𝓔𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓷𝓪𝓵 𝓼𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓮
ᴾⁱᶻᶻᵃ ᴾⁱᶻᶻᵃ ᴾⁱᶻᶻᵃ

Elena sat on the couch, cradling her mug of hot chocolate as she absentmindedly stared at the TV.

The soft glow of the screen was nothing more than a background hum—her thoughts were elsewhere.

Charolette, sitting across from her, scrolled through her phone, occasionally making random comments about whatever she was watching .

"What's wrong, babes?" Charolette called out, glancing up from her phone with a raised brow.

Elena sighed, still lost in thought. "Should I order pizza?"

Charolette perked up at the mention of food. "Oh, now we're talking," she grinned. "Fatass you're just sitting there thinking about food, huh?"

Elena laughed, rolling her eyes. "Shut up. I'm not a fatass."

"You're worse," Charolette shot back, still grinning. "You live off pizza and iced coffee."

"I do not!" Elena protested, but she couldn't help but smile. "I just like the simple things."

"Like pizza and coffee," Charolette said, making air quotes around the word simple.

Elena opened her mouth to retort but was interrupted by the sound of the door to her room opening.

Aaron stepped in, phone in hand, looking between the two girls with a half-smile on his face. "Wassup, wassup, wassup!" he said, dancing around dramatically.

"El!" Charolette called out in an exaggerated announcer voice. "Look who's here to ruin your evening."

Elena laughed as Aaron rolled his eyes, clearly used to the teasing. "Shut it, Char. You love me." He walked over to the couch and flopped down beside Elena.

"Anyways, Mason wanted to say hi."

"I do not!" Charolette mumbled, rolling her eyes but smiling.

Aaron held up the phone, his face lighting up as he tapped the screen. "Mase, you there?"

A second later, Mason's face appeared on the screen, his easy grin instantly making Elena's heart skip a beat. "Eli Whats up !" he greeted enthusiastically.

Elena's face lit up in response. "Mase! How are you !"

"I'm good, just trying to survive the chaos," Mason said with a laugh. "How's my favorite Castello doing ?"

"I'm good," Elena replied with a grin. "Just deciding what to eat... so, probably pizza."

"Shocker," Mason teased, his smile growing wider. "Let me guess... iced coffee on the side, too?"

Elena laughed. "You know me too well."

Charolette shouted from across the room, "big back !"

Elena groaned, hiding her face in her hands but unable to stop smiling. "Oh my god, Char."

Mason chuckled, clearly amused by the dynamic. "Let me guess... pizza, and then you'll be ready to pass out from carb overload, right?"

"Probably," Elena admitted with a shrug. "But hey, pizza's life."

Aaron, sitting beside her, added, "She's not kidding. If she could live off pizza, she would."

Mason laughed. "I've known you long enough, I can tell. Alright, don't let me keep you from your important decision-making. Just remember, pizza's always the right choice."

"Thanks, Mase," Elena said, her smile never fading as Mason waved goodbye and the screen went black.

Elena set the phone down on the table, feeling a warmth spread across her chest.

It was just a casual chat, but something about it always made her feel good .

Charolette, still grinning, leaned in. "So... pizza again?"

"You know it," Elena replied with a playful sigh.

— ETERNAL SUNSHINE —