"The New Friend Energy Boost"

It was lunch period, and the usual trio—Sebastian, Adam, and Lily—were sitting at their usual table. Sebastian was mid-sentence, excitedly rambling about how fun gym class had been. His hands flailed animatedly as he described dodging a ball in the weirdest way possible.

Suddenly, a burst of bright energy slid into the scene—literally. "Heyyy, losers!" Arabella’s voice rang out like a firecracker as she plopped down next to Sebastian, star stickers on her cheeks shining like tiny suns.

Sebastian blinked, startled by her sudden appearance, then gave a small, confused smile. “Uh… hey?” He wasn’t sure how to react to her energy—it was like being hit by a happy hurricane.

“New seating arrangement today! I’m officially crashing this party,” Arabella grinned wide, practically vibrating with excitement.

Adam raised an eyebrow but smirked. “You’re kinda weird, y’know that?”

“Obviously. You think normal people wear star stickers on their face? Please.” She flicked a playful glance toward Sebastian, who was still watching her like she was an alien—an exciting, confusing alien.

“Wait, did you actually dodge a ball with your face earlier?” she asked suddenly, turning toward him with wide, fascinated eyes.

Sebastian’s cheeks went red. “I-I didn’t mean to… I just kinda tripped, and it—uh—hit me weird, but I didn’t get out!”

Arabella let out the loudest, most infectious laugh. “That’s legendary. Dude, you’re like a secret gym ninja!” She raised a hand for a high-five.

Sebastian hesitated, then shyly slapped her hand. Her energy was overwhelming, but it wasn’t bad—it was nice. Different from Lily’s sarcasm or Adam’s protectiveness.

Lily, trying not to smile, leaned back and nudged Adam. “She’s gonna break him,” she whispered.

Adam chuckled. “Or she’s exactly what he needs.”

Arabella was already hyping Sebastian up for his “epic” gym moment, and for the first time that day, he was laughing without realizing how natural it felt.