I sent a smiley face emoji to seem chill, but my stomach was lurching! I was in the same club that Juliet was in! Despite the fact that Cody had appeared in my life suddenly, I couldn't deny that I still felt something about Juliet. I mean I must have, right? It gave me butterflies knowing I would see her more often from now on.

How did I expect to concentrate in class after learning that both Juliet and I joined the Anime club?! All I could think about was her and pulling myself together in order to socialize with her. I threw myself backward on my bed, and my head landed on my pillow. Just thinking about interacting with Juliet made me feel like I was being weighed down by some invisible force. Having anxiety sucked.

My phone dinged, letting me know I had another text message. I immediately thought it was Juliet and sat up quickly to check my phone. When I looked down at the screen, I was surprised to see that the message wasn't from her… It was from him, Cody. And there it was again, that feeling of suddenly being thrust into a...love triangle?! ME?!

Hey Naomi, it's Cody.

I took a deep breath before typing out my reply.

Hey!

Hope you're doing well. And I hope I'm not interrupting?

I'm doing good, I hope you are too… And no! You're not interrupting.

It was still so surreal to me that someone as popular and handsome as Cody would be giving me the time of day!

Okay, cool! And I'm also doing very well, thanks for asking.

Do you remember the party I had mentioned before?

My heart skipped a beat at his question about the party. He still wanted me to go...?!

Yeah, sure 🙂 What about it?

I just wanted to let you know that it's next weekend.

I will text you again once it gets closer if you want. 😜

Just the idea of going to that house party made my skin crawl. I became even more anxious than I was before! I really didn't want to disappoint Cody, but at the same time, I knew what kind of person I was. How was I supposed to survive a giant house party?! I could barely survive class!

Yes, please lol great idea!

See, in a text message, I could pretend that I was confident and excited. But in reality, my palms were sweating and my throat was dry.

Sounds good! We'll talk soon 😉

Why had I agreed to go to this party anyway?! I mean, what was I thinking?! Did I really believe that I could magically erase my mental health diagnosis before the party, or something?! It became too much to think about so instead, I got ready for class.

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Class seemed to end quickly today, and I knew exactly why. I was sweating—I HATE sweating—and I couldn't stop fidgeting around in my seat. Class ending only meant that the time for Anime club was getting closer! What if she wanted to talk to me…?! What was I saying, of course she'd want to talk to me!!

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The real question was how was I going to handle the pressure?! I went back to my dorm and unpacked my school things. After that I began pacing, and I paced until Calinida startled me.

"Lovebug, you're pacing," she stated.

"I have a club meeting tonight!"

"So…?"

"Juliet will be there!"

"Who's Ju—wait! Is this girl your crush?!" my cousin exclaimed. She sat me down on my bed, then dropped her school bag and purse to the floor.

"Yes, I guess you could say that… I definitely have a thing for her, we just don't know each other well."

Calinida was grinning for a moment, but her expression became confused.

"Hold up! What about Cody Burton! I mean, he's such a hottie! You can't deny that."

"Ugh! I know! That's exactly why I was pacing!" I grunted. I stood back up, but my cousin grabbed my wrist, and pulled me back down onto the bed.

"Don't start again," she said firmly. "So...you're saying you like Juliet and Cody…?"

"Not exactly—"

"O-M-G!" Calinida squealed. "This, this is so much to take in, it's like a tv show—no!" She gasped. "This is a soap opera!"

Did my cousin really just call my current circumstance a soap opera?! I needed her for moral support, not humorous encouragement! I knew I'd have to deal with the feelings I had toward Juliet and Cody...eventually, however, I was more antsy about the club meeting tonight because that was happening very, very soon.

"Cali!" I blurted. "I have a more important concern right now!"

She just stared blankly.

"I have to see Juliet at the club meeting, which means she will want to talk to me, like regular people usually do at social events, except I'm clearly NOT regular, as you know—"

"Woah, woah, slow down… First of all, social anxiety is very common. Second, you don't give yourself enough credit! Listen, change is uncomfortable, but I know what you're capable of. I know you can do this."

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The club meeting was going to be held in a smaller classroom, located in one of the Art buildings. I couldn't stop thinking about my cousin's big speech as I walked, and I groaned to myself. She had so much more confidence in me than I had in myself...this was how she set me up! Everytime she gave one of her inspirational speeches, I always felt like I had something to prove afterward!

Before I knew it, I reached the "Art 3" building. I balled my hands into fists at my sides, and took a deep breath before going inside. The room number was three-hundred-thirty-one, which meant it was on the third floor. I decided to be lazy and use the elevator, I got on, then pressed the third floor button.

As the elevator doors were closing, I looked down at the floor. I waited for the usual ding of the elevator, letting me know the doors were shut securely, but it never came. Instead I heard this soft thud and looked up to see someone's hand in the middle of the doors. When they opened again, I froze instantly.

"Naomi! Hey!" Juliet greeted me. "I didn't expect to see you until we got to the meeting."

I nodded in silence, still in shock, and unable to function like a normal person. The elevator ride seemed like it lasted for days… The awkward quiet only amped up my edginess, but if I was being honest, the longer I stood next to her, the more at ease I became. Juliet gave off this aura of calmness and it drew me to her.

"So, you excited for the first meeting? I'm sure it won't be the best, though. I bet we're doing some kind of ice breaker game," Juliet said.

"Y-Yeah, you're right. I wouldn't be surprised if they make this meeting short," I replied.

I…replied! I was able to form a real sentence! Maybe I could do this! Maybe Calinida was right, maybe I didn't give myself enough credit. Or maybe, just maybe, Juliet was in her own category...