A New Ride

It was a quiet evening when Juan received an unexpected call from Elizabeth. Lisa's mother sounded cheerful but firm as she explained the purpose of the call.

"Juan," Elizabeth said warmly, "I'm sending you some money. Please use it to buy Lisa a car. I don't want her using the school bus anymore."

Juan hesitated at first but eventually agreed. A few days later, the money arrived, and Juan purchased a sleek, modest car for Lisa. She wanted to surprise her with the gift and decided it would be a good idea to have someone drive her to school for the first day.

The morning of the big surprise, Juan went to Grace's room. "Grace, I need you to drop Lisa at school today. She has a car now, and I want her to get used to it."

Grace groaned and rolled over in bed. "Mom, I'm so tired. Can't Felix do it? He's not working early today."

Juan sighed but relented. She knocked on Felix's door. When he opened it, his face was its usual cold mask. "What is it?"

"I need you to take Lisa to school today. Grace won't do it," Juan said.

Felix raised an eyebrow but shrugged. "Fine. Give me the keys."

Lisa was surprised when Felix approached her, jingling the car keys. "Let's go," he said curtly, not bothering with pleasantries.

She nodded and climbed into the passenger seat. The drive was silent, as expected, with Felix keeping his eyes on the road and saying nothing unless necessary.

When they arrived at the school, Lisa hesitated, unsure of what to say. Before she could muster the courage to thank him, Felix broke the silence.

"Lisa," he said, his tone as cold as ever. "Don't forget your project."

Then, without waiting for a response, he drove off.

As Felix drove away, a group of girls passing by noticed him. Their reactions were immediate and loud.

"Wow, who's that?" one of them exclaimed.

"He's so handsome!" another said, clutching her books.

"Is he her boyfriend?" a third girl whispered, staring at Lisa with wide eyes.

Lisa's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she quickly walked away, ignoring the stares and whispers that followed her into the school.

In the cafeteria, Lisa sat with Sakura, Chelsea, Rani, Ratna, Pharita, and Iris. She decided to share what had happened that morning.

"The guy who dropped me off today was Felix," Lisa said casually, trying to downplay the situation.

Rani almost choked on her juice. "Whaaaaat?! That was Felix? I never imagined him to be this handsome!"

Ratna rolled her eyes and nudged Rani. "Cut it out, Rani. He's not for you."

Rani crossed her arms, pouting. "And who are you to tell me who I can and can't like?"

Ratna grinned and pulled Rani into a playful hug. "Your bestie, that's who!"

The group burst into laughter, the tension easing as they teased Rani about her dramatic reaction.

Meanwhile, the Barbies—Elsa, Erica, and Linda—had also noticed Felix dropping Lisa off. From their spot near the school gate, they watched him drive away.

"Did you see that?" Elsa said, narrowing her eyes.

"Yeah," Erica replied, smirking. "Do you think they're dating?"

Linda crossed her arms. "If they are, this could get interesting."

The three of them exchanged knowing looks, already plotting how to use this new information to their advantage.

As the day went on, Lisa couldn't shake the memory of Felix's curt words. Despite his cold demeanor, there was something about him that made her heart flutter. She hated to admit it, but she was starting to feel something she couldn't quite explain.

For now, though, she pushed those feelings aside and focused on her day, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing around her.