"What?!" The word echoes as Baggie shrieks.

"I know right?" Ryan grins, trying to hide his disappointment.

"Your boyfriend–?"

"No."

It was a clear no, but her expression was vaguely gloomy. Something wasn't right. And it surely doomed Ryan.

"I fucking told you she's addicted to you."

"She's not, believe me."

"So when are you love birds going?" Kyle stretches his legs.

"I-" Ryan's face suddenly drowns in a mess. He forgot to mention the time and date! Fuck it.

"Whoa whoa. Don't tell me you didn't discuss it with her." Nick facepalms himself.

"Not my fault! Do you've any idea how hard it is to ask a girl– especially when she hates you– for dinner without getting fucked up?!" Ryan retorts in defense. He surely screwed it all up.

Kyle sighs, "Never expect anything witty from Ryan."

The boys burst into laughing. Ryan is infuriated at his own stupidity. How the hell could I be such an idiot?!

He immerses into a sense of regret and a punishing thought of Mabel never trusting him again. But the fact that disturbs him the most is the thought of losing Mable in the hands of her friend who's soon gonna come into her life. And this envies him.

"Ryan? RYAN!" A voice shrieks at his ears. Ryan jerks up and looks at the six lads staring at him.

"What?" 

Nick grunts, "Ughh. I just exposed our whole plan for tomorrow."

"Oh.. Mind repeating it again?"

"Gosh, you really need to forget your dreamy thoughts when we're discussing the plan!"

"Don't tell me what I already know. Just repeat the fucking plan."

Nick furrows his eyebrows. Kyle notices the infuriated expressions on both of them. He sighs and decides to drop in.

"Ryan...stop. I'll tell you the plan."

"Sure, speak up."

"Tomorrow we've a meeting with James Louis, the fucking rich guy who's gonna invest a million dollars for our performance in the next week. We gotta discuss the show plans with him."

Ryan nods. He didn't get a single word of it except "James Louis". The fucking billionaire.

"I didn't know he was coming back though. I mean, remember how he fled to London because he couldn't pay the other band-" 

"We Dino. Yes, Ryan, I thought so too. Like for God's sake We Dino was an amazing band. But he ditched them." Cello finishes his sentence. He sighs, "But I won't be able to go with you guys."

Zen gazes him, concerned. "Why?"

Cello looks down and blushes. "I-"

"I'm not going either," Baggie protests. The boys stare at him. 

"What the heck is wrong with you chaps? This is our only chance and you aren't even interested?" Shots interrupts, outraged.

"Bro, calm down. I'm sure they've a reasonable explanation behind it," Zen looks over at the two boys protesting against the plan. "Please tell me that you do."

Baggie opens his mouth to speak but stops. Cello progresses his statement.

"I've a date tomorrow. I can't let her down."

Baggie quickly turns to Cello, "Wait, that's the same reason why I cannot go!"

Shots scratches his head in confusion, "What? Don't tell me you're going on a boy-with-boy date."

"Fuck off," the two boys retort. They gaze at the others, "Guess we gotta cancel our plans for tomorrow."

Nick sighs and pats Ryan's arm. "Call your babygirl to dinner tomorrow. We've to cancel our plan anyway."

Ryan's face brightens for a second, but then dims into a dull mess.

"I haven't got her number..." He utters, feeling doomed again.

"Seriously?! Why the hell are you so stupid, man?" Kyle snatches his phone, which was lying on the couch beside him.

"What the fuck-" Ryan frowns, "I've got private stuff there!"

"Shut up. I'm trying to help you here," Kyle replies, tapping down the buttons swiftly.

"But what ARE you doing?"

"Am trying to surf her on Instagram."

"What-"

"You can DM her then, dumbass!" Kyle snorts as he rushed his fingers on the screen. "Found it."

Ryan, with the others, lean closer to see her pictures. A profile of Mabel and Rihanna appears on the screen.

"Damn, which one is yours, Ryan?" Shots inquires, impressed by the girls.

Ryan immerses in his thoughts. Mabel's hair is falling over her shoulders, almost reaching her breasts. Her eyes seem to glitter and her fascinating soft lips waiting for a kiss. Ryan's mind instantly plays the memory at the club. Kissing.

"That one." He points her on the screen.

Zen raises his eyebrow as he observes the picture. "Who are these chicks?"

"Ryan's lovebird and her friend, I guess," Baggie shrugs off. "I bet my one is sexier."

"Lets not argue over girls now," Nick demands. But Zen is already expressing his jealousy over Ryan's beloved.

"How'd you get her? I mean, look at HER!" He explodes. Nick signals Shots to calm him down.

Cello stretches his legs and asks lazily, "So no plan for tomorrow?"

"Well, you three are going on dates. Maybe I'll just check out the new café across the street," Nick answers groggily. "And I expect to have no more girl conversations which may lead to the cancellation of our appointment with James, which I'll probably set on the day after tomorrow."

The boys nod. Kyle promptly throws the phone back to Ryan. "Have fun chatting with your bae."

"Ha ha. Very funny." Ryan puts it in his pocket as he stands up. "I guess I'll be going now. Night."

"Night," the chaps tune in melodiously.

________________________________________________________________________________

As Ryan strides down the street, he wanders about Mabel. He pulls his phone out and sends a "Hi" to her. She isn't online. He decides to check out her other pictures too.

And he suddenly freezes as he sees the last post's caption.

"He's mine and will be mine– Mabel." His eyes crawl up to the photo of an anonymously dressed guy holding Mabel by the waist.

So he was right about her vague expression previously that day.

"Your boyfriend–?"

"No."

It wasn't a no, it was an unconfessed lie! His heart almost stops beating...