food. “Lyra covered the food bill this time. Help yourself.”

“Thank you so much.” Solara took a seat and munched on some of the food. Lyra and Val were gossiping, as she’d found most teenagers enjoyed doing, so she took this opportunity to just relax and listen to the music. 

When Trish had finished, Lyra went up and started singing a popular song. Her voice was sweet and mellow. Trish came to sit next to Solara. “So, Sol, what kinds of things are you into?”

“Oh, I love to read. I’ve been getting into graphic novels recently.” Solara smiled.

“Really? Lyra loves graphic novels. She has an entire bookshelf dedicated to them and merchandise from the shows.” Trish giggled. “You should totally talk to her about them.”

“I will remember that. She has a lovely voice…” Solara looked back at the girl on stage.

“She’s been singing since we were little. She can be pretty shy about it so she doesn’t like to sing in front of a crowd.” Trish looked at the blond as well. “We come here a lot and she sings in front of us.”

“I’m glad to hear she feels safe around you two. I’m honored to be here to hear it.” Solara smiled.

“Aww, Sol! You’re just the sweetest!” Trish hugged onto her. “You seem like such a great girl. What moved you here anyway?”

“Ah, my parents transferred here for work. They’re busy so they’re almost never home. I don’t mind much. I enjoy the freedom and the alone time.” It was a story fabricated with time and it worked best in school situations.

“I’m glad you’re not too bothered by it. My parents are always home. I never get to do any cool stuff there.” Trish chuckled. 

“Wait, does that mean we can have sleepovers at your place?” Valarie butt in. “That would be so cool!”

“I don’t see why not.” Solara agreed. “I would be more than happy to host one. Just let me know in advance so I can set up accordingly.”

“Of course! How about this Saturday? Maybe we can invite some boys~” She nudged Solara, obviously hinting at her crush on Mikey. This made her cheeks flush.

“I mean, as long as they leave before we decide to sleep, I wouldn’t be opposed…” Solara cleared her throat.

“Then it’s decided! Lyra!” Valarie got up, going to the girl up on stage. “Sleepover at Solara’s Saturday night!”

“Oh, sick! I’ll let my parents know!” She took out her phone to message them. Solara could tell it would be a fun, eventful night.