bChapter /bb90 /b

Lana saw Sienna scolding Amber and quickly bstepped /bforwardb, /bhanding the Bartholomew bBear /bto herb. /b“Mist Ainber, just now that little bgirl /bidentally bumped into you, and her boat capsized as wellb. /b

b“/bSo, the championship is still yoursb. /bHere’s your prizeb. /b

Amber took the Bartholomew Bear, fighting bback /btears as she handed it to Sienna. “Hereb, /bbit’s /bfor byou/b.”

Sienna bfelt /bas bif /bher heart was pierced bby /bba /bthousand swords. Her beyes /breddened slightly as she epted the Bartholomew Bear and hugged Amber tightly.

bTm /bsorry. bI /bbreally/b, really blove /byour gift, Amber,” Sienna saici.

Tears streamed down Amber’s cheeks bas /bshe began bto /bsob softly, her bvoice /bfull bof /bbgrievance/b. b“/bbYou’re /bbso /bmean, Sienna. bI /bwas bscared /bof the waterb, /bbut ! still bwon /bbyou /bba /bprize, and you yelled bat /bmeb./bb” /b

As bshe /bspoke, Amber started crying even harder.

Sienna gently wiped baway /bAmber’s btears/b. “I’m bsorry/b. It was my fault. Give me ba /bchance to make it up to you, okay?”

Amber’s sobs gradually subsided bas /bshe nestled into Sienna’s embrace, her tearb–/bstained cheeks now flushed a brosy /bpink.

Amber bpouted /band bmade /bbher /bdemand, “You have to tuck me in tonight.” She remembered clearly how Sienna used to put Vivian to bed every night.

b“/bAlright, I’ll tuck byou /bin,” Sienna replied with ba /bsoft smile.

Amber’s heart swelled with joy, though she tried to by /bit cool. “That’s bmore /blike it,” she huffed.

“Sienna, fancy meeting byou /bbhere/b,” bire /bcalled out excitedly bas /bshe skipped bover/bb. /b

At firstb, /bshe wasn’t bsure /bif it bwas /breally Siennab, /bbut when she saw Amberb, /bshe knew for certain it was herb. /b

Sienna bgreeted /bher with ba /bgentle smile, “Hello.”

ire bubbled with excitement, bouncing overb. /bb“/bSienna, are you here to have fun too? What ba /bcoincidence. Sienna, when did you get here? What rides have you tried? Is that the Bartholomew Bear? It’s so cute. Did you win it, Siennab?/bb” /b

Seeing ire suddenly pop up made Amber’s blood boil. Who does she think she is, keeping after Sienna like that?‘ she fumed. ‘How rude.”

“ireb, /bwhat’s it to byou/bb? /bWe don’t want to see you. Get lostb. /bAmber red at her furiously.

ire didn’t even spare Amber ba /bnce, her whole world revolved around her beloved idol, Sienna.

“Sienna, there are desserts up ahead. With this scorching sun, we should totally get some smoothie. Let’s bgo /btogetherb,” /bbsaid /bireb. /b

Amber was seething, her fists clenched tight. ire totally ignored her,

“ire, stop keeping after my sister, Amber dered. She clutched Sienna’s arm tightly in a clear disy of ownership.

ire let out a disdainful snort, eyeing the little short–haired girl in front of her. b“/bAmber, so what bif /bI keep after Sienna? What can you do about it?”

Amber was seeing red. “ire, you bare /bso shameless—”

ire retorted yfully, b“/bbIt’s /bnone of your business. Sienna, let’s grab some smoothie together.”

Amber was fuming, practically seeing red. “We’re not eating. Let’s go.” she snapped, tugging at Sienna’s arm to drag her away.

ire quicklytched onto Sienna’s arm, batting her eyshes. “Sienna, I came here all by myself and don’t have any friends. Can I tag along with you? Please?

“Look how adorable I am. You wouldn’t have the heart to let poor little me wander around alone, would you? Sienna, pretty please?”

ire’s three friends, who had just gone to buy a bottle of water, were totally stunned. ‘So what are we?‘ they wondered.

Lana shook her head helplessly from behind. This little girl really knew how to turn on the charm. Even Lana found it endearing.

Amber saw ire touch Sienna and instantly lost her temper. She shrieked, rushing over to yank ire’s hand away.

Furiously, Amber roared, “ire, who said you could touch her? Who gave you permission? You disgusting, shameless brat. Get away. Get lost. Don’t you dare hold her hand? Leave. Get out of here, right now.”

ire found Amber’s angry outburst amusing and reached out to poke her flushed cheek. “Then, I will poke you,” ire teased.

“Ah,” Amber shrieked, frantically rubbing her cheeks. “ireb, /bbyou /bbnasty /bold witchb, /bbyou /bancient hag, you’ve ruined my bface/b. Now I’m all dirtyb. /bWhy did you have to touch meb? /bbI /bhate you I hate you so much

Amber, on the verge of ba /bmeltdownb, /bcopsed into Sienna’s barms/b, her bpretty /bbeyes /bwelling up with tears. b“/bSienna, she poked my faceb,/bb” /bAmber whined. sounding butterly /bwronged

Sienna bgave /bba /bgentle smile and softly stroked Amber’s cheekb. /bThere nowb, /bbit’s /balright. ire bis /byour ssmate after all. How could you start scolding her the moment byou /bsee her? Did you bforget/bb? /bbYou /beven hit herst time.”

Amber remained silent while ire smirked triumphantly. bYet /binside, bitterness gnawed at her. bAmber /bwas so damn lucky to have a sister like Sienna The green–eyed monster was eating ire aliveb. /b

bIf /bonly there bwas /ba bway /bto make Sienna my family toob?/b‘ bire /bthought wistfully.

“ireb, /blet’s bget /bsome smoothie togetherb. /bCome on,” Sienna bsuggested/b.

Amber dragged her feet bas /bshe followed Sienna, shooting ire ba /bbre/b. “bUgh/b, why does sheys bhave /bto look bso /bsmug? She’s seriously the worst, Amber grumbled to herself.

Sienna could tell that ire had a pleasant personality and temperament. She thought to herself, ‘Friends bcan /breally shape who you are. A close girlfriend can bring byou /bhappiness for ba /blifetimeb. /b

Sometimes, ba /bfriend bcares /babout you even more than family ever could.

7

b“/bAwesome. Thanks bso /bmuch, Sienna. You’re bso /bsweet,” said ire.

Furning, Amber wedged herself right in the middle, making damn sure ire didn’t bget /bbeven /bthe slightest chance to approach Sienna.

“Sienna, this is the one. Their smoothie is to die for.” ire bwas /benthusiastically introducing the different vors when her three friends suddenly walked over.

“ire, just now you-” Before they could finish, ire quickly cut them off and dragged them away.

“Sienna, just give me ba /bsecond. I’ll be right back,” said ire.

ire pulled her friends aside, fished out some cash from her bag, and said. “Sorry, can’t hang with you today. Here’s 3,000 dors each. Go have fun without me. And don’te looking for me, got it?”

Before her baffled friends could react, ire was gone.

Turning back, they spotted ire practically bouncing with joy bas /bshe dashed back into the smoothie shop.

“Sienna, let’s keep going. Those were just my ssmates. What a coincidence running into them here. I just went to bsay /bhi,” said ire.

Amber called out skeptically, “Don’t tell me you actually came with them to the amusement park?b” /b

ire quickly retorted, “Of course not. I came here all by myself.”

“We weren’t together. Everyone arrived separately in their cars. So technically, I wasn’t lying, she wondered. I’m really here alone.

Amber scoffed, clearly not buying ire’s story. But the moment she tasted the fruit smoothie, her skepticism short–circuited. It tasted so good. The icy treat sent ba /brefreshing chill through her.

ire noticed Amber’s eyes crinkling with delight and knew the fruit smoothie had utterly conquered herb. /b

‘She’s actually kinda cute when she’s not baring her fangs at me,‘ ire thought to herself. “Wait. If I became friends with Amber, wouldn’t that give me an excuse to visit her ce every day?

‘Plus, I could get up close and personal with Sienna. What a genius I am. The brightest mind in history, past, present, and future. Amber, just you wait. I’m going to bwin /byou over