A/N: gif to the side is of Blake Lively who plays Venus in this story hahahahahahaha. She's quite pretty, isn't she?
Get drunk on some happiness today okay yeah okay.

———

Give thanks to Allah, for the moon and the stars...

My phone buzzes along with my alarm ringtone, automatically doing its job to wake me up. It's time for me to get up, eat some food for my Suhoor, brush my teeth, pray, and...

...And get ready for work. With Damon. And Kenneth. And Venus.

Can someone remind me why am I doing this again?

I groan and stop the song from getting farther by hitting the dismiss button. It's not that the song is loud—actually, it's quite soothing and lullaby worthy. But I just really want to eat.

I shrug myself out of my covers and reach blindly for my pack of spicy samosas; Damon's number one delicacy. My stomach is already grumbling for some of it as I lift the pack.

...Why does it feel way too light for comfort?

My eyes shoot open and I scramble up to a sitting position. The pack is transparent and judging by the lack of samosas in it, I already have my culprit.

She comes in the size of a 5'7 punk rock dressed sister.

I frown and get out of my bed. My veil falls to the floor but I don't bother myself to pick it up. Instead, I walk straight out of my room and cross the hall to scream at Vanessa at the beautiful time of four in the morning.

I walk into Vanessa's room and take in the sight in front of me. Vanessa is sitting cross-legged on her messy bed, looking at her laptop. I can hear the characters singing, "love is an open dooooooooor" and she's munching on a samosa. Her eyes widen when she sees me come in.

I'm sure I look like a train wreck. My eyes must be bloodshot and my hair is probably flying all over the place, giving me the Medusa effect. Unfortunately, I'm not Medusa. At this moment, I really want to turn her into stone.

"Yo Paulina," she says sheepishly before popping what I suspect to be the last remaining samosa into her mouth, "Funny story. I was watching Frozen so I got hungry. We don't have popcorn in the house—I really think mom should go grocery shopping—and I saw a pack of samosas just waiting for me so...haha?"

"You just devoured my Suhoor!" I don't care if it's four in the morning. I'm livid.

"Suhoor?" her eyes widen. "Dude, I thought it was a leftover sort of thing! I'm so sorry, really."

Why would a whole pack of samosas be considered a leftover? My alert brain tries to come up with a snappy reply but finally, I sigh. She really does look guilty and I decide to let it go.

"Okay. So...what is there in the house for me to eat?" I run my hand through my hair. My finger gets stuck in a tangle and I frown when she pales a bit more.

I have a bad feeling about this.

"Vanessa?" I try not to grind the enamel off my teeth. "What am I going to eat?"

Her chuckle doesn't put me at ease. "Haha. Remember when I said mom really has to go grocery shopping...?"

I pounce on her and her shout is loud enough to wake up my ancestors.

———

I grumble as I make my way to the bakery. It's seven o'clock and I'm a little bit more than grumpy because of my Suhoor of only a can of Fanta.

I don't even like Fanta!

"Stupid Vanessa. Stupid Fanta. Stupid everyone for eating all the Coco Pops," I walk into the bakery. I spy Kenneth sweeping the floor and I make my way to a random booth. He pauses and sighs before making his way towards me.

"No Suhoor this morning?" he sits on the other side of the booth and raises an eyebrow at me.

"How did you guess?" I roll my eyes at him and he laughs. I try to ignore the feeling of Deja Vu as I look down at my fingers.

"Well, I was your boyfriend this time last year," he shrugs, "We've known each other for a while now."

True. "Look, Kenneth, if this is your way of trying to ask me out again then I'm sorry but—"

"I get it, Paulina," Kenneth looks like he's having a hard time saying the words but he plunges on, "I had my chance ever since we broke up. You waited for me and I didn't come back. I messed up."

"Royally," I interject and he rolls his eyes before nodding in agreement.

"Yes. Totally," he clears his throat. "Yesterday, when I watched you and Damon relate with each other, I realized it was a bit too late. He makes you happy and I have to get over it."

"You sound like Edward Cullen in an alternate universe where Bella ends up with Jacob," I raise my eyebrows in amusement and he laughs.

"You know I've always been Team Jacob," he jokes and I nod with a shrug.

"That's why we were never made to work," the reply is meant to sound scathing but it comes out wary. I train my eyes on my manicure as Kenneth chuckles, although he sounds a bit sad.

"Yeah, amongst many other things," he says finally. I look up at him and he smiles in a strained manner. I try for a smile too.

"Friends?" he asks me and I scoff.

"Nah. I'll pass. You're still a butt hole," I say. It feels so surreal that I'm actually joking with him this way; the same way we normally joked before we started 'dating' and whatnot.

"We both know I've always been a butt hole before I decided to ask you out," he defends himself. I realize it's actually a very valid excuse.

"Okay then. Let me give it some time. I'll see if you're really serious about this whole apology thing and then, I'll know if I really do want to be your friend."

My mood is much lighter now. I can practically say that I don't feel so hungry any more but I'd be lying. There's an empty void in my stomach, where my samosa collection was meant to have their happy ending.

Now, they're just screaming in protest against Vanessa's acidic gastric juice.

Kenneth smiles. "Okay then."

And just like that, I'm willing to give him another chance to prove that we can actually be friends after all the heartbreak and drama.

The glass door bursts open and Damon's hair billows in before him. His eyes narrow when he sees Kenneth and me in close proximity without me trying to bite his head off. He quickly forces a smile on his face but now I know that Damon isn't exactly nonchalant about the idea of Kenneth and me.

"Kenneth, my man. You're still meant to sweeping this place, aren't you?" he walks up to Kenneth's sitting six-foot frame and taps his shoulder hard like they're old buddies.

It doesn't take a genius to get the double meaning in Damon's words.

Kenneth rolls his eyes. "Yes sir. Excuse me," he leaves without preamble and Damon watches him go with crossed arms.

Then he turns to me with a smile that is way too bright for the early morning. "Hey Diadem. How are you?"

My stomach decides to answer him. I flush and his eyes widen.

"...The samosas weren't enough for you?" he looks a bit impressed by my misplaced appetite. "I guess you'll be needing more?"

I hide my face behind my veil. "It's Vanessa. She ate it all. She didn't even leave a piece of beef for me."

Damon chuckles. "Of course. Vanessa," he laughs and slowly moves the veil away from my face. "Are you sure you're going to be strong enough to cook and stare at all the amazing pastries as you're hungry?"

I nod and ignore the way my stomach seems to have a different opinion. "Yeah, I'm sure. I can do this."

———

I really can't do this.

I can handle a lot of things. I can handle Georgia when she's crying over a really sappy movie like The Notebook. I can handle my father when he's stressed out about another client at his garage. I can handle Vanessa fairly well when she's being herself.

I've also realized that I can handle my stomach's cries of anguish anytime a freshly baked cinnamon roll is produced. I can handle the butterflies in my stomach as Damon laughs at my batter stained face. I can handle the sharp burst of pain in my chest as I laugh and wheeze at the image of Kenneth slipping on batter and landing butt first on the floor.

I can handle a lot of things.

But one thing I can't handle is Venus.

Actually, I can't handle anything that involves Venus whatever her middle name is and I don't give a flying spoon about what her last name could be.

We're at the counter, waiting for customers as Damon and Kenneth do whatever boys do in the kitchen. Venus is busy snapping her gum loudly as she reads a magazine (Tigerbeat or something. I thought it was for tweens only?) and the noise is really grating on my nerves. The same nerves that have been enhanced with hunger-induced anger.

But I ignore her and try and concentrate on my game of Candy Crush. Just a few more hours and I can have my prayer break.

The door opens and a familiar person walks towards us, eyes focused on the pastries in front of her. I smile happily as I wave and her eyes finally focus on me before going wide in surprise.

"Paulina?" Ophelia gasps and walks over to me. "Since when do you work here?"

"Since this morning," I roll my eyes and position myself to serve her. "What would you like?"

Ophelia laughs. "Oh my God! No wonder Damon took extra time with his hair this morning."

Ego boost detected.

I grin and wave off her comment. "Well, it wasn't in vain," I pick up a tong. "Cinnamon roll?"

"And some tea. Venus, please can you get some tea for me?" Ophelia turns to look at Venus.

The transformation practically knocks me off my feet. Her smile is suddenly a thousand times brighter and her whole demeanor changes to that of a kitten who just got extra milk. "Of course Ophelia. Coming right up."

I raise my eyebrows. Why isn't she this nice to me? Was it something I wore the first time we met?

Ophelia turns to me and I quickly get her a cinnamon roll. My fingers tremble as I let it go because I'm so hungry, ughhhhhhhhh.

"So Paulina," Ophelia doesn't make a move to leave considering the fact that she's waiting for her cup of tea, "I've been meaning to ask you. You're a Potterhead, right?"

"With every drop of blood in my Gryffindor body," I nod.

"Slytherin," Ophelia corrects me and I frown at her, "Anyway...I have this fangirl club. Where we basically discuss our favorite ships and stuff. We talk about the books, the characters, the movies, everything. Are you in?"

I nod in earnest. "Sounds good. I'm all for Dramione. It gives me life."

Ophelia laughs. "I'm Drarry. Anyhow, it holds every Saturday at my house. See if you can get an off day on Saturday and come over," she takes her cup of tea from a stiff Venus and waves at me. "Later Paulina."

"What about me?" Venus says before Ophelia can leave. "Won't you invite me?"

Ophelia's mouth drops open and I'm sure I look like Nemo on land. "You don't even know Harry Potter. I'm sure you haven't even watched the movie."

"I so did," Venus looks livid, "I'm a certified Pottermouth."

"It's Potterhead," I correct her. She sends me a glare that has the potential to freeze lava. I bite my tongue and turn away.

Ophelia scoffs lightly. "Oh please. Who acted the part of Hermione Granger?"

Venus laughs. "Easy. Victoria Justice, duh."

The laugh that bubbles out of my mouth isn't forced. I turn away and try to inhale gulps of air as my eyes water from the force of trying to laugh quietly.

Ophelia looks like she's going to join me. "Victoria Justice?"

"Well duh. And Harry Potter was totally Dylan O'Brien," she continues to say like she wants me to literally faint from the absurdity of it all. She's talking about The First Time. And Victoria wasn't even the main chick! Was the movie even a big hit in the box office?

Ophelia giggles. "Uh, Venus. That's very...interesting. But I don't think there would be enough room for—"

"No, no. Please let her come along. It'll totally make the discussion more interesting. She knows her Harry Potter characters really well," I chuckle through my words.

Ophelia laughs at our little inside joke. Venus nods. "Yeah, what the freak said."

I roll my eyes.

Ophelia gives her a long look before nodding. "Fine. You're invited, I guess." Then she gives me a look full of amusement. "You are so Slytherin."

She walks away before I can reply and Venus does a not so discreet fist pump in the air before looking at me with a smug grin.

"Get ready to lose Ophelia to me. Once she's on my side, I know Damon will finally be wrapped around my little finger," she flips her hair and sits on her stool before picking up her magazine.

I blink slowly at her logic.

Suddenly, I feel like I should embrace the idea of being like Voldemort and Avada Kedavra this ignorant muggle.

a/n: how did you like this chapter? Was it good enough for you?

I feel like putting a gif of Damon so...