Little Miss Perfect

***"How is everything I've heard... real?"***
This piece of *Evie and Mya* literature is outdated and is scheduled to be rewritten or tweaked in the future. Please note that some events currently depicted will be heavily altered or removed when said content is updated. Read at your own risk of discombobulating the series canon in your head!
And spare yourself from Av's old writing, please.

"I'm not there yet!"
 This page contains ***major spoilers*** for the series. If you're not caught up, stay back! Av's not gonna be too thrilled if you react to spoilers prematurely...

## Little Miss Perfect

### Director

Potato Flakin

***Little Miss Perfect*** is a movie in *The Adventures of Evie and Mya* franchise. It revolves around Evie's life and how it is influenced, both good and bad, by her mother's tiger parenting. It was released on September 4th, 2021.

## Synopsis

From a young age, Evie has been taught by her mother that she has to be at the top, to be perfect at every little thing down to the last detail. While Evie loves her mother and wants to make her proud, she is torn between having the life she wants and overworking herself to please the tiger constantly casting a shadow over her. Not wanting her life to be picked for her, and longing to feel the comfort from the others that love her, Evie questions if she's meant to be the perfect daughter with no flaws, straight A's and straightforward - or a normal girl.

## Transcript

*It is a bright, beautiful day in Pineshadow, Washington. The sun's elegant rays shine down on an oak tree in the middle of a small yard. There, a young five-year old girl runs with her best friend, also five, being watched by her parents. They chase each other all around, giggling and having a good time.*

"You can't get me, Gwen! Na na na na na na!" Teased one of the girls, who had shoulder-length black hair and was wearing a dress with glasses. Her best friend, on the other hand, was pale-skinned, had coffee-colored hair that was also shoulder-length, and amber eyes.

"Bet I can, Evie!" Gwen retorted, lunging toward her best friend and hugging her tightly. Evie smiled widely, grinning from ear to ear.

Her parents watched nearby, approval in their eyes.

"Andy, I think it's time Evie learns how much her culture should be shaping her," pointed out a woman with identical, short black hair to that of her daughter's.

"Opal. We discussed this. I know you want her to grow up with the best education possible, but it needs to come naturally. You can't shove all this down her throat now. She's just *five*."

"I know what I'm doing, darling. Look at Evie. She's bright, she has spirits, and she's the most perfect daughter we could ever ask for. She has shown exceptional talent already - the talent I want out of her."

Unlike other five-year olds her age, Evie was exceptionally smart. She could name every color and could add and subtract up to the thousands. She had an advanced verendicular, could speak very fluently, and could solve problems mentally.

"Opal, are you sure? She's young. Her mind is strong, but she is still *fragile* too. Pressuring her this early could have damaging results, and I'm just worried she's going to stress out too much-"

Opal put her shoulders on her husband. "Yes, Andy. I'm sure this will work out fine. She's ready." She turned to her daughter, and called out to her. "Evie, honey! Time to go inside! Gwen's parents are here!"

"Coming, mommy!" Evie said in response. She hugged Gwen, nodding in farewell and walking inside.

Her mother picked her up in her arms. "Are you ready to try out some new things, sweetie?"

"Uh-huh!"

"That's great. Now, I want you to reach some great, important things in your life. You have a bright future ahead of you, and to get there, you're going to need to work very hard."

Curious, the young Evie looked her mother in her eyes. "What do I need to do?"

"Everything I tell you to do, sweetie. You have to be perfect. You have to be the best. You have to stay at the top and never come down no matter what. *That* is the girl I want out of you. Do you get that?"

"Yes, mommy!"

"That's my daughter. You have a lot to learn - let's get started."

"Okay!" Evie exclaimed brightly. She did not realize then that a shadow had latched onto her - a shadow that would change her life forever - a shadow that earned the disapproval of her father.

Day after day, Evie put aside her everyday life to do work for her mom - coloring, sorting objects, writing, speaking her second language in Vietnamese, doing mathmatics, and so on. The more time she spent on these "important" hobbies, the less time she had to do the things *she* wanted to do - and the more she was driven away from talking with others.

"Now, Ev. Don't forget you're going to kindergarden soon. Your schooling matters more than everything else."

"But mommy, I miss Gwen! I wanna see her again!"

"Gwendolyn isn't *good* on you, Evie. She'll just distract you from what you need to be accomplishing. As your mother, I'm giving you advice that you need to take with your little heart of yours. You got that?"

Evie sighed, looking away sadly. "Yes, momma..."

"Don't be a *người chết*. This will make you the *perfect* daughter to me. Do you promise to keep quiet about this?"

The young Evie jumped up into her mother's arms. "Yes, momma. I'll make you proud!"

Soon, it was time to start kindergarden, and Evie sat down on the rug in her new elementary school. She glanced up at the teacher, who looked warmly at her new group of young children.

"Alright, class! Let's start with some addition. Can anyone tell me what two plus four is-"

"Six," Evie calmly stated in the middle of the class. Everyone turned to look at her.

"That's... Correct," her teacher responded, slightly surprised at how quickly she answered. "How about three plus one-"

"Four."

And from the day she entered elementary school, Evie could already add and subtract the biggest and smallest numbers in her head.

Furthermore, she was the smartest student in the entire kindergarden.

Straight hair, straight A's, straightforward

Straight path

I don't cut corners

I make a point to be on time

Head of the student council

**FOUR YEARS LATER**

Now a studious nine-year old girl, Evie sat on her couch, solving multiplication and division her mother had given to her on the sofa. Her father was passed out in the armchair, having given up on work for the day and lightly snoring. Evie groaned in irritation, but brought herself to smile. She was a daddy's girl since she was young, and had always loved her father. Sure, he was ditsy and not the brightest, but he was soft and cared for her deeply.

I don't black out at parties

I jam to Paul McCartney

If you ask me how I'm doing

I'll say...

Well, hmm

On the other hand, her mother was tougher, stern, and craved the best out of her every single day. As much as Evie wanted to make her happy, she felt as if she was being pressured too much. She wanted to have a more free life to do what she wanted, read her books, practice drawing, make new friends and hang out with said friends. It left her feeling lonely.

Finishing the last problem, she called out to her mom. "Mom! I'm done!"

I was adopted when I was two

My parents spoiled me rotten

Often I ask myself, "What did I do?"

To get as far as I've gotten

A pretty girl walks by my locker

My heart gives a flutter

But I don't dare utter a word

'Cause that would be absurd behaviour

For little miss perfect

At once, her mother came running over, her short hair bobbing up and down. "Hmm, let's see. Ah, another perfect paper. Good for you." At once, Evie felt dismayed. Was her mother actually proud of her? If she was, she didn't detect it in that monotone and curt voice of hers.

"Can I take a break? I want to watch the latest episode of *The Frog House*."

"No, Evie! You need to keep studying. If you don't, you'll never be at the top - that's where you *belong*, young lady."

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na

No, I can't risk falling off my throne

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

Love is something I don't even know

Straight hair, straight A's, straightforward

Straight girl

Little miss perfect

That's me

"Mom, I've been studying *all day*. It's nearly evening, and I want to eat dinner. Surely a break for the rest of the day wouldn't hurt-"

"*Evie Ly*. Did I raise you to complain? No. You are to do *as I say* and build up your education."

Evie could feel the tension rising up in her body, feeling it heat her ears and fingertips. She was often denied the right to do who she wanted to do, be who she wanted to be. She had no friends and no one that really cared for her, other than her parents. She felt alone, and the feeling was crushing, combined with her mother's parenting.

"But mom, this isn't fair to me! I know you've wanted the best for me since I was five, and I love myself for being smart and "gifted." That's wonderful and all, but I'm tired and need a break from doing math and extra work. I can't do it *every* minute of the day. You know that."

Approaching her daughter, Opal put her hands on Evie's shoulders, then on her face, moving it so they locked identical dark green eyes. Then, she spoke, and made herself loud and clear.

"Young lady, **do not** question what I've established for you. You've been destined to do great things, to be *perfect* at *everything*. And I did not raise you to *fail*. Your education matters over ***EVERYTHING***. You don't need friends; they're just a distraction and will weigh you down."

After pausing for a moment, she again looked Evie in the eyes.

"You're not just American too, Evie. You're Vietnamese as well. You can't risk falling off the platform you've built for your life, school, even your future. And to do that, you have to be perfect at *everything*. Got it?"

Sighing, and not wanting to fight, knowing it was futile, Evie sighed. "Yes, mom..."

"Good girl. Now, off to your room to study. You can eat once you're done."

Feeling even more despondent, Evie walked to her room, taking an English paper from her mom and heading inside. As she sat down at her study, beginning to write once again, she heard two raised voices outside her door.

Much to her shock, she found it to be her parents' voices, and she thought her heart had just died.

*What?*

Pressing her ear to her door, she caught the voice of her mother.

"Andy, she's *fine*. I'm a tiger parent, yes, I know. But look at what she's already achieved. Top student, awards, medals..."

"Opal, just because you want her to be perfect and held at a high standard does not mean you get to choke her with work! She is *my daughter* as well, and I want her to be happy. You aren't making her *happy*. In fact, you are *damaging* her with your mentality!"

"I am! Look at her. She's proud of herself, and she always does what she's told to do. She's at the top, and I am not *ever* letting her come down from where she is. Evie is meant to be *perfect*. You're trying to take that away from her!"

Evie gasped in shock, her heart pounding harder than a disco drum. She clutched at it, then pulled away from her door, beginning to feel dizzy.

Her parents were *fighting* over her because of their cultural differences. Her mother had parents who were born in Vietnam before moving to America, and she was raised on high standards and perfection. This was information she prided herself on and wanted to pass down onto her.

On the other hand, her father was not the smartest. However, he was fun-loving and wanted her to be happy, and he wanted her to have fun. But, how could she please both without ripping herself in half? Without her mother shaming her?

Evie sat down on her bed, glancing at her wall lined with ribbons, stars, and certificates indicating her success in elementary school - success that she was proud of - but success that her mother only curtly reciprocated. No matter what she did, and no matter how much she did more schoolwork, her mother always demanded more out of her.

*Perfectionism is everything, so I'm told. I have to be the perfect girl, living up to her heritage. I just want to make you happy, mom. I just want you to have pride in me.*

Evie felt determined to please her mother. *I want to be your girl.* Yet, at the same time, she felt weighed down by her culture. Having Vietnamese blood in her was cool, but it also meant following the footsteps of her ancestry - high standards, the best in school.

She wanted to scream from the whirlwind pressure, but nothing came out. Instead, Evie felt more isolated than ever, feeling trapped in an imaginary box.

*I wish I was a normal girl, and maybe then I'd make my mom happy...*

One month later, Evie went to Pinelake Park after writing an essay for her mother. She felt excited to go to the park, as it had been a little while due to her being swamped in schoolwork. She had passed all her tests and earned more admiration from her teachers, but her mother still kept giving curt praise. Evie knew deep down that she loved her, but wished she could just love her more.

Her mother dropped her off at the parking lot. "Okay, Evie. I really like how you did on your tests recently, so I really hope you'll like me taking you to the park today. Have fun!"

Nodding, Evie dashed off, immediately walking toward her favorite tree. The cool Washington breeze gently tugged her black hair aside, making her relax.

Without warning, she hit someone, and nearly fell to the ground, but she regained herself. Looking down, she noticed she was looking at a young girl with light lavender eyes, pale skin, and short brown hair looking at her.

"Are you alright?" She asked shyly, holding her dress and looking away.

"Yeah, I am. Sorry. I just felt really... Free with the wind in my hair. I'm Evie. You?"

"Majken Everton. You can call me Maj for short. It's really... Nice to meet you."

Evie wanted to giggle at Majken's shyness. She herself was an introvert, but this was because her mother encouraged the belief that she didn't need any friends. As she stood here, she felt happy, eager to learn about Majken. She didn't feel as lonely as she felt at home.

*Maybe having a friend is alright.*

"Do you... Want to be my friend, Maj?"

"Of course! You seem sweet. Wanna tell more about yourself?"

At the mention of sweet, Evie blushed. No one but her father had really called her sweet, and she liked Majken, so what was wrong with opening up? Her mother probably wouldn't mind.

"I'm Vietnamese-American, I speak both English and Vietnamese. I'm the best in all my classes, I'm a daddy's girl, and I-"

Suddenly, she heard her mom's voice, calling for her loudly. "Evie! Time to go home and study!"

*Ugh.* "I have to go. Mom wants me. Maybe I'll see you around?"

"I hope so too, Evie," Majken smiled widely, showing her almost-perfect teeth, sans one tooth missing off to her left. As she got up to walk away, Evie felt like jumping for joy. Finally, for the first time in years, she had a friend that would care for her. She couldn't wait to do as much as she could with Majken.

Little did she realize that someone else had other plans.

Two days later, Evie and Majken were at the park again, sitting by the tree Evie often sat by. Nearby was her mother, who was watching sternly, her gaze never leaving them. This made Evie uncomfortable deep down, but swallowing her feelings, she looked at Majken eagerly.

"How has your day been, Maj?" Evie asked calmly, leaning back against her tree.

"Oh, pretty good. Met some nice girls at school. We're kind of a group now."

"Nice. You got a *clique*." Upon hearing that word, Majken looked at her in confusion, and Evie quickly clarified. "Oh, clique is another word for group. Just fancier."

Majken chuckled. "Ah. How's your day?"

"Full of studying. My mom always drives me to learn-"

Before she could even finish her sentence, Evie noticed her mom looking at her, disapproval in her eyes. *Wait, what did I do wrong? Why is she looking at me like that?*

"Evie, it's time to go home!" She snapped, somewhat irritable. Majken's look faded to disappointment. "You really have to go this early?"

Grabbing her arms and looking away, Evie looked down at the ground. "I'm... I'm so sorry. I have to." At once, she dashed toward her mom without even bidding Majken farewell. When she got up to her, she immediately vented her frustration.

"Mom, what's your issue? I was having fun with her! She's my only friend and she likes me..."

"Evie, do you honestly *expect* I would let you be distracted like that? Look at you. You nearly revealed something meant to be *kept in the family*. Come on, we're going home so you can *finish your work*."

Knowing she had no choice, Evie reluctantly followed her mother, feeling an invisible wedge inside of her that didn't budge.

The days following only made that wedge rip into her. Each and every time Evie tried to talk to Majken, her mother would drive her away. To her, it was now clear that she didn't want her to hang out with Majken and didn't care about how she really felt. *She's my best friend. She's someone I can confide in. Why can't I be allowed to hang around someone I trust and like?*

Evie missed Majken, and wanted to see her again. But soon enough, her mother had enough of her constant asking and complaining, and had confined her to the house so she could focus on her academics. Evie was desperate to be outside again, wanting to run around and be free - but the shadow of her tiger mother always had to hang over her.

Finally, after doing days of grueling schoolwork and studying her second language and career opportunities, much to her ire, Evie got a chance. Her mother was satisfied with her results and had treated her to a "stop and smell the roses or whatever is there" day at Pinelake Park.

As soon as she got out from her car, Evie immediately noticed Majken standing outside a box-like object near the Piney Woods, glancing away from the park structures. With a smile immediately appearing on her face, Evie dashed up to her.

"Maj! Hey! It's been a while-"

"*What do you want, Evie*?"

When she heard the coldness in her voice, Evie stopped, startled and puzzled. "Are you okay?"

"Does it *look* like I am? You've been **ignoring me for weeks**!"

Evie backed up, regret clawing at her and slicing at her heart. This wasn't her fault, her mother was trying to drive her away from Majken. Now, it seemed like she was blaming her.

"I'm... I'm sorry. It's just that-"

"I don't want to hear your *weak excuses*! Evie, I get it, you don't care about me anymore. And maybe it's best we go our separate ways. You don't need me. I don't need you."

Evie's mouth fell open, and she began to shake, her heart beating faster. For the first time in her life, cold feelings of rejection seeped through her veins. Majken took off running away in that very moment.

*I've just lost the only friend I've had, and why do I feel so wrong... It was out of my control... Is this what rejection feels like?*

Upset with herself, Evie walked back up to her mom, downtrodden and looking at the ground. She still couldn't believe what had just happened. Now, she felt lost.

"Evie, why are you moping?" Her mother asked.

"**Because Majken just rejected me**!" Evie snapped, her voice cracking. "How do you think I would feel? I've lost my only friend, and I'm all alone again... I don't want to be alone..."

She then sniffed, tears beginning to fall from her face. She couldn't keep it inside of her, all the stress building up inside. Majken had just turned on her and blamed her for their friendship souring, throwing the blame on her when she didn't realize her mother had split them up.

"Evie, honestly! Stuff it. I don't need you to cry a fish tank worth of tears. You need to toughen up."

"You want me to *what*?"

"*Toughen up*. Right now, you're vulnerable and easy to break. Take what just happened as an example. If things like that keep happening, people are going to think you're a crybaby. And well, I don't want my daughter ending up like that. Do you want some advice, honey?"

Evie felt uncertain. Her mother wasn't the *best* parent on earth, and the way she raised her was questionable, if not unbearable, at times. But her mother was still her mother and she loved her, despite her glaring flaws. Advice wouldn't hurt.

"Yeah?"

"Concentrate on what you're supposed to be doing, Evie. Your schoolwork, your other extracurricular work, and so on. Only on that. Block any other thoughts out. *Don't* think about the way I'm parenting you or anything else. Just your work. With no other thoughts in your system, you don't need to worry about anything else, and that way, you'll be so much happier. Got it?"

At once, Evie wanted to groan in frustration. Once again, her mother was bringing up the work she was forced to do nearly every day in order to get to the top and enhance her skills. Then again, blocking out her thoughts seemed like a good idea. If Evie focused on one thing and not another, she could be much calmer.

"Will do. Thanks, mom."

"Anytime, dearie. You're going to have such a great future in business. You're smart, you're good at mathmatics... Oh, how I've raised you well." Evie rolled her eyes. Her mother was trying to pick a future for her when she wanted to decide on her own. Nonetheless, she ignored it and headed home, working to forget any other thoughts she had clouding her mind.

After she got home, Evie returned to her room, reading one of her novels. As she flipped the next page, she heard someone knock on her door. "Come in!" She called.

The door opened, and there, in the doorway, was her father. "Hey, Evie. How are you doing?"

"Good, dad."

"Are you enjoying your novel?"

"Yeah. I like it."

"Glad to hear it." Her father then sat down on her bed, glancing at her warmly. "I heard about what happened with Majken today, and I'm really sorry, Evie. I know how hard it is to lose good friends."

"Really?" She questioned curiously.

"Plenty. Many years ago... or was it two? Ten? Twenty?" Her father facepalmed before regaining his composure. "Whatever time it was, I lost friends left and right, friends who liked me and hung out with me and your mother. I was sad to see them go, but they moved on, and I moved on too. It isn't worth mulling over or getting upset."

Evie scooted closer to him, feeling more relaxed. "I talked to mom about it, and she told me to concentrate on what *she* wants me to do, and she bragged about my future again... It's somewhat good advice, but I'm still confused and annoyed. It's like all she cares about is the way she's molding me."

"I completely agree with you, baby. It's gonna be okay. I don't like what Opal is doing either, but whatever happens, you will always be my girl and I will always work to make you smile. Love you, Evie." Evie was given a hug by her father, who also patted her on the back and brushed her bangs aside. At peace, and soothed, Evie continued reading until she fell asleep that night.

Months later, Evie went to the park once again, now ten years old and being pressured more than ever, even though she was still in elementary school. She was partially sleepy from spending all night working on questions relating to her upcoming science quiz, but she was more awake now, eager to read one of her favorite novel series - *Fighters*.

While her mother had taken her to the bookstore a few weeks ago in order to find educational books for her to read - much to her irritation - Evie had stumbled upon a novel series called *Fighters*. It was about a group of cheetahs on the African savannah that were very politically structured and often had to fight forces both natural and supernatural to keep the peace and hiarchy alive. Immediately following in love with the concept of a fantasy novel like *Fighters*, Evie convinced her mom to buy the books, albeit begrudgingly and with a little help from her father.

Now, she was reading the latest book in the first arc, *The Darkest Days*. She had started drawing fanart for it as well and tacking them up in her room. Her mother, oddly enough, seemed to like her artistic ability, making Evie feel only a small amount of pride grow in her heart.

She was sitting by her favorite tree, almost at the end of the book. *Dang. This is seriously really juicy.* Nearby, her mother was watching her, glancing around before then looking back at her phone. From Evie's view, she seemed rather bored.

By the time she reached the end, she closed the book happily, choosing to talk to herself since her mom was so far away. "And done! Man, what a wild ride. Hopefully they're okay after that battle." The final battle in the book was chaotic and resulted in bloodshed and death. But gore was easy for Evie to handle, as her mother noted herself.

Re-adjusting her glasses, she glanced up at the cloudless sky, feeling sun rays hit her hair. She also noticed the patterns the dapples made on the tree she was sitting under. *Wow, that's pretty.*

Once again, Evie chose to talk to herself, trying to rid the looming boredom inside of her. "Nice day, isn't it?"

"It is."

Her dark green eyes widening in surprise, Evie fell over upon hearing that sweet, innocent voice agree with her. Looking up, she found a girl around her age looking at her curiously. She had a white t-shirt and short skirt with cute blue-and-white shoes. Her hair was shoulder-length and light brown, if not auburn, in color. Her leaf-green, spectacular eyes were gazing right at Evie's, and she almost blushed, but didn't.

Wary, Evie raised her copy of *The Darkest days* in self-defense. This girl was a complete stranger to her, and she had never seen her before. Evie was always cautious around strangers, having had a high regard for her own safety since she was young.

"Who are you and why are you here?" She questioned, a hint of suspicion in her voice. The stranger was still looking at her, a silly look on her face. *Aww, she seems rather sweet.*

"I wanted to say hi. I'm your nearby neighbor. Few blocks down," the girl finally responded, smiling. Once again, Evie almost blushed. *What does this girl have in her that is making me like her? I only just met her!*

Awkwardly, Evie replied, "I am... Here. Doing stuff. None of your business." *God, that came out weird. I hope she doesn't misunderstand me and thinks I want her gone!* Evie knew her mother was probably seeing her conversation, sensing her thin eyes glaring at her, trying to pressure her into shoving this sweet-hearted girl away. However, she wanted to get to know the girl better.

"Oh, really?" The other girl questioned, an amused look on her pale face. "Then why are you about to hit me with a *Fighters* book?"

Hearing that, Evie let herself relax. This girl wasn't a threat to her. She lowered her book, glancing up at the stranger with her own curiosity taking over. *Does she... Does she read the series too? I need to find out!*

"*Chờ đợi*. You read these books too?" She asked, a smile slowly beginning to form on her face. Realizing that they needed to know each other by name, she then added, "And shouldn't we introduce ourselves at this point?"

Lightly giggling, the girl sat down next to her. "Sure! My name's Mya. Mya Heartley. And you?"

*Mya Heartley... Oh my goodness, that's such a cute name!* Evie paused for a brief moment to take in Mya's name. It sounded so *sweet* to her. Finally, she snapped out of her thoughts and introduced herself.

"Evie Ly."

Mya grinned widely once again. "Nice to meet you. Have you read all the books in the *Fighters* series? I have."

*She is a fan!* Evie began to relate to Mya instantly, feeling a bond click between them. She may have lost Gwen, and may have lost Majken in the worst way possible... But Mya was different.

"Yes," she quickly answered in response. *Wait, that sounds awkward.* To add on to her reply, Evie nodded.

"Sweet, we're on the same page here. I was kinda bored today, so I went to Pinelake to meet someone. It must have been my lucky day, because you're sitting here about to hit me with a book while speaking Vietnamese!" Mya exclaimed, sticking out her tongue and having a goofy look on her face.

*She even knows Vietnamese!* Evie chuckled, almost cackling at Mya's enthusiasm and quick comedic wit. Suddenly, she felt eyes piercing her again - her mother's - and she could tell she wasn't thrilled. Knowing she wouldn't be able to hang around Mya for much longer, Evie chose to call it a rest for today, picking up her book.

"You are quite a funny one. Maybe we'll see each other again soon?"

Mya bounced up and down briefly, looking excited and optimistic at the concept of seeing Evie again. "Oh, you bet we will! See you soon, Ev!"

Evie's eyes widened as she watched her bound off in the direction of home - that was the first time anyone had ever given her a short version of her name as a nickname. She felt her heart be overwhelmed with joy and warmth, and she smiled.

*She called me Ev. Ev! No one ever nicknames me. You know, I like this girl... And this could possibly be a new friendship.* For the first time in a long while, Evie possibly - no, *definitely* - had a new friendship. She liked Mya so much, liked her optimism and free-spirited, cheerful nature. *And I can tell she wants to be friends with me too.*

Then, she felt dread course over her as she realized that there was an obstacle in her way - her mom. She ran back up to her with her book.

"What were you doing talking to that strange girl, Evie? You *know* you're an outcast and don't have friends."

Evie winced, remembering her being cut off from the world often due to her mother disregarding her social life in favor of education. In that time, she became a social outcast, and hardly anyone but her teachers talked to her because of her being too immersed in work. It gave the impression that she didn't care about others.

Now, she had a new person to care about - the wonderful Mya Heartley.

"I *used* to be an outcast. But I'm not anymore, mom. I met this lovely girl just now, and you saw her - she wants to be friends. And I want to be her friend too."

"Evie Ly, are you *crazy*? Friends are unimportant compared to the real goal here; your education and your success are counting on *you*! You can't be the best if you are constantly being sidelined by a *friend*. That girl over here is *disaster* hurtling towards you-"

"Mya is **NOT a disaster**!" Evie retorted, her fists clenched. Her mother was being selfish as she usually was, and this time, she wouldn't let her ruin a friendship like in the past. "I like Mya. She's silly, she's bright, she reads the same book series as me, and even knows *some* Vietnamese! Mom, all I want is for you to give Mya a *chance*. I've felt lonely for ages, but now, I don't feel so alone."

For a moment, her mother turned away, appearing to mull things over. Then, she kneeled down to look her daughter directly in her eyes, serious, but accepting. "Very well. I'll see how things with Mya go, but on *one condition*, young lady. You need to promise me that you'll keep doing your schoolwork and busywork and not be distracted. Because if you end up that way, I'm making sure Mya is *firmly* off your plate. Understand?"

Surpressing her anger at her mom's subtle threat, Evie nodded. "Yes, mom. *Được rồi*. Thank you."

Evie hugged her mother happily, relieved that she had agreed to let her and Mya be friends. She couldn't wait to see what she could do with Mya now, and couldn't wait to see her again.

A few months later, and Evie and Mya were now each other's best friends forever. Each time they hung out, they kept learning more about themselves.

Evie learned from Mya that she was an artist and had always enjoyed drawing from a young age. Her parents were originally going to name her Maya, but her father suggested Mya instead, thinking it was prettier and calling Maya "too much of a common name." She also enjoyed decorating her lawn with all sorts of flowers, and loved anything to do with plant life, especially flower crowns.

On the other hand, Evie played it cool and kept it basic, wanting to appear more like a normal girl in order to avoid Mya questioning her lifestyle. She refused to tell her that her mother was a tiger parent, worried about how she would react and how she would view her then. *I can't lose her. She's my only friend. And if my mother found out that I told her, she'd kill me.*

While both learned more about one another, they also enjoyed re-enacting various scenes from the *Fighters* novels, notably, as couple Swiftsteps and Spottedstreak, who were notably LGBTQ+ and were interested in one another - working to turn the tide against their homophobic leaders. Evie and Mya had even seen an advertisement on TV with the two cheetahs - a campaign to stop homophobia.

"Oh, Spottedstreak. If I ran across the plains taking down an antelope, would you like me to bring you a slice, extra juicy and salty?" Evie dramatically asked Mya.

"Fairest Swiftsteps. I am not hungry. But if you can, please bonk our leader on the head for being blind as a baboon and for being an idiot," Mya retorted. Both then burst out laughing from their dramatic re-enactment and high-pitched voices.

"Mya, have you ever noticed how good your voice would be for acting? Perfect for stand-up comedy."

"Oh honey, I'm a comedian, but I have a little thing called *I am not going to be an actress and that's that*."

Evie then started snorting, hitting the floor and wheezing. Mya rolled her eyes. "Ev, you aren't dead, get up."

Evie obliged, sitting upward and re-adjusting her glasses. "Of course I'm not dead. My mom would flip out if she found me KO'd on the ground. She'd think I'm lazy."

"Lazy? *Lazy*? You're hardworking and a smart cookie, Ev. You're amazing."

"Aww, thanks, My. That's music to my ears."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Mya gasped in excitement, grabbing her friend's shoulders and shaking her. "**OH MY GOD DO YOU KNOW GLEANNA DO YOU KNOW GLEANNA DO YOU KNOW GLEANNA DO YOU**-"

Startled, and blushing, Evie gently shoved Mya away from her. "Whoa nellie, buckaroo. *Thư giãn*. Yes, I do know her, I'm just not that interested in celebrities and music that much. You a fan?"

"I have been for **YEARS**!" Mya exclaimed. "She's my idol, and her music is my *culture*. Come on, you have to listen to one of her songs! Please!"

Evie almost wanted to say no, not feeling in the mood for music and beginning to feel drowsy, mostly from a test review that her mom forced her to study the previous night, causing her to miss a few hours of sleep. However, she didn't want to disappoint Mya, and wanting to see her happy, Evie nodded.

"Come on! Listen to this one!" Mya placed her phone on the ground and tapped a play button on YouTube, instantly playing one song. Despite being reluctant to hear a person she wasn't interested in, Evie began to like it. *Dang, Gleanna's great. No wonder Mya likes her. In fact...*

"Can I listen to more of her discography with you, Mya? I'm interested," Evie asked. Immediately, Mya squealed, and Evie shushed her, not wanting her parents to yell at them for being loud.

"I could do this *all day* with you, Ev. Think of it! We're bonding over everything, and now we're bonding over my idol... And you're beginning to like her too! Best day ever!"

Evie chuckled, moving closer to Mya and preparing to listen to another song with her.

Suddenly, her mother opened her door, looking at them with an odd sense of warmth, mingled with reluctance, in her eyes. Right next to her was Evie's father, and he looked more apologetic than anything. "Mya, honey. It's time to go. Your parents are here." Mrs. Ly waved around a paper in her hand, and much to Evie's displeasure, she found that the paper was even more math homework.

Immediately, she realized that her mother was ending their playdate early so Evie would do math over having fun with Mya, and annoyance built up inside of her.

"Mom! It's only been fifteen minutes and you want me to do *that* now? I really wanted to hang out with Mya today, and we were having so much fun! You promised not to interfere in our friendship!"

Startled, Mya cocked her head to the side. "Ev, what are you talking about?" Evie remained silent, guilt in her dark green eyes.

Ignoring Mya and her own daughter, Mrs. Ly spoke bluntly. "Evie. Math homework. *Then* Mya." Her father was now more irritated and glanced at his wife with disapproval.

Feelings of exhaustion lingered in Evie's body, and thinking of doing math for a straight hour again made her feel bored. Without warning, she yawned without being able to stifle it in time.

Her mother, thinking that Evie couldn't care less about her education, was furious. "*Evie Ly*, is your education suddenly a *joke* to you? A funny joke that makes you *laugh*? To think I *raised* you like that? Get a grip on reality, and do as I tell you, because *your education is important*!"

Shame and humiliation coursed through Evie, and her eyes began to water from the hurtful remarks her mother just said to her. She did prioritize her education, but right now, all she wanted was to simply be beside her best friend. Her mother even *agreed* that they could be friends, yet she apparently wanted to split them up now. Worst of all, she just berated her in front of Mya, and she prepared to be rejected.

Much to her surprise, Mya stood up and stared her mother square in her eyes, her eyes flaming with defiance. "Excuse *me*, but do you think **THAT** is **ANY WAY** to treat my best friend? You're being a jerk! She just wants to hang out with me and bond with me, and if you think trying to scratch that up like a broken record is alright, then you're nothing more than dumb!"

Dumbfounded by Mya's white-hot rage, Opal immediately backed up and into the hallway. Her husband, Anderson, glared at her with disapproval before nodding and winking at Mya.

After sighing, and with remorse on her face, Opal approached the distrustful Mya carefully. "I'm... I'm sorry, Mya. You mean a lot to Evie, and I didn't want to have to cut your playdate so short. But, your parents actually are here, so you should get going."

Unamused, Mya nodded, hugging Evie. "See you soon, Ev." She ran out of her bedroom door, and Evie grinned, liking Mya even more than she did before. *She's a fire starter taking her aim.*

**A FEW MONTHS LATER**

Evie sat her desk, trying to remain awake whilst writing an essay on ecosystems. *Come on... I can finish it...* Her eyes were sore and itchy, and it was like she was trying to stop herself from drowning. She wanted to close her eyes and sleep, but not wanting her mother to see her essay unfinished, she kept shaking her head and lightly slapping herself in order to remain conscious.

She picked up her pencil to write again, feeling her face falling forward. Quickly, she sat back up, slapping herself hard. "I can't fall asleep!" She exclaimed.

Evie then tried writing a full sentence, her eyes then shutting. This time, she couldn't fight anymore, not when the temptation to sleep was this intense. She hit her desk, dropping her pencil, and five minutes later, Evie was snoring lightly.

The next morning, Evie woke up, blinking and re-adjusting her glasses so she could see clearly. She felt someone rocking her body back and forth - shaking it - causing her to sit up in surprise. "**AAAH I'M AWAKE**!" She yelped. Turning around, she found her mother looking at her, concerned.

"Evie, get up and grab your school things! You're going to be late!" She then glanced at her half-finished essay. "You didn't *finish*? Evie! Really! Get going!"

Panicking and with her heart beating faster, Evie groggily got up and grabbed her school equipment and backpack, being too sleepy to argue with her mother. After being dropped off at school, she slugglishly walked to her fifth grade classroom.

The entire class looked at her, then a few students burst out laughing. "Ah, look at Evie! Someone got a little too crazy last night!"

"Is she going to give up because she never got any sleep?"

"Her eyes are swollen as as barnacle."

"She looks so stupid, ha!"

Utterly embarrassed, Evie's face turned red, and she vowed to stay awake throughout the rest of the day. When her science test was handed to her, she tried her best to remember every answer, but found it hard with an empty, slow-running mind. After an hour, she turned it in, waiting for her results.

Hours later, Evie got her test handed back to her, looking at the top for the grade. When she saw it, her mouth dropped in terror.

Unlike the high nineties and hundreds she got on her classwork, she got an eighty-three instead. An *eighty-three*.

*Oh no. Oh no, no, no no no! My mother doesn't want to see this because it isn't perfect! She's going to think I'm a failure!*

Trying to not to break under pressure, Evie quietly walked out of elementary school and grouped up with Mya outside. Together, they began walking home.

"Evie, are you okay?" Mya asked as they walked. "You seem rather... Distressed."

Evie looked away. "I'm fine. It's nothing, really. Just a rough day in class."

Mya looked skeptical. "Well, okay? You still look like you just traveled into hell and saw Satan."

"My, it's *nothing*!" Evie stammered, not wanting to be questioned any further, her voice cracking. Too late, she realized that Mya knew that she was hiding something from her, judging from the way that she was acting.

"Ev, it's okay. I promise. You can tell me anything you want."

Her soft voice calmed Evie, and she took in a breath before responding. "It's not something I'm thrilled about, Mya. But we can talk about it as soon as we get home. Dad said you could come over after school today."

"Well, what are we waiting for? We're not trapped in a boat floating in the sea, so let's go!" Mya began to drag Evie in the direction of home before she could protest.

After ten minutes of Mya practically dragging Evie throughout the Pineshadow neighborhood, they reached her house and entered it, dashing into her room and shutting the door.

Evie placed her backpack by the bed belonging to her pet cat, Holly, sighing and sitting down on her own bed. Mya sat down with her, looking sympathetic. "So, what did you want to tell me? *I* am all ears."

*Ha. Still funny even when she's serious.* Evie looked at her directly, and swallowing down her fears, she admitted what was on her mind. "I got an eighty-three today on my science test."

Mya giggled. "That's what you're worried about? A low grade isn't that bad-"

"It *is*!" Evie whispered. "My mother wants a higher grade, and if she finds out I didn't have a tip-top performance today, she's gonna dice me up with a knife!"

"Really? I doubt that. An eighty-three is still a really good grade, Ev! I think you did amazing, despite being tired. You're smart. You tried your hardest. And people get those grades all the time. It probably won't happen again!"

"But what about my mom, Mya? How do you think she's going to feel when she finds out?"

"*Relatively angry, young lady*!" Startled by the booming voice, both turned to find Evie's mother looking at them, sharp disappointment in her eyes. "Evie, you worked so hard preparing yourself for that test, but you slacked off in the middle of the night, and now I heard *this*? You need to **study harder**!"

Pensive, Evie protested. "Mom, please! I promise I did study! I did work hard! I *tried*!"

Mya glared at Opal, hatred and disgust in her eyes. "We even studied together, and she was drilling through questions at lightning speed. So yes, she *was* prepared." She then placed her hand on Evie's shoulder, causing her to blush - she had never done that before.

At once, Opal rounded on Mya for that remark. "Oh, I get it. *You're* the reason why Evie didn't perform perfectly in school today. It's pretty clear to me that you're a *distraction* and are only going to do harm to Evie with that brightness of yours. I'm sorry, Mya. You need to go home."

Mya gasped in shock, beginning to tremble. "I... I didn't mean... I *helped*-"

"*You didn't*, Mya. Leave. You're weighing down Evie from her full potential."

Mya turned towards Evie, a pleading look on her face - she looked hurt. "Ev! Tell her she's wrong!"

"Mom-" Before she could even get a full sentence out of her mouth, Evie's mother glanced at her, angry and full of disdain. With too many emotions running through her head, Evie stalled, then looked down, remaining quiet.

"*Evie*!" Mya snapped, a tear falling from her left eye. She backed up, dismayed and frustrated. "Oh, forget it," she mumbled quietly. She then stormed out of Evie's room and out of the household altogether. Seeming satisfied, Opal then left, leaving Evie to mope in shame by herself.

*I... I can't stand up to my mother. I just can't. She's the vicious tiger I must obey. Now, she's trying to drive Mya away from me...* She could tell that Mya was upset, not only at her mother for being rude, but at her as well for her lack of confidence. *I'm just a coward.*

An hour later, she heard a quiet knock on her door, and a gentle voice spoke - her father. "Evie, honey? Are you feeling alright?"

Evie shook her head, turning away from him and burying her face into her pillow. "What happened with Mya? I noticed her run out, and she seemed to be upset."

"Mom tried to take her away from me, and she bullied her. I should have protected her, but I'm too cowardly to stand up against a tiger. I had to stand down. Otherwise, mom could have punished me... Now I don't know what to do."

"Ev, look at me," Anderson replied. He rubbed Evie's cheek, turning her head toward his and brushing aside her bangs. "Opal won't want this at all, but there is no way I'll let you lose Mya. You need to talk to her, and I think she'll be at Lakepine... No, Pinelake Park, tomorrow. Talking things out is a good way to make amends and keep a strong friendship."

"Are you sure I can do this?"

"Of course, Evie. You're strong. I have complete faith in you to work things out with Mya."

Evie smiled, hugging her father. "Thanks, dad. You are, like, the best."

The next day, Evie's father took her to Pinelake Park, and sure enough, Mya was there. She was sitting under Evie's favorite tree, somber and alone, her head in her knees. Gulping, Evie approached her carefully. *Here goes nothing.*

"Hey, Mya. I'm sorry for-"

It's more than emotion

I feel I'm never gonna stop

'Cause I'm falling deep

I guess the pressure's built right up

"For what? Letting me get *bullied by your mother*? You are the most confident person I know, and yet you don't *stick* up for me? I don't want your apologies, just leave me alone!"

With all this desire

I've been carrying around

Feeling elated

I don't wanna come back down

Here I am, there you are

Don't wanna stop

I know, you know it I can feel it

All the tension rising up

So much it hurts

Trying not to break down under her own regret, Evie spoke again, sympathetic, sitting down beside her friend. "My, you have every right to be mad at me. I let you down. But I just want to talk with you and make things right! Please give me a chance, and I promise I can explain everything."

We're saying more than words

We're saying more than words

Saying more than words

Saying more than words

More than words

Saying more than words

Saying more than words

Saying more than words

"*No*!" Mya refused, her voice cracking and tears falling from her troubled green eyes. "You don't know how *I* truly feel, Ev! Here's the thing for you! I'm bullied at school because I'm soft and easy to pick on. I can't often fight on my own, and I'm tormented often! Now, your *own mother* is bullying me and you did nothing to stop it. *Nothing*. You don't understand me at all!"

Evie gasped, then felt even more horrible for what happened in her room. She had just learned that Mya was a prime bullying target because of her sensitivity and overall softness. Now, one of her family members bullied her and wanted her out of her life, making her feel even more guilty than ever. However, she still needed to make things right - Evie could *never* afford to lose Mya.

I can't imagine

That I would even say

This has become a passion that is changing me

We're speaking a language

That no one understands

Far from the surface I know this will never end

Evie's determination began to fizz away, but she spoke once again. "Mya... I'm really sorry. For everything and for you getting bullied. But there is a *reason* for what my mother did and why I was a coward in there! Please just let me explain!" At this point, Evie knew she couldn't hide the fact she was being tiger parented from Mya anymore. She *needed* to know so she could understand the full truth.

Here I am, there you are

Don't wanna stop

I know, you know it I can feel it

All the tension rising up

So much it hurts

"An apology isn't going to *cut it*!" Mya spat. "You don't understand how badly I'm being bullied. I'm hit, I'm tormented, and I'm shamed all because I'm silly and a huge softie. *You don't understand how mad I am*! Your mother *hurt* me!" She prepared to turn away from her best friend.

*No! I can't lose you!* Without warning, Evie immediately took action, grabbing both of Mya's hands and pulling her closer to her. "**LISTEN TO ME**!" She barked, her voice echoing around the park slightly.

We're saying more than words

Saying more than words

Saying more than words

Saying more than words

Realizing that she was holding Mya's hands, she dropped them, her face turning red in embarrassment along with Mya's. Mya's angry, stormy eyes were now calm, and she looked at Evie in shock, wanting to hear what she had to say at last.

Evie turned away from her and spoke, her voice cracking. "Mya. You can claim I don't understand you. But the truth is this - you don't understand *me*. And I know now that I can't keep the truth away from you forever, because as my best friend... You deserve to know the real me."

More than words

Saying more than words

Saying more than words

Saying more than words

Mya looked awestruck for a brief second before coming back down to earth. "Go on."

Evie then shook, and with her voice shaking nervously, she revealed the very reason why her mother had been behaving so strangely around her, and why the fight in her room happened.

"Mya... My mother is a tiger parent."

Mya gasped, placing her hands over her mouth, then stopping in confusion. "Wait, what?"

"Mya, tiger parenting is a very strict form of parenting, and my mother is exactly that. She invests in my success academically, gives me work to constantly do and emotionally pressures me to achieve great things. She can't stand when I'm not perfect. And... The reason why she tried getting you away from me was that she cares more about my education and future than me having friends and a social life. She's a tiger, roaring at me and commanding me to follow her every order with full obedience... And I-"

"Ssh," Mya quieted Evie, looking at her affectionately. "It's okay, you don't need to tell me anymore, now that I know what you're going through. Ev, I will swear it until I'm buried in the ground, but I will always help you when it comes to your mother being the tiger she is. I really thank you for confiding in me - and I do accept your apology. You can trust me, and I can trust you."

"You're not mad at me anymore?"

"Evie, there are other people I'm mad at. I could never, never stay mad at you for long. You're my best friend, and you are so bright and special. Just because your mother is a tiger parent will *never* change that." Mya pulled her friend into a tight hug, then touched noses, giggling. Evie smiled warmly - both had been open on their weaknesses - and now they were closer than ever.

*Oh Mya, what could I do without you?*

Many more months passed, and Evie was now eleven, along with Mya. Both were in the former's room, doing their math homework together as "study buddies," complete with some snacks. While Evie was doing fractions, Mya was doing division, concentrating very hard on her work. Meanwhile, Evie had just gotten past the first five problems and had ten more to go.

She groaned in frustration, putting her chin down on her desk. Mya turned to look at her, concerned. "You doing alright?"

"No, I've been stuck for a few minutes, and no matter what I've tried, I can't figure it out... All these fractions are confusing me."

"Oh, you haven't tried the good ol' Flip N' Switch, have you?"

Evie frowned, her brows furrowed; what her friend had just told her made no sense. "Mya, what the heck? How is *that* supposed to be helpful?"

Mya rolled her eyes jokingly, then pointed her mechanical pencil at her friend's homework. "It's easy to learn, really. Here's what it's all about..." In a soft whisper, Mya gently explained her process to Evie, who's heart began to pound hearing her friend's sweet voice. It was a soothing honey that coated her heart and helped her relax and focus. Five minutes later, Evie was done with her paper.

"Wow, Mya... Thank you. That was really easy to learn. Where did you learn how to do that?"

"Self-taught myself. My teacher's notes were so *boring*, so I improved them."

Evie smiled, patting her friend on her back. "Oh, you are one special something." She then noticed her friend's division paper, which was unfinished. "Oh, uh, you need to finish that."

Mya looked back at it. "Been trying to, but I'm kinda... Stuck. Like you were."

"Want some help?"

Mya nodded eagerly, smiling. "Some division is really confusing for me sometimes. But I bet you are a goddess when it comes to math. So, care to *enlighten* me with your divine help, Fair Maiden?"

Upon being called a "Fair Maiden," Evie blushed. *Come on, I'm not that fancy.* "Okay, let me take a look." Ten minutes later, with some advice and walkthroughs, Mya was done with her homework as well, tucking it back into her sticker-laden folder.

Evie sighed, flopping back down onto her bed and enjoying her cool bedsheets. Nearby, Mya watched her with a playful expression. "Ev, you honestly look like you tried making a snow angel and gave up after fifteen seconds."

"Cut me some slack, I'm happy like a fool and I'm taking it all in." In that very moment, Mya jumped up onto Evie's bed and joined her, looking at her mischieviously. "Mya, why are you looking at me like that...?"

"Because you had all the right moves - in *all the wrong places*!" Mya then reached out toward Evie, touching her neck and scratching it. Evie broke out wheezing, flailing back and forth and laughing. "Aaah! No! I'm ticklish there! Stop!"

Mya continued tickling Evie for a straight minute, giggling and watching her friend try to get away from her. Evie eventually gave up and rolled back toward her, a dreamy look on her face. *She's sweet like a honey-dipped mango. The perfect best friend.*

After a few hours, Evie's father walked in, looking at the two girls happily. "Hey, ladies. Do you want me to take you to Pinelake Park? Opal is asleep, and I can take you there without her being in the way."

"Mr. Ly, did you tell my parents? I don't want them to get worried about me," Mya asked.

"They know, darling. And they approve of it. Ready to go, Ev?"

Evie nodded, picking up Mya's hand. "Come on, let's go!"

The drive to Pinelake Park only took a few minutes. Evie immediately dashed out of her parents' car, with Mya following. The evening was nice and cool, with dark black shadows cast by the setting sun. A soft, gentle breeze cut through the trees and blew the girls' hair off to the side. The sky was a pinkish-orange and coated with dark purple and red clouds.

*Wow, so beautiful,* Evie thought to herself. She turned to glance at Mya, who stood there smiling, her auburn hair glowing in the light. Evie once again supressed a blush. *But she looks even prettier...*

Snapping out of her stupor, Evie approached Mya. "What do you want to do?" She inquired.

Mya looked thoughtful, then she jumped, getting an idea. "Can you braid my hair for me?"

"Sure! Here, sit down, and I'll get started." Once Mya sat down, Evie immediately picked up a strand of her soft, fluffy auburn-brown hair and intertwined it in her fingers, twisting and tightening it for a few minutes until a complete braid was made onto the side.

Mya picked up the braid with her fingers, her leaf-green eyes glittering with delight. "It's... It's perfect! Ev, you're a goddess!" Immediately, she pulled Evie closer to her and hugged her tightly, caressing the back of her head. Evie blushed before her entire face turned pink, flustered by her sudden gesture. But quickly enough, she wrapped her own hands around Mya, feeling a warmth that was like a sweet vanilla cake wash over her. Evie wanted every second of it, not caring about anything in the world but Mya's happiness. If she was happy, then so was she, and if she was happy, she wanted to fly.

Mya, seeing how happy Evie was, smiled warmly. "Oh, look at you. You're like a cookie out of the oven. Tough at first, but soft and melts in the mouth. **NOW CATCH ME IF YOU CAN SUCKAH**!" She poked Evie on her shoulder, indicating that she wanted to play tag, and took off running around Pinelake Park. Evie's face flushed pink again before she shook herself, and took off running, saying, "Hey, come back here!"

Chase the wind and touch the sky

A star's light shines on long after it dies

Oh oh oh woah oh

In the night

Evie dashed around, trying to find Mya with Pinelake Park getting increasingly dark the more the sun went down. She ran for two minutes, finding Mya hiding near the monkey bars and tagging her before leaping over a slide and dashing toward the Piney Woods.

Live everyday as if it's your last

Our memories burn bright like beacons of the past

Oh oh oh woah oh

In the night

Evie then stopped toward the first tree marking where the woods began. She saw Mya approaching. "Haha, got you!" At the last second, Evie lept up into the air and flipped forward, and Mya missed her completely.

Now we race against the sun

Now we race against the sun

Ooh wooh ooh ooh

"**HEY**!" Mya exclaimed in surprise. "You're not escaping me, you little sneak!" Mya charged toward Evie once again, though her friend started running and bolted away.

Now we race against the sun

Now we race against the sun

Ooh wooh ooh ooh

"Can't catch me, Mya!" Evie taunted. Suddenly, she tripped over a small dip in the ground and fell into the grass, her glasses slanting and almost falling off of her head. She quickly re-adjusted them and got up, just in time to see Mya barreling in her direction.

*Oh shrimp!*

Mya, however, screeched to a halt just in time, panting. She helped Evie back up. "Gracious! You okay?"

Race against the sun

Now we race against the sun

Race against the sun

Now we race against the sun

"Yeah, I'm fine," Evie replied. "Just a little dizzy from falling... And tired."

Mya fell to her knees so she could be face-to-face with her. She gently poked Evie on her nose. "Boop. You're it. But I'm tired too. Eluding you is like being the last one standing in dodgeball."

Now we race against the sun

Now we race against the sun

Oh oh oh oh

"You're so silly," Evie told Mya. She looked at the sky. The last of the orange-pink hues were fading, and the moon was now up in the sky, surrounded by milky bluish-white stars. Her eyes twinkled.

"This is so pretty," she murmured. Mya nodded in agreement, gently moving her hand closer to hers and touching it. Evie blushed upon feeing Mya's skin touch hers, but nonetheless, she gripped her hand and rubbed it with her thumb.

"Ladies! Time to go home!" Mr. Ly called. Both girls immediately got up and ran to him, smiling.

"What are we gonna eat, dad?" Evie questioned.

"Hmm... Pizza. I think Opal can live without Vietnamese food for one day." Mya pumped her fist in the air in excitement, and Evie grinned ear-to-ear. Her day was going *perfectly*.

Minutes later, the girls were back home, having just entered through the door.

"Is your mom still asleep?" Mya whispered to Evie.

"Yeah, I think she is," she said, walking forward and bumping into something. Glancing up, and much to her horror, she found her mom looking at her - and she was upset.

"H-Hey mom, how was your nap?" She asked shakily.

Her mother ignored her, instead glaring at her father and holding a mug of herbal tea. "Andy, you *were not supposed* to take Evie out of the house! I told you not to. She was to be *here* practicing her Vietnamese!"

"Opal, she deserves some sunshine. You can't confine her here all day! Don't you think you're being-"

"**SHUT it, Anderson**," Opal snarled. Unsettled by her tone of voice, Anderson backed away to the corner of the living room that led to the kitchen.

Evie and Mya watched with shock and confusion. Opal didn't seem to be acting grouchy because of waking up from her nap - she was serious and ready to pounce, should she be messed with any further. Worried, Evie pressed even closer to Mya, brushing against her and relaxing being so close to her.

Then, Opal rounded on her daughter. "Evie Ly! You should have known *way* better than to have gone with your father when you *know* you should have stayed home! Learning your second language is a priority you can't put aside just so you can do *nothing* outside!"

Evie panicked, not knowing how to respond to her tiger mother. Her heart rate quickened in pace. "But... But... Mom, I-"

"*No buts*, Evie! Don't slack off like you did tonight. Running around Pinelake Park isn't helpful for you academically. And if you *choose* to *disobey* me, I'm making sure you're doing nothing else but *studying*. Otherwise, you aren't going to be the perfect daughter I want."

*I'm not a perfect daughter? I'm... Not?* That blow hit Evie in the heart like a bullet. She began to feel sick inside, and the world began to blur. She couldn't stand being here anymore in front of her mom, even with Mya next to her. Her heart was pounding now, seemingly about to burst from all her stress. She clutched it, black spots now appearing in her vision.

Evie's legs buckled from beneath her, and she suddenly collapsed right into Mya's arms. "*Evie*!" Mya yelped, shaking her awake and helping her back up onto her feet. Once she was stable and aware of her surroundings, Mya stomped towards Opal, livid.

"**WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR**?" She screamed, baring her teeth. "She went outside for like, **twenty minutes**, and here you are **whining about it** like a dang baby! You just caused ***MY BEST FRIEND TO FAINT***!" Evie watched in stunned silence as Mya went off on her mother, who backed up, now concerned.

"Mya, honey, slow down. I didn't mean for-"

"Oh, so you **don't care about the fact Evie is terrified of you**? You are the absolute worst. Not only are you a terrible role model, you never consider the fact that you constantly meddle in Evie's life and pressure her. You're nothing more than *culturally abusive*!"

Opal gasped, too shocked to speak. On the other hand, Evie was just appalled by what Mya had just said. *My mother... Abusive? I don't want to call her abusive. She's my mother. I don't like how she treats me, but I still love her, and she loves me...*

Mya then noticed that Evie was looking at her with confusion in her eyes. She quietly whispered, "Mya, no..."

Mya's eyes widened in understanding, and she backed up, toward the door, her face red with embarrassment. "I... I need to go." She ran out of the door and into the night, and Evie didn't follow, knowing the distance to her house was short.

Now feeling guilt for causing her friend to leave, Evie looked away. *Dang it! Now I think Mya is upset that she hurt me... There's too much going on.*

Evie ran to her room, locking the door and hearing her mother call her name. "Evie? Evie, come back!"

Refusing to open her door, Evie grabbed her phone and put in her earbuds. Mya once again drifted into her mind, and then she thought of something to do to drown out the world.

*Wait. There's this one song by a group Mya introduced me to...*

The next thing Evie knew, she was playing music until she fell asleep that night, not caring about her mother trying to grab her attention.

One week later, Evie glanced out her car window as she was driven the short distance to Mya's house. Since the incident with her mother, the two hadn't talked, and Evie still worried that Mya believed she upset her. While she wanted a chance to talk to her sooner, her mother insisted that she kept practicing her Vietnamese and looked at her future job opportunities, much to her ire. *I should be able to decide my future. Not my mom.*

Now, she was going to see Mya to apologize for what happened.

Soon enough, she was dropped off at the sidewalk, and Evie glanced at the pretty flowers lining Mya's yard. She had this beautiful oak tree with a small, wooden swing that hung from it, and a birdbath on the right surrounded by roses. She felt like she was walking in an enchanted garden.

Continuing forward, Evie knocked on the door of the Heartley residence, and it opened a few seconds later, revealing Mya's mother and father.

"Hi, Evie!" Mrs. Heartley greeted. "What brings you here today, darling?"

"I'd like to talk to Mya. Where is she?"

"She's in her room right now," her father replied. He pointed to the hallway on the left. "That way."

He and Mrs. Heartley then hugged Evie before she went in the direction of Mya's room, reaching her door, which had a beautiful, flower-covered frame that said "I don't just sit still and look pretty."

She gently opened it, and sighing, she took a breath. "Hi, Mya-" Then, she cut herself off, stunned to see that Mya wasn't alone. She was playing a game of Yahtzee with a curly-haired boy with pale skin and a few freckles on his face. He dropped the dice he was holding in his hands, and looked at her in sheer confusion.

Mya's jaw dropped, but she got back up and walked over to Evie awkwardly. "Hey, Ev," she said coolly. "I see you haven't met him yet. This is Benji Figglebarker, another one of my friends. He is such a sweet little innocent fly, oh!" Mya's eyes became glazed over, and she smiled, making Evie realize that she seemed pretty smitten over Benji. *Wow, I didn't expect her to have a crush on him.*

Evie slowly moved toward Benji and sat down next to him. "Uh... Hi," she stated.

"Hey, Evie. Nice to meet you." He shook her hand, smiling before looking back at Mya. Evie didn't overly like Benji that much, not understanding what he had that made Mya so swoony over him. She didn't find him cute, or attractive, or appealing. *Bleugh. Even if they're innocent, my god, I hate boys.* Nonetheless, he seemed friendly and curious, and Evie saw how Mya could have fallen for him easily.

"Ben, would you mind going out for a minute? I'd like to speak to Ev. Then we can play some more Yahtzee... Together?" Mya blushed at him.

Benji scratched his head, then nodded. "Sure. Let me know when you're done." He then went outside and gently closed the door. Then, Mya turned toward Evie. "I know why you're here. It's about what happened last week, isn't it?"

Evie nodded before looking away, gripping her shirt and trying to hide the fact that she was nervous. "Yeah, I am. I'm worried I made you upset that you might have made me mad..."

Mya then moved closer to Evie, looking her in the eyes. "Ev, I'm not mad at myself, or you, or anything. I thought I just did something wrong confronting your mother, and when you looked at me like that... I just felt embarrassed and ran home. So I should be the one apologizing."

"No, Mya! Don't apologize. You did what you thought was right, and... I'm *really* grateful you spoke your mind in front of my mother. Just... Don't call her abusive. Please. I still love her, and I just can't *see* her in that kind of light."

Mya placed her hand on Evie's shoulder, rubbing it. "It's okay. I understand."

Relieved, Evie shut her eyes for a moment before opening them again, trying to relax so she could reveal what she had to say next.

"Mya, I have something to tell you... And it's really personal."

"Go on. I'm right here," Mya whispered.

Evie swallowed down her fears and anxiety, then spoke. "I'm too afraid to stand up to mom. I can easily stand up to bullies, anyone who tries to cause harm to me or you, but my mother... She's different. I don't know what would happen to me if I tried doing something *she* doesn't want me to do. If I spoke out, she'd shame me and humiliate me, and I just don't want that to happen! My culture *crushes me*. I'm supposed to be proud of it, but how can I be when I all get is more work and pressure to be perfect? I... I just wanna be a normal girl."

"Well, Evie, here's a little thing. *I* like the you that *I* see. You're nerdy, you're strong, and you're so soft on the inside. You're like a squishy marshmellow I want to hug all the time. Normal is boring. So, instead of being normal, be someone *extraordinary*."

Mya then placed her hands on Evie's chest, right onto her heart, smiling. Evie blushed at the sudden gesture, though she relaxed even further. "Thank you, Mya."

"Anytime. Our hearts are together as one. Just like a fire that can't be put out. I like that."

Evie chuckled. "You're so funny." She took Mya's hands off her chest, though still felt them, enjoying the feel.

Mya then faced the door. "Benji! You can come back in!" At once, Benji opened the door and walked in happily, sitting down and grabbing the dice again. "This time, I'm gonna get a Yahtzee. Betting on it."

"Oh, Ben. Always so optimistic. But never underestimate me, Mya Elise Heartley, Lord of Board Games and turning your city into rust."

Mya burst out laughing, and so did Benji, all while Evie looked on smiling. Mya's advice was really soothing, but still, she felt insecure. Her culture was still crushing, and she was tied down to her Vietnamese roots. It was like her mother wanted to be more Vietnamese than American, besides just being perfect and the best at everything. She felt restrained, and Evie longed more for more freedom.

*Maybe I'd make my mom happy if I was just a normal girl.*

**ONE YEAR LATER**

Evie dashed out the door to her English class in middle school, seconds behind Mya. It had been a year, and now, she was twelve and in middle school with Mya. Her mother was still unbearable, and her father was still the loving, yet ditsy person he was. Nothing had really changed.

Evie immediately prepared to head to her next class, when suddenly, she heard a startled yelp. Turning her head, she found Mya pinned against the lockers, cornered by a group of four boys. They were smiling at her menacingly, and one was holding a football, almost making Evie want to spit at them in disgust.

*Ugh. They're on the football team. Why are they bothering Mya?*

"Hey weak thing!" One of the boys taunted. "Do you wanna arm wrestle with us? I bet we can break your pathetic little arms in *half*!"

"Good one! Then we can look through her girly stuff and show the entire school. Sweet chick wouldn't stand a chance!"

"Stop it!" Mya pleaded. Her plea fell on deaf ears.

"Ooh, should we tell her to join the football team? Just watch her eat our dust, sweat, and mud. She'd *choke* on it," one of the boys cruelly remarked. Mya was shaking and on the verge of breaking down into tears.

Cracking her knuckles, Evie knew then what she had to do. *You mess with her, and you mess with me.*

"Hey, *digusting sweat-mongers*!" She called out, getting their attention. "Yeah, you heard me loud and clear. If you don't leave Mya alone *this very second*, you're going to find yourself swept off your feet." She bared her teeth and stomped her foot, asserting her dominance over them.

"Aww look, this grouch thinks she can tell us what to do," said one boy. "Whatcha gonna do? Kick us? Scream at us until we go away? Huh? Huh?"

All four boys looked at Evie, on the verge of laughing at her. "She's such a midget."

Upon hearing that remark, Evie walked up to one boy and swung her right leg at his left. Immediately, she struck home, and the boy toppled back into the lockers before hopping like a rabbit in pain. Now knowing that she was *dead* serious, the boys took off in the direction of the gym.

Evie dashed back up to Mya. "Are you alright, My?" She asked gently.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I wish I could stand up to my bullies like you can..."

"Don't worry. I can show you how. And then we can kick some butt together."

Mya looked intrigued. "Thanks, though I've gotta ask you something... If you can stand up to any bully, then why can't you stand up to your culturally abusive mother-"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Mya looked away, regret coursing through her. Evie blushed in embarrassment. "I've... I've gotta go." She bolted towards her next class, leaving Mya downtrodden and worried that she just unintentionally offended her best friend.

Later, the school bell rang in the afternoon, signaling the end of the day. Evie dashed out, juggling three books in her hands - two educational books her mother told her to read, and her copy of the latest *Fighters* novel, *Daybreak*. She walked outside, slowly heading in the direction of home. Her arms were wobbling from the weight of her books, and she decided to place her two textbooks in her bag, knowing she could reach around herself to do so.

Holding her books in her right hand, Evie unzipped her backpack and grabbed her two textbooks, placing them inside. As she was doing so, she dropped her copy of her *Fighters* novel. She reached down to pick it up.

But someone grabbed it before she did. *Huh?* Scrambling back to her feet, Evie looked up, and her face dropped in disbelief once she found who she was looking at.

An *eerily* familiar face, pale in color, short brown hair, piercing lavender eyes. Behind her were three girls, all looking at their phones. But Evie was only interested in the girl right in front of her.

"*Majken*? You attend this school? And that's my copy. I'd like it back, please."

"Well, well, well. We meet again, Evie," Majken snickered, holding up her book with one hand. "You *seriously* read a silly series about African animals?"

Evie cringed. Majken was nothing like the girl she knew years ago. She'd become a bully.

"Well, it's one of my favorite pasttimes, so give me my book and get out."

"Pfft," Majken snorted. "*I* might as well have a little fun while I'm here. Besides, you're that typical Asian nerd who's probably going to go home and study. What are you gonna do? Drink herbal tea and recite ancient scripts?" Her clique of cool girls laughed, and hot humiliation boiled within Evie. Her cheeks were red.

Regaining herself, Evie rolled her eyes and stepped closer to her former friend. "What goes on in my life is *none* of your business. I'm done playing with your jibber-jabber directed at me, so give me back my novel and *don't come near me again*!" She snarled, making a grab for her *Fighters* book.

However, Majken yanked it away and tossed it to another member of her clique. They began to play hot potato with the book, throwing it up, catching it, and swinging it around in the air. Finally, one girl tossed it right back to Majken, who dangled it above the ground, a devious smile lighting her face.

"Maj, that's enough," Evie firmly said. "Give. It. Back!"

Majken ignored her. "You'd really think I would? No, Evie. I want *you* to see how I felt when you ditched me in favor of your stupid life! You should have been *punished* for this, and I'll do it *myself*!"

Evie gasped, beginning to shake a bit. "*No*! I never wanted that to happen!" She exclaimed, her voice cracking near the end. "I didn't want to lose you! In fact, I did *care* about you! What happened was out of my control!"

"Pah! That's just another silly excuse of yours. It ends here. You never saw how I felt, so now it's your turn to feel the sickening *pain* you gave me!" Majken held up one page of the book, about to rip it out cleanly. Two members of her clique blocked Evie and prevented her from lashing out or breaking free.

*No!*

As Majken walked forward, however, she bumped into someone, touching noses with them. In surprise, she dropped the *Fighters* book. Evie turned her head just enough, and her jaw dropped upon seeing who Majken was looking at.

*Mya*.

"Oh look, it's the little weak crybaby who's bullied. What a wonderful *development*," Majken growled. Unlike her description, Mya was not weak. Her fists were clenched, her teeth were bared, and she had a look on her face that only contained sheer hate.

"You're bullying my *bestest best best friend*. Really? *Really*? ***BACK. OFF***!" She barked, jumping forward aggressively and causing Majken to move backwards. Despite this, she chose not to retreat. Evie looked on in amazement. *Mya's standing up for herself!*

"Yeah Heartley, you're trying to pass yourself off as a tough little lion. We know. But you can't top us, so just settle down," Majken taunted. Evie looked on in fear, still trapped by the two girls.

Seeing her gave Mya even more strength. "***I AM NOT LAME***!" She screamed. "Call me lame... And I'll send you to *Notre Dame*." She placed a fist in her other hand to make her point clear. Evie felt a warm feeling sneak through her. *That's my girl.*

"Yeah, as if," one girl muttered.

"Little one really thinks she's all that."

"Oh, *please*," Majken wheezed. "What makes you think you can do that?"

Suddenly, Evie got an idea - a *wicked* one. "Mya, have you told them how much you *love* Gleanna? That you're her biggest fan?"

At once, a *huge* grin lit Mya's face, and she bounced up and down. "***OH MY GOD WHERE DO I START SHE'S MY IDOL SHE'S A LEGEND SHE MAKES THE BEST MUSIC AND SHE PRACTICALLY RAISED ME***-"

Majken and her clique awkwardly looked at each other before dashing off, not wanting to hear any more of Mya's overenthusiastic rambling.

Now free, Evie ran towards her *Fighters* copy and hastily put it in her backpack before zipping it shut altogether. Then, she turned to Mya, a proud look in her eyes.

"Whoa, My. That was *impressive*! You stood up for yourself..."

"I had to. There was no way I could let them or that stupid Majken girl hurt you."

A realization then hit Evie, and something clicked in her head. *Wait. Mya doesn't usually stand up to bullies on her own. She's sensitive. But she just showed overwhelming confidence here... Because she saw me in danger. That's it!*

"Mya! I know how you can stand up to your bullies!"

Mya gasped. "Wait, really? What's the tea?"

"You reacted strongly to Majken when she was tormenting me back there. So each time someone tries to pick on you, think of me. You saw me being bullied, and it gave you the strength you needed to take charge."

Mya smiled brightly before looking away, blushing. "Thanks, Ev. It means a lot. Oh, and... Uh... I'm sorry for earlier in the day. I think I offended you by mentioning what I previously said about your mother, and I forgot I wasn't supposed to say what I said. Honest mistake, I swear."

Evie moved so she was shoulder-to-shoulder with her best friend. "It's okay. I'm not mad at you for a lapse in thought. Now, I need to go home. See you soon, My!" Running off, Evie still felt proud of Mya for finally being able to stand up for herself. Yet, guilt pricked her because she *still* couldn't confront her mother about her crushing tiger parenting. She just couldn't. It was too daunting and risky.

*How can I fight back against a tiger and get more control over my life?*

Soon enough, time flew by, and it was now January. Pineshadow was covered in a fresh blanket of crisp, white snow from several days of heavy snowfall, and the streets were covered in sunlit, gray ice. Evie was playing in the snow with Mya, who tried to throw a snowball at her.

"Ha! Missed me!" She jokingly taunted, dodging another snowball and hitting the snow. She scooped some up in her hands, rolling it until she created a snowball. "Mya, an icicle is about to fall near you!" She called out.

"What? Where?" While Mya was distracted, Evie threw the snowball directly at her face. "Gotcha!" Her glasses were getting foggy and her mittenless hands were tingling from the cold Washington air. She was also chilly, but knew she was going to be fine. Besides, Mya was happy, and seeing her like that satisfied Evie.

She then ran toward Mya, sliding in the snow and trying to make a snow angel. Her friend joined her, and the two got up after a minute to see their final results.

"Evie, yours looks like a piece of bowtie pasta," Mya remarked.

"Yours looks like a fortune cookie that was dropped on the floor of a Chinese restaurant," Evie retorted.

Mya burst out wheezing upon hearing that. "Hey! Don't you do fortune cookies like that! They are *lit*!"

Evie grinned. She prepared to flop back down in the snow again to try making another snow angel.

"Evie, honey! Come in for a moment! We have a surprise for you!"

Evie's face fell upon hearing her mother, and pangs of irritation coursed through her. *Ugh! Does she really want me to do more schoolwork now? When I'm actually having fun?*

"I'll be back in a minute. I'm sure it won't be long. You gonna be okay out here, Mya?"

"Honey, no cold can kill me. In short, I'll be a-okay."

Nodding, Evie dashed back inside her house, bringing some snow tracks past the doormat. "Alright, mom, what is it?" She tried to hide the fact she was annoyed, covering it up with positivity and hoping her mother wouldn't see.

"Oh Evie, this is such *wonderful* news and I'm so excited! We're going to *Vietnam* in one week! *One week*! Isn't that right, Andy?"

Nearby, her father sat on the sofa, looking rather dismayed. "Uh... Yes... We are..." From the looks of it, he was very uncomfortable and he sounded like he forced himself to agree with his wife.

Evie gasped in shock, her irises shrinking; she backed up, her body was going numb from what she had just heard.

*VIETNAM IN ONE WEEK? She never hinted at this! How does she think I look remotely fine right now? I-I don't know how to even comprehend this!* Her stomach was overtaken by the sick feeling of butterflies, sick, sick butterflies who tore at her without mercy, forcing her to speak.

"Mom... Why would you drop this on me? Why didn't you *tell me* first?"

Opal frowned. "Is *that* any way to respond to a *glorious* trip, Evie Ly? Have some *respect* for your homeland!"

Evie cringed, backing up even more. She wasn't liking this at all and was beginning to feel uncomfortable. She felt as if her insides were being twisted upside down. Opal then continued.

"In your family line, there was always a tradition in which every member would go to Vietnam at least once in their life. A cultural experience, so to speak. Regardless of how you may view this, it is beyond *crucial* to uphold this tradition to maintain purity in the family line." Anderson put his head in his hands.

"Best of all, there's so many learning opportunities for you in Vietnam, so many opportunities for you to *immerse* in your culture! You can look at potential jobs and I can pick one for you, and you can explore your future there... Oh, there are so many cute boys you could find and fall in love with! My perfect little straight girl, you're going to have a *great* time in your homeland!" Opal went on and on for minutes, and the more she did, the more Evie's head was whirling around her.

Her heart was beating faster. Not only was she horrified by what she had just been told, but her mother was trying to shove the Vietnamese part of her heritage down her throat. It was like a hot sauce that was burning her from the inside out. She couldn't escape it, or run away from it, or even fight it. It was all too much. Everything was a hurricane.

Evie glanced at her father, who was looking away from his wife in regret. She realized that he was bottomed out and was forced to agree with her. Her mother's tiger influence not only impacted her, but her father's decisions and his role in her life as well. *I don't deserve this. WE don't deserve this.*

To her, fighting against her mother was hopeless. Opal always won every time, and there was no arguing against a tiger mother. She was the dominant person in the Ly household, and she would be obeyed by everyone at any cost.

*I'll never be able to stand up against her. I'm just a pathetic coward.*

However, Mya flashed into Evie's mind, her best friend, the sweetest little thing and the best person she had ever met. Mya was affectionate, kind-hearted, passionate, silly, wily, creative, and always willing to lend a hand. Evie almost wanted to break down, unable to bear the thought of leaving her behind. But no, she didn't, feeling something else in her veins - strength.

Mya's voice flashed into her head. *You're extraordinary.* It was sweet, like honey, a taste that lingered on her tongue. Her voice was soft, and gentle, and everything Evie wanted to hear right now.

Mya was her only best friend.

Evie couldn't lose her. She couldn't let her mother take her away from the very person she adored and wanted to hug, to touch, to protect. Their energy was unbroken.

*You will never take her away from me!*

Evie clenched her fists and shut her eyes, taking a step closer to her mother. "*No*."

She had just stood up to her mother for the first time in her life.

Opal, shocked by her daughter's refusal, stepped right up to her face. "*Evie Ly*! Quit being rude. You're going, and that is *final*."

"I said *no*! You think I would let *you* take me away from Mya? She needs me, and I need her. You can't take me out of the town I was raised in. I'm not leaving anything behind in favor of what *you* want. I make decisions for myself. I'm deciding my future for myself. You *aren't*."

"She's right, Opal," Anderson concurred in agreement. He went over to stand by his daughter, hugging her tightly. "You can't force her to be a person she doesn't want to be." Opal was dumbfounded, then glared at her husband profusely.

Anderson looked at Evie, concern in his eyes. "Get Mya," he whispered. "Opal isn't going to drop this without fighting, and you don't need to witness this. Hide in your room until it's over."

Evie nodded, quickly replying, "Mhm," and dashing out the front door. She immediately saw Mya. "My-" A snowball hit her square in the face, and it was cold, much to her annoyance. "Ha! Got you. Wait, you don't look happy... Are you alright?" Mya said.

"Mya, we need to get to my room. Now. My parents are going to fight again!" Evie quickly grabbed Mya's hand and dragged her inside, all the way to her room and closing the door. She took off her coat at the same time as Mya, and placed it in a corner near her bed. Mya threw hers on top of it before sitting on Evie's bed.

Evie pressed her ear to the wall. "Are you listening in on the fight?" Mya whispered. Her friend nodded, and she joined her.

"Opal, I'm her *father* too! I'm allowed to help Evie with her decisions. I'm not the brightest soul on the planet, but at least let me be a father like you promised I would!"

"Anderson, you agreed that I could tiger parent Evie when she was *three*. We both agreed on this! And look at what years of schoolwork has done to her! It *defines* her, makes her who she is. She's studied hard and has risen to the top. Her life is beyond *normal*!"

"You're pushing Evie too far. In fact, you're outright *controlling* her! What you're doing is *wrong*, Opal, and you're going to shatter her if you keep pushing her like this. Evie already thinks she has to outperform harder and harder each time because of *you*! As her *father*, I have a right to be in her life. You're flexing your tiger parent image, and I can read it like a book. It's getting old."

Mortified, Evie backed away from the wall and sat on her bed, shaking. Worried, Mya pressed herself against her. "Are you feeling okay?" She whispered in a soft, dove-like voice.

"I'm *not okay*!" Evie snapped, faltering mid-sentence. "My parents are fighting over me, *again*, and I just don't know where to turn! I just want it to stop! I just want to be a **NORMAL GIRL**!" She wailed out, tears dripping from her eyes. "Why? Why does this always *happen*? Why does my culture have to drag me down? I feel so hopeless!"

"Ssh," Mya quietly calmed her, placing her hands onto her shoulders before pulling Evie into a tight hug. Using one hand, she rubbed a tear away from her left eye. "I don't want you to be normal. I want you to be the special person that I know and love. You're smart, you're cool, you're classy, you're strong, and most importantly, you've helped me through a lot."

Evie's puzzled look faded to one of relief and comfort. "T-Thanks, Mya." She flopped down on her bed, gazing up warmly into Mya's leaf-green eyes and smiling. Mya blushed, then laid beside her friend, brushing aside her bangs, smiling as well.

"You know... I could sleep over with you tonight," she murmured quietly.

Evie's eyes widened in surprise. "Mya, are you *crazy*? Are you sure this is a good idea? What will your parents think? More importantly, what about *my* parents?" She asked.

"Nah, this is between us. No one has to know."

"Will you at least tell your parents? I don't want them to be mad at you."

Mya sighed, a dreamy look in her eyes. "Okay. I will." She grabbed her phone, and two minutes later, she hid it in her pocket. "Done."

Evie was against harboring Mya in her room, especially without their parents knowing that she had no permission to sleep over. *This is screaming trouble and I don't like it... But Mya... She's just so... Perfect.*

There was too much temptation in her to go along with it. *I want her next to me. I need her here.* "Hide in my closet until night falls."

"Alright, O Great Ev!" Mya saluted her before backing into her closet and shutting the door.

Many hours later, night had fallen, and soft moonlight filtered through Evie's window. She clambered into her bed, pulling her blankets over her. "Mya!" She whispered out loud. "You can come out now!"

The closet door silently creaked open, and Mya jumped up onto Evie's bed, almost crawling on top of her in the dark. "Whoops." She rolled aside and landed on the left of Evie, resting her head on her pillow. Evie rolled to face her.

"This... Means a lot to me, Mya. Goodnight, my sweet bestie." She shut her eyes, and felt Mya move gently against her. Opening one eye, she found that Mya had placed her head on her chest, and was softly smiling in her sleep. *Aw. She's a precious little thing.* Something euphoric built up in her heart, though she didn't recognize what she was feeling. It was something new to her.

Knowing she was happy, Evie rested easy that night, with her being lulled to sleep easily. To her, all was well in the world.

Until the very next morning, where a *loud* scream woke Evie up. She fumbled for her glasses, grabbing them off her nightstand and placing them on. She saw a blurry figure in her doorway. When she finally focused, she was horrified to discover her mother looking at her, anger in her eyes. She screamed as well, realizing her mother found out about Mya staying longer than she intended to.

"**WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE**???"

Upon her scream, Mya jolted awake, panic in her eyes. She protectively grabbed Evie, hugging her tightly and refusing to let her go. Regret began to show in her eyes.

With anxiety building in her stomach, and quivering a bit, Evie finally confronted her mother. "Mom, I promise this wasn't supposed to happen! There is a completely logical explanation for Mya being here-"

"There is *not*, Evie Ly. Here you are, *once again*, not following along on the path you should be following. Have you *forgotten* that your social life is below you? That you need to be at tip-top shape in class? This is your *culture*, and you need to be following it."

"But mom, I-"

Opal groaned. "Evie, you don't get it, do you? Mya is a bad influence on you if she's going to serve as a constant blockade to your success. A *very* bad influence."

Evie gasped, looking away, scorching shame ripping into her flesh. She knew this idea was a horrible one, but it was too tempting to not have extra time with Mya. Her friend's fear had changed to a look of sheer anger.

Then, Mya jumped upward and stared Opal directly in the eyes. "**Stop blaming her**! If there's anyone you should blame, it's *me*. I was the one who suggested for her to let me sleep with her! I heard your fight with Mr. Ly. And I knew *enough*. You're a *heartless meanie* to Ev, and your tiger parenting is the ***VERY REASON*** why I'm here right now!" Mya's hostility faded a tad, and her voice reverted to its typical, soft tone. "I just wanted to show her that people love her and care for her."

Appalled, and feeling slightly guilty, Opal nodded in understanding, a more neutral look on her face. "You had good intentions, Mya. But this *never* should happen again. You need to go home. Your parents are probably worried sick." Then, she turned to her daughter, sternly glancing at her. "Evie, I know Mya is your best friend, but you sheltering her here without my permission was wrong. Don't do it again, and talk with me next time if you want her to stay over. With that being said, get dressed, you need to study."

More shame coursed through Evie, and she looked away from Mya, burying her head in her knees. *I'm such an idiot! Why did I let myself go along with this?* She looked up briefly, and with her voice cracking, she reluctantly spoke.

"Go home, Mya. She's right."

Mya, trying to hold herself together, grabbed her coat and prepared to walk out the door. But as she did, she turned back to face Evie, remorse and regret in her eyes. She was trying to hold back from crying.

"You know, Ev... Sometimes, I do really stupid things around you, and I just can't help myself. I don't know why, but I just do and it *sucks*!"

Evie's mouth hung open, and she blushed, touched by that. *She does things like that around me?* Thinking on it, she did stupid things around Mya too. Mya made her silly, she made her do things she never thought she wanted to do, the list went on. She wiped a tear from her eye.

"Wait. Before you go... I do really dumb things around you too, My. We're on the same page here."

Mya smiled, nodding at her before vanishing from the doorway. Evie collapsed back onto her bed, still trying to get over what had just happened.

**A FEW MORE MONTHS LATER**

Things still hadn't changed much for Evie - she was still swamped in her mother's work, which she only did begrudgingly so she'd avoid getting in trouble, and she still hung out with Mya. They had since overcome the awkward sleepover incident from before, and had left it in the past.

Currently, Evie was at Pinelake Park with Mya and Benji. Recently, Mya and Benji had admitted to having crushes on each other, though did not have any interest in making anything official. The two were pressed closed to each other, shutting their eyes and enjoying the sunshine, while Evie was alone some distance away. Yes, her friend was right there - but she felt isolated and lonely.

"My-My, how was your weekend?"

"Ben, it was *amazing*! Mom and dad took me fishing, and we caught a walleye. My dad nearly caught a bass, but it got away from him. And then they took me to the mall and got me this pretty blouse with flowers on it... Oh, you should see it! It's so cute."

"I'd bet you look so pretty in it."

Mya blushed. "Dang right I would!" She said, ruffling Benji's hair and making him blush as well. "You're the cutest."

"You're the silliest."

Evie sighed, glancing away. To her, it seemed like Mya didn't see her right next to her. She felt like a ghost, empty inside. *What if they have something that I don't? What can't I just figure out? I'm strong, but something's missing.*

She was jealous of Mya and Benji, but was only putting up with it to make Mya happy. She couldn't stand being isolated, however.

"Hey, uh, I'm gonna go sit by my tree and leave you two to talk. You seem like you're having fun," she quickly remarked.

"Alright!" Mya cheered, turning to Benji and giggling at him.

Evie quietly walked over to her favorite tree, sitting under its dappled leaves and placing her chin on her knees.

*What have I done to get where I am now?*

Ever since she was five, she had been taught that being perfect was everything. There was perfect, and *only* perfect. If she wasn't that, she would be shamed and humiliated by the tiger dominating the household, the tiger that constantly wanted her enveloped in her shadow. For years, she felt burdened by the Vietnamese half of her; while she wanted to be proud, she just couldn't be when all she got from it was pressure, schoolwork, and a mantra which tore her apart.

*I just want her to leave my social life alone. I just want to have freedom and control over my decisions. And yet it's out of my reach.*

Tears welled in Evie's eyes. She wanted to cry out everything that had been held inside of her for years - but she couldn't. She didn't know *how* to properly cry, mostly since her mother had told her that her emotions should be bottled up. She felt trapped.

*I don't want to be "Little Miss Perfect." I want to be a normal girl.*

Suddenly, a terrified yelp sounded from a distance. *Mya!* Evie immediately rubbed her eyes and got up, turning back to her friend and Benji - and her jaw fell in horror.

There, Mya and Benji were being harassed by a tall, strong-bodied girl their age. She had pale skin, a sleek, black ponytail moreover shaped in a bun, and orangish-amber eyes. Her signature blue sweater and black leggings and boots were glimmering in the sunlight.

Evie's shock fizzled away, replaced with hate. She knew this girl - Daniela Burton Vunquist.

Daniela was the infamous school bully who terrorized nearly everyone in classes and in the hallway. No matter what her mother or her teachers did to stop her, she never listened, and there were popular rumors that she explictly gave the middle finger to staff despite knowing she would be in major hot water for it. She was rotten. *Beyond* rotten.

Recently, Daniela had chosen to make Mya into her doormat, often bullying her in class and in the hallways. She had been clowned, struck, and tormented verbally, often leaving her annoyed or on the verge of breaking down in tears. Evie, in turn, humiliated Daniela in front of her mother one time in order to get her to leave Mya alone.

But Daniela never learned anything, and now, she was back to pick on Mya - *and* Benji.

"Ah, how sweet, Heartley. Trying to spend some lovely-dovely time with little Ben-Ben here, are you?"

"Get out of here, Daniela. I'm just trying to have fun with-"

"Well, **TOO BAD**!" Daniela screamed directly in Mya's face. "Look at you two lovebirds. Wouldn't it be such a *real shame* if the entire school knew you two were being oh-so-*intimate* with each other?"

Mya and Benji's faces turned red; both were beginning to feel humiliated. Mya gripped Benji's hand. "Daniela. This is none of your business. Please just leave!"

"Oh no, Heartley. You don't even know what you're *in for*." Without warning, Daniela violently struck Mya on her cheek, sending her reeling into the playground step and causing her to cry out in pain. Daniela cackled at her, enjoying every second of her suffering miserably. Evie's blood boiled. She was getting ready to *kill* that ugly school bully.

"Benji! Help!" Mya screeched, trying to get back up on her feet. However, Benji backed away, too scared to assist his crush. All he wanted was to get far away from Daniela as possible.

Daniela then picked Mya up by her shirt collar, baring a set of evil, shiny teeth at her face, and she squeaked. Her confidence was gone, which was just what the bully wanted. Every second of fear was hers for the taking.

"Dani! I'll give you anything you want, please just drop me!" Mya wailed. Too late, she forgot to realize that Daniela *hated it* when her short name was used.

Snarling, Daniela got so close to her face that she was now touching noses with her. "*Do not. Ever.* ***CALL ME DANI, YOU MIDGET***!" Mya yelped, trying to shrink as small as possible. Evie stomped her foot on the ground, about ready to charge.

Daniela then relaxed her hold on Mya, but didn't drop her. She then brushed aside her auburn-brown hair aside and looked at her pale cheeks. "You have such a pretty little face. A face that I *love* to **PUNCH**!" Daniela then directly punched Mya on her cheek, dropping her onto the playground step. Mya cried out in pain, this time being so stressed and overwhelmed that she wasn't able to get up. She was shaking, and her face was red, with tears rolling down her face. Daniela had not only just made her look like a fool in front of Benji, but also made her look like a weakling who was unable to stand up for herself.

Evie rolled her sleeves up. *You're asking me to fight you, Daniela. If a fight is what you want, you're getting one.*

Daniela licked her lips, loving all the suffering she was inflicting onto Mya. And she still wanted more. She grabbed Mya again, laughing wickedly and raising a fist, about ready to go at her jaw.

*YOU ARE NOT GOING TO HURT HER!*

Evie snapped, and in that moment, she ran towards Daniela like a crack of lightning. Then, she jumped into the air, kicking Daniela in the waist with both legs and sending her flying backwards into the woodchips. Evie landed softly on the ground, picking up Mya and dragging her back onto her feet. She wobbled before leaning onto her friend, beginning to recover from what had just happened.

Daniela growled at her, getting up, menace in her amber eyes. "*Ly*! I should've known you would be here to accompany your weakling of a friend. But forget it. *You're* already going to made miserable for intervening!"

At once, she tried to strike Evie, but the latter easily countered by blocking her blow with her two arms. She tried again, but Evie ducked and headbutted her in the chest. Daniela stumbled backwards, now slightly dazed. Evie then backed up to stand beside Mya, taking her hand and sizing herself up so she seemed more imposing. Then, she picked up Daniela by the collar of her sweater, and just like she did to Mya earlier, she touched noses with the bully.

"Listen, Burton Vunquist. I'd better *not* catch you bullying Mya when I'm around. Cause if you do, I am going to make sure you leave with a few bruises and a broken arm. Understand?"

Daniela opened her mouth to protest.

"No. Don't even try that. Because I am completely willing to beat you up again right now if you want to go at me *or* Mya," Evie retorted.

"Just leave, Daniela. You know you've lost this fight," Mya added.

Daniela groaned in disgust. "Ugh, fine! But this isn't over, you two. I'll be *back*!" She then stormed off, presumably in the direction where she lived.

Evie turned to Mya, draping her arms over her shoulders and pulling her into a hug. "My, are you alright? Did she hurt you?"

"I'm fine," Mya replied. "I'm just shook from what happened. And sorry I couldn't drive off Dani on my own. I tried, but I just became too overwhelmed..."

"Mya, it's okay," Evie reassured her. "It's okay to get help. Sometimes, it's normal to be overwhelmed when you're confronting a bully. Provided you try standing up for yourself first, having someone else help you is perfectly okay, I promise."

"Thank you," Mya whispered, her eyes shining. "Thank you so much. And, oh my god, where did you learn how to fight like *that*? You were a complete *boss* fighting Dani!"

Evie blushed upon being called a boss. *I'm not like that, but okay.* "Actually... It's awkward to explain, but my mom trains me in martial arts. She wants me to know how to fend for myself and she hones me in on my skills once a week. To be honest, I'm grateful that she does help with that... It's something relating to her I can be happy about, for once."

Evie then brushed Mya's hair aside very gently, rubbing her back and feeling her soft, magenta shirt, which had a rainbow flower on the front. "What could I do without you?" She randomly murmured.

Blushing, Mya rested her chin on her friend's shoulder, giggling and smiling.

"Uhh..."

Both Evie and Mya whirled around to find Benji looking at them in confusion. Their faces turned red in embarrassment, and they stood next to each other, whistling nonchalantly.

Benji then started wheezing, and so did Evie and Mya. With Daniela gone, they were free to have some fun once more. Any worries Evie had before she confronted Daniela vanished.

Months later, it was fall in Pineshadow, and Evie and Mya were now thirteen and in seventh grade. Nothing much had changed in Evie's life, compared to Mya. Just a few weeks ago, she was devastated to learn that Benji and his family were moving to Seattle for better job opportunities, and missing her crush, she didn't eat much and sat in her room. However, Evie got Mya back in touch with reality, and she was slowly beginning to move on from losing her crush. Evie just wanted to hold her precious heart in her hands.

But now was not that time.

On her mother's orders, Evie had been raking leaves in her yard for the past hour, and was told not to stop until the yard was cleaned up and perfect. She was frustrated; all she wanted right now was to go back inside, warm up, and drink the hot chocolate her father was making. She didn't want to be out in the cold Washington weather much longer.

Finally raking the last of the leaves into an neat pile, Evie sighed. "Mom! I'm done. Can I go in now?"

Opal furrowed her brow. "Did you check again, honey? I want the yard *spotless*."

Groaning, Evie whipped toward her. She wasn't in the mood to work any further. "Can't you just do it? I'm freezing. I want to go inside, where it is *warm*," she affirmed. Even in her sweater, she felt chilly, and shivered. Her voice was rather shaky as well.

"Evie, I strictly told you that the yard is supposed to be *perfect*! Perfection is *everything*. You're going against what I want for you. Suck it up and deal with it."

*Perfection is everything.*

*Suck it up and deal with it.*

*Perfect, perfect, perfect.*

Opal's words echoed around Evie's mind, causing her heart to beat faster. She was freezing out here and wanted to go inside, and such a simple request was shot down by her mother, who cared more about the yard than her.

In that moment, Evie snapped.

"You care more about a *patch of dead grass* than my *mental health*!" She spat, dropping the rake. Anger was blazing in her dark green eyes. "You care for perfectionism so much you want me to *die* out here? What kind of tomfoolery is *that*?" Without waiting for her mother's reaction, Evie ran inside, shutting her door so hard the doorway rattled.

Her father walked out of the kitchen, holding a mug of hot chocolate in his hand. "Ev, what's going on?" He questioned, frowning when he saw her face. "You seem frustrated."

"Yes, I *am*!" She muttered. "Mom cares more about the yard being perfect and clean than how I felt. I was *freezing* out there, and yet she said the yard *must* be clean before I head back inside. She repeated her mantra, but I got sick of it and ran in. I couldn't stand it out there anymore."

"Oh, dang it!" Anderson groaned in annoyance. "I'll deal with her, don't worry." He accidentally hit the table, wincing, before dashing out the door. Evie went to the window beside the door, glancing out and seeing her parents arguing once again, raising arms and pointing fingers. Dejected, she trudged back to her room, laying down on her bed and looking up at the ceiling, which was covered in small constellations.

*Each point is like a trait my mom names me.*

*Perfectionism. Grades. Education. School. Work. Straight A's. Straightforward.*

Evie's thoughts then drifted to the incident outside. She had been raking for a straight hour, and was insanely chilly. Her mother didn't care about her objections and the fact her daughter needed to warm up. She didn't care about what her daughter wanted and had only rebuked her instead. *That's not parenting. That's... Cruelty.* One quote of Mya's re-entered her head. *Culturally abusive.*

Evie didn't *want* to call her mother abusive; by all means, she loved her and needed her in her life. But she was slowly beginning to realize that Mya was right. Her mother's behavior was borderline emotional abuse.

*I just don't want to call it that. It feels so wrong to me.*

Grabbing her phone out of her pocket, she texted Mya. *Hey, do you want to come over after dinner? I think I want to spend some time with you.*

In the blink of an eye, Evie got a response. *OMG yessssss! See you soon, Ev <3*

Evie smiled. Mya was being the sweetheart she always was. *That's my girl.*

She got off of her bed and peered into the office, finding her mother now sitting at the desk, deducting checks online. Banking was Opal's career, and she had been working in bank-related business for the past fifteen years. She must had given up on having the yard be perfect.

Evie quietly walked in, hiding her phone in her pocket and tapping her mom lightly on her shoulder. "Hey, *má*. Is it alright if Mya comes over after dinner tonight?"

Not bothering to even look at her daughter, Opal mumbled, "Sure" rather bluntly. She continued typing on her computer, a glass of Vietnamese herbal tea beside her. Leaving her to work in peace, Evie backed up into her room.

Hours later, after Evie had eaten dinner, the doorbell rang. *I know who that is!* She opened her door, and Mya jumped into her, hugging her with a large smile on her face. Evie nearly toppled from her weight, but Mya pulled her back up, and both blushed, flustered. They bolted to Evie's room and quietly shut the door.

Evie sat down on her bed, giving a long sigh and placing her chin on her knees. "Hey, are you doing alright?" Mya gently asked in her honey-sweet voice. Her eyes were shining with concern and affection. She dug a bit deeper. "Did your mom do something?"

Everywhere I look

Everywhere I look I see shadows

Haunting over me

And I wonder when they'll let me be

Evie didn't look at her, staring forward. She didn't feel like talking about her mother or admitting what had happened earlier in the day to her. It felt dizzying. "No. I'm fine," she quickly responded. "Perfectly fine."

Feeling cold, she shivered, her teeth chattering a bit. Mya looked worried, and she immediately grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around her best friend.

Lost in my mind late at night

And you're who I see in my dreams

Deepest eyes tucked aside

A pain that doesn't sting

Mya then snuggled closer to Evie, rubbing her neck against hers. Evie felt her worries lift off of her again. Mya was once again comforting her, making sure she was alright, weaving her way into her heart like the passionate snake she was. She felt so soothed, so *calm* around her. There was no reason to hide from her.

I know I've ran and I know I hide

I know I've changed, I know I lied

I knew I should but I couldn't see

Bridges burnin' in back of me

"You know, Mya... You're like the lifeline I never knew I needed. You're my holy savior. I cannot be more *thankful* and *grateful* to have you in my life," she confessed, the words rolling off the tip of her tongue smoothly.

Ooh, help me out, holy ghost

I have lost the only thing I know

And all, all I have left are shadows

Mya gasped, surprised by her words. "Ev, I'm really honored to appear like that-"

"Ssh," Evie quickly hushed her. "I'm not done yet."

I wonder as the morning news

I wonder when tomorrow's done

The words you never got to hear

They were just right there on the tip of my tongue

"Not only have you been my best friend for life, you've helped me stand up to my mother. You have the courage I lacked, and you showed me that I can show her the person I *want* to be. And you've taught me to be softer towards others in my life. You're the sweetest gift that keeps on giving - the light I didn't realize I needed."

Mya's eyes were sparkling, and she looked like she was overloading on happiness. Then, she laid on her friend's pillow, and Evie joined her seconds later. She plucked a strand of Evie's hair, fiddling with it in her fingers before dropping it again.

"Oh, Evie. You've shown me how to stand up to my bullies when I'd never thought I would be able to turn any tables on them. You're assertive and rough, and you've shown me that I need those traits in order to keep myself afloat in the world. I'm... I'm so happy to have you in my life." Mya moved closer to Evie, taking her hands and holding them in hers, interlocking fingers. She looked Evie dead in the eyes, and whispered softly, "You're my idol. I look up to you more than you know."

Sometimes I scare myself

By my own lies that I once bought

They cannot be resold

Evie chuckled. "Come on, that isn't true. You've always idolized Gleanna more than me. That's pretty obvious, heh..."

"Pah, that's merely a joke. Sure, I love a celebrity like her. But celebrities are celebrities, and they will *never* be as special as my little super-duper best friend. I've always idolized you, and I always will."

Sometimes I feel the hurt

If I was gold I'd turn to sand

And in the end it could not hold

Evie laughed. "You certainly are something." Then, taking a nervous gulp, she decided to be honest with Mya about the day. "Do you want to know what my mother did today?"

Mya looked curious. "Ah, *tea*! Spill it. I must *know*."

I know I've ran and I know I hide

I know I've changed, I know I lied

I knew I should but I couldn't see

Bridges burnin' in back of me

Quietly, Evie explained how her mother neglected her feelings in favor of raking up the yard, and how she only cared about perfectionism. Mya had an unamused look on her face.

"Your mother only cared about her itsy bitsy perfectionism business more than *you* freezing? How blind is she? Does she even *know* Washington gets extremely cold in the fall?" She spat. "Your mother is so freaking inconsiderate. No - she's *heartless*!"

Ooh, help me out, holy ghost

I have lost my way from your road

And all, all I have left are shadows

Evie pulled back, slightly startled by Mya's fiery description of her mother. Her friend softened, blushing in embarrassment. "Oh crud, I did it again, did I? I'm sorry-"

This time, however, Evie felt different, and rubbed Mya's hand. "No. Don't apologize for saying what you say about mom anymore. Because Mya... I'm beginning to agree with you. She *is* abusive."

Everywhere I look

Everywhere I look I see shadows

Haunting over me

And I wonder when they'll let me be

Unbeknownst to the two, Opal was listening in from outside, having heard their conversation. She was just about to scold them for insulting her, but stopped upon hearing Evie call her abusive. *She thinks I'm abusing her... That I'm cruel.* For the first time, she began to see how badly her tiger parenting was damaging Evie. Anderson was right. She was being pushed to limits she couldn't maintain.

Evie continued to chat with Mya, now feeling more determined. "When my mom pushes me to the brink, I become the person I *don't* want to be. I come off as snappy and irritable when I just want to be kind to others. My aggressiveness comes from the fact that I'm so stressed out from the pressure. I shatter under it. And if I don't perform well and make my mom upset..."

"What?" Mya questioned, a scared look on her face.

"My mother... She might hurt me physically if I don't do everything down to the bare minimum."

"**She'd strike you**?" Mya asked worriedly, her voice shaking in horror. "Tiger parents *do* that?"

"I've heard about it... And I can't rule it out with mom. What if she does end up striking me?"

"I wouldn't do that," a voice sadly murmured.

Ooh, help me out, holy ghost

I have lost the only thing I know

And all, all I have left are shadows

Shocked to find her mother in the doorway, Evie dragged Mya up and grabbed her protectively in case she was targeted once again. Both girls stared at Opal with suspicion.

But something was off - Opal looked *remorseful*. Not like a tiger about to pounce.

"Evie, I would *never*, *ever* bring myself to physically harm you, even if I have standards I want you to reach. You're my daughter. I love you so, so, much. But it's no excuse for the fact that you believe I'm abusing you."

Evie winced, pulling Mya even closer to her.

"I never wanted you to believe I was abusing you. All I wanted was for you to reach the standards I wanted." Mya growled at her, hate in her leaf-green eyes. She didn't trust Opal, and with good reason.

Opal turned to Mya, regret in her eyes. "Mya. I should have never tried to keep Evie away from you. You've helped her through so much and keep her in check... In fact, I'm *jealous* of you. You have a better relationship with Ev than she has with me, the most *perfect* dynamic I've ever seen. You two deserve all the happiness. And you, Mya - you were a better influence on my daughter from the start. Seeing how you've brought her so much joy, so much comfort, so much excitement... You belong with her."

Evie felt apprehension build in her. Was her mother saying she was giving up on tiger parenting? She felt the shadow hanging over her fade a little bit.

"Mom, are you basically saying you aren't enforcing tiger parenting on me anymore?" She inquired warily.

"Kind of, honey. I still want you to perform well and get a good education. But you won't ever be as badly pressured as you were again." Mya glared at her, mistrust radiating off of her.

Opal then moved closer to Evie. "I'm so proud of how far you've gotten." She smiled warmly, blowing her a kiss before walking out and shutting the door.

"Mya, did you hear?" Evie squealed excitedly. "My mom is proud of me! *She's proud of me*!"

"Oh Ev, I heard. Opal finally did something right! Good for her. Good for her."

Evie flopped back down on her pillow, and so did Mya, who hugged Evie tightly, burying her face into her neck. All she wanted now was more time to spend with her best friend.

*She's so adorable,* Evie thought. "You're such a little sweetheart," she quietly murmured, scratching Mya's head.

Mya gazed up at her, a silly look in her eyes. Then, she moved one of her hands up to Evie's neck, and started tickling her there. Evie couldn't refrain from laughing, and she burst out wheezing uncontrollably.

"Ah, no! I should've known you would do that! My, that tickles! Hahahah!" She gave in soon enough, knowing there would be no escape from the sweet little gumdrop Mya was.

Just a few weeks later, Pineshadow had descended into full winter season. However, there was a noticable lack of snow, despite the cold weather; only half an inch had fallen and it had already begun to melt. Evie had performed way better after her mother took back the overbearing pressure that crushed her, and Mya was allowed to visit her nearly every day. Things had rebounded quite well.

With winter break over in a day, Evie prepared to head back to school, packing her backpack and organizing her other school items. Her mother opened the door to her room, looking thoughtful.

"Prepping for school early, eh?" She asked.

"Yeah, I am," Evie responded brightly.

"Maybe you should spend your day practicing your core classes? After all, I think a little refresher would help your cause."

Evie would have usually politely said no. But her mother wasn't exactly wrong. It was good to stay *sharp* and get back on top of things after two weeks.

"Sure, mom." She was given a practice sheet.

However, what turned into one sheet turned into more and more sheets, and by evening, Evie had passed out from boredom and exhaustion. She was tapped awake by her father.

"Huh...?" She wearily questioned.

"Evie, it's time for dinner. Aren't you hungry?"

A worksheet fell of of Evie's head, and she noticed it was blank. *What? How didn't I finish this? I need to finish it!*

"No! I can't fail my mom! Dinner can wait!" She shoved her father out and shut the door, grabbing her pencil and immediately getting back to work. Failure was *not* an option now.

Shortly after she finished it, she collapsed onto her desk, falling asleep without eating dinner, a thin line of drool spilling from her mouth and onto her paper.

Evie woke up the next morning to someone prodding her in the neck - her mother. "What..." She mumbled, rubbing her eyes and re-adjusting her glasses.

"Evie, school starts in fifteen minutes! Get dressed and get moving!"

Now halfway awake and startled, Evie reluctantly got herself ready, grabbing her backpack and lunchbox. Just five minutes before class began, she walked to the school entrance, and Mya joined her seconds later.

"Hi Ev!" Mya excitedly greeted, then paused upon seeing her friend's swollen eyes and sluggish pace. "Whoa. You alright? You look like you're trying to carry a boulder on your back."

"I'm *fine*," Evie grumbled, trudging forward. She didn't feel like talking about what happened, not having the energy to.

Evie could feel piercing, beady eyes glaring at her as she entered the hallway and walked to ELA. Some people looked concerned for her, while others had to stop themselves from laughing or pointing at her. Already, the feeling was humiliating.

Not long after entering English, exhaustion suddenly overtook Evie, and she fell face-forward onto her table. Her classmates looked toward her, baffled, confused, and some holding back laughter. Mrs. Ikenna wasn't too thrilled about it.

"Evie!" She barked. "It's *class* time. Stay awake, please." Mya looked at her, worried, and Evie felt so embarrassed she wanted to vomit. This was made worse seconds later.

Daniela burst out wheezing so hard she was ramming her table. "I never *imagined* the day Evie would come to school the way she did! It's so amusing, ha!" Mya glared at her. This was *not* funny at all.

"Daniela! Don't make me send you to Rex for this clownery!" Mrs. Ikenna retorted. Daniela begrudgingly shut up, though slipped a quick smirk directed at Evie.

Throughout the day, things fluctuated between bad and good for Evie. While she managed to stay awake most of the time after English, she still briefly dozed off in certain classes or mumbled gibberish without thinking, much to the frustration or straight-up confusion of her teachers.

Despite this, she was mostly awake now and was walking to her last class: history. Mr. Naecher was a bit far, but he was easy to reach.

"Hey look, it's the *insomni-manic*. Where could she possibly be going?"

Evie facepalmed. Daniela had apparently decided to *not* leave her alone. *Do I really have to beat up a person today?*

"Daniela, I'm only giving you *one chance* to tell me why you're following me. Spill it."

"Pfft, I'm watching you move like a slug to history. Then I can laugh over you being too tired to care about your grades."

Evie moaned, irritated. "Look, *Dumbiela*. Quit wasting your pretty little free time on me, 'cause I'm not playing around with you today. Go pick on a sweaty boy from the football team instead."

Daniela rolled her eyes and smirked like she did earlier in the day. "Nah, Ly. I'd rather stay here and watch your grades drown in the Atlantic."

"We're closer to the *Pacific*, but you do your dumb thoughts," Evie muttered.

"What about your mother? What would she think if your grades fell?"

Evie stomped her foot on the ground, her face turning red. What Daniela had just said struck a nerve - one that shouldn't have been touched. Now, Evie was livid.

"**My family life is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS**!" She snapped, then calmed down, not wanting to give away the fact that her mother was a tiger parent. "I don't know *why* you decided to bully me today, but now that you have, you're gonna *regret* it."

Daniela snorted. "As if!" She scoffed. "You're just a smartie culture vulture trying to puff yourself up to intimidate me. Well, that won't work. You're a coward, Ly. I feel it in you. You're nothing more than a grouch!"

She grabbed Evie by the shirt collar, glaring at her. From the looks of it, she was about to become violent.

"***BET YOU WANNA SEE THIS BACKPACK BOUNCE***!"

"Huh?" Daniela turned to her left, startled by the noise. Then, her eyes widened. Evie watched as Mya *flew* directly at Daniela, hitting her hard with her backpack and sending her flying face-first into a brick post. Daniela yelped in pain, and putting a hand to her nose, she took off.

"I hope *that* will get her to hit the back door." Evie sighed in relief. "Thanks." Mya then happily dragged her to history class.

**A FEW WEEKS LATER**

*There. Xong.* Evie set her pencil down on her desk. She had just finished writing an entire essay in Vietnamese for Opal, and was relieved, having gotten done with her last set of work for the day. Now, she was free to do what she wanted.

She picked up the essay and gave it to her mother in her office. "Mhm. Yes. Excellent," she curtly praised.

"Mom, can I see Mya? I know it's cloudy out, but I don't think it's going to rain."

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear," her mother said. "Mya's parents called me today. Her allergies flared up, so she's staying home to get some sleep."

Evie sighed, disappointed. *Dang it. I wanted to see her again. But I understand.* Then, she remembered *another* person she could speak to, one she recently met.

"Oh, I know who to see! I'm off to Pinelake!" She quickly remarked.

"Evie, wait! Isn't Mya your only-" She was out the door before Opal could finish her sentence.

Evie ran the few blocks as fast as she could to Pinelake Park, glancing up at the overcast sky. She reached the park structures, though couldn't find her friend anywhere.

*Not out today? Hmm. Oh, I know where you're hiding out.*

She then headed into the Piney Woods, which despite looking large on foot, was actually just a small woodland filled with pine trees, pinecones, and needles. But there was also a hidden place within the woods, a small brick cabin which Evie walked up to. It was shaped like a star and had steps leading up to the front door. She ascended up those steps, and knocked gently.

"Hello?" She called. "Anyone home?" A soft breeze filtered through the trees, taking some pine needles up into the air.

Seconds later, the door to the cabin opened, and there, in the doorway, was Evie's other friend. She was pale-skinned, and had a thin, sandy-brown pixie cut with two front tips hanging over her head, and a spikey bob making up the back. While the tips were dyed pink and blue, the bob was silver that gradually transitioned to black. In terms of outfit, she had dark brown-black leggings and boots, and a white long-sleeve shirt with black sleeves and a pink collar. She was also wearing a black necklace with a silvery-white diamond hanging from it.

"Hi, Ev!" The girl happily greeted.

"Winter!" Evie greeted in response. "Can I come in?"

"Of course!"

Evie walked in, remembering her and Mya's first meeting with Winter. After they found her cabin and investigated it, she jumped them and threatened to stab them with her pocket knife. However, it was just an act, and they brought her walls down. Since then, they had helped Winter with her insecurities, trying to cope with her past, and more importantly, the revelation that school bully Daniela was her ex-girlfriend.

"How have you been doing since the whole thing with Daniela?" Evie gently asked, standing next to Winter.

Winter's ice-blue eyes trailed off for a moment, looking as if she wanted to tell her something, but she kept it private. "I'm fine. Just a bit rattled, but overall, I'm doing pretty good. Though, I'm still scared she'll do something to me..."

"Don't worry," Evie whispered, putting her hand on her shoulder. "If you need someone to lean on, you have me, and you have Mya. With us around, Dani is *never* going to get far. You'll always be safe. And you can always visit my parents, or Mya's..." Then she stopped, looking at the cabin floor. Winter probably shouldn't see her family, especially her mother. "Actually, you'd be better off with Mya's parents than mine..."

Winter detected her sadness bringing up her own parents, sitting in her chair next to Evie. "Evie, what's wrong with your parents? You don't seem happy talking about them."

Evie sighed. She'd been meaning to tell Winter about her mother since the incident with Aiden, having developed a stronger friendship and trust with her. She deserved to know, especially since she herself had no family, no mother, no father.

"Win, I've been meaning to tell you something for a little bit now, something that Mya's known for years. It's really personal to me. I just want it off my chest, and another friend I can confide in - and I trust you."

Winter walked right up against her. "Here. Sit down with me." She sat on the floor, and Evie joined her, touching her shoulder with hers. She began to feel more relaxed.

"Okay. What's going on, Ev?" Winter calmly asked. "I'm here for you."

Evie gulped. "M-My mother... She tiger parents me."

Winter looked appalled and confused. "What's tiger parenting? I've never heard of that."

She gave her a quick rundown of what her mother did to her often. "It really pushes me to the breaking point. When I'm not the "Little Miss Perfect" my mother wants me to be, she butchers yet another tear in my heart. I just can't be the person I want to be."

Winter, sympathetic, pulled Evie into a hug with one arm, then brushed her bangs aside with the other. "Oh, Evie... I'm so sorry to hear that. But you *aren't* alone. You have Mya, and now, you have me. Trust me, I *completely* relate to what you're going through... Thinking about *him*." Immediately, Evie knew Winter was alluding to her biological father, who cut her open after she had come out as a lesbian to him. He wanted a straight daughter and was outright homophobic. This spurred Winter to run away from home.

"You can always stop by here whenever you want. I'll always be around," Winter promised. "Hmm..." She got an idea. "Hey, you want to join me on a mission? Something a little fun?"

Evie smiled, liking the idea of something to do with her friend. "Sure! What we doin'?"

"So, I'm positively sure there's been a random stranger who fills up the cabin with stuff for me. After all, magic is nonexistent, and there's nothing crazy going on here, y'know?"

"Mhm."

"Every time I leave for a short period, I come back and my cabin's full of new things." She scratched her head, trying to think of a plan.

A lightbulb went off in Evie's head. "I know! We can have a steakout! Wait for someone to show up, and while we do so, we get some snacks and binge some YouTube! It'll be epic!"

"Excellent idea!" Winter jumped up. "C'mon! I got some crackers, and you have your phone... This is gonna be *epic*!"

The two dashed outside with their items in tow, sitting down by a tall pine tree and a bush. For twenty minutes, the two munched on some saltine crackers while binging funny moments, gaming, and TV show-related videos on YouTube, with plenty of thrills, spills, and giggles to be shared.

Then, they heard a rustling noise. "Keep low!" Evie excitedly whispered, ducking and pushing Winter's head down with her.

A shadow moved toward the cabin, a medium-sized black shape eating up the ground. Then, a person appeared, an older woman who was carrying a box. She went inside Winter's cabin, then five minutes later, re-emerged with the now-empty box. On the front of it, it said "CHARITY" in black Sharpie.

"Whoa! Did you see that?" Winter exclaimed. Evie nodded.

"Well, Winter, your question has been answered. Just a good samaritan lady."

"Pfft, it was so cool! I'm really glad to know someone of a good heart is helping me live a solitary life here. And I'm glad you're here with me."

"I'm glad too." Suddenly, Evie looked at the time on her phone, and she noticed that it was late afternoon. "Oh, I need to go home. But before I go..." She hugged Winter, smiling, and Winter hugged her back, even patting her on her neck. Originally, Winter wasn't fond of hugs and was sensitive to being touched, but thanks to her and Mya, she'd gotten used to them.

Evie then ran back home, opening the door. "Mom! Dad! I'm back!" She announced, but found no one in the living room. *Huh? That's strange.* Then, she heard a raised voice coming from her bedroom, and her heart clouded with dread.

*Oh no... That's my mom. And she sounds like she's arguing with dad again!*

Evie crept toward the bedroom door, putting one ear to it and hiding her phone in her back pocket.

"Well, she shouldn't have run off to hang out with an imaginary friend when she needs to be working to get to the top!" Opal yelled. Evie gasped, shocked that her mother didn't believe Winter was real. *She literally came to our doorstep recently! You should have seen me hanging out with her after school! How much proof do you need?*

"Opal, Evie is not a liar, and you *know* it. I believe Winter is real. Didn't you believe the person who knocked at our door recently was her? Didn't you see another person Evie was hanging out with after school?"

"Please, Andy. She's probably just tripping and referring to the *season*. Besides, who names a child *Winter*?"

"I think it's a pretty name," Evie's father quickly stated. "And I think Winter is kind, passionate, strong, and willing to be a good best friend to Evie. She can have more than one friend."

Opal scoffed. "Mya is her *only* friend, honey. She doesn't need more. They're just a distraction and should be *below* her."

Evie felt her blood boiling; she clenched her fists together, about ready to punch the wall out of anger. *You don't believe I should have other friends. You don't believe Winter is real. You think her name is stupid. You think every fact my father speaks is stupid!*

She couldn't keep it in anymore, and at once, she sharply kicked the door aside, watching as it hit the wall like a thunderclap. Her parents jumped, startled by her presence and the fact she was just eavesdropping on them fighting again. She wasn't in the mood to play around today.

"Are you ***FREAKING KIDDING ME***?" She screamed at her mother, pointing a finger at her. "You're trying to trash-talk my social life once again just so *you* can be happy over me! You meddle just so you can please yourself, and you always throw me under the rug! You *never care* about I feel!" She paused, panting, then continued. "You only think for yourself. That's behavior fitting of a *selfish hypocrite*."

Her mother gasped at her strong language, while her father watched in awe. "She has a point, Opal," he muttered some distance away.

After shaking her head, her mother finally spoke, her identical dark green eyes locking with Evie's. "I don't like your behavior right now, *Evie Ly*. I am your *mother*; I decide who you're friends with and who you *aren't* friends with. What, are you so desperate for friends that you made up an *imaginary one* so you could get attention?"

That struck a nerve. Evie stepped toward her, hate burning inside of her. She was a *wildfire*.

"***WINTER IS REAL***!" She snapped. "I've met her, felt her body against mine, heard her speak... She is a wonderful person and *my best friend*."

"She isn't. You're lying," her mother remarked.

Evie snarled at her. *Oh, so you value foolishness over my honesty?* She grabbed her phone, opened her pictures, and shoved a picture she took that day of her and Winter in her mother's face. Evie was laughing, and so was Winter, who was holding her phone camera.

Opal blushed, realizing that her daughter was being truthful from the get-go. Evie took her phone away from her face, and then she spoke guiltily. "She is real... And she's happy with you... Very well. I'm sorry for causing a fuss about this, Evie. Winter deserves to be your friend too, I guess."

Anderson rolled his eyes. "Come on, Opal. Leave her alone. You've done enough." He dragged his wife out of their room, leaving Evie behind. Evie then dashed into the bathroom and looked in the mirror, seeing her reflection looking back at her - pale skin, dark green eyes, black hair, gray sweater. Yet she could see a shadow, tiger-like in form, hanging behind her, gripping onto her with icy claws.

*Will you ever let me do the stuff I want? Will you ever respect me? No. I just want your shadow to fade completely from me.*

Some time later, Evie walked to Pinelake Park with Mya. To her, it was a laid-back day to chill with her best friend, who she had been looking forward to spending the day with. However, there had been a noticable shift in Mya's behavior, and it was very off-putting to Evie. While Mya was usually cheerful, excited, and comedic, she seemed to be drained, quiet, and unable to remotely look at her friend for a few seconds before turning away with her face red.

She didn't know what was wrong with Mya, but not wanting to make her uncomfortable, she too had remained quiet while they walked. She did slip Mya a few reassuring glances, though.

*I really hope you're doing okay.*

Once they reached Pinelake Park, Evie dashed toward her favorite tree, sitting under it. Mya cautiously joined her, looking rather flustered, and she sat some distance away. She didn't look at Evie, and her eyes looked clouded over.

Evie frowned. Something was wrong with her. "You're sure you okay, Mya? You've been acting all jittery since we got here today." *Not to mention that she seems embarrassed of something or by something.*

"I'm *fine*," Mya retorted irritably. Her leaf-green eyes had lost their shine, and she remained rather sullen and reclusive. She grabbed a stick and lightly drew in the dirt, making Evie increasingly concerned. Her behavior wasn't the Mya she knew.

Trying to lighten up the mood, Evie decided to try bringing up the weather. *Nothing special. Just a thing on TV shows. I just hope this helps her a bit...*

"The weather will begin warming up soon. March is approaching. Then we can chill outside more. We could even go camping!"

"Yeah... I guess," Mya mumbled halfheartedly. She moved even further away from Evie, much to the latter's bewilderment. *Why doesn't she want to talk to me? The Mya I know would never be like this!*

Anxiety churned in Evie belly; the feeling was like butterflies with spiked wings ripping her open. What *wasn't* Mya telling her? Was she sick? Did her parents do anything? Was she being bullied again? Whatever it was, she didn't seem like she wanted to open up about it.

"And what's gotten into you? There is absolutely nothing wrong with me, I swear!" Mya snapped, her cheeks pinkish-red. Her lower lip was quivering.

Evie sighed, giving up. Mya wasn't going to spill her secrets to her. "Okay, okay. Let's move up to the playground step. We can talk more there."

Evie dashed toward the playground step, sitting on it while Mya sluggishly walked up to it and sat some distance away. She buried her head in her knees, and Evie moved closer to her. When she tried to touch Mya on her back, however, she flinched away. "Don't touch me!"

Despite her friend's uneasiness and uncharacteristic attitude, Evie remained determined to find out what was wrong. *Don't worry, My. When there is a will, there is a way, and I'm going to help you through this. No secret will divide us!*

For ten minutes, Evie batted various conversation topics around, but Mya quickly ended them all. Eventually, Evie gave up, and lied that she needed to go home.

But she was confident that she could figure out what was going on. Tomorrow seemed like a good bet.

The next day, Evie dashed to Mya's house, school-ready, as fast as she could. She figured Mya would already be prepared for school, and waited for her so they could walk together. Soon enough, the door opened, and much to Evie's surprise, Mya looked delighted, having a smile on her face.

*Wait a dang minute, she's fine? That's strange. But I'll ask her about what happened later.*

"Ready?" She asked. Blushing, Mya nodded, and they began to head in the direction of school. Mya then slipped Evie a dreamy look, much to her confusion. *I wonder what's she's envisioning in her head.*

Along the way, they held hands, and Evie felt her skin itch with the sensation of goosebumps. Something was exciting her, though she didn't know what. The feeling was new to her, and it was like feathers falling onto her heart.

By the time they reached the entrance of the school, Mya gripped Evie's hand tightly, dragging her in. Evie wondered what had caused her to be a living mood ring recently. *She must have fallen in love with someone.*

*Or something. I don't get caught up in love affairs.*

Hours later, the sun was setting in Pineshadow, and the school day was long gone. Evie sat on a branch in her favorite tree, alongside Mya, who looked ahead calmly. A light breeze took her auburn hair up in the wind. *Dang. She's so pretty in the sunset,* Evie thought.

"I'm surprised today was a good day. We got good grades, we got half of our project done, and Daniela left us alone. It feels... So free," Mya remarked, glancing at her warmly, a glow in her eyes that shined directly on Evie's heart. Then she remembered her promise to herself from earlier.

*I still need to ask her what happened. Now that she's feeling better.*

"Yeah. But aren't you hiding something still? I have a feeling you are."

Startled, Mya's face turned red and became overly panic-striken. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but couldn't get the words out of her mouth. She seemed too stressed, with tension now taking up the space between them. Evie began to regret ruining the peaceful moment, but Mya was keeping something from her and she needed to know *what*.

"Mya? What's wrong with you? Tell me what's going on. You have me confused," Evie lightly demanded. Mya scooted away from her, dismay in her eyes, which had shrunken. More tension filled the air, and it was invading Evie's throat, making it hard for her to breathe.

*Is this what she is feeling right now? Stress? Reluctance? No,* Evie realized then. *She's scared... Scared of me?*

"I am not telling you. You'll hurt me, I know it. The pain will be too much," Mya retorted, looking at the pinkish-gray ground. Evie was baffled by her statement.

*Huh? Is she outta her mind? Why would I hurt her?* She felt the world spinning around her. Mya was on the verge of breaking down. By this point, the tension between them was overwhelming the two. Evie still regretted making her friend's insecurity flare up, but she needed to know what had happened.

*I won't stop digging until I get where you are.*

"And what are you keeping from me, Mya? I know you're hiding something powerful. And this can affect our friendship. Say it. Now. You never keep secrets from me, and this isn't like you," Evie demanded again, this time a little more tough. She cringed at how harsh she sounded, but she was so desperate to learn what Mya's secret was. *I need to know what she's keeping from me! We can't hide from each other! That isn't how a friendship works.*

"Because it's a life changing secret that might scar me until the day I die, Ev! It's not what you think it is. It hurts me to even try admitting it to you. I can't admit the truth like Winter did. It's all too much. I'm burdened," Mya replied, her voice quaking, tears welling in her eyes. Evie was taken aback. She hadn't expected *Mya*, out of all people, to compare herself to Winter, who already lived a far-from-ideal life.

*Scar her until the day she dies? Burdened? That's an exaggeration. Sometimes the truth hurts, but secrets don't kill...*

Evie pondered more, trying to connect the dots and implications Mya was giving her. *I can't admit the truth like Winter did.*

*The truth... What truth? And why is she so explosive? She isn't a stack of dynamite. Explosive about secrets like Winter is...*

Then, it clicked in Evie's head. Every single thing Mya had told her, and even comparing herself to Winter.

*Wait. Winter was afraid about confessing that she was a lesbian...*

Evie knew now what Mya was keeping from her, and her reasons her understandable. She was insecure because she had discovered something personal about herself, something she feared would permanently ruin her friendship with Evie. It was that something, the very same thing, that caused the toxic rift between Winter and the outside world, the rift between her and Daniela. Only one thing.

*Mya's gay.* Evie hadn't in the least expected *this* from Mya. She was very smitten with Benji before he moved, and had the biggest crush on him. She had never seemed to be interested in girls whatsoever. However, people evolved over time, and it was likely Mya was in a phase of self-discovery as of late. *She's trying to figure herself out. And it seems like she has. Yet she doesn't need to hide from me. I only want the soft, sweet, and passionate Mya Elise Heartley I've always known.*

"I know, Mya. I know what you want to tell me. You're acting exactly like Winter when she told us her backstory. You've changed." She was trying to ease Mya into talking, but that didn't seem to work. She remained startled and tense, her face red, with sweat dripping down the sides.

"What? You can't possibly know. You can't read minds!" She was shaking, still. She needed a hand to hold if she wanted to get through this moment, to get her to come out of the shell she was encasing herself in.

Just like she did years before, Evie grabbed Mya's hands and held them, warmth flowing through her veins and making goosebumps appear on her arms. "**Listen** to me. Mya, you should have to never feel like you have to hide anything from me. I'm your closest best friend. You can tell me anything. I'll never judge you for anything, and I'll... I'll always like you the way you are. You are Mya Heartley, you are my best friend, and that won't change."

A moment of silence hung between the two girls, and it felt like ages. Both could only hear each other breathing, and in a sense, hearing Mya more relaxed in her own breathing soothed Evie. *She's coming back down to earth.* She rubbed Mya's hands with her thumbs, then took a deep breath. The question she was about to ask was one of the most important questions in her life. Making her voice as dove-like as possible, and looking Mya directly in her eyes, she asked it.

"Mya, you have feelings for another girl, don't you?"

Mya's lips shook, a tear falling from her eye. She looked toward the sidewalk, trying to find the words, which came to her. "Yes. I do like girls. But I'm not a lesbian. I'm bisexual. Remember Benji?"

Evie nodded. Mya was bisexual, and that was perfectly okay. Her bisexuality was now a part of what made her special, unique, and the pretty girl she was. It was something to be proud of.

"Of course. Mya, you can always tell me anything. Secrets won't kill me. I can handle whatever you got to tell me. Just don't hide things from me ever again, okay?"

"Okay, Ev. I'll tell you anything. But... Can I please not talk about who I'm crushing on?"

"You don't have to tell me that if you don't feel comfortable, My. It's fine by me."

Evie held Mya's hands once more, and together, they watched the last of the sunset transition to a bluish-black night sky. Something shot through Evie, a feeling from earlier that was still foreign. She didn't know *what* it was. She only knew that she got it whenever she thought of Mya or was physically next to her, or moreover, touching her. It was like an ignition to a place Evie had yet to discover.

Never in Evie's life did she believe she would be witnessing a deadly battle between fates.

She was at the end-of-winter party at school, along with Mya, who was dressed in a fancy vest. But having a night out wasn't the point, at least, not anymore.

Evie and Mya had tried preventing Winter from attending the party once it was revealed that Daniela was going as well. With Daniela prone to becoming violent and bent on getting what she wanted, which was making her ex-girlfriend suffer, but Winter didn't care and believed everything would be fine. Now, it was too late to stop time or everything that was unraveling now.

Daniela had ambushed Winter when she wasn't looking, and she had been verbally and physically tormenting her for minutes. While she was savoring every moment, Winter was paralyzed with fear. She was pinned against a wall now, dazed, frozen looking into the eyes of her former flame. She wasn't the confident, strong self she usually was. The more Daniela hurt her, the more Evie and Mya got enraged. They were ready for war.

Much to their horror, they noticed that Winter had lost her pocket knife, and Daniela had it in her hand. The blade was glimmering, and Daniela had a wide grin. She was ready to taste blood in her mouth.

"Sorry not so sorry, you sickening little damsel. ***Goodnight, Winterlyn***!" In a flash, Daniela swung the knife towards Winter's throat, and she gasped.

Evie and Mya both screamed her name at the same time in horror.

"***WINTER***!!!"

Winter jolted, turning her head and raising her shoulder up in an effort to find where the noise was. Suddenly, searing pain hit her shoulder, causing her to let out an ear-piercing scream, and she writhed on the ground. Blood stained her brindled jacket and dripped onto the floor. Daniela cackled, holding the blood-stained knife in her hand. She believed she won.

"Serves you right, Winterlyn. Best of all, everyone gets to watch you bleed out. Fun, isn't it?"

Evie clenched her fists. Daniela was *asking* for someone to wipe that smug look off of her face. *You're not winning. Not with me... And her.* She turned to Mya, who was also livid.

"You have no one, Winter. No one. Your mother is dead. Your father doesn't love you. You wound up with somebody that you used to know, and look where that got you. You have no family left. I have won, ha!"

"Evie, it's time to step in," Mya told her confidently. Her eyes were blazing. "I take Winter. You take the evil witch. And Ev? *Fight with honor*. Now go!"

*Fight with honor. I will, Mya.*

Evie watched as her friend dashed off. Earlier in that night, she was stunned by Mya's *beautiful* look in her party outfit to the point where she started sweating. Her eyes, her softness, her heart of gold - all of it had melted Evie. And she realized that Mya felt something with her, a very something which had built up over the years. Mya's heart had melted for Evie - and she felt the same way. She couldn't deny that she wasn't in love with Mya.

However, now was not the time to ask her friend out. It was time to confront evil head-on.

"Hey *Dumbquist*! You just messed with the wrong person!" Evie leapt over a small wall and onto a cafeteria table, making it rattle and sending food onto the floor. Daniela looked at up her, snarling.

"Touch Winter, and you fight us. Put the knife down, or face me. I am trained in Asian martial arts." To enhance her point, she cracked her knuckles and neck. Despite making herself look as intimidating as possible, Daniela wasn't fazed.

"So what, Ly? I have a *knife*. You're outmatched. You can't beat me!" She mocked, baring her teeth.

*Oh yeah? Two can play at that game.* "Then prove you're not a chicken. *Dani*," Evie retorted. That broke the straw on the camel's back. Enraged, Daniela tried jumping up at Evie, but the latter sharply struck on her on face, making her fall back onto the floor.

"Nope. You gotta be quicker than that!" Evie then leapt down, striking Daniela on her exposed waist. She bounced upward, attempting to charge again, but Evie sidestepped and kicked her on the other side of the waist.

"Give me all you got, Daniela!" Evie challenged. "I can do this all night, but I'm not going down until you're no longer a threat to Pineshadow and Winter!"

"I'm game, Evie. *Always* game," Daniela responded. She grabbed Evie and rammed her against a table, trying to asphyxiate her by squeezing her neck. Evie felt her ears roaring and her heart pounding like falling hailstones. She couldn't afford to lose to Daniela, not for Mya, and for Winter, and her parents. Her mother flashed into her mind.

*I'm not failing my mom!* Getting an idea, she went limp, and Daniela chucked. "Pah! That was *way* too easy." She raised the knife up, about to cut Evie's throat open.

"*Sự ngạc nhiên*!" Evie, using as much as her body weight as she could, slammed into Daniela, causing her to fly back into a brick pillar. Evie was beginning to pant now. Daniela was strong and was easily capable of killing her, should she find an opportunity.

"Of course! You're more intelligent than a border collie," Daniela growled. "Doesn't matter. I'm going to **TEAR YOU DOWN**!" She gripped Evie's gray sweater from behind, spinning her around and punching her on her jaw. Evie stumbled briefly, shaking her head and regaining her senses. Then, she saw Daniela about to barrel into her.

Using all her strength, she leapt into the air, flipping, and Daniela missed. She skidded to a stop, whirling around to find Evie wiping sweat from her forehead. Her dark green eyes were seething with hate, saliva was dripping from her mouth, which was bared in a snarl, and she was shaking.

"*Give up already*!" Daniela spat. "This is *my night*. My *glory*! You aren't stealing this from me!"

"You had your fifteen seconds, *Dumbquist*. But I will fight you until Winter is safe from your wretched soul!" Evie sprung toward Daniela, who dodged, but Evie caught her with one arm, wrapping it around her neck. She threw Daniela into the ground, applying as much pressure as she could to keep her pinned there. She was sweating heavily now, and exhaustion began to linger in her body.

Without warning, she lost her grip, and Daniela kicked her off. She limped backwards, feeling dizzy. Unlike earlier, where she was confident she could go all night, she now realized that Daniela would win no matter what she did.

*I can't keep this up.* Evie stumbled forward, attempting to punch Daniela on the back of the neck, but she missed. Before she could fully regain herself in time, Daniela snuck behind her and slammed her into another cafeteria table, her head smacking metal bars. Evie grimiced in pain, then realized that she couldn't move - Daniela had her pinned with her strong left arm. Trepidation lit her eyes.

*No! Mya and Winter need me!* She squirmed around, but Daniela's pressure was too much. She couldn't get herself free.

Daniela held up the blade of Winter's knife to her throat, putting it precariously close to her skin. Evie was terrified.

This was it. She was about to be cut open in front of an entire crowd, in front of her own parents, in front of the very person she loved the most.

*My mother... She can't see me lose like this!* Evie shut her eyes, preparing for her life to be taken from her in a fell swoop.

"This is what you get for interfering, Ly. Say *cineraria*!" Daniela exclaimed.

"**Touch her with that blade, or get hurt, you ponytailed FREAK**!"

Stunned by the noise, Daniela released her grip on Evie. Evie then turned around, finding a defiant Winter glaring at Daniela, with Mya by her side. Mya had a protective, fierce look on her face. Evie ran up to stand on the other side of Winter.

Together, the three were *unstoppable*.

In a quick blur, Winter berated Daniela and charged at her, sending her flying to the other end of cafeteria. Her revenge was then cut short by the police, who arrested her and dragged her outside. She would now live out a life in juvenile prison for attempted murder.

"It's over. She's gone for good," Evie then said. "Well said, Winter. The final nail is in the coffin."

"Aww... Thanks, man. If it wasn't for this adorable flower crown goddess, I wouldn't have been able to say all that."

*Flower crown goddess?* Evie then knew who Winter was talking about, and it was only one girl with bravery and passion in her heart. Mya. Evie's heart not only swelled with pride, but with love as well. So, so, so much. Not only had she risked her life to rescue Winter, she had helped her avoid running from her past. She had come from being sensitive and prone to snapping to a strong, creative, and energetic goddess ready to save the world.

Evie kept falling for her more and more. Her sweetness was something that pulled her closer. Her warmth was dizzying, yet gentle as the morning dew. Her comedy and quick thinking was a melody in her head. All Evie wanted to do now was to ask Mya out, but she had to wait until after the party.

She then happily watched as Mya's parents adopted Winter, who was now going to be their daughter and Mya's sister. The night had been a disaster, but now, it had been made into bittersweet perfection.

"Evie? Evie?"

Evie turned around, finding her mother calling for her. "Mom!" She yelped, running towards her and giving her a hug. "I'm so glad to see you!"

She then noticed her father, and ran up to hug him too. "Hey, baby!" He patted her on her head.

"You were *amazing* out there, honey," her mother praised. "Fighting against Daniela so *valiantly*. I've taught you so well... I'm so proud of you."

"My little sweetheart, saving the world as she should be. That's my daughter."

Hearing her parents praise her, Evie smiled. She had never felt so loved in her life by her family, so valued. She went home smiling that night.

A few nights later, Evie sat in her favorite tree again, Mya by her side. Evie was itching to ask Mya out. She *wanted* her to be her girlfriend. No boy could ever make her as happy as Mya did, and nobody else could be the bright star that was Mya.

Sighing peacefully, she said, "There's nowhere else I'd rather be right now. This tree belongs to us."

"I couldn't agree more, my friend." *Oh no,* Evie silently corrected in her head. *We're way more than just friends.*

Mya then continued. "Remember how it all began? You nearly hit me with your book below. I thought you had gone nuts. We were just two idiots having fun with each other. And now we're thirteen. Matured a lot. Having misadventures around Pineshadow..."

Evie nodded. They had really grown for the past few years together, on a long-winding path of self-discovery. She couldn't be more thankful for Mya, who had helped her get the courage she needed to stand up to her mother.

Mya looked at her, affection in her eyes, and Evie felt right at home. Her heart was racing. She was *desperate* to make Mya hers.

"We can survive the impossible. Together. And you know what, My? I'm really proud of you for giving out that speech to Winter. If it wasn't for you, Daniela would have gone on a tyrade. And with your help, Winter stopped that. You're an adorable bi dork. And there's something I want to say to you... I'm not sure if you'll like it," Evie then stated. She was ready to ask one of the most fateful questions of her life, and while she feared rejection, those fears faded quickly. She could tell Mya felt the same way about her. She was the girl she had a crush on, and now, Evie could only guess the hundreds of reasons why she was in love with her.

Mya grabbed her hands, pulling her closer to her body and glancing into her dark green eyes. "Go on. You can tell me anything. I understand if you couldn't because of the party," she replied in the most sweet, delicate voice ever.

Evie's anxiety regarding asking Mya out vanished. With her right here, next to her side, she was ready to face the world and move forward with an everlasting love following her everywhere.

*You're the one.*

"Ever since we met up before the party, I realized something only you felt about me. And I realized we both share this. Mya, I know how you truly feel about me. I know it."

She didn't need to speak any more, for Mya let the remainder of what she wanted to say fall out. "I love you." She moved so close to Evie so that their noses were touching, gently grazing each other's skin. Evie had a large grin on her face, and she wanted to bounce in excitement.

"And I'll love you till the day I die. I promise."

Mya shut her eyes, then kissed Evie directly on her lips. Ecstasy shot though Evie's veins. *Nothing* was like the sensation of Mya's lips touching hers. It took her higher, to places she had never been before. She had never felt so *loved* in her life. And she wanted the moment to last *forever*.

Evie then kissed Mya on her own lips, gently brushing her auburn-brown hair aside and tucking it behind her ear. The moment lasted for about a minute, a minute full of passion and pure romance.

The sensation from the first kiss still lingered in Evie, and it was hot, golden ecstasy making her heart pound. She was taking in every moment, every second, and just wanted to keep on going. "Wow... That felt amazing, Mya. You do love me, and I love you. We're not just friends anymore, we're one in the same."

"I'm proud to be your girlfriend. You ready, Ev?" Mya asked, pride lining her marvelous voice.

"Yes. Yes I am," Evie proclaimed. The two then kissed again, the moon making them glow in silver light. It was just them, alone, up here, with the stars and in the welcoming leaves of the tree they were in. Evie had Mya's heart of gold in her hands, and she was *never* going to let go of it.

For an hour that night, Evie kept Mya close to her, hugging her and rubbing her hand with her thumb. She was in a mutual relationship with the perfect, prettiest person ever. The bliss was immense.

Soon enough, Evie returned home, euphoric from the night and stumbling inside, dazed. Her mother was sitting on the sofa. "Well, someone was a night owl tonight," she mumured. "You should go to bed, Evie."

"Mhm-" Suddenly, Evie stopped, glancing at her mother. This was still the same mother who tiger parented her, and had placed high standards on her when she was young. The mantra she had repeated popped into her head.

*Straight path, straight A's, straightforward, straight girl.*

*Straight girl.*

*Straight girl.*

*Straight girl.*

Evie wasn't *straight*. She had just kissed a girl, a girl who she was madly in love with and shared affection with, and a girl she was in a *relationship* with. Her mother didn't want this at all.

Worried, and with her eyes wide, Evie dashed to her room and shut her door, clutching at her heart, which was pounding heavily. She breathed in and out, eventually calming herself down.

After getting changed for the night, Evie looked in her mirror, seeing her reflection. *If I'm not straight, then what am I?* She thought about herself and dwelled on it all night.

She had never been interested in boys from the get-go, finding them gross and unappealing. She had always been more interested in girls, preferring Mya and Winter as friends over any boy. Girls were sweet, charming, comedic, and *attractive*. Evie had fallen for Mya fast after the party incident. Everything about her, her eyes, her spark, her personality... She was everything Evie wanted.

Evie lost hours of sleep, but finally, she came to a conclusion. If she didn't like boys romantically, and if she felt attracted to just girls...

*I'm a lesbian.* She began to dread the day she chose to come out to her mother. What if she was rejected for not following in the footsteps of her culture? What would she be seen as then?

*I don't want to be rejected. No, I can't be. I want to be me.*

The very next day, Evie sat in her room, glancing up at the constellations on her ceiling. It was mid-day, and she was bored, only enjoying her cool bedsheets and the two-week spring break from school.

She heard a knock on her door. "Come in!" She called. The door opened, and there, with a silly look on her face, was Mya.

"*Mya*!" Evie exclaimed. Her girlfriend jumped up onto her bed. "Why yes, it is I! God, I'm so happy to be where I am now with you. Having fallen for you so quickly, and with the whole coming out thing... I just feel so happy you accepted me for who I am."

"And I'm happy you felt the same way about me. You know, I hadn't expected to fall for someone like you, my own best friend... But I'm really glad I did. This is all still new to me, but I'm certain we'll work this out together."

"Of course we will!" Mya excitedly chirped. "We're two peas in a pod. Linked through our love of one another. It's so awesome!"

"Yeah..." Evie then decided to be open with Mya. She trusted her with her life with what she was about to reveal - and only she could know right now. Her parents couldn't know about what she was going to say.

"Mya, I'm a lesbian."

"That's amazing, Ev! I'm really glad to hear that you figured yourself out. Now you're beginning to twin with Winter!" Mya stuck her tongue out, and Evie giggled. "You're so silly." She ruffled the back of her head, feeling her fluffy auburn hair. *So soft and silky...* Mya giggled. "Aww. You're still the prettiest girl I've ever met."

Then Evie stopped, looking away. Coming out to Mya was easy. Of course, she was her girlfriend and would accept her no matter what. But her mother, who was culture-bent at every corner, might reject her.

"Mya... I want to come out to my mom soon enough... But I'm worried about how she's going to react. She's always wanted me to be straight, but-"

"Ssh, don't worry about it," Mya whispered, rubbing Evie's chin with her finger. "You'll feel much better if you don't think about it often. Besides, you have all the time in the world to come out. You decide when you're ready. And you will **never** end up going through what Winter went through. I will always stand by your side, every step of the way. We'll work it out together."

Evie moved closer to Mya so they touched shoulders. She felt an everlasting love drifting of her, one that allowed her to say something special. "Mya, you probably don't realize it... But you've changed my life. I used to be a coward around my own mom, a coward in myself. I used to not believe in me, and I was lonely. However, you came into my life, and there was a garden growing in my mind. One that I'm in *love* with, all thanks to you."

Mya chuckled. "Aww shucks, you're so sweet. Thanks."

"You know, I still want to scream, but at least I have an awesome girlfriend to turn to when I need advice."

Mya blushed hearing her statement, never expecting to appear so wise. Despite this, she was fizzing with excitement, and only wanted to spend more time with her Evie.

"Is this our first date?" She asked.

Evie looked up at her in surprise. "Oh! Uh... Yeah, it can be. So, first date!"

Mya laughed. "Already going quite well! Yep! We're doing just fine, haha!"

She then blushed before picking up Evie's hands, interlocking their fingers and pulling them close to her chest. "Your lips are so sweet to kiss," she flirted, a starstruck look on her face.

Evie moved right up against her girlfriend so they touched noses. Her skin tingled, and her heart ached for more affection. "Yours are sweeter," she whispered. She then moved in to kiss her, almost touching her lips.

Without warning, the door opened. "Evie! I got something to tell you!" Evie, panicking, fell over.

*Her mother* was in the doorway. Quickly, she got back up, and yelped, "Mom!"

Opal looked at her in confusion, baffled by her behavior. "You seem rather jumpy... But anyways, I got you two some frozen yogurt to eat while you have fun."

Relieved, Evie took a small cup of birthday cake frozen yogurt from her mother, while Mya took chocolate, vanilla, and cake batter covered in sprinkles. "Thanks, mom." Opal shut the door and walked away.

Her heart was still racing, and her eyes had mild terror. "Ev, it's okay," Mya reassured her, rubbing her shoulder and moving up to her neck. "She didn't see you about to kiss me. You're alright. Relax."

Evie sighed, finally bringing her guard down. She held her cup of frozen yogurt in her lap. "I was just really scared she saw me for a moment."

"Don't worry about it. We're alone now. Alone *together*." Mya took a bite out of her frozen yogurt, cream, white, and brown staining her lips. Then, she lifted Evie's bedsheets and crawled under them like a hermit crab.

"Pfft, what are you doing?" Evie had a foreign look on her face.

"Modern problems require modern solutions. So, in order to avoid your parents seeing us, I have created this makeshift "Girlfriend Den" that we can chill in. Come on in! It's nice, and toasty..."

Evie laughed. "Okay, okay! I'm coming, hang on." She gently scooted under her bedsheets with her girlfriend, pressing her body right against hers and hugging her briefly. "You're a genius." She then scooted back, expanding the "Girlfriend Den" so they had more room.

"This space is so weird... And so cozy. I love it."

"So do I," Mya mumbled, swallowing more frozen yogurt. "Do you want a bite?" She waved up her spoon, which had chocolate and cake batter on it, so enticingly Evie began to drool.

She nodded eagerly, almost falling forward and on the verge of laughing. Mya jokingly rolled her eyes and held out her spoon, and Evie took a bite. *My god. Hers is so good.*

"You want mine?" She asked Mya, now holding up her spoon enticingly. In a flash, Mya bit down on her spoon, birthday cake frozen yogurt now covering her lips.

"You know, I never thought that our lips could be even sweeter than ever..."

Evie snorted. Her lips were already sweet before, but the frozen yogurt on Mya's added an extra degree of flare... Flare she *wanted* to feel. She moved right up against Mya, brushing her hair back and giving her a big kiss on the lips. She was right. Her lips were *extremely* sweet with the frozen yogurt. It was a vanilla, chocolate, and cake batter heaven, one that gave her so much euphoric bliss that she couldn't let go of for thirty seconds.

"Best first date ever," she quietly whispered. She and Mya then snuggled together under the covers for many more hours, and not once did they leave each other's mind, nor were they discovered.

Ever since her first date, Evie could *never* get Mya out of her head. She always thought about her, wanting to be right next to her flowery, adorable self and not caring about the real world. She had been hardly paying attention to anything at all and had little to no concentration, ignoring her parents' attempts to talk to her and slurring her words. Her parents were alarmed by her quick shift in behavior, but unlike her reserved father, her mother was beginning to get peeved about it. Evie had been underperforming in what her mother asked her to do, and she was getting fed up.

Evie sat in her father's favorite armchair, an essay hanging on a clipboard in her lap. She was supposed to be halfway done by now, but she had only written one sentence. She was clearly in la la land, fixiated on nothing straight ahead and having a spaced-out look in her eyes. And her mother's patience had worn thin.

"*Evie*!" She snapped. "What do you think you are *supposed* to be doing right now?"

Now out of her daydreamy state, Evie looked up at her, re-adjusting her glasses. "Oh, uh, writing the essay you said I should write. Working on it right now!"

Opal shook her head in frustration. "Honey, you've only written one sentence. You've been daydreaming since then. That isn't cutting it. Worst of all, you've been like this for *two days*! What's caused you to *not* act like the daughter I raised?" She questioned in a heightened voice. Nearby, Anderson watched in concern.

"Opal..." He gently chided.

Evie groaned, annoyed. "Mom, it's none of your business. Let me work."

"**Evie Ly**! You're clearly *not* telling me something that I should *know*. Quit *hiding* and tell me what's going on," her mother demanded, and Evie got up. That sounded like a *threat*. Her father wasn't amused one bit.

"Opal, drop it," he warned. "She's fine." Opal ignored him.

Shaking, Evie dropped her clipboard and slowly backed up from the armchair, feeling small with her mother's tigery presence. "T-There's someone r-really special on my mind as of late," she admitted, shaking. "And t-they just won't leave it!"

"Oh come on, who could you have-" Opal's eyes lit in understanding, and her eyes became slitted. "Mmm, yes, I get it. Evie, you're daydreaming about Mya, aren't you?" Evie didn't respond, too nervous to speak. Her heart quickened in pace.

Taking her silence as a yes, Opal went on. "Evie! I get it. Mya is your best friend. But it's so *improper* for her to be on your mind all the time! If she keeps serving as a distraction to your *perfectly straight* life, then I will **cut her out** of the picture."

Horrified, Evie backed up further. She couldn't *afford* to lose her girlfriend. The consequences would be above *devastating* on her emotionally. She had to argue with her mother no matter what.

"Mom, **don't**!" She pleaded. "Don't hurt Mya. It's not her fault that I can't *help myself* thinking about her! She's just so wonderful, so kind, so amazing... You know she helps me and makes me happy!"

"Opal, stop it," Anderson roughly called again. He went ignored for a second time.

"*Evie Ly*, you are *straightforward*, *straight A's*, on a *straight path*. Everything about *you* should be *straight* and *perfect*. Your social life is negative to what you should be, and it rightfully belongs below you - as does Mya. Your *priority* is your schoolwork and success, the only things that *matter*!"

She then moved closer to her own daughter, standing just a few yards away. "I didn't raise you to be a *daydreamer* constantly having her best friend clog her mind. Evie, you're too overdependent on Mya. Why do you need her so much? Why is she so important? Why do you constantly daydream about her-"

Every question, every word her mother had said swam around in Evie's head. They tore at her, ripped her mind open like bleeding scars. She felt choked by an invisible hand, one that applied so much pressure that she finally broke, not able to keep it in anymore.

"***BECAUSE I LOVE HER***!"

Too late, Evie realized what she had done and gasped, placing her hands over her mouth. Her parents were looking at her, stunned expressions on their faces.

She had just admitted that she was gay and was in love with Mya.

Her father placed a hand on his head, trying to comprehend what had just happened, while her mother became *livid*, her green eyes burning.

"Evie Ly, you are in ***SO MUCH TROUBLE***!" She roared, stepping closer to her daughter threateningly. Evie backed up even more, feeling her heart beating intensely. She was scared for her *life*.

"I-I-I'm s-so sorry! I really am! I-I didn't mean t-to reveal that! P-please! I'm *sorry*!"

"Evie, "sorry" isn't going to to *fix the very fact* you've just gone against your entire culture *and* bloodline! You're a **stain** in a line of the perfect family tree. You are *straight*! Mya should only be a friend, nothing more, and you shouldn't be mooning over her like she's a goddess either!"

Evie thought she was going to vomit her insides out; her stomach was twisted in knots, her lungs were dry, and she felt like she was falling into an empty pit.

"Mom, please! I said I was *sorry*! Please don't reject me... I don't want to be like Winter!"

"It doesn't *matter*!" Her mother spat. "You're an entire *disgrace* to this family and your ancestors. I *will* cut Mya out of *your life* if you keep treating her like a queen, and before you utter one *stupid complaint* out of your mouth, young lady, I am *your mother*."

"Opal!" Anderson growled. "You've gone far enough-"

"*This isn't your fight*, Andy." With her husband quieted out of fear, Opal then focused her aggression back on her daughter, but Evie countered as she was about to speak.

"I **love** Mya. I will **always** love her, and you will **NEVER** change that!" She snarled. "She's silly, she's smart, she's bright, she's creative, and beneath her heart is a powerful young girl who will do so much to right every wrong in this world. Her *bravery* is unmatched. She is my savior and my lifeline, and she will ***ALWAYS*** come through for me when I need her the most!"

Fury was scorching Evie like a wildfire. But her mother was only more upset.

"Mya is *dragging you down*. She's bad on you, and it shows with this "new" you I'm seeing." Opal stepped closer to Evie, almost up to her face. "She's ruining your perfection, your education, and your *future*! And it's so *disgusting*!" Evie gasped, now completely backed up against the living room wall and finding nowhere left to run.

She was so terrified of her mother, so terrified of what could happen to her. Her mind was a hurricane, and she was drowning in pressure. Each time she tried to stay afloat, a cruel riptide pulled her away. The world was spinning, and things were getting blurry. Her heart was beating so hard she thought it was going to explode. Evie clutched at her chest, panting heavily, each breath of air feeling like being cut open.

Still, she had to fight to protect Mya.

"You... You cannot take Mya away from me," she rasped, somewhat confidently. "She's my girlfriend. I love her... And I'll always protect her. You know what? She's better than you-"

Suddenly, Opal hit Evie on the side of her face hard, and she wailed in pain. Her cheek stung, and it hurt to clutch. Evie was shaking, shielding herself from her mother.

One of her worst nightmares had just come true.

Opal had tried to use *physical violence* to get her own daughter to listen to her. She was even regretting it too, looking away guiltily.

"**OPAL**!" Her father barked. "I cannot believe you right now! Evie is *your daughter*. Yes, we didn't expect her to end up with another girl. But you need to accept her for **who she is** instead of making her feel like she **just committed a crime**!"

"Andy, she's-"

"**Just because she is your daughter gives you no right to belittle her and control her**! Opal, she's **scared of you**! You're **scaring** her, can't you see that? And if you scare her, you're going to drive her **away from you**. You're supposed to be a mother. Not a tiger."

Evie couldn't stand it anymore. She was breathing rapidly, and her heart was *pounding* so hard her chest hurt. It was like an electric shock each time she breathed. With everything so dizzying around her, she ran back to her room and away from her arguing parents, slamming her door so hard the doorway rattled.

Evie then sunk down to the ground, unable to stand up for a brief moment, gasping for air desperately. However, her throat was so dry at this point that it was refusing to take in air. She just couldn't; the pain was way too much.

Even in her sweater, she began to feel insanely cold. She struggled up to her feet, grabbing her doorknob and almost tripping over herself. Her vision was so blurry that it felt like she was blind. She fumbled around, feeling her drawer and holding onto it. She finally focused and looked into her mirror, seeing her own face. But then, a shadow emerged from behind her. It was her own shadow, and to her, it was reflecting two different images of her. Then, out of nowhere, the shadow molded into a gigantic tiger that overtook her in size. Raising one huge paw up, it clawed at her eyes.

Evie screamed in horror, her entire body colder than a glacier. She jumped into her bedsheets, burying herself in them and shutting her eyes, crying out in desperation. "Make it stop!" She pleaded. "Just make it stop! Take me anywhere but here!"

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a blank, black void that seemed to stretch on for miles. "Hello? Where am I?" She questioned out loud, her voice echoing. She found herself glowing in a faint, silvery light.

No one replied to her. She walked forward, not hearing any footsteps. "Is anyone there?" She called out.

Then, she heard voices whispering to her, and her jaw fell. It was her *mother*.

"You need to study harder."

"You can do better than a B."

"*Study harder*!"

"You need to have higher standards."

"You need to be perfect."

"Mya's a distraction."

"Being a lesbian will only trip you up."

"You won't be a good leader."

Evie sunk to her knees, covering her head and ears to try to block out her mother's voice. It was so overwhelming, and this void was infinite. Her crushing pressure would follow her everywhere. She noticed a red line tied around her foot that stretched back into the shadows of the void. She tried to get it off of her foot, tugging on it and yanking, but it didn't budge.

Suddenly, she heard a roar so loud her ears popped, and she bounced upward. A bright orange tiger, massive in size and having rippling black stripes, was hunting her down. It unsheathed its claws, and its eyes were glowing a menacing pink. Evie screamed and took off running; the tiger was in fast pursuit. She was panting heavily, feeling her heart weaken the more she kept on.

"Leave me alone!" She yelped. "I don't want to live in this nightmare anymore! Let me go!" She kept on running, and running, and running, and running... But she couldn't go on forever.

Eventually, Evie tripped due to exhaustion and fell onto the black ground. The tiger chasing her stepped on her body, squishing her as if she was no more than a bug. Claws dug into her skin, and she saw red marks on herself. *No! I'm going to bleed out here... Alone... With no one...*

The tiger roared, then abruptly stopped. Evie's heart had stopped beating. She found it difficult to breathe. The tiger got close to her face, then spoke like a human - in her *mother's voice*.

"You never made me proud! You were always a failure!" She snapped. Tears rolled from Evie's eyes.

"No! Mom, please! I've always wanted to make you proud!"

In a flash, the voice had changed again, this time to a younger girl in a soft voice. Evie's jaw dropped in sheer horror when she realized who it was.

The tiger was now *Mya*.

"You know, Ev... Maybe we shouldn't be together if your mother always intervenes in our relationship."

Evie screamed to the sky. "**STOP IT**! Stop it, stop it, stop it! Make it all **stop**!" She cried out. The tiger was shaking her body with one paw rapidly, whispering her name.

"Evie! Evie!"

Breathing rapidly, Evie opened her eyes, finding her father looking into her eyes. She was still clutching her chest and twitching from the nightmare. She was crying as well.

"Evie, it's okay. I'm here. I got you." Her father gently scooped her up in her arms, rocking her back and forth and rubbing her back. "Breathe to ten, honey. You're fine. You're okay. Ssh..."

Evie then relaxed in his arms, finally managing to breathe more slowly. Once she got to ten, Anderson gently helped her sit upright, brushing aside her hair and placing one hand on her shoulder. "You're okay, baby," he murmured softly. "You're in the present. No one's going to hurt you."

"Are you sure, dad?"

"Yes, baby. I'm sure. Do you need anything?"

Evie thought for a moment. She felt lonely, and only wanted comfort from her father. Besides Mya, she loved him dearly, having always been a daddy's girl. "Please just stay with me. I need you right now."

"Okay, Evie." He hugged her tighter. "I'm here. I'm always going to be here."

Evie felt even more relaxed now, looking up at her father with worry still clouding her eyes. "I... I didn't mean to come out like that, I'm really sorry. Then I just panicked and I fell into this nightmare, and I don't know what-"

"Ev, honey," Anderson whispered. "You're okay. Just take it slowly. Can you tell me what you saw in your nightmare?"

"Mhm." She proceded to lightly explain her terrifying nightmare, how she had been strugging to breathe and run away from the tiger who had been clawing at her in the mirror and void.

"Alright. From the looks of it, you had a really bad panic attack that your mother induced on you. They can be really scary sometimes. But they aren't dangerous, and usually, they don't last that long. You're out of yours now."

Evie gaped upon hearing her mother being mentioned. "M-Mom! She... She rejected me..."

"Ssh, baby. That isn't true," Anderson said, hugging Evie and gently moving her onto his lap. "Opal got too carried away in her mantra. She... Might need time to get used to you being into girls. However, she would *never* reject you, and neither would I. You're my daughter, and regardless of what you'll do, I will *always* love you."

"But... She hit me..."

"She should have *never* struck you," her father growled, looking away. "I won't lie. I hated how she treated you. That isn't how a mother shows "love" to her daughter. Opal regrets hitting you, and she wants to apologize and talk to you."

Evie shook her head, gripping Anderson tighter. "I don't want to speak to her... I'm... Too scared..."

Anderson nodded, understanding in his eyes. "It's alright, honey. You don't have to talk to her right away. Both of you need time to recover from this."

"I want Mya, dad. I want Mya to hug me, and kiss me, and tell me it's all gonna be okay."

"Hmm... Do you want me to tell her parents that she has to go to Pinelake tomorrow? You two can meet there and talk."

Evie, for the first time since the confrontation, smiled. "I'd love that, dad."

"Okay. I'll do it. And hey, have you figured out what your sexuality is yet?" Evie's eyes widened in surprise. "You don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable. It can always wait."

She held his hands, and nodded, indicating that she felt ready to directly come out to him. "I'm a lesbian."

"That's wonderful to hear, honey. I'm glad you're figuring yourself out. You're my perfect little daughter."

Evie frowned when she heard Anderson say "perfect." Her mother didn't believe that, especially after tonight. She turned away, scooting towards the middle section of her bed. "Mom doesn't think I'm perfect. If I were just a normal girl, I would probably be happier than I am now."

"That will never change the fact that you're my perfect daughter." Anderson kissed Evie on her forehead, getting up. "I'm going to talk with Opal again. Love you, darling." He opened her door and closed it gently. She tried to believe his claims that she was the daughter he wanted, but she only felt lost, doubt pricking her. It never left her that night.

Evie threw her face into her bedsheets and blankets, wrapping herself in them, a silent tear falling from her eye.

*I just want to be a normal girl.*

Two days later, Evie sat alone under her favorite tree at Pinelake Park, loneliness and despair creeping through her like a fever. She stared blankly ahead at the Piney Woods, feeling trapped in an invisible box she couldn't break free from.

*I just want this to be over. But I still need someone to be here for me, because now, I have practically nobody. Maybe this wouldn't have happened if I was just a normal girl. Then I could escape my culture.*

She heard footsteps skipping toward her, and she slowly turned, finding Mya happily approaching. "Hi Ev!" She greeted, a wide smile on her face. Then the look faded when she noticed how downtrodden her girlfriend was. "Oh my goodness! Evie! What's wrong? You look so sad..."

"I'm fine, Mya. Nothing happened," she lied. She didn't want her to know about what happened, not only because of the tiger in her nightmare suggesting they could be torn apart because of Opal's meddling, but because what happened last night was all too much and made her want to throw up.

To prove her point, she moved away from her, resting her head on her knees.

"Ev, you don't have to hide from me," Mya reassured, her gentle gaze trying to bore into Evie. "Come on, now. You know I don't bite!"

Her humor failed to lighten things up, and Evie remained silent, her eyes glazed over. Inside, she could hear her mother's voice hammering her brain.

*You're straight. You're straight. You're straight.*

Tension arose in her body, and the butterflies in her stomach began to stab her again. Her muscles froze, and the trees and park structures began to blur. Evie realized she was about to have another panic attack, and gasped, falling into Mya.

"*Ev*!" Mya gasped, catching her girlfriend in her arms. Evie blushed, immediately looking up into her panicked eyes, her mouth hung open in stupor. Mya held her, gently rubbing her. "Just breathe. In and out. You're alright. You're with me."

Evie obliged, breathing to ten and feeling less stiff and stressed than she was before, soon completely relaxing altogether. Mya then carefully helped her sit beside her; she took her hands, cradling them in her lap and rubbing them softly.

"Do you want to tell me about what happened?" She asked.

"I-I do. But I don't know if you'll like what I have to tell you."

"Don't worry. I'm going to always listen to you," Mya reassured. She gripped her hands tighter. "Go slowly, Ev."

"Okay," Evie nodded, moving closer to Mya. She felt cozy with her under her favorite tree, the place where they met and kissed. It made her feel stronger.

At once, she explained what happened two nights ago to Mya, who looked on with a shocked expression on her face. When she heard that her mother violently hit her, that expression changed to pure hate and fury.

"***WHAT***? That *rat*! Using violence to try to control you? The next time she sees me, I'm breaking a whole ton of dishes over her **head**."

She then calmed herself, seeing that Evie had more to say.

"After she struck me... I was so horrified, and breathing hard, and I ran to my room. By this point, I could hardly breathe. There was so much pain... So much terror... I descended into a nightmare, and I-I..."

Mya rubbed her hands, then picked them up and kissed each one lightly, making Evie's skin tingle. "Go on," she whispered, her voice very dove-like. "It's okay."

"I saw this monstrous tiger in my-my nightmare... It shifted into your v-voice... And it s-said we shouldn't be together because of my m-mother! I didn't want to tell you because... I thought you would reject me!" Suddenly, Evie burst out crying, not being able to keep her emotions in anymore. "I don't want to hide and be a person I'm not supposed to be! I hate having a tiger parent! I hate having the path I don't want in life! I hate not having a mother who loves me!"

"No, Ev!" Mya pleaded. "I would *never* do that! I love you, and I always will. No matter what Opal does, I will never let us *lose* each other because of her."

"But My, my mother threatened that she'd *cut you out*! You don't *know* what she might do! And I don't want her to hurt you, or me, or dad... I just feel like a coward for not being able to fix anything and I hate myself for it!"

"Evie! That isn't true. Your mother knows she can't fight with me," Mya countered. "You're not a coward. You're the bravest, bestest butt-kicking girlfriend I've met. Nothing can change that, not even some stupid tiger parent. I promise."

Evie ignored Mya, too distraught to hear her comfort. Her emotions had been bottled up for years, and now, they just came out like a rushing river. They couldn't be kept in anymore.

"You don't understand!" She cried. "People would like me better if I was just normal. If I was normal, none of this would have happened! I would have had a mother who actually liked me, I wouldn't be pressured, I wouldn't have a culture that burns me! I just want it to **be that way**! Can't you see I should just be a *normal*-"

"***I don't want you to be normal***!" Mya choked out, tears welling in her eyes - she had been moved deeply by Evie's confessions.

Evie struggled to look Mya in her eyes. She thought she was mad at her, gripping her arm nervously. "Y-You don't w-want me to be n-normal?"

"Evie, **look at me**!" Mya snapped. She grabbed her by the sweater collar and pulled her up to her face, so much so that they were touching noses. Evie felt herself tingling. The sensation was electric. Mya then continued on, now that she had her girlfriend looking at her directly.

"Being *normal* is the equivalent of being *boring*. If you're boring, who are you as a person? Nothing. I'm telling you *that*. I *love* you because you're smart, you're unique, you're fun, you're strong, you're determined, you're an excellent fighter, you're protective, and inside of your tough heart is a soft, delicate soul who appreciates me and loves me for who I am. You're not just my girlfriend too, Ev - I *idolize* you as well. You're my idol. There are so many things I could name that I *just* love about you, but you are far from normal - you're *special*."

Evie blushed, hearing Mya name out her traits. There was a lot about her. But how could she be happy with her culture constantly serving as a blow to her?

"But, my culture... It just drags me down. How can I be proud of myself for being unique in that way if I'm just hard stopped at every corner?"

Mya pressed her nose against Evie's side, rubbing her face and wrapping her arms around her shoulders. "You're more unique than others because of your Vietnamese blood. You can be proud of yourself in that way because of your bloodline being vast and far from average. And yes, I do know your mother likes to abuse her culture in order to try molding you into the person she wants you to be. But put that aside... You already have a lot to have pride in, Evie."

Her words tasted like nectar on Evie's tongue, and they hung there. Slowly, she realized Mya was right. For years, she had been telling her that she shouldn't just be a normal girl, but she doubted herself because of her mother. She didn't think her culture was something to be proud of, mostly because of her mother using it to justify the emotional torment and pressure she had been through. But she *was* special, in her own ways that Mya had pointed out - and seeing her girlfriend put the light she needed in her eyes only made Evie want to fly.

"Do you really think that about me?" She questioned in no more than a light whisper.

"Of course," Mya replied back. With their noses still touching, she tugged Evie closer to her own body. Then, she kissed her on the lips, brushing her hair back. Evie returned the favor and held onto her as they kissed and locked for about thirty seconds. Mya bit down on Evie's lip gently, then pulled away, giggling.

"I love you," Evie quietly said.

"I love you too," Mya responded. She then laid on Evie's shoulder, and Evie felt her worries vanish. Mya was right.

She didn't *need* to be normal when she was already perfect the way she was.

A few weeks later, Evie stood outside the door to her house, anxiety welling in her stomach. It was evening, and she had a big task ahead of her - telling her parents what she got into today.

"You're going to be okay, Ev. I promise," Mya soothed her, placing her hand on her shoulder. "You got this."

"Mya, I don't know how my parents are going to react when I tell them. I... I don't want to be-"

"Rejected. I know. They're going to be shocked, but you're still alive, and I'm alive, and *that* matters the most right now. You're going to be fine. Trust me."

"You sure?" Evie inquired.

Mya nodded. "And if I hear trouble, don't worry. I'll be in there in a blink of the eye."

Relieved, Evie swallowed down her fears. "Okay. I'm going in."

The events from the day flashed through Evie's head like a heavy rainstorm. After Mya had accompanied Winter while the latter was meeting with her girlfriend, Amira, in secret, Mya had went home before them and never came back. When she broke the news to Evie, she became too bent on saving Mya to care about what she was doing. She fell for an easy trap in Winter's old cabin, and had been forced into playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette with a stranger against her will, not only to save Mya, but Winter as well. In the end, Evie nearly paid for her selfishness with her life - but with some major faking out, she had just barely managed to escape, along with her girlfriend and best friend.

Now, her parents needed to know what happened.

Sighing, she opened the door to her house, noticing her parents turn toward her.

"Evie!" Her mother called. "You ran off, and we were worried... Where were you for the past few hours?"

"Is Mya okay? How is she doing?" Her father inquired.

"Mya's fine," Evie coolly responded. "She was rescued. She's not injured. She's still the Mya I love."

Anderson sighed in relief, while Opal looked on, a blank look on her face.

"I've... Mostly been in the P-Piney Woods today. In Winter's old c-cabin." Evie's voice felt uneven, even more so knowing that she was about to admit that she was nearly killed by a stranger.

"Evie, are you feeling okay?" Her father asked. Opal looked worried.

"Not necessarily. There's something I need to tell you..." She trailed off. Revealing she nearly *died* playing *Russian roulette* to her mother was risky. She probably wouldn't react well to it.

"Are you alright, honey?" Asked her mother.

"Mom, dad... I've made one of the worst mistakes I've *ever* made. And that mistake almost cost me my life."

Appalled, her parents moved toward her, concern in her father's eyes, and a more stern look in her mother's.

"Evie, I don't like where this is going," she said in a warning tone.

"Baby, what did you get yourself into?" Her father questioned.

Evie felt like breaking down again. Her parents were going to be upset with her for nearly getting herself killed. She was a fool, letting herself be blinded by the desire to rescue Mya. She was almost *shot in the head*, a singe mark to prove it. There was a slim chance she wouldn't be forgiven at all for the roulette game.

*Please. Don't hurt me for what I'm about to tell you. I have to be clean.*

Swallowing down every fear, every nightmare, every possible scenario that would come from her honesty, Evie admitted the truth.

"I played Russian roulette to save Mya's life."

Opal merely scoffed. "Oh, please, Evie. Don't exaggerate like that. You, playing *Russian roulette*? Sit down and breathe."

Evie stepped toward her, frustrated. She *wasn't* going to just sit down. *Do you freaking think I'm a liar?* "***I'm not LYING***!" She spat. "Do you honestly think I would **lie** to you, mom? I *did* play Russian roulette!"

To prove her point, she ducked down, revealing a black singe mark on her hair where the final bullet just barely missed her head. Her parents gasped, seeing that her confession was true - she was almost shot - and she came *extremely* close to dying.

Opal clenched her fists together, her teeth bared and lips twitching. Evie began to get scared. Sure enough, her mother was about to rage on her *again*.

"Opal. *Don't*," Anderson warned. Instead, he was quieted by his wife's seething gaze. Then, she turned to Evie.

"***ARE YOU CRAZY***???" She screamed, and Evie jumped, her ears throbbing. "My daughter, so calm and a resourceful thinker, being so *brain-dead* she nearly ***GETS HERSELF KILLED***?"

Evie shrieked, backing up and falling back onto her sofa. Her mother thought she was *brain-dead* for being foolish.

"Mom! I'm sorry! I know I was a fool and I regret every second of it all! But Mya is alive. I saved my *girlfriend* and gave repentence by showing that I was willing to *sacrifice* myself for her. And Winter could have *died too*! If I didn't play, I would have lost two people who *freaking care about me*!"

Opal didn't buy it, hot anger and disappointment simmering inside her. Evie knew she had a right to be that way for what she did - she was her mother, and hearing her daughter almost get killed was bound to make her protective and stern. However, her being ungrateful for her selflessness in the end, and not caring about the fact Mya and her adopted sister were alive, was beginning to tick her off.

"I saved Mya and Winter's lives! Doesn't that matter to you?" Her mother ignored her question, focusing her eyes *intently* on her daughter.

"Evie Ly! You nearly got yourself killed! You played with a gun! I cannot express my disappointment in you. And you were so careless! I, for one, did not raise you to act like that." Her chiding only made Evie feel worse, yet more determined to defend herself. What didn't her mother understand about what she went through?

"Mom, I had to play Russian roulette! Mya and Winter would have died! I was forced to do it against my will!"

"She's honestly right, Opal. You shouldn't be-" Opal glared at her husband for a second time, and he glanced down, pensive. Evie related to her father so much. *You want to feel valued and apart of something. But you're just held back by a tiger.*

"You, young lady, are grounded for two weeks! I hope this will teach you to not stumble around looking for trouble!"

Evie sighed, looking away from her mother, downtrodden and hiding her frustration. She would *never* be able to understand her, or how important Mya and Winter were to her. *They're my family and friend. I couldn't let them die.* If she lost her girlfriend and best friend that day, the damage would be *irreversible*. If she lost the two she loved, Evie would only feel more lost in the dark than ever.

Thinking of the two inspired her to keep speaking out. *I'm not letting you take me down without a fight, mom.*

"Mom... I know you acted tough around me when I came out to you as a lesbian... But you accepted my relationship with Mya. You push me to the highest standards as a tiger parent, and I always satisfy you! I push myself to the brink to please you! And now you're grounding me **for saving those I love**? I don't get what's gotten into you!"

"Evie, don't make me-"

Suddenly, a loud *bang* sounded in room, making every person in the household jump. The door was wide open, slammed against the wall, and a figure stood determined in the doorway. Evie prepared for the absolute worst to happen, but she stopped. That girl could only be *one* girl.

In the doorway was none other than *Mya Heartley*, and she looked ready to start a war. She must have overheard Opal and came in to protect her girlfriend. *Yes! Mya!*

"***Just what do you think you're doing punishing her***?"

"Mya, I can explain..."

"I don't need an explanation. I pay a visit to my girlfriend, and here you are punishing her for nearly sacrificing herself **for me**. She wanted to rescue me by any means possible. And you're doing this?"

Opal was becoming at a loss of words. Mya was dealing blows to her left and right like a champion. Evie couldn't help but admire her heroism. *She's come such a long way. And here she is being so... So amazing. When I need her most, she's here for me.*

"Young lady, you're aware that I have-"

"Yeah, *Opal*. I heard you're a tiger parent. But what you're doing - is seriously wrong. She sacrificed herself for me! You should honor Evie for doing something so risky. I can't believe how pathetic this display is!" Mya retorted, crossing her arms and standing her ground firmly. Opal backed up. She was going to lose this fight for certain.

"Mya... I..."

Mya was having no more of her protests and claims. Shaking her head, she responded smoothly, and made it rather clear how she felt in that very moment.

"*You look so dumb right now.*"

Hearing that, Opal put a hand to her mouth, her lip quivering. She looked uncertain and embarrassed.

*Whoa.*

Slipping a quick wink to Mya, then shaking his head at his wife, Anderson pushed Opal into the hallway and into their bedroom, leaving Evie and Mya alone together in the living room.

Evie was amazed. *She went above and beyond...* "Mya! You didn't have to do that..." She mentioned awkwardly. *Shoot! That probably came out wrong. I appreciated her help.*

"Outside. Now. With me." She motioned for her to follow her outside to the porch.

Evie gulped. What did Mya want? She hadn't hinted at anything before the confrontation, and now she had something to say? Fear wormed in her belly as she followed Mya, sitting down with her.

"So... What is it?" She asked nervously, more anxiety building in her. She hoped it wasn't about to be rejection for the roulette game or trying to say she didn't need so much help with her mother.

"I've decided to handle you myself. Your parents were doing it wrong."

Evie's heart dropped. *What? No, no no, please do not...* Panic flared in her. Mya was apparently mad at her for something, and had decided to punish her herself. She felt sick. *No... I haven't failed her, have I?*

"My! You don't need to. I'll take the blame for getting myself in the place I got in, and for nearly dying. But I did it for you! I would do anything for you! Please, I'm sorry for being an idiot, I'm sorry for-" She stammered, her voice cracking, before being cut off.

Mya then pulled Evie up to her face by the cheeks, biting down on her lip. Not being able to resist a kiss, and with her heart melting quickly once again, Evie returned the favor and kissed Mya. The two made out for about fifteen seconds blissfully.

She then looked at Mya in surprise, mixed feelings in her.

"That's your punishment. You get my love."

*Of course!* Evie should've known. Mya always had a creative way of showing her girlfriend that she loved her and cared for her.

"I was never mad. You were just blinded by the desire to save me. You may have been selfish, but hey, you saved me by playing roulette. We're way more mature than others our age."

Her words warmed Evie's heart, and she felt warmth radiating off Mya. So much warmth that it was like a soft glow of a nightlight. She laid her head on her shoulder.

"You're right about that, Mya. Thank you." Mya warmly smiled back, and Evie felt like she was in heaven, just seeing her so happy.

"You're the best," she whispered softly, looking at her dreamily.

Mya laughed. "You're the best too, Ev. Oh, hey, by the way... If you ever want someone to talk to... You can always come to my parents. They love you, and I'm sure they'd love to see you again sometime."

Evie grinned. "I'll keep that in consideration." She then kissed Mya on her cheek, feeling her everlasting glow. She just wanted to hold her precious self in her arms, cradle her fluffy auburn-brown hair, feel her honey-sweet lips against hers. So much about Mya made Evie feel a certain way.

*Oh, Mya... Sometimes you make me feel like I'm the only girl in the world.*

Some time after that evening, Evie stood with her parents and an unexpected guest in her house - her other best friend, Amira Fleckenshire.

She plucked a piece of glass from her hair, handing it to her father, who threw it in a trash bin. "Okay. I don't think there's any more in your hair, Amira. Do you feel alright?"

"I'm still shook, but I'm feeling okay," she replied. Evie pressed her shoulder to hers. Amira was Winter's girlfriend, but she had a deadly secret she was forced to hide - her aunt, Shetani, had abused her, treating her no better than a slave. She was manipulated and tortured at every corner, and all of this had come to a breaking point the previous night. Shetani had hired a hitman to dispose of Amira, and she and Winter were brutally attacked at Pinelake Park. Amira was struck with a beer bottle and had been bruised, scarred, and covered in blood, either from her own wounds, Winter's wounds, or her attacker's cuts.

Just this morning, she and Winter had showed up to Evie's doorstep, battered. Amira knew she couldn't live with Shetani anymore knowing she wanted her for dead. So she had asked Evie's parents for hospitality, and they had accepted quickly, happy to take her in. Even Opal couldn't say no with the context this time around.

She was looking around at all the plants, frames, and antiques on the shelves and walls. From what Evie could tell, she was already enjoying her house.

"Do you want to see my room, Ami?" She asked.

"Mhm!" Amira nodded eagerly. She followed Evie, and when she entered, she was awestruck. "Wow! Your room is so pretty, Ev. It's so *nice*!" She noticed the plants on her window. "Awe, I love these. They're so pretty." Then she dashed up to her wooden bookshelf, which was stuffed with books, novels and non-fiction alike. "Whoa. You have a *ton* of books. You must really enjoy reading."

"I do," Evie admitted. "But my mom forced me to read most of the books on my bookshelf. She thought I *needed* to. The *Fighters* books were the only ones I was allowed to read on my own. Also, I was allowed to pick the plants too. They felt really cool to me, y'know."

Amira looked baffled, unaware that Evie's mother was a tiger parent, but she chose not to question it further, instead focusing on Evie's bedframe. It had a lotus on it with a five-pointed star engraved around it. "Dang, that's cool. Is there any meaning behind it?" She questioned.

Evie sighed, sitting down on her bed. "My mom wanted to give me the "most Vietnamese bed ever," and by that, she meant putting the Vietnamese national flower and the star from the flag on it. I'll give her credit, she did good. But I've always wanted *my room* to be the way *I've* wanted it to be. Which is why you see some things you find pretty. Like those guys." She guided Amira to a set of paper birds hanging above her door by pink and orange beads. Her walls were painted baby blue, and she had posters on her wall, some of her own art that she drew, and some inspiring words, including one that said "Raise your glass if you think you're wrong in every right way." She also had posters describing her favorite fauna and *Fighters* characters. Her ceiling was dotted with constellations, including the big and little dipper.

"Your room is the prettiest I've ever seen," Amira remarked. "I've never had a proper room. My parents didn't bother to decorate it, and when she was over, my grandma didn't too. Even though I asked them. They just swatted me away or told me no. When Shetani became my guardian, she gutted it even more barren, and only kept a small purple heart on my door. Guess she was nice enough to know purple was my favorite color."

Evie put her hand on Amira's shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that, Ami."

"Don't be. My life's always sucked. Be lucky you've lived the life you've wanted."

"Actually, Amira... My life *isn't* the way I want it to be," Evie confessed, much to Amira's surprise; her thin brown eyes wide, and she prepared to tell her more. Then, her stomach growled. She hadn't eaten breakfast yet, and she hoped her parents had made something. "Oh! We should eat breakfast. I'll tell you about my life later."

"Oh my god, please. I want to eat some real food so bad. Shetani has been half-starving me for *months*." Hearing that made Evie wince. *Shetani is the worst for making her suffer like that.*

When she got up off her bed, she still noticed Amira was covered in blood and dirt. "Actually, before you eat, you should take a bath. You're still caked in dirt and blood from the attack last night, and I think it'll help you relax - and get ya squeaky clean."

"Oh!" Amira looked down at herself, noticing how battered she still was from last night. "Yeah, you're *definitely* right about that. Mind if I borrow some of your clothes?"

Evie went into her closet, digging out one of her night outfits, a purple shirt with black shorts, tossing them in Amira's direction, and she easily caught them. "Thank you!"

"Go knock yourself out bathing. Put your stuff by the door so mom sees it, and then, she'll wash your clothes. They'll be good as new in no time!"

"M'kay!" Amira responded, running off. Evie collapsed back onto her bed, momentarily forgetting about breakfast and instead drifting off to her plan, which she discussed with Amira, Mya, and Winter earlier in the day. She, Mya, and Winter were to sneak into Shetani's office at school and gather enough information to expose her to Pineshadow as a cruel, abusive, she-devil so Amira and the school could be safe from her wrath. It was risky, but Amira's life was worth fighting for. Evie liked her, and she was going to make sure Shetani was away from her for the rest of her life no matter the circumstances.

Suddenly, Evie heard a small meow, and a sleek, black shape jumped up onto her bed. *Holly!*

Holly was Evie's cat, and her family had owned her since she was a kitten. While her mother didn't want a cat at first, Evie and her father convinced her to adopt Holly, and since then, she had grown to become a true member of the Ly family. She wore a brown collar with her nametag on it.

"Holly!" Evie called, snapping her fingers. With a playful *mrrr*, she padded towards her, purring and laying down in her lap. Her green eyes were shut peacefully.

*Aww. What a baby.* Evie scratched Holly on her ears before moving down to her neck and eventually her back. Holly wasn't human, but she made Evie happy, and having an animal comforted her when she was down on most days. She continued to gently stroke Holly for around ten minutes.

"Evie! Breakfast is ready!"

Evie then remembered that she should eat. "Sorry, Holly. But it's time to go nap in your bed." She picked up Holly, who let out a surprised *merp*, and she placed her in her bed below. "*Đang tới*, mom!"

She bounded out of her room and into the hallway. At the same time, Amira joined her, her short brown hair damp from her bath. She was now wearing Evie's night outfit, and was clean compared to earlier. "You look *so much better now*!" She exclaimed, walking with Amira to the kitchen. "Your bath must have been fun."

"Dang right it was. It was so peaceful... Yo, what's on the breakfast menu? I really want to eat a pancake. They're so good, but my parents hardly ever made them for me..."

"I'm not sure if my mother made pancakes. She's gonna have to get used to you being here first, so I'm not sure if she-" Evie paused, seeing something different in the kitchen.

Instead of the typical Vietnamese breakfast items her mother made, she was eating an egg-and-ham sandwich. Much to Amira's delight, her *father* just placed a stack of of warm, chocolate chip pancakes onto the table.

"You girls han-hungry?"

"*Yes*!" Both declared at the same time. Amira looked so giddy, and Evie was finally relieved she didn't have to taste some weird Vietnamese breakfast food for once. *Dad to the rescue! Amira's gonna love it here. I hope.*

Hours swung by like minutes, and in that time, Evie and Amira truly began to bond with one another. They had bunched together on the couch, watching some television, Evie took some selfies with Amira, and when the latter passed out on the couch after watching YouTube for an hour, she rested on Evie's shoulder. Evie had thought it was really cute.

Now, it was evening, and the last of the sunset was fading away to night. After eating, Evie and Amira had returned to Evie's room, where they would spend the rest of the night together.

Evie and Amira sat on the bed, touching shoulders. Amira looked thoughtful. "So... About earlier. Wasn't there something you wanted to tell me?" She inquired.

Her friend nodded, remembering what she wanted to say. She re-adjusted her glasses, then grabbed Amira's hands. "Okay. What I'm going to tell you is really personal. *Don't* bring up what I told you around my mom, alright?"

"Of course."

Evie sighed deeply. *Here we go again.* She then explained what she had to say.

"My mother isn't as nice as you think she is. You might know, but I'm Vietnamese-American. My mother has Vietnamese blood, and she has a lot of beliefs due to her retaining a lot of Vietnamese culture. She-She's a tiger parent."

Amira's mouth fell open, and she gripped Evie's hands tighter.

"Tiger parents are strict parents who demand the *most* out of their children, mostly in education. They want you to perform well in life, and that's what my mother wants for me. However, she forces me to overstudy and constantly pressures me to be perfect. I *have* to be "Little Miss Perfect" to her, or I'm just set to be a failure."

Amira gasped. "Holy..."

"Sometimes, I have no control over my decisions. My mother often picks things for me - what I do, when I get to spend time with my friends, my path in life, and so on. I'm put at high standards that I struggle to reach. It's *crushing*. She wants me to be perfect - and in order to "be" that - I have to be straight A's, straightforward, and a s-straight girl."

Amira gasped again, this time louder. "*Straight girl*?"

"Sssh!" Evie quickly quieted her. "I don't want mom to get wind of this." She then continued on. "When I came out as a lesbian to my mother... She nearly ended up rejecting me. Not just that, but she's threatened to cut Mya out of my life multiple times because she believes she's inferior. All of this, this control, this sickening pressure... Sometimes I'm pushed into having a panic attack because of all of it."

Amira's brown eyes were lit with concern, and she rubbed Evie's hands. "Your mother changed her mind, right?"

"She mostly has, but she still finds it hard to accept that I'm a lesbian sometimes. Mom loves me, yet, she doesn't quite show affection the way I wish she would show it."

"I'm really sorry to hear that," Amira murmured. She hugged Evie tightly, then let go, flopping down on her bed and glancing up at the constellations on the ceiling.

*I wonder how bad her parents were,* Evie thought. She didn't know much about Amira's parents, only that they were very neglectful to her and left her with Shetani while going on a business trip.

"How bad were your parents, Ami?" Evie asked. "I mean, if you're comfortable talking about them."

Amira looked up at her, understanding. "Don't worry about it. It's fine." She grabbed one of her hands again before speaking.

"When I was younger, my parents geniunely loved me and cared for me. However, as I grew older, they grew distant from me. They didn't talk much, and they didn't seem to love me that much either. No matter how hard I tried to start up a conversation, I always got shot down, ignored, or got one to two words only. Those words were flat and meaningless. Mom and dad only talked to each other, and meanwhile, I was just an object in the house they hardly seemed to notice."

Evie felt bad for Amira. Her parents' silence and lack of affection deeply affected her.

"One night, I was walking to my bedroom, and I overheard my mother talking to my father. I heard her say that "she didn't want me this early" - then my father said that "we weren't even supposed to have Amira in the first place." That night, I didn't come out of my room and just cried myself to sleep. My parents didn't *want* me."

Evie moved closer to her, ruffling her bangs. "I know what that feels like. It's one of the worst feelings in the world." All she wanted to do was protect her now. She was a precious, innocent child who deserved people that loved her.

Amira then looked back up at the ceiling. "My parents also don't understand how much interacting with the world means to me. I got into grade school, but they abruptly pulled me out in third grade and never told me why. Since then, I was homeschooled by my dad. His praise for when I did things correctly was meaningless. He seemed hollow inside, and so was mom. The friends I was beginning to make in grade school never saw me again."

"Yeesh," Evie remarked. "We're on the same page when it comes to having at least one horrible parent in our lives. At least I have mixed blood. That's part of what makes me unique."

"Agree. Y'know, I have Puerto Rican blood through my father," Amira commented. "And I have some partial Korean blood through my mother and grandma. That explains why my eyes are comparatively thin." She yawned. "I enjoy having such a diverse heritage. I just wish my parents and the rest of my family would share it and love it with me."

Amira then glanced up at Evie. "What about your father? You've hardly talked about him."

Evie's eyes brightened. "Oh, my dad. He's awesome, and he has always loved me. Growing up, I've been a daddy's girl. He helps me when it comes to mom, he's a real light, and he pulls me out of panic attacks. He's protective of me, and I love that. But sometimes, he's just really ditsy and distracted and gets himself into some tough stuff. Or he just hits the table or trips up his words. Sometimes, he comes out of the office looking really tired, and it's funny..."

"Oh, your father is the *Coraline* dad?"

Without warning, Evie *laughed* loudly, collapsing onto her pillow, unable to hold it in. She *knew* the popular Coraline dad meme, and seeing her father being compared to it had just made her day. Amira was laughing at her own joke too. She loved *Coraline*.

"No you didn't!" Evie exclaimed. "You just did it, did ya?"

Amira snorted, and chuckled alongside her friend for a few minutes as they poked small jokes at each other.

Finally, the two settled down, nestled close to each other. Evie grabbed Amira's wrist. "What about Shetani? Anything you want to tell me about her?"

Amira shuddered upon hearing her aunt's name. "Shetani hates me. She just loved to torture me whenever she could, and she took pleasure in my misery. When I didn't make her food she considered "acceptable," she'd starve me and always wave something around at my face. When I didn't clean well enough, she'd use the dog collar around my neck to choke me. When I insisted on water, she deprived me of it and drank it all up in front of me. One time, she even tried to *drown* me for working too fast."

"She tried to *drown you*?"

"Y-Yes, she did. The more time went on, the more she stopped me from fighting back. If I resisted her control, she'd punch me, hit me, and beat me up until I cried. She'd throw me in the basement and whip me until I had welts. One time, when I told her not to be homophobic, she chained me to the basement wall and left me there for hours... I was so horrified."

Evie picked up her hands and rubbed them with her fingers. "Ugh! She is the absolute *worst*. I just want her to rot in hell."

"She better go there," Amira muttered. "I just want her gone. Even in my dreams, I can't escape her. Sometimes, I wake up in a dark place, and she reaches out to grab me. She tries to suffocate me with the collar, and she kicks me, calling me a dog... I haven't had a good dream in years."

*Poor baby! I'm going to protect you, Amira. The entire world needs to learn to treat you better.* "You're gonna be okay, Ami. You're in a safer place now. Dreams are going to be sweeter."

"You really think so?"

"Mhm."

In that moment, Opal came in. "Girls, time for bed!" She warmly glanced at Amira. "Goodnight, Amira. Have some sweet dreams tonight, baby." She then quietly shut the door.

Evie yawned, setting down her glasses on her nightstand and turning off the lamp. "G'night, Ami. Sleep well." She shut her eyes, letting sleep come to her quickly.

Hours later, a sharp pain woke her up. "Gah..." She groaned. She tried to see in the night without her glasses, and she noticed that it was 1AM on her clock. The pain didn't hit her again. *Just my imagination playing tricks on me.* She shut her eyes again, trying to lull herself back to sleep.

Then, the pain kicked her again, harder than before, and she blinked awake. This time, she knew it wasn't her imagination. It was like she was being *kicked*. Her sheets next to her were moving, and to her shock, she noticed that it was *Amira* who was kicking her.

She flicked on her light, grabbing her glasses and putting them on. Her vision focused, and she found Amira thrashing around next to her.

She was having a bad nightmare - a *really* bad one.

She placed one hand on her neck, caressing it gently. "Ssh. Ami. You're alright. No one is going to hurt you. Go back to sleep." She grabbed a nearby blanket and wrapped it around Amira, then scratched the back of her head lightly. Amira relaxed, and soon, she was back asleep.

With her taken care of, Evie flipped off her light, too tired to take off her glasses. Two hours later, she woke up, feeling pain on her face. She flicked on her light. *What this time?*

Amira had just accidentally hit her on the face. She was having *another* nightmare.

Her mouth was twisted in a grimice, as if she was being dealt pain that Evie couldn't see. She gripped her pillow, then clawed at it. Evie picked her up and hugged her tightly. "Amira, you're okay," she whispered. "Shetani isn't here. She isn't going to hurt you. You can go back to sleep."

That seemed to soothe Amira briefly, and she settled down, her heart rate slowing. However, she began to twitch, and her heart rate picked up. She mumbled something Evie couldn't seem to figure out, but she repeated herself slightly louder.

"W-Win-t-er... W-Win-t-er..."

*She misses Winter!* Evie felt for her. Winter couldn't see her that much due to their midnight meetings being cut short by Shetani. She was the first person that ever loved Amira, and Amira needed her in her life. She couldn't have that now.

Evie didn't know how to soothe her. She *wasn't* Winter. How could she soothe Amira if the only person she wanted right now was her girlfriend?

Then, she got an idea. *I'm not Winter... But I can try to be like her. Maybe that way, Amira will be comforted, and she'll fall back asleep... What would Winter do?* Amira was still calling out for her, her eyes shut and her hands reaching out to grab something nonexistent.

Evie rubbed the back of her neck, feeling her short brown hair. *Wait. I know what Winter would have done.* Brushing her hair aside, she softly kissed Amira on the back of her neck.

Suddenly, Amira jolted awake. "Did you... Did you just *kiss me*?" She asked in disbelief, shock in her thin brown eyes.

Evie blushed, and looked away, embarrassed. "I- I'm sorry. I just thought Winter would have done that if you were having a nightmare, and it was really bad, and I didn't know how else to comfort you..."

Amira laughed. "Oh, Ev, it's alright! You don't have to be *Winter*. All I want right now is for someone to soothe me, and comfort me, and love me... And you're perfect the way you are. Thanks for being here for me. My nightmares tonight were *very* bad." She whispered the events to Evie, who was startled.

Evie smiled, some of her embarrassment fading away. Amira was right. She should have just been herself. Now more relieved, she then wrapped her arms around Amira. "I'm not letting you go, Ami. I promise. I'm always going to be here for you." Soon enough, sleep quickly overcame the two, and they peacefully dreamt the night away.

*I can't believe we're actually doing this.*

That was one of Evie's few thoughts as she sat in Shetani's office in school, alongside Mya and Winter. Her plan was dangerous, but it was working. Now, they were gathering information on Shetani, keen to bust her as a cruel, sadistic human being to Pineshadow.

She flipped open a folder of notes, dumping out papers with numerous ominious statements written all over them in scarlet ink.

All of them were horrifying, mostly detailing Shetani's displeasure of her niece, Amira, her suspicions about others and Winter, and her distaste of children. Then, one note struck Evie in the heart, and she gasped in shock, pressing against Shetani's desk.

*Skelly has informed me that his friend captured three girls and hid them in a cabin. He played some Russian roulette with them... He supposedly won. Good.*

The roulette game immediately returned to her mind. Evie felt her throat tightening, recalling her foolishness, anxiety, Mya's petrified face, and the shot that almost took her life. That, and the fact that she now *knew* Shetani was behind *that* and her attempt to get Amira killed as well, was sickening.

She felt like she couldn't breathe.

"She... She wanted to kill of all us..." She stuttered, feeling unusually cold, even though she was wearing her woolly brown jacket.

"It's okay, Evie. You're alive. You lived through that. Come on, we got to keep reading!" Mya rubbed her cheek with her shoulder, soothing her. Honey then filled Evie's mouth, a sweet taste only Mya could give her.

*She's right. I lived. We have to keep on going.*

Minutes later, all three girls decided that they had enough evidence. Evie jumped up, more determined than ever.

"Now we just need to get testemony from Amira and a video confession that she hired a hitman, and then we're good." Evie sighed. All she wanted now was to get out of this wretched place.

Suddenly, Vice Principal Bluelund dashed up to them from her post at the doorframe. "Shetani is coming back! Quickly, hide the files and sit back down!"

Evie's eyes widened in shock, and Mya jumped upward like a bullet. "Bluelund! Stall her!" She screamed.

Evie quickly grabbed the folder full of notes, cramming papers back inside left and right and sticking it back into Shetani's desk. Then, the door slammed open, and the noise was so loud that she, Mya, and Winter all jumped together.

"***WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS***??? Of course. I should've known. All three of you children nosing through my things like the pathetic beings you are. You have broken every single rule in this school!"

Evie froze in fear, too horrified to speak. Her heart was throbbing, and she backed down.

*No... Tell me this isn't happening!* She didn't want to be in the devil's room anymore.

Mya and Winter protectively guarded her; the adopted sisters were defiant and had their teeth bared.

"And maybe we did for all the right reasons! I mean, isn't it blatantly obvious that you're the living definition of hell? Because we know who you truly are - a monster. And we know what you've been doing to us. Every single thing," Mya told Shetani.

"Not to mention your treatment of your own niece!" Winter growled, one fist clenched. She was *ready* to land a blow on the very person who had abused her girlfriend for months.

On the other hand, Evie remained pensive. She didn't want to fight. She wanted to run, turn tail, do anything to get away from all this.

Then, guilt began to stab her.

Shetani then screamed so loud that Mya covered her ears. The girls, along with a defeated Vice Principal Bluelund, backed out of the office. Shetani slammed the door shut violently, then went to the school phone. Evie's heart was pounding now. More guilt stacked on top of her like Tetrix blocks.

They stood out in the hallway, waiting for impending trouble. Mya pressed her body against Evie's.

"Was this part of your plan, Ev?"

Evie turned to her. Her heart was *tearing* itself apart in her chest. Her dark green eyes were clouded with trepidation, and an overwhelming amount of it.

"No... It wasn't!" Her body felt so hollow and so, so terribly cold.

The announcement speaker blared, and Evie's nightmare only got worse.

"Students of Pineshadow! I have decided a punishment for the three gays - *expulsion*! Those revolting girls have decided to browse through my information... And your co-leader Bluelund let them! They are not coming back! You will never see those *traitors* among you ever again..."

All three girls gasped in shock, while Vice Principal Bluelund simply stood there in shocked silence. Evie's head was spinning, the hurricane inside of her only growing more intense the more she was at the school grounds.

Guilt filled up her lungs and nostrils. She was *drowning* in it - and she realized why.

*Because of my plan, I'm now expelled. Mya is expelled. Winter is expelled. And... And we're traitors! Why did I go through with this? Why? I'm a fool...*

The three dashed out of the school building, and Bluelund followed them. They ran to the front entrance. Winter pulled Mya into a tight hug, and while Bluelund sat down on a bench to quietly mope, Evie sat on the concrete ground, covering her eyes and trying to hold back from crying. She wasn't happy with herself at all - not only was she just the very reason why they were here now...

She was a *traitor*. To Mya, Winter, and Bluelund.

*My girlfriend is expelled.*

*My friend is expelled.*

*My VICE PRINCIPAL is expelled.*

*And I'm the only person to blame.*

"Evie..." Mya began to speak, offering her hand. Instead, Evie swatted it away, too upset to care, and she got up herself.

"No! This is my fault. I shouldn't have gone in with a crazy plan like that. My parents are going to kill me, and so are your parents. We're all expelled now - *I got my own vice principal expelled*. That's enough to ground me for a century!"

Mya, surprised by her remarks, backed up, and Winter placed her hands on Mya as she spoke again.

"Ev, don't beat yourself up over this. Sure, your plan didn't work - but it also worked at the same time! We have plenty of evidence to bust Shetani now, besides what we still want to collect. And I won't let your parents ground you. Not even if my sleeves are stained red," she reassured, optimism in her leaf-green eyes.

Still, Evie looked at her, empty inside.

"Same, my friend," Winter added. "You were very brave doing this, and you were being you. This was risky, but hey, we paid it off in the end. We got information! Your parents can try grounding you, but we won't let them."

It was like she had just been shot in the head.

*My parents.*

*MY MOTHER.*

Evie's heart was pounding so incredibly fast she thought it was going to explode and coat her insides in blood. She hadn't even considered how her *own* parents would react to the news of their expulsion. Her mother drifted into her mind. She didn't know what had just happened, and now, dread was draining the life out of her body.

Her mother would be so mad the ground would cave in from under her. Her mother was going to rage so hard she was going to break an object, hit Evie again, unleash the tiger in her nightmares that haunted her just to tell her that she disobeyed the image of being the perfect daughter.

She would be *rejected*.

*Just like the traitor I am.*

Her father would hate her too. And Mya's parents.

*They'd take Mya away from me, and so would my mother.*

Everything was spinning around Evie. It was only just mere seconds after Mya spoke, and it felt like an hour.

Every thought swam around Evie's mind, holding her down, choking her, hitting her, scarring her until she finally snapped.

"***No***!" She spat, finally letting herself cry. "I've failed all of you! I'm just a stupid idiot who can't lead! My plan was dumb from the start. And now... I am a traitor!"

She couldn't be here anymore. Pain was searing her. Evie took off running, not hearing Mya call out to her. She ran hard, hammering grass and asphalt with her boots.

Evie kept running. *I'm just an idiot! A traitor! And I was so freaking sorely mistaken for thinking I was ever good at leading!*

After ten minutes, she clutched a street sign, panting. The neighborhood around her was so blurry it was like she was in a cruel mist. Her heart hurt from beating so hard. Her head hurt. She was freezing to death.

Evie coughed, trying to breathe. Gulping in air was so difficult, and she was so dizzy she collapsed onto the lawn in front of her. She clutched at her heart.

She knew that she needed to go home. But Evie was reluctant. Her parents needed to know what happened, but how could she tell? The chances of her mother rejecting her, leaving her, disowning her for the expulsion fiasco were too high.

And she couldn't face the ever-growing horror in her, the ever-growing fear her mother would turn into a roaring tiger in front of her.

She cried again. *I have no one to turn to. Do I just run away from home at this point and live my life as a complete failure?*

Evie thought of Mya, her girlfriend. She had bolted away from her, and she regretted it. She wanted her to pick her up in the arms, drown her in her affection, longing to hear a sweet voice tell her that she was okay.

However, something else lingered in her mind, a certain few words Mya told her the day of the roulette game.

*You can always come to my parents.*

Evie realized the truth to those words. *I know. There's the chance they'll yell at me for being an idiot. But of course, I should know! The Heartleys take in anyone. They're kind, they're sympathetic...*

*I just want someone to turn to. Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Heartley, please help me!*

With new strength, Evie ran to Malamute Drive as fast as she could, soon spotting a lawn with every single color of the rainbow. In a sense, Mya's garden was soothing.

Evie raised a fist up to knock on their door, reluctantly getting closer until she just hit it three times. She swallowed down all her fear and anxiety, but still trembled.

It was now or never.

The door opened, revealing Mya's mother, Nita. "Hello- *Evie*! My goodness, sweetie, are you okay?" She was alarmed by Evie, noticing that she was a shaking mess.

Mya's father, Patrick, then appeared from around the corner. "Marigold, what's she doing here? Shouldn't she be at school?"

Evie winced. She wanted to speak, but the words inside of her didn't come out.

*I can't verbalize when my mouth's so... Dry. Dry in fear.*

She merely squeaked, a tear rolling down her eye.

"Something definitely happened at school today to get her at our doorstep. Something *horrible* to get her this way..." Nita told her husband.

"You don't think that Shetani did anything to her?"

Hearing Shetani's name made Evie clutch at her heart, shaking.

"Ev, baby, it's alright," Mya's mother told her, gently rubbing her bangs aside. "You need to rest. You've been through a lot." She helped her over to the sofa, laying her down and wrapping her in a blanket.

"You're gonna be okay, Evie," Patrick added. "If you need anything, call for us. Come on, Nita. Let's give her some space."

Once they left the room, Evie buried her face into one of the sofa cushions, still freezing. Tears just continued to fall from her face as she moped, feeling more hopeless than she ever did in her life.

*I'm just an utter disaster.*

*Why can't I do anything right in my life?*

Half an hour passed. Then, the door opened, and Evie heard Mya and Winter's voices.

"Evie!" Mya exclaimed her name in shock. Evie didn't turn to her and just hid her face in the pillow.

"Evie! It's okay. You did great today. Your plan didn't exactly fail, remember?"

Upon Mya's mention of her plan, she turned to her, eyes blazing with hurt and aggression stemming from her unstable emotions.

"**IT DID FAIL**!" She snapped, shocking Mya. "And it's my fault! If I didn't encourage you guys to be so reckless, we wouldn't become traitors! I'm a freaking **traitor** to the entire school!"

Mya backed up, moving closer to Winter, who had just explained everything to her adopted parents. Evie drowned the dialogue she was hearing out.

*What's the point even listening in? Everyone freaking hates me. I'm just a stupid traitor...*

She turned around again, finding Mya and Winter looking at her.

"What do you want? You all hate me. Everyone does!" She yelled.

Winter kneeled down next to her, her ice-blue eyes locking with her dark green. She softly raised her chin up, brushing aside her hair and putting it behind her ear. Evie blushed.

She hadn't ever been this soft with her before.

"Ev, we aren't mad with you at all. In fact, we're proud. Our parents are going to support us, and they won't let your mother do anything stupid. I promise. We know you don't want to face your mom and your dad - but you're gonna be fine."

Her words were like a squishy cloud, yet Evie remained doubtful.

"She **won't**, Winter. Mom is going to hurt me. She already stresses me out by pushing me to high standards, and you saw how she reacted recently, Mya! I don't want to go back home and suffer!"

Winter then backed up, and Mya switched with her, moving so close to Evie so that their noses were toucing. The ecstasy Evie felt when she was this close to her girlfriend shot through her veins again.

"Opal isn't going to keep you confined as long as I live. I love you, Evie. You're the most brilliant and smartest girl ever. There's no way I'm going to let a dumb-dumb tiger parent punish you or push you around."

Evie's entire face was red now. She was blushing so hard, just looking into Mya's eyes, feeling her skin against hers, her sickingly-sweet comfort she willingly accepted... She wanted all of it. And she felt her spirits lifting.

"You... You really would?"

Mya rolled her eyes jokingly; she sat down on the sofa. In the blink of an eye, she raised Evie up and placed her head on her lap. Goosebumps pricked Evie. She hadn't *laid* in her girlfriend's lap before - and now she was looking up at eyes she was *dying* for.

"Of course. Evie, you're a great leader. I'm so proud to be in your space every step of the way."

For the first time in nearly two hours, Evie smiled. She sat up, placing her chin on Mya's shoulder and staring at her affectionately, a dreamy look on her face.

"Thanks, Mya. I'll go home in a few minutes and talk to them. I'm sorry for snapping at you and Winter."

Winter joined her sister, sitting on the other side of Evie and hugging her tightly. "Ssh... Just relax for a few minutes. There's no need to apologize to us."

Evie shut her eyes, feeling right at home. Her concerns about her mother vanished.

*You want me to be perfect? No, I'm not gonna be that girl.*

Even if she prepared to spy on Shetani from her doorstep, that didn't matter to Evie quite yet.

*I'm going to be who I want to be. What doesn't kill me will only make me stronger - and I'll stand a little more taller than you, mom.*

After a few minutes, Evie grabbed her backpack, kissed Mya on her cheek, and hugged Winter again. With a grateful glance at the Heartley parents, Evie ran out the door and in the direction of home.

Five minutes later, she was at her own doorstep. It was nerve-wracking to be here when the school day wasn't even fully over yet.

*Well. Here we go. Do or die.*

Evie cracked open the door to her house, gently creeping forward. "Hello?"

"*Evie*?" A voice questioned in surprise. Her father. "You're... Home?"

"Anderson, what are you-" Evie froze, seeing her mother walk in, holding a mug of tea. Opal's jaw fell upon seeing her daughter standing in the doorway, and she put her mug down on a table. Then, she approached her, disapproval and disbelief in her eyes.

"*Young lady*, you have **ten seconds** to explain why you aren't at **school**!" She snarled, suspicion in her green eyes. Meanwhile, Anderson was straight-up baffled.

Evie remained silent, struggling to explain.

"*Evie Ly*. There *better* be a reason as to why you're missing hours of education-"

"**Move**!" A voice barked. Opal obliged, stunned, and so did Anderson.

In the hallway entrance was the one and only Amira Fleckenshire.

"Ev!" She exclaimed, jumping into her and wrapping her in a hug. "You're alright!" She glanced up at her, noticing her raw eyes and pink face. She frowned. "Something happened. I know it."

Evie only managed to nod.

"Come on. We'll talk about it in your room." She grabbed Evie's hand, slowly beginning to drag her there.

"Amira, wait!" Opal said, trying to stop her. Amira didn't care, and her plea fell on deaf ears.

When they entered the room, Amira shut the door and pulled Evie onto her bed. She sat down across from her, a searching gaze in her eyes.

"What happened, Evie?" She asked, carressing her shoulder gently. "Your face is raw from crying, so I can tell something happened that hurt you."

Evie gulped, then nervously explained the events of the day to Amira, who was horrified to learn the new information on Shetani and mortified that her girlfriend and best friends got expelled.

"She ***expelled you***? And she was behind the roulette game? That disgusting devil! She deserves hell. *All* of hell," Amira muttered under her breath. "But what she did *doesn't matter*. Evie, your plan went wrong, very wrong. However, don't put yourself down over it! You still got what you were seeking, information on my aunt, and you, Mya, and Winter weren't hurt. Being expelled was a better fate than death."

"Being a good leader doesn't mean I get a vice principal and two people I care about expelled. That's *foolishness*, Ami! I was a fool for letting this happen..."

Amira took her hands and placed them into her lap. "A good leader would put herself in the line of danger to protect her friends. She'd do anything to save them. She'd have the confidence to fight for what's right, despite the chance of others frowning down on you. Backlash doesn't matter when you're putting your life at stake for someone you care about." A spark glimmered in Amira's brown eyes after she said that, and a warm feeling seeped into Evie's body.

Amira was *beyond* grateful for today's events. She didn't care that they went wrong. She didn't care about the expulsion.

What mattered to her was that they had the information on Shetani - and she was proud of Evie for risking her life just to protect her.

"Really?"

"Yep. I have faith in you to stop Shetani. I always will." Amira scooted closer to Evie. "So, what are you going to do next?"

Evie swallowed a lump of anxiety in her throat. What she was about to reveal would be *crazy*.

"We need to get a video recording of Shetani admitting she tried to kill you... And we need to go to her house to get it."

Amira gasped, shocked. "Whoa! That's going far. Are you *sure* you want to go through with this, Evie?"

Evie nodded. "We're doing it so you're free and safe from Shetani for the rest of your life. You never deserved to be enslaved against your will. You never deserved a family that would neglect and abuse you. You deserve *someone* that *loves* you Amira. Since you've been here... I've realized how much you mean to me. You mean a lot of the world to me, Ami. I'm gonna fight to keep you safe, even if I die trying. Because you're special."

Amira blushed, touched by this. "Thank you, Ev. I'm really glad to have a best friend like you." She hugged Evie briefly, then pulled away.

"I have to tell my parents about what happened. Will you stand by my side?"

Amira hugged her again, this time tighter, and Evie hugged her back. "You bet I would. If your mom disagrees... She's gonna deal with me. C'mon!"

Evie chuckled. *She's one heck of a something.* She walked out of her room, Amira trailing behind, and entered the living room, where her parents were waiting. Her mother got up from her sofa, angry, furiously awaiting a response.

"Well, *Evie*?" She questioned with an edge in her voice. "*Why* are you *home*? You should be in school, not *slacking off* on your education."

Evie shook in fear, but swallowed it all down. She wasn't going to be a coward. She wasn't going to run away.

She was going to be a *renegade*.

"I'm home because I did something to help Amira. I broke into *her aunt's office* with Mya and Winter. We got information on Shetani. *Crucial* information. And we're going to bust her as a *devil* to Pineshadow!"

"You've got to be kidding me," her father remarked, stunned.

Meanwhile, Opal become taller. She looked ready to *swing* at Evie, though the latter did not back down.

"***Evie Ly, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DANG MIND***?" Opal screamed. "You were so **stupid**, so **reckless** that it's *incomprehensible* you would even *do this*! You could have gotten *expelled*-"

"**I WAS EXPELLED**!" Evie retorted. "So were Mya and Winter. But it *doesn't freaking matter*, because *we did it* to **protect her life**!" She pointed to Amira, who looked on from the hallway, winking at Evie. "Shetani has to be stopped regardless of the cost. She tried to *kill* Amira!"

Opal stomped closer to her, but Evie didn't flinch. "You know *what*? I'm **tired** of all this stupid foolery, Evie. I'm *done* with you putting your education, your perfection, your *future*, and *yourself* in danger like this! If you keep this *joke* of a game up, you will **never** be the daughter **I** want you to be." She paused before growling, "Your flaws are like eyesores, and god, do they *hurt* to look at. You have to be *perfect*-"

*Flaws are like eyesores.*

In that moment, Evie snapped, anger boiling inside of her.

Her mother was trying to degrade her for being a hero.

But she wasn't going to lie on the cold hard ground.

"***I'M NOT PERFECT***!" She spat, surprising her mother, who backed away from her. "And I **NEVER** will be. I don't need to be perfect to be happy. I make mistakes, but those *mistakes* help me become the person ***I ACTUALLY WANT TO BE***!"

"Evie, honey. Listen to me. You don't-"

"**QUIET**!" Evie retorted. "Because of you, I once believed that I had to be *normal*. Maybe if I was that, you would come to *appreciate* me and *love* me. But a wise person taught me that being normal was boring. I don't have to be plain just to have the life I *want* to have. I'm just going to be me, and *only* me."

She stepped foward to Opal, gazing up into her dark green eyes. "You aren't going to control me and make me what you *want*. I'm going to be *my own person*." Disdain lined her face as she backed up to stand by Amira, who had now joined her side.

She had one last thing to say to her mother.

"And mom. You've *hurt* me more than you realize. Tiger parenting was wrong. If you thought shattering me inside for years was fine, then you need to rethink your meaning of a mother to me... You talk like yourself, but you're somebody else."

Opal gasped, regret beginning to line her eyes. Her daughter had now just officially broken free of her control. Now, she had realized how bad she had torn Evie apart with her parenting, to the point where she had driven her away from her.

However, the conversation was far from over, and Amira stepped up to face Opal. Determination was in every part of her body.

"You know, I expected you to be *better* than my mom, Mrs. Ly. You seemed cool, and loving, and willing to accept anybody for who they are. Yet you're *anything* else but that. You're a control freak who has been *emotionally abusing* her daughter since she was a child. You've crushed her with pressure. You turned her on her head emotionally. Evie *can't* reach what you place on her because the standards are too high."

Opal remained quiet, putting a hand on her mouth as Amira went on.

"And you're *absolutely sick* for not caring about Evie's well-being. You've meddled in her friendships because you don't *value* friendship. Multiple times, you've tried to tear Mya away from Ev and labeled her as *nothing* but a bad influence. The truth should have been clear to you since the day they *met* - Mya belongs with Evie. She loves her, she empowers her, and she's *helped her see* that she needs to be her own person! But no, you always sit on a high horse and treat Mya as if she's nothing more than an object on the wall."

Evie looked on proudly at Amira. She was speaking from experience, and must have been recalling how dysfunctional her own family was.

"You're also *heartless*, Opal. You have **never** even thought about how many consequences tiger parenting has. Evie is so stressed out from what you to do her, that for years, she had to believe that she had to be *normal*. She thought you weren't *proud* of her, and that's *important* to show as a parent! She thought you didn't love her. And when she craved your approval, you always demanded more out of her and shamed her for going against you. Don't you know what it's *like* to get shamed?"

"I... I..." Opal had no words. Amira was directly hammering her with blow after blow, giving her the truth she needed to hear.

"No, you remain quiet. I'm not *done* talking yet," Amira snarled. She then went on. "But the worst thing about you is the fact that you have *driven* Evie into having panic attacks. And you have *never bothered* to comfort her when she needed someone there! Panic attacks are serious, and yet you don't seem to give a *flying fox* about *your own daughter suffering them* ***because of you***. That's not just cruelty. That's utterly *disgusting*."

Opal was shaking now, slowly coming to see that she was right.

"You're also so *infatuated* with your *culture* that you think *anything* Evie does that "goes against it" is a *felony*. I know what you did to her that night when she came out to you. You should have accepted her for being a lesbian despite your differences in beliefs. But no. You had the *mind-boggling audacity* to ***strike her on the face*** and scare her into believing that she betrayed her entire family. You tried to make her *believe* Mya should have only been a friend. Evie *should* be allowed to love *who she wants to love*. That is **never** your choice in life. What's worse is that you tried to *shame* her into being straight. You use *shaming* in an attempt to *control* her. That's *abuse*."

Evie was *amazed*. Amira was known to have a short temper and got easily mad. But here, she was channeling it directly onto her mother and not speaking out of spite. She *knew* what she was saying.

"You have made your family so dysfunctional, and it's sad to see. You always deny Evie's father a say in her life, and you constantly make him into a bottom. To you, he's inferior, and so is Evie. You're *nothing more* than a tiger who wants the entire household and world revolving around *her*. If you want to drive everyone away from you, fine, so be it. But you'll find yourself alone, Opal. Your husband is tired of you snuffing him like a flame on a candle, and Evie is tired of being tiger parented by you and being driven to the breaking point."

Anderson finally spoke after minutes of silence. "I'm sorry, Opal. But Amira is right, and Evie is too. This has to stop. I've always told you that you're not Evie's only parent - I am too - and I deserve to be apart of her life."

Amira then walked right up to Opal. "My mother neglected me. My grandmother hardly cared for me. My aunt made me into a slave and abused me. You may have given me hospitality, but I don't owe you respect for anything. Not after hearing what you've done for years. I stand with Evie, and I always will." Amira then backed away to stand beside Evie, and they hugged.

Opal looked down at the ground, and Evie noticed deep regret on her face. She seemed upset with herself. What Amira had just told her had made her rethink her position as a mother. She was seeing how bad she truly was. And it was time for a change.

She looked at Evie, kneeling down and putting her hands onto her shoulders.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, her voice trembling. "I'm so sorry, Evie."

Then, she turned to Amira. "Oh, Amira... Thank you. I needed to hear that." Gratitude was shining in her eyes. She was taking the two seriously.

"Can we talk, baby?" She asked Evie. "About everything. I... I want to make things right between us."

Evie nodded. "Of course, mom. But not right now. I need to rest. I'll talk about it when I feel ready... Okay?"

"Okay," Opal nodded in turn. "When you're ready."

"*Cảm ơn*." Evie smiled, and she held Amira's hand. Together, they walked back into their room, grateful to be alongside each other in that argument.

A few days after the expulsion, Evie sat in her room, reading one of her novels. Nearby, Amira slept right against her body, seemingly at peace and drooling lightly. Evie laughed. *She's so adorable. No surprise Winter fell for her.*

Amira then began to twitch, and her lower lip became twisted. She was in another nightmare.

Evie shook her awake. "Amira, relax. You're fine. Shetani isn't here."

Amira sat up, rubbing her eyes and regaining her bearings. "Thanks, Evie. That nightmare was shaping up to be *bad*."

"Never fear, for the O Great Evie is here. I am conquerer of nightmares!"

Amira wheezed, hugging her and dragging her down, then scratching her neck. Evie snorted.

"Ahahaha, stop! Mya told you I was ticklish there, did she?"

"Yep. But you're so cute!"

"You're cute when you drool!"

Both stopped, blushing at one another. Then, they kept on laughing.

Evie noticed her clock, and realized that it was time to go on the mission. "Oh! It's time for the mission," she said. She quickly pulled her brown jacket over her, and grabbed her phone, tucking it in her pocket. She then headed out of her bedroom, with Amira following behind her.

This mission was dangerous. She, Mya, and Winter were literally going to be spying on a *devil* from her doorstep. Yet, this was worth it. They *needed* that footage of Shetani confessing that she tried to murder to Amira so they could expose her to Pineshadow. Not only that, but it was to protect Amira permanently as well.

Sighing, Evie ran to the front door and prepared to open it, when suddenly, her mother interrupted.

"Evie? Where are you going? It's early."

Evie gulped. She *knew* she had to tell her mother where she was going. But, even though her mother had begun to change, there was still a chance she could be disowned for another risky plan.

"I have a mission. Nothing much," she lied, preparing to crack open the door again.

"Wait!" Opal called. "What mission? I need to know."

Evie turned to face her. With her mother demanding to know what she was dealing with, she couldn't escape her. *Besides, I'm honest. I know she won't like it. But she deserves to know.*

"I'm going with Mya and Winter to Shetani's place. It's dangerous, but we need to record an admission that she hired someone to kill Amira and dispose of her."

"**WHAT**?" Opal screeched in horror, mad. "Evie, are you insane? *Going to that woman's doorstep*? Don't you realize what Shetani is *capable* of? She's going to *hurt you*!"

"I know, mama. This is extremely risky. Shetani is crafty, and has tricks up her sleeve. But she won't stop me, Mya, or Winter. This is worth it. We *need* this recording to stop Shetani and to keep Amira safe, and I will *never* stop doing everything that I can to protect those that I love."

Opal calmed herself down, and moved to Evie, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you want to do this? I... I don't want to lose you, Ev."

"I'm doing this," Evie affirmed. "And if I go down, know I went down fighting doing it for someone I love." She glanced over at Amira, who smiled, and her mother faced her.

"Amira... Do you really want her to do this?"

"I do," Amira boldly stated. "This is the only way we'll stop Shetani."

"Okay, then," Opal said. She pulled Evie into her. "I don't agree with what you're doing, baby. It's dangerous, and the risk of you being harmed is so high. But you're being you, so willing and ready to confront danger head-on if it means protecting those you love. I have no right to stop that. Can we talk about it later?"

"Of course."

Evie's father then joined in. "Evie, be safe. Be wise. And may luck be on your side."

"Thanks, mom and dad." She hugged them both, then hugged Amira, brushing aside her bangs.

"Good luck, Ev," she whispered. "I love you. And please tell Winter I said *Te amo* to her."

"I love you too, *bạn tôi*. I'll tell Win." She then dashed out the door, greeting Mya and Winter and catching them up on what happened.

As they walked to Shetani's place, Evie held Mya's hand, feeling an *irresistible* warmth inside her body that only her girlfriend could give her. It was so peaceful, and so, so soothing.

*You will never take us down, Shetani.*

**A FEW DAYS LATER**

Evie stood beside Mya and Winter at Pinelake Park, surrounded by an entire crowd of people. It was finally the day that Shetani would be confronted, once and for all, and she would be driven out of Pineshadow as an abusive freak. A meeting was being held at the park to go over the plans.

Their spying mission, while resulting in an unintended stay in Shetani's dungeon, was a success. They had been busted and kept prisoner, but thanks to Winter going berserk, they had gotten their confession from Shetani, and had discovered Amira's personal notes, in addition to her beautifully-written song *Monster*.

All of it was worth it.

Evie glanced at her parents, who were standing with Mya's. She still hadn't found the right time to talk with her mother about their relationship, or anything relating to it in general. It didn't *feel* right to her.

But now, they were fighting against Shetani. The window they had now was the perfect opportunity.

Evie turned to Winter, tapping her shoulder and getting her attention. "Hmm?"

"Winter, can you rally everyone? I... I need some time to think alone."

"Really? I'm not good at public speaking..."

"I have faith in you, Win. You're speaking from your heart. If it helps, think about Amira."

Winter nodded. "Will do. Thanks, Ev."

Evie walked over to her favorite tree, leaning up against it. Before talking with her mother, she needed to think about what she was going to say.

*Hey, mom... About the relationship deal...*

*Mom, we should talk about our flaws.*

*We just need to talk about the whole tiger parenting business...*

*Ugh. None of these sound right.*

She looked up at the sun-dappled leaves. Clouds were rolling in from the mountains.

Then, she heard footsteps approaching her, heavy footsteps. Turning around, Evie found her mother approaching, and relaxed herself.

She needed to get this talk out of the way.

"Hey, mom," she greeted coolly. "You've come to talk about what happened?"

Opal nodded, then spoke the words Evie wished to hear.

"Evie, baby. I'd like to quickly say something - I'm sorry. You know I'm a stickler for my culture and I haven't been the best mother to you. I've placed you at higher standards since you were young because of my beliefs. I scolded you because I didn't want you doing stupid things like roulette - but seeing Shetani's character, and what you had to go through - I'm sorry."

Some tension left Evie's body. Her mother finally seemed to be accepting her for who she was.

"So, mom, you promise to not force me to be what you want anymore?"

"I promise, Ev. I've treated you wrong and I didn't help your confidence. Go out there today and be prideful. Don't hold back. Be who you want to be. I'm going to love you with all my heart."

Evie smiled, her eyes tearing up in happiness. She finally felt appreciated by her mother, felt loved, felt glee. The tear in her heart that was there before was gone, carefully patched up and sown back together.

Nature was healing inside her mind.

"Thanks. Now let's go." Evie dashed back up to the crowd, and her mother followed behind her.

Evie sat by the edge of the cliff near the Pineshadow Bridge, reflecting to herself. The sky was overcast, and a gentle breeze lifted up her black hair, carrying it in the wind.

What had just happened minutes ago was wild.

At the school, Shetani went on a rampage and kidnapped Amira and Winter, taking them to the Pineshadow Bridge and threatening to drop them to their deaths, should she be harmed. The two girls distracted her and broke free, causing an all-out war between Shetani and the girls. Evie had worked with Mya to restrain her, and they landed good blows - however, they were no match for Shetani physically - and were stunned soon after.

She felt the bruise on her head from where she was thrown into a rock. It hurt, and it would likely take a week before it would heal completely.

Shetani then had gone after Amira, trying to suffocate her, though Winter retaliated and sliced into her with her knife. While the she-devil gained the advantage and prepared to kill Winter, Amira stepped in and selflessly sacrificed herself, sending her and Shetani over the cliff.

When she, Mya, and Winter slid to the bottom of the cliffside, Amira and Shetani were both stacked upon each other like dominos, unmoving and lifeless. Winter had been heartbroken, believing her girlfriend was dead, and she had been left to sob uncontrollably.

Evie thought she was dead inside, seeing her friend grieving and her other friend, whom she cared for deeply, dead on the ground. A silent tear fell from her eye, and all she could do was hold onto Mya.

But a miracle happened. Shetani never got back up, her twisted neck indicating that she was dead.

*Amira* had gotten up, reassuring her girlfriend that she was alive. She had survived the fall, albeit being bruised, scratched, and having a sprained leg. However, that didn't matter. Amira was to be hailed a hero for her bravery and confidence, not only for breaking away from the devil that haunted her, but establishing herself as a warrior, not a faithful, broken slave.

When her kin had arrived, she rejected all but her grandmother, and gave Dahlia a second chance after she revealed that she wanted to change.

Evie sighed. *I don't want to have to go through this again.* All she wanted to do now was go home and rest.

"Evie?" A voice called in the distance. Hearing it, Evie grinned, and turned to see her parents approaching her.

"Mom! Dad!" Evie jumped up into their arms, and she was hugged tightly. "I'm so happy you're here right now!"

"Are you doing okay, baby?" Her father asked.

"Yeah. I'm a little shaken up from that rock, but I'm gonna be fine. We *won*!"

"Lord can't describe how proud I am of you, Evie," her mother remarked. For the first time ever, Evie saw her eyes *sparkling*.

"You saved Pineshadow from a monster. You were so brave and so true fighting Shetani the way you did. And I know you were right from the start now. Tiger parenting *is* wrong - it will *never* be enforced within this family again - and I'm now going to advocate against it as well. Such cruel parenting needs to be phased out."

Evie gasped. "Really?"

"I should have realized long ago that my actions had *horrifying* consequences. I drove you into having panic attacks. I scared you away from me. No mother *does that* to her child. And I certainly will learn from my mistakes. You're my *beautiful* daughter, a proud lesbian who deserves the entire world. Nothing's holding you back, honey. Go out there and be the *you* you wanna be."

Another voice then called for Evie. "Evie! *Evie*!"

Evie whirled around, finding Amira hobbling up to her, happy.

"Ami!" Evie exclaimed, running up to her and embracing her in a big hug. "Are you doing okay?"

"Living the best life. I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm glad you're okay, too. Earth wanted to give you the life you deserved."

"No joke on that, Ev." Amira glanced up into her eyes. "I'm going to miss sleeping and staying with your family." In a whisper, so her grandmother couldn't hear, she said, "You guys were the best."

"We were happy to have you, Amira," Anderson told her. "You're sweet, you're smart, and you're bold. You're a firecracker."

"Oh, please, I'm only like that when people decide to throw knives at me."

Evie laughed, brushing Amira's bangs aside. "You mean so much to me."

Amira felt her cheek, in turn, then touched her forehead with hers. "Evie, you mean a lot more to me. You're like a sister figure to me, protective, sweet outside your tough exterior, and insanely intelligent. I'm so happy you're my best friend. Wish I could be part of your family."

Evie's mouth fell open. Was Amira saying that she wished the Lys would *adopt* her?

"We're not adopting you, Amira." Opal rolled her eyes jokingly, then approached her, putting her hands on her shoulders. "But you showed us that in a sense, you belong in our family. So, from this day forward, you're now an honorary Ly."

Two tears of joy formed at Amira's eyes, and she hugged Evie and her parents. "Oh my! Thank you thank you thank you!"

Evie smiled, smiling perhaps the biggest smile in her life.

Today was bittersweet. A very bittersweet day that could only end in every color of the rainbow.

**ONE WEEK LATER**

You love the way I pop my top

Or love how I lose my cool

Or love how I look at you

Say why?

It ain't no fighting, no I can't stop it

This took a while, yeah

Evie brushed her hair in her bathroom, glancing at her mirror and looking back at herself. Her dark green eyes were shining, her hair was smooth and sleek, and the bruise on her forehead from impacting the rock had almost completely healed.

She had flourished since the day her mother vowed to end tiger parenting. Her shadow was gone, and so was the worries of being perfect or facing mental pressure. Life was finally the way it should've been from the start.

For the way I pump my fist or how I bust my hip

For your affection, tryna be down

No fighting and no stopping

Stick around

Satisfied with her appearance, Evie headed back to her room. When she opened the door, she found something different lying on her bed.

Near the edge of it was a new t-shirt and a picture frame turned upside-down. Curious, Evie picked up the shirt. It was yellow, and had brownish-black polka dots all over it. The bottom and sleeves were rimmed in a creamy white.

A tag on it indicated who gave it to her.

*To my beautiful, smart daughter, from Opal*

Wish I was the type of girl you take over to mama

The type of girl, I know my daddy, he'd be proud of

Yeah, be proud of

Be proud of, be proud, you know, you know

Wanna be a type of girl, you take home to your mama

The type of girl, I know your fellas would be proud of

Be proud of, be proud of, be proud of, boy you know

*This is so cute! Thanks, mama!* She twirled around with the shirt, then tried it on. It was the *perfect* fit, and it went well with her gray sweatpants she was currently wearing.

Then, Evie picked up the picture frame, and turned it over. She gasped in amazement upon seeing the photo.

Normal girl

I wish I was a normal girl, oh my

How do I be? How do I be a lady?

Normal girl, oh

I wish I was a normal girl

I'll never be, no, never be uh

The photo was the silhouttes of two horses running in a rocky plains. The sky around them was a bright blue, and the sun glimmered, making the image appear very shiny. The horses appeared to be happy, running together.

*That's symbolic of a really healthy relationship,* Evie thought.

But in that moment, she realized something else about the photo, something only she saw about it.

You like it, when I be, aggressive

You like when I say to you

Get it if you got it, I'm ready and waiting for it

I'm calling to put it on, yeah

*No. That's not meant to represent any relationship...*

*It's meant to represent me and Mya.*

Evie wanted to cry. Her mother finally understood how much Mya meant to her.

Suddenly, she heard the front door open, and a sugary-sweet voice called out.

"Hello? Evnnnnnyyyyy? Where are youuuuuuu?"

Like it, when I be, aggressive

Love when I say to you

Get it if you want it, I'm ready and I'm on fire

I'm burnin' to put it on, yeah, yeah, yeah

"I'm in here!" Evie yelped. She hung the photo frame up on her wall, smiling, and then scooted to the edge of her bed, feet up.

Mya opened the door to her room. "Hi, Evie- *Whoa*." Mya paused, seeing her different look, the yellow t-shirt and gray sweatpants.

Type of girl you wanna take home to mama

Wanna be the type of girl my daddy, he'd be proud of

Be proud of, be proud of, be proud of you know, you know

The type of girl you wanna take home right up to mama

The kind of girl, I know your fellas, they'd be proud of

I'll be probably, I'll be proud like, I'll be probably a problem, oh

(No fantasy, no fantasy)

She then blushed.

Evie paused, looking at Mya in the same way. She was wearing her typical cyan t-shirt with the heart on it, but she had a pink rose in her hair. Sun rays filted through the window and onto her.

In the light, Mya was shining so bright, Evie's entire face was turning red. She was a *goddess*, and by all means, she wanted to lay her hands all over her and rock her back and forth.

I really wish a was a normal girl, oh my

How do I be, how do I be a lady?

Normal girl, oh

I wish I was a normal girl

I'll never be, no never be, uh

"Pfft, Ev... You have that look on your face again. I know you want me."

Evie smiled, laughing. She grabbed Mya and yanked her onto her bed by the arm, pulling her close to her body, draping her arms over her shoulders.

"Did you see this?" She asked, pointing up at the horse portrait. Mya's mouth fell in awe, sparks glowing in her leaf-green eyes.

"Are those... Are those horses meant to be... *Us*?"

This time next year I'll be living so good

Won't remember your name, I swear

Living so good, living so good, living so good

"They are. And it just makes me so happy that we're allowed to be together as *one*. You and I have that special something - a *healthy* relationship. You make me so happy. You are my entire world, Mya. I love you."

Mya's voice cracked, and her eyes welled. "That means so much to me. Thank you, Evie. I love you too."

The two then buried their heads into one another, laying down on the same pillow. They smiled, interlocking fingers and pressing against each other, feeling a warmth only they could share.

This time next year I'll be living so good

Won't remember no pain, I swear

Before that you figured out, I was just a normal girl

"I don't want this moment to die," Evie said, her head itching, her skin tingling from being so close to Mya. Ecstasy was filling her body once again. "I just want this to go on forever."

She hugged Mya tightly, rubbing her back. She could feel affection drifting back to her, and just like before, honey filled her mouth. Nectar coated her veins. Flowers blossomed in her head, flowers that Mya had planted since the day they met.

Normal girl, what do you say now?

We own the world, 'cause we not going away out

Wait on yourself 'cause you can figure your way out

Normal girl

Why do you, babe?

"I never want this to die, either, Ev," Mya replied. She brushed a strand of her hair aside, twiddling it in her fingers. "All I want is to lie here with you. My soft, smart cookie. I'll always carry you home."

Evie let herself lose control in that very moment, and she kissed Mya on her lips. They were sweet to the touch.

For years, she believed that she had to be a normal girl to be appreciated. That if she was normal, people would love her, and her life would be normal. But that wasn't true, and she knew now that being her own person was the most important thing she could be. Nothing could ever change that.

She was a good leader.

She was smart.

And she wasn't Little Miss Perfect.

*My name is Evie Ophelia Ly.*

*And I'll be anything BUT a normal girl.*

## Cast

### Main

* **Peyton Elizabeth Lee** as Evie
	+ **Abigail Zoe Lewis** as Young Evie
* **Lauren Tom** as Opal
* **John Hodgman** as Anderson
* **Dakota Fanning** as Mya

### Recurring

* **Wendie Malick** as Nita
* **Trent Garrett** as Patrick
* **Nicolas Cantu** as Benji
* **Mae Whitman** as Winter
* **Zoe Saldaña** as Amira

### Minor

* **Aimee Carrero** as Gwen
* **Dana Terrace** as Holly
* **Dee Bradley Baker** and **Kari Wahlgren** as additional voices

### Antagonists

* **Karen Fukuhara** as Majken
* **Eden Riegel** as Daniela
* **Jessica Walter** (archived audio) as Shetani

## Songs

* Write Out Loud and Taylor Louderman - *Little Miss Perfect* (snippet)
* Feint - *Words* (feat. Laura Brehm)
* Rootkit - *Against the Sun* (feat. Anna Yvette)
* Krys Talk - *Letting Go* (Rootkit remix)
* Dev - *Shadows*
* Iggy Azalea - *Black Widow* (feat. Rita Ora; instrumental snippet)
* SZA - *Normal Girl*

## Character Revelations

### Evie

* Evie had a best friend at age five named Gwen, but she was driven away from her by her mother's tiger parenting.
	+ Her mother started tiger parenting her around that age as well.
* She has always been a daddy's girl since she was young.
* Evie watches a show called *The Frog House* (a parody of *Amphibia* and *The Owl House*).
* She desperately wants Opal to show her that she is proud.
* After Gwen, Evie didn't get a new friend up until she met Majken.
	+ Majken was later unintentionally turned against Evie by the latter's mother, who didn't want them interacting with each other.
	+ In the process, Evie was rejected by someone she cared about for the first time in her life.
* Her mother forced her to bottle up her emotions for years.
* The *Fighters* (*Warriors*) books are one of her favorite novel series to read, and she managed to convince her mother to buy the books, albeit with a little help from her father.
	+ She also enjoys drawing scenes and acting out moments from the books.
* Evie has had a high regard for her safety since she was young.
* She had to fight with her mother in order to keep Mya as a friend.
* Out of fear she would lose Mya, Evie played it cool and kept the fact that her mother was a tiger parent secret up until their fight during the *Words* scene.
* She enjoys Gleanna (Rihanna) music.
* Evie often fell asleep because of her mother overworking her.
* She was often seen as inferior by Opal. This made her feel like a coward who wasn't able to stand up for herself for years.
* She often compares Mya to honey or something sweet.
* Evie is ticklish behind her neck.
* For a while, Evie didn't accept that Opal was emotionally abusing her because she didn't want to view her in that kind of light.
* She heavily despises men, which was first implied in *Stalker*.
* Years after their friendship ended, Evie encountered Majken again, and was harassed by her. She was rescued by Mya.
* Evie was almost forced to visit Vietnam for one week by her mother as part of "tradition." However, thinking of Mya and refusing to leave her behind, Evie refuted the trip and stood up to Opal for the first time in the process.
* She reluctantly allowed Mya to sleep over because she was too tempted by the prospect of having more time with her.
* She does "stupid things" around Mya.
* Evie sometimes only does things she dislikes to make Mya happy.
* She views Mya as her savior and lifeline, and believes she changed her life.
* One of Evie's worst fears is her mother resorting to physical violence to make her listen. This later comes true after she comes out.
* She was determined to figure out what was bothering Mya up until the moment she came out as bisexual.
* The night she became Mya's girlfriend, Evie panicked, worried her mother would reject her for being a lesbian.
* Evie's mother almost saw her kiss Mya, much to her embarrassment.
* She became daydreamy following her first date with Mya to the point where she accidentally started ignoring her parents.
* Evie accidentally came out as a lesbian during an argument with her mother. In the ensuing fight, she was hit on the face violently, spurring her into having a panic attack. In the nightmare during said attack, a tiger pursued her and told her terrible things in her mother and Mya's voices. Her father soothed her and made her rest easier.
	+ She would continue having panic attacks because of her mother afterward.
* When talking to Mya after the day, she vented everything out, and Mya finally convinced Evie that she didn't need to be normal just to be accepted.
* She has a sister-like dynamic with Amira.
* Her cat, Holly, personally makes her happy.
* Following her, Mya, and Winter's expulsions from school, Evie suffered a severe panic attack which caused her to dread going home. She sought comfort from Mya's parents instead.
* Evie has a yellow-t shirt her mother gave her, and a picture frame containing the *Diamonds* horses.
* Her middle name is revealed to be Ophelia after the flower.

### Opal

* She started tiger parenting Evie at the age of five, despite her husband's concerns that her behavior would be damaging.
* Due to her own beliefs, she often served as the top in her and Anderson's relationship and had a sense of superiority over everyone in the Ly household to the point where she acted like Evie's only parent.
* Opal regularly enforced a mantra on Evie - straight hair, straight A's, straightforward, and straight girl. These appear as lyrics in the titular song *Little Miss Perfect*.
* She believed Evie had to be on top of everything.
* Because of her tiger parenting, she often got into fights with the reserved Anderson, dejecting Evie.
* Opal viewed Evie's social life with inferiority, valuing education, perfection, and her promise as as hardworking young girl over it.
* She drove two of Evie's friends, Gwen and Majken, away from her. This unintentionally turned Majken against Evie and would lead to her bullying the latter years after their friendship ended.
* She forced Evie to bottle up her emotions for years.
* As previously hinted in the series, Opal has a strained relationship with Evie's friend (later girlfriend), Mya.
	+ Throughout *Little Miss Perfect*, she displays her disapproval and disgust of Mya, thinking she is just holding Evie back instead of noticing how they deserve each other.
	+ Opal had tried to separate Mya and Evie multiple times to no avail, as either Mya would embarrass her/make her back down, or Evie would stand up for her friend.
	+ Opal was jealous of Mya's relationship with Evie because of how much better and passionate it was compared to her own relationship with her daughter.
* She tried to take Evie to Vietnam for one week as part of a "cultural experience," forcing Anderson into agreeing with her. Despite her wishes, Evie refused and stood up to her for the first time in her life.
* Opal has worked in banking for fifteen years.
* After hearing Evie say that she was abusive, she decided to enforce tiger parenting less, but not cease it completely.
	+ In a rare moment, she also told Evie that she was proud of her.
* Even after seeing her with Evie at school and the events of *Ex-Girlfriend*, Opal didn't entertain the notion that Winter was a real person and Evie's friend up until she was shown a picture of them together.
	+ Flustered, she allowed Winter to be Evie's second friend.
* Upon Daniela's defeat, Opal once again told Evie that she was proud of her.
* Opal almost discovered Evie's relationship with Mya prematurely when she accidentally walked in on them about to kiss. However, she didn't appear to take notice.
* When Evie accidentally came out, Opal was furious and shamed her for going against the image of a straight girl she wanted.
	+ After Evie remarked that Mya was better than her, Opal hit her on the face in a fit of rage, coming to regret this moments later. Av says that she apologized off-screen for this shortly before the start of Season 2.
* Her behavior often caused Evie to suffer major panic attacks.
* Originally, Opal thought Evie was lying about the roulette game.
* For years, she had served Evie Vietnamese breakfasts instead of traditional American breakfasts.
* After Evie and Amira both stood up to her in a heated confrontation, Opal began to regret tiger parenting Evie.
	+ This tied into her reluctance and later apology to Evie in *Devil's Dungeon* and *Your Pain is My Pleasure: Part 1*.
* Once Shetani was defeated, she permanently chose to stop tiger parenting Evie for good, and made Amira an honorary member of the Ly family. Soon after, she gifted Evie a yellow t-shirt and a picture frame with the *Diamonds* horses on it.

### Anderson

* Unlike Opal, Anderson refused to enforce tiger parenting on Evie, believing it to be cruel and damaging.
	+ Despite him warning Opal about this, she ignored him.
* Evie has always favored him over her mother as a parent.
* Even though he's not the smartest, Anderson is also protective over Evie, and often advises her when she needs help or is feeling lost.
	+ He also helped to pull her out of the major panic attack she had following her coming out.
* Anderson often fought with Opal over Evie, leaving the latter dejected.
* He has lost many friends in his lifetime.
* Anderson is often snubbed from conversations by Opal.
* Unlike Opal, he believed Winter was real, and always supported Evie's relationship with Mya.
* He is notably similar to the *Coraline* dad, as pointed out by Amira after she hears Evie's description of him.

### Mya

* She was Evie's third friend after Gwen and Majken.
* Mya enjoyed drawing from a young age.
* She was nearly named Maya, but her father thought that name was too common and changed it to Mya.
* She is obsessed with plant life.
* Mya enjoys acting and has a good voice, though she does not wish to be an actress.
* She is a huge fan of Gleanna (Rihanna), which mirrors Av and how she is a fan of the Barbadian singer.
	+ Mya has been a fan of Gleanna since she was young.
	+ She was the one that got Evie onto her music.
	+ She idolizes Gleanna as well, but not as much as she idolizes Evie, as revealed later on.
* Mya hates Opal with a burning passion and usually speaks up against her whenever she can. This was first implied in Season 2.
	+ While she wins almost every time, Opal does give Mya some moments of doubt and can cause her to back down.
* When Evie failed to stand up for her, Mya became upset and nearly cut her off like before.
	+ During the *Words* scene, Mya revealed to Evie that she has been bullied for a long time because of how delicate she is, and she felt like a fool because of her mother and Evie being a coward. However, she softened upon learning that Evie stalled because of her mother's hold on her and only became closer to her following that day.
* She is very good at solving fractions.
* Mya knows Evie is ticklish behind her neck, and later told Amira about it.
* She was the first to outright call Opal out for being abusive, but she accidentally made Evie uncomfortable in the process and ran off in embarassment.
* She had a huge crush on Benji and enjoyed hanging out with him.
	+ Their crush later turned mutual, though they agreed to remain friends and not move forward in a relationship.
* Her middle name is Elise.
* She sometimes gets carried away in her words and doesn't mean the things she says.
* When Majken was bullying Evie and then went after her, Mya stood up to her bullies for the first time and got her and her clique to back off. Evie realized that all Mya needed to be confident is her in her mind, much to Mya's delight.
	+ Mya would later help Evie stand up to Opal for the first time.
* After hearing Evie's parents fight, Mya convinced Evie to harbor her for the night, wanting to show that people love her and care for her, despite her friend's concerns. The next morning, Opal caught on and began to shame Evie, but Mya took the blame.
	+ Regretting doing such a dumb thing, she told Evie that she did stupid things around her sometimes - making Evie reveal to Mya that she did too.
* After Benji moved to Seattle, Mya was despondent for a few weeks, missing her crush greatly. She was soothed by Evie and eventually recovered.
* Up until the day after the coming out fiasco, Mya had always told Evie to be her own person instead of a normal girl, something which had plagued Evie for years.
* Mya waited outside Evie's house at the end of *Rushing Roulette* in case Opal tried to start a fight.
* Shetani screamed so loud during the office argument scene in *Traitors!* that Mya covered her ears.

### Other

* Majken was easily able to form a clique.
* Patrick suggested Mya over Maya for his daughter because he thought it was prettier and more unique.
* New details about Benji are revealed:
	+ He has a freckled face and pale skin.
	+ His last name is Figglebarker.
	+ He returned Mya's crush on him, though they remained friends.
	+ Benji and his family moved to Seattle for better job opportunities, leaving Mya heartbroken.
* After cutting ties with Evie, Majken became a bully and would later come to harass her before being driven away by Mya.
* Rumors are actively spread around school that Daniela gives the middle finger to Rex and her staff, likely stemming from the events of *Two-Sided* chapter *Good Girl Gone Bad*.
* Winter didn't tell Evie about her confrontation with Daniela at the end of *Ex-Girlfriend*.
* A random stranger has been stocking Winter's cabin up with items when she wasn't around.
* Besides hugs, Winter also didn't like being touched at first.
* Holly has been with the Lys since she was a kitten.
* Some more details on the Fleckenshire family are revealed by Amira:
	+ Amira's room was always barren, and no matter how many times she asked her parents and grandmother to decorate it, they refused or ignored her. When Shetani arrived, she gutted it clean, but left a single purple heart on the door for Amira, knowing it was her favorite color.
	+ Shetani often half-starved Amira.
	+ Amira's parents did geniunely care for her, but as she grew older, they became distant, loveless, and hollow. They were conversationless to Amira and only talked to one another, hardly giving her the attention she wanted.
	+ Braxton and Mikayla didn't want Amira born as early as she was, or even born at all, leaving Amira feeling hopeless.
	+ Her parents pulled Amira out of grade school and never told her why. She was homeschooled by her father.
	+ Through her maternal side of her family line, Amira has Korean blood in addition to Puerto Rican blood. According to Amira, she believes her Korean ancestry is why her eyes are thin.
	+ When Amira didn't do something right for her, Shetani would starve her and choke her via the collar around her neck. She would also deprive her of water and would drink it up right in front of her just to taunt her.
	+ As punishment, Shetani would beat Amira repeatedly until she cried, and chain her to the basement wall and whip her until she had welts.
	+ After she once called out her aunt for her homophobia, Amira was locked in the basement by Shetani.
	+ Shetani frequently haunts Amira's dreams and gives her nightmares.
* According to Evie, the Heartleys take in anyone.
* Amira helped Evie turn her mother around for the better.
* Amira is now an honorary member of the Ly family.

## Trivia

* *Little Miss Perfect* is named after the song of the same name by Write Out Loud and Taylor Louderman.
* It is the first movie in the *Evie and Mya* franchise.
* *Little Miss Perfect* details Evie's life and the influence Opal's tiger parenting has on her. It also explores her relationship with her father, Mya, and Amira.
	+ Commenting on Evie's bond with Amira, Av says it is almost "sister-like."
	+ Before writing *Little Miss Perfect*, Av had expressed interest in writing more on Evie, calling her a "very interesting character who I feel is pretty underrated out of the lead five gays."
* During the transition scene after Evie enters kindergarden, a snippet of the Taylor Louderman song *Little Miss Perfect* is played in the background.
* *The Frog House* is a spoof of both *Amphibia* and *The Owl House*.
* Gleanna (Rihanna) is spoofed for the fourth time in the series, and it is revealed that Mya has been a huge fan of her since she was young.
	+ This serves as a parallel to how Av has been a fan of Rihanna since she was four.
	+ The way Mya speaks about Gleanna also mirrors Av's own behavior regarding anything relating to Rihanna.
* While Evie argues with Mya in an effort to salvage their friendship, *Words* by Feint plays in the background.
* As Evie and Mya chase each other around Pinelake Park, *Against the Sun* by Rootkit is played in the background.
* The song Evie played to drown out her mother was *Fake Happy* by Paramore. *Fake Happy* would later appear in *Welcome to Hollowleaf Mansion*.
* During the scene where Mya proposes staying the night with Evie, the Rootkit remix of *Letting Go* is played in the background.
* When Mya names traits of Evie that she likes, including cool and classy, she references what Luz believes Amity is in *The Owl House*.
* The conversation between Evie and Mya relating to them doing stupid things around each other is inspired by Luz and Amity's interactions in *The Owl House* episode *Through the Looking Glass Ruins*.
* Evie confronting and warning Daniela at Pinelake Park is a nod to how Spike confronts Tom in the *Tom and Jerry* franchise.
* When Mya and Evie have a heart-to-heart talk with each other, *Shadows* by Dev is played in the background.
* While Evie argues with her mother on Winter, her father agrees that she has a point, which is a reference to a line of Alador in *The Owl House* episode *Escaping Expulsion*.
* Evie saying "Wait a dang minute" is a reference to the *Big Brother* meme "Wait a damn minute."
* As Evie fights Daniela, an instrumental snippet of *Black Widow* by Iggy Azalea is played in the background.
	+ Av chose *Black Widow* over *Jumpsuit* because of the scene focusing on Winter less.
* Just like in *Winter Storm Arising*, Evie references the State Farm meme "You gotta be quicker than that."
* The scene where Opal strikes Evie is a direct parallel to *Two-Sided* chapter *The Broken Pieces* - it was meant to mirror Daniela being hit by Winter's biological father.
* In Evie's nightmare, a red string is tied around her foot. This is a reference to the red string of fate, a string in Asian folklore that bounds a person to a certain fate.
* Due to the scene from *Traitors!* being retold from Evie's perspective, Jessica Walter and her audio from the episode are credited.
	+ This marks the first time Walter has been credited as the voice of Shetani since her death in March 2021.
* Amira saying that she only gets mad when people "throw knives" at her is a reference to a tweet Av found on Twitter.
* At the very end of the movie, *Normal Girl* by SZA is played as Evie hangs out with Mya in her room.
* Evie's outfit in the ending is based off Av's former club outfit in *Star Stable Online*.
* Throughout *Little Miss Perfect*, several words are spoken in Vietnamese:
	+ *Người chết* - Downer
	+ *Chờ đợi* - Wait
	+ *Được rồi* - Okay
	+ *Thư giãn* - Relax
	+ *Má* - Mom
	+ *Xong* - Done
	+ *Sự ngạc nhiên* - Surprise
	+ *Đang tới* - Coming
	+ *Cảm ơn* - Thanks
	+ *Bạn tôi* - My friend
* Av has credited numerous songs as inspiration for *Little Miss Perfect*, including:
	+ The titular song by Write Out Loud and Taylor Louderman.
	+ *Consideration* and *What Now* by Rihanna.
	+ *Shadows* by Dev, which also appears in the movie itself.
	+ *Normal Girl* by SZA. Just like *Shadows*, it also appears in *Little Miss Perfect*.
	+ *Pressure* by Draper and *Try* by P!nk, both of which serve as character inspiration for Mya.
	+ *Why Do I?* by Unknown Brain, which inspired the "challenging" bits of Evie and Mya's relationship.
* Numerous songs are alluded to throughout *Little Miss Perfect*:
	+ When a nine-year old Evie hears her parents arguing, her heart is mentioned to be pounding harder than a disco drum. This is a reference to *Who's That Chick?* by David Guetta (featuring Rihanna).
	+ Opal remarking that she doesn't want Evie to cry a "fish tank worth of tears" is a reference to the Dev song *Bass Down Low*, which also features The Cataracs.
	+ At one point, Evie calls Mya a fire starter taking her aim, which is a reference to the Demi Lovato song *Fire Starter*.
	+ Shortly before Mya drags Evie home, she says that they're not on a boat out in the sea, alluding to the Guards song *Silver Lining*.
	+ During one interaction between Mya and Evie in the latter's bedroom, Evie states that she's happy like a fool, and Mya mentions that she had all the right moves in all the wrong places. What they say is a nod to two OneRepublic songs, *Good Life* and *All the Right Moves*.
	+ Evie describing Mya as a "honey-dipped mango" is an allusion to the Dev songs *Honey Dip* and *Mango*.
	+ The sign hanging on Mya's door says that she doesn't "just sit still and look pretty" - which is a reference to the Daya song *Sit Still, Look Pretty*.
	+ When Mya tells Benji that she's turning his city into rust, she references *Ghost Town* by Adam Lambert.
	+ While Majken tries to bully Mya, she taunts her by saying she's trying to be a tough little lion. This is an allusion to the 2009 Rihanna song *Hard*, which features Jeezy.
	+ Anderson telling Opal that her tiger parent image can be read like a book is a nod to *Don't Make Me* by Malinda Kathleen Reese. Av referenced it as a present for Sisi.
	+ As Evie laments under her tree, questioning what she can't figure out and what's missing, she makes a few references to *What Now* by Rihanna.
	+ Daniela smirking at Evie in class is a deliberate parallel to the Florence + the Machine song *Girl With One Eye* ("She's lucky I didn't slip her a smile"). Oddly enough, Av has *Girl With One Eye* listed as a song that fits Daniela's character on one of her blogs.
	+ When Mya charges into Daniela in the school hallway, she remarks that she wants to see this backpack bounce. After Daniela hobbles away in pain, she adds that she hopes Daniela will "hit the back door." What she says is a reference to the 2010 Dev single *Booty Bounce*.
	+ Whilst she chats to Winter on her mother, Evie describes the tear in her heart her mother gave her. This is meant to serve as an allusion to *Tear in My Heart* by Twenty Øne Piløts.
	+ After Evie fights with her mother, she questions in her head if she'll ever let her be who she wants and if she'll ever respect her, referencing the Rihanna song *Consideration*, which also features SZA.
	+ Evie's remark that she doesn't get caught up in love affairs is a nod to *Royals* by Lorde.
	+ Evie's refusal to stop digging until she gets on Mya's level references the Halsey song *Graveyard*.
	+ When Evie notes that the truth hurts, but secrets don't kill, her words are akin to a lyric from the Halsey and Cashmere Cat song *Hopeless*, albeit in reverse.
	+ During the party fight, Daniela is noted to be savoring the moment while Winter is too paralyzed in fear. This is a reference to the Disfigure remix of NCS dubstep song *Paralyzed*.
	+ Just like in *Winter Storm Arising*, Daniela references *Sorry Not Sorry* by Demi Lovato and *Somebody That I Used to Know* by Gotye and Kimbra while she confronts Winter.
	+ Evie comparing Mya's influence on her to a garden is a reference to the unreleased Halsey song *Garden*.
	+ Evie longing for someone to quell her lonliness is a nod to the Sam Smith song *I'm Not the Only One*.
	+ When Mya learns of what Opal did to Evie, she threatens to break dishes over her head in a fit of anger. This is an allusion to *Breakin' Dishes* by Rihanna, which also serves as Av's vent song.
	+ Just like in *Rushing Roulette*, Mya references *Take a Bow* by Rihanna as she scolds Opal.
	+ After she is kissed by Mya, Evie internally remarks that she makes her feel like the only girl in the world. This alludes to the 2010 Rihanna song *Only Girl (In the World)*.
	+ One of Evie's posters contains wording similar to the lyrics from the P!nk song *Raise Your Glass*.
	+ Evie's failure to speak to Mya's parents is a parallel to *We Are Broken* by Paramore.
	+ As Evie's confidence builds, she notes that she'll be stronger and will be standing taller. This is a reference to the Kelly Clarkson song *Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)*.
	+ Right before her outburst directed at Opal, it is noted Evie won't lay on the ground, which alludes to *I Knew You Were Trouble* by Taylor Swift.
	+ Once Evie is done ranting to her mother, she concludes by saying that she talks like herself, but she's somebody else. Her words allude to the Flora Cash song *You're Somebody Else*.
	+ Mya's promise to always carry Evie home is a reference to the 2011 Fun. smash hit song *We Are Young*.