Lily’s day began as it always did, with an early rise and a series of stretching and workout. This, she found, was the best way to shake off the morning sluggishness and start the day on the right foot. A quick shower followed, and soon she was making her way to the breakfast table.

“Mornin’!” she said.

“Good morning, Lily!” her mom and dad said.

Lily’s breakfast was always the same–a large bowl of cereal, a selection of fresh fruit, and a high glass of orange juice. This morning meal was like a reliable old friend, giving her brain a gentle shake and her body a friendly pat on the back, whispering, ‘Time to get going.’

“Okay, I’m off!” she said, grabbing her bag and heading to the door.

“Have a great day, sweetheart!” her mom said.

“And remember,” her dad added. “Try to put yourself out there, do some unexpected stuff. Sure, kung fu is great and all, but it’s not gonna do you much good if you don’t make a few friends. Just loosen up a bit, uh?”

“Ugh,” Lily said. “I’d rather just keep to myself and avoid any unnecessary drama.”

And with that, she stepped out of the house with the solid intention of keeping her day as uneventful as a bowl of plain oatmeal—no sugar, no spice, just predictability in a bowl.

But the moment Lily stepped on the school bus, her plain oatmeal day was getting sprinkles thrown on it, whether she liked it or not. Zoey was there, her hand motioning Emily into the seat next to her.

Zoey was the kind of girl who could find trouble in an empty room, and if she didn’t find it, she’d surely create it. To Lily, she was like a questionable life jacket when you’re drowning in a sea of unfamiliar faces—not ideal, but better than sinking. And so she sat next to her.

“Hey, ready to face the day?” Zoey said. There was a playful conspiracy in her smile, a hint of unspoken plans.

“I guess,” Lily said. “Let’s just hope it’s drama-free.”

“What’s life without a bit of drama? Live dangerously! Embrace the chaos!”

“I’ll take a pass, thanks. I just want to get through the day without trouble.”

“Girl, with your recent fight with Jessica, you’re the talk of the school,” Zoey said. “You’re already making waves and climbing the popularity ladder.”

“First of all, it wasn’t really a fight,” Lily corrected. “And second, I couldn’t care less about popularity.”

“Wrong, wrong, wrong. We should totally milk this for all it’s worth. Think of the possibilities!”

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll stick to being invisible, if that’s alright with you.”

“Don’t worry,” Zoey said. “I’ll be the brains, you’ll be the brawn. We’ll make a great team!”

The idea didn’t sit well with Lily, but neither did the idea of a debate with Zoey. So, she said nothing and spent the rest of the bus ride in silence.

Zoey’s brain was hard at work, theorizing how they could leverage Emily’s newfound fame to their advantage. Ideas that sprang to mind included a fight club (which raised Lily’s eyebrows slightly), a protection service (which sounded suspiciously like something out of a mafia movie), and other schemes that Lily hoped were just part of Zoey’s wild imagination. If nothing else, she was certainly entertaining.

The usual pre-class chit-chat was in full swing when Lily and Zoey settled into their seats for the first period. They were just getting comfortable when a boy approached them with the kind of unearned confidence only a lifetime of privilege could grant.

He was a lanky boy, with a gaze that seemed perpetually startled, as if life kept catching him off guard. Wearing what looked like fancy designer clothes, he was like an exotic bird in a flock of sparrows.

“Ugh, what do you want, Preston?” Zoey said, her tone suggesting that Preston’s presence was about as pleasant as finding a worm in your apple.

“Put your claws away,” Preston said. “I’m not here for you. I’m here for the new girl — Liz, is it?”

“Lily,” she corrected him.

“Right, Lily,” Preston said. “The girl who’s taking on the school bullies. I gotta say, it’s impressive. I’m thinking, you must be a girl with a lot of guts. Am I right?”

“What do you need, Preston?” Zoey cut in. “I assume there’s a point to all this?”

There was a pause, with Preston looking ready to deliver either a stroke of genius or a punchline to a joke no one wanted to hear. Finally, he spoke.

“Here’s the thing. I have a little…situation, let’s say. And I was thinking, a girl like you might be able to help me out. You know, with your…unique skills.”

“Uh-huh, continue,” Zoey said.

“See, I’m talking to Lily here, not you,” Preston said, brushing Zoey off with a flick of his hand. “Where were we? Ah, yes. I was thinking you might be able to help me with something.”

Though Lily’s instincts raised a red flag, good manners insisted she at least hear him out.

“What do you need?” she asked.

“Listen,” Preston began, leaning in close in dramatic fashion. “I’m being harassed. And let me tell you, it’s unbearable. Always looking over my shoulder, never knowing when the next attack is gonna come. It’s not a life, it’s a nightmare. So I thought, maybe someone like you could be like my personal bodyguard. You know, for a price. I mean, I’ll pay, of course. What do you say?”

It went without saying that Lily was not the slightest bit interested in becoming Preston’s hired muscle. She was searching her mind for the most polite way to say ‘no way!’ But before she could speak, Zoey stepped in.

“Sure, we’ll take the job,” Zoey said.

“Wait, what? ‘We’?” Preston said.

“Yeah, we. As in, both of us,” Zoey clarified. “We’re a team. So if you want Lily, you get me too. And don’t even think about haggling on the price. We both get $25 - it’s not negotiable. Now, what do you say?”

“Uh…Okay, fine then,” Preston said. “Deal.”

Just then, the teacher brought the classroom to attention with a thunderous clap. A sudden rush to sit down, and just like that, class was in session. But for Lily, the thought of becoming Preston’s personal bodyguard lingered, and she wasn’t exactly thrilled.

“Let me just make one thing clear,” she whispered. “I am not doing this.”

“We agreed. No backing out now,” Zoey said.

“I didn’t agree to anything!”

“Let’s not get hung up on who said what,” Zoey said. “We have money at stake here, Lily. And not to mention Preston’s safety…if that’s worth anything to you,” she paused. “This could be the start of our own private business. Zoey and Lily Security Services.”