THICKER THAN BLOOD
As the years passed, the bond between Clara and Massimo grew into something legendary.
Their families had long since stopped treating them as mere friends; they were kin.
Clara had become a second grandchild to Massimo's grandmother, often found tucked away in her spice-scented kitchen, learning the quiet secrets of old recipes.
On the other hand, Massimo was a permanent fixture at Clara's house. He shared a unique, unspoken understanding with Clara's mother that made him feel as though he had always belonged there.
Now that they were in high school, the world outside hadn't changed their world inside.
They were still "the twins"—a title the entire school used without a second thought.
They shared everything: lockers, lunches, secrets, and even those fiery, sudden arguments that only people who truly love each other can survive.
They moved in such perfect sync that most observers didn't even realize they weren't related by blood.
Now in high school, the world outside hadn't changed the world inside.
They made new friend named Kamsi.
Then, there was Kamsi.
She had joined their circle like a missing puzzle piece. Pretty, sharp, and rarely seen without her phone, Kamsi was often dismissed by peers as just another screen-addicted teenager.
But Clara and Massimo knew her secret. Kamsi wasn't scrolling through social media; she was a girl with a mission.
With a deep, unapologetic love for the hustle, she spent her days tracking market trends and closing trades.
While others worried about exams, Kamsi was busy building an empire from the palm of her hand.
Together, they formed a perfect, unlikely balance: the heart, the soul, and the strategist.
They were three different worlds, held together by a friendship that felt like it could never be broken.
During the break period, the high school courtyard was a chaotic sea of uniforms and loud laughter, but for the "twins," it was just another moment to slip into their private world.
Massimo didn't even have to look up from his notebook to know what Clara was doing.
He reached out, his fingers catching her wrist just as she was about to pick up a suspicious-looking mystery meat slider from the cafeteria tray she'd scavenged.
"Don't eat that, Clara," Massimo said firmly, his eyes still on his homework.
"I was just... inspecting it," she muttered, though her fingers had been inches from the tray.
Massimo sighed, a small, knowing smile tugging at his lips. He reached into his bag and pulled out a neatly wrapped container.
"Grandma stayed up late making extra meat pies because she knew you'd probably 'inspect' your way into a stomach ache. She told me specifically to make sure you ate this."
"Your grandma is a saint," Clara whispered, her face lighting up as she took the warm pastry.
The exchange was seamless—a silent language of care developed over a decade of shared birthdays.
To any student passing by, they were simply "the twins" doing what they did best: looking out for one another.
Across from them, Kamsi was a statue of digital concentration.
Her thumb flicked across her glowing screen with the precision of a professional trader.
Her brow was furrowed, and she hadn't touched her bottled water in twenty minutes.
"Kamsi? Earth to the Empire?" Massimo called out, waving a hand in front of her face.
Suddenly, Kamsi let out a sharp, triumphant breath. She finally looked up, her eyes bright and sharp.
"The candles just turned green,"
she whispered, a smirk spreading across her face.
"I just closed a position on a tech stock. In the time it took you two to argue about a snack, I made enough to buy us all the good jollof rice from that spot downtown."
Clara laughed, leaning back. "Our resident mogul strikes again. Isn't it stressful to watch those numbers all day?"
"It's not stress, Clara. It's a game," Kamsi replied, finally sliding her phone into her pocket with a satisfied click.
"And I don't plan on losing. Besides, someone has to fund our future travels since you two are too busy being 'the twins' to worry about the market."
She reached out and playfully ruffled both of their hair at once.
For a moment, the three of them were a perfect, closed circle—the heart, the soul, and the strategist—completely oblivious to the crowded room around them.
Massimo glanced at Kamsi, then Clara.
A flutter of something he didn't understand stirred in his chest.
Maybe this year would be different."