002 | her bonds

"Welcome back, Dear," her father, Bryan Lee, greeted Natasha.

She gave Bryan a tight hug. "I'm home at last, Pops!"

Bryan chuckled. "Are you excited to go home that much, Dear?"

She nodded. "Of course, I am! I love being at home after an exhausting day at school!"

"Dear!" she heard her mother, Diana Lee, gasped as she saw her and then rushed to her, giving her a hug. "Welcome home!"

She shifted to give Diana a tight hug as well. "I'm so glad to be back, Mum!"

"How did your day went, Dear?" Diana asked.

She didn't want them to worry about her, so she would just tell that she was fine. "I'm all right, stressful lessons, enjoyable lessons, but I can manage."

Bryan and Diana were relieved to hear that.

"You must be tired, Dear," Bryan patted her head gently. "You should eat a snack and take a rest, hm?"

She smiled. "I will do that!"

"I baked cookies for you, Dear! I'll bring it here, so wait for me!" Diana said.

She had chills on her spine once she heard that Diana baked cookies for her. Bryan patted her shoulders, comforting her.

"Good luck, Dear. I know you can survive this," Bryan hoped she could overcome this situation.

"P-Pops!" she still didn't want to die. "D-Don't leave me alone!"

"You need to eat Honey's baked cookies, Dear! I need you to suffer just like what happened to me a while ago!" Bryan wanted to drag her down with her.

Bryan remembered how he almost died at how terrible Diana's baked cookies were. He was blessed with a steel tongue and stomach.

She had no choice. She needed to survive what Diana had baked for her. If Diana baked, it meant that Bryan failed to make excuses to take over the kitchen.

Diana was a terrible cook, but she always tried so hard to cook foods to improve her cooking skills, but for some reason, it just wouldn't improve.

"Here's the baked cookies I made!!" Diana was holding a plate of cookies and a glass of milk.

She prayed for her soul to survive.

**

She managed to survive the ordeal of eating Diana's baked cookies. She gave herself a kudos.

She wanted to talk to her best friend, Cassie Sanders, first before doing her school assignments. She held her phone and then started to press the numbers to contact Cassie. It rang on the other side, so she was waiting for Cassie to pick up her call.

It didn't take three seconds until Cassie picked up her call. "What's up, Nat?"

"Hello, Cass," she greeted.

Cassie gave her a nickname, Nat, while she gave Cassie a nickname, Cass.

"How's your day?" Cassie asked.

"I'm doing well at least I think?" she wasn't even certain, "And you?"

"Doing well at least you think? That gives me an idea you're barely keeping up, you know?" Cassie commented. "As for me, school life's been stressful 'cause studies, but I'm having fun with some new friends I've met, the one I told you, remember?"

"That's good for you, Cass," she was relieved to hear that.

"How about you, Nat?" Cassie asked.

She didn't know why she couldn't tell Cassie straight. But Cassie had an idea why she got quiet all of a sudden.

She didn't want to prolong the silence, so she would answer Cassie. "I don't have anyone whom I consider a friend although it's been a week since school started."

"Thought so," Cassie got it. "Even if you have no one, you should stand up for yourself if you know you're right, Nat. Got that?"

Cassie knew her situation. She wasn't surprised at all if Natasha got popular even if she transferred to a new school because of her looks. In Natasha's case, she couldn't have friends easily because of her one of a kind beauty, others treat her special, and others treat her like she was kind of an eyesore.

She smiled. "I know, Cass."

"I hope you'll have a friend, a good friend, so you won't feel alone in there," Cassie hoped.

She was glad that she had a best friend like Cassie. "Thank you, Cass. I think I'll have a good friend if you told me so."

Cassie chuckled. "I'm your great best friend after all."

"Cass?" she called.

"Yeah?" Cassie responded, wondering what would she tell.

"Are you free tomorrow, after school, Cass? Let's grab something to eat!" she hoped that Cassie was available.

Cassie wanted to free as much as possible, but she couldn't be since she needed to attend club activities. "Sorry to disappoint, Nat. I have club activities tomorrow, so it won't be possible."

She got sad when she heard that Cassie wasn't available tomorrow, but she needed to understand the situation of Cassie. "No, it's all right. We still have a chance next time."

"Yeah, we have," Cassie agreed. "I'll inform you once I have free time, but I hope you're also free as well if I do."

"I'll have to hang up, Cass. I still have school assignments to do," she informed.

"Oh, right! I almost forgot about the assignments!" looks like Cassie remembered that she also had an assignment to do. "Yeah, we'll talk again. Bye."

Cassie ended the call.

She went to grab her notes, her books, and her pens to start answering the school assignments. She might find it draining to do as such, but for some reason talking to her parents and Cassie, and eating her mother's terrible baked cookies, gave her strength to work well on the school assignments.