*Charlie's P.O.V *

The guys decided to convene at a pizza place near my school at six o clock. I rise by three.

After waking Sydney, I get dressed and inspect the essentials in my travel backpack. We set off half an hour later.

I'm surprised to meet Nat seated in the almost empty food joint when I arrive. Nervously joining him in the booth, I greet him while his jaw drops.

"What the bloody hell?" Nat rubs his temple. "It's always the quiet ones. Are you secretly a billionaire's kid? Where did you buy -"

"A mall?"

"- Buy a baby pink -" Nat pauses to check something on his phone. " - Custom lapel double necked crossbody buttoned shirt with white shorts - that's not how normal people dress. Are you from the royal family? What's with the gold chain and bouncy hair and like, so early in the morning?! Look at my hair! I tried to dye it blond, and now look. It looks like shit!"

I'm too lost to flinch. "It's not ... unsightly?"

"And you are telling me you bought these from a mall."

"Yes. They are a bit expensive, but no, my parents are not royals, or billionaires." I chuckle.

Twelve minutes later, the door opens, and a now black-haired Leo drags in a suitcase and two duffel bags.

"It's Roon," he grunts at the suitcase, then halts, regarding me with raised brows.

"Wow." Leo blinks. "You look... Good."

When Rooney and Marvin enter with similar reactions, I schedule a scolding for Harry in my head; he lied about this outfit being normal.

Leo asks Marvin for the keys to pack the luggage in the boot. The latter goes to the counter for food, although only two workers are available. Roon sits beside Nat, so Marv can later engulf all the space beside me.

"They've got hot chocolate. Plus bacon and toast."

"I want." Roon raises his hand. Nat too.

But as soon as Leo returns, he says, "We'll make a pitstop."

"Nah, I want hot choco." Roon smiles at me."You too, right?"

My gaze darts to Leo, but he's too busy squeezing between Roon and Nat.

"Ok, hot chocolate, it is." Marvin rises.

My ribs involuntarily ease into our side of the booth, making Nat chuckle, "He was he sitting on you, innit?"

"What's with that accent?" Roon grimaces.

"What accent?" He drops his phoney accent instantly.

Leo rolls his eyes and climbs over the booth. "I'm gonna use the washroom," he says, side-glancing at me in a way that says, come.

*

But do I just follow him like some sheep? No, I take my sweet time. When I finally reach the restroom, Leo turns to me and whispers, "Shush, ok?"

"Pardon?"

"I said shush."

"Please be more polite."

Rolling his eyes to that, he gets off the mop bucket he is stepping on to look through an elevated window.

My brow rises. "What are you doing?"

"Jumping out!" He sounds like he just got a new toy. "Let's go."

"No, thanks. My shorts will get dirty."

He huffs, then takes his spray-painted oversized hoodie off so fast that he exposes his packs in the process. I cringe as he wraps it around me.

"Your sweat."

"Yea, I know. It smells better than cologne." He smirks.

"And the others, wha-" I forget my question because he retreats to the bucket, tiptoes on it and whisper-shouts, "- A little help here."

When I don't move, he adds, "Please."

"Are you leaving them?"

"Don't worry; we'll come back for them."

"When?" I help him push the window open. Instead of answering me, his head pokes. When his body climbs up, I hear a thud outside, and ask, "Are you ok?"

"Yes." He laughs from the other side of the wall. "Come here."

"Ur ... no?"

"Charlie, it's not that high. And I'll catch you."

I doubt that.

"You're making me freeze out here!"

"Sorry." I almost remove his swearer to hand it to him when he says, "Charlie, do you want me to beg?"

"No- actually- would you?"

"Beg?"

"Yes?"

"Nevermind," Leo replies, "I'll rather freeze to death out here."

I chuckle to that and steady my hands against the window sill, propping myself up. Cold air hits my shoulders as he stretches his arms and catches me by my diaphragm.

Landing safely thanks to his grip, I sigh. "You can have your hoodie now please." 

"Keep it and stay annoyed." Leo smirks.

"So... all this is to annoy me?"

"If it's any consolation, we're about to annoy the others also." He snorts.

My brows hit the roof in horror, but he winks and says," Stay low."

I oblige. The parking lot is empty, so we trot in the opposite direction. Bypassing the front window of the pizza place from which the others should have seen us, he leads me to the other side of the road. We reach a gas station and sprint to a green car.

He unlocks it and pushes me into the driver's seat, making me gasp," I can't drive!"

"If they see it's me driving, they'll throw their food at us." He pants, already in the passenger seat. "And that will be littering. Do you want them to litter?"

No.

"But, Leo, I can't drive -"

"We can do it together," says the sly boy as he positions my hands on the wheel. "Ready?"

"Where are we going?"

"Back. Ready?"

"Wha-" I'm not ready, especially when the car starts moving. Thank goodness he does not leave me to the stirring wheel. My eyes shoot daggers at him while he mumbles, "Good job, Charlie" and takes the reigns. As he drives closer to the pizza place, we see Roon stand.

Leo spins the wheels like a ouija board, releases his grip and laughs.

What in the world?!

My eyes bulge at him, hands grabbing the stirring wheel in earnest recollection of how Sydney, Harry, or anybody drives.

"Hey!" We hear Nat as I manoeuvre to hit the brakes.

I think I black out afterwards because we end up in the parking lot, behind the food joint instead of in front of it.

You are crazy. I want to tell Leo this, but I am breathless, and he's laughing at the signpost with the inscription 'Drivethru'.
Wait, I drove us to the Drivethru?

"Yoo, not cool!" Roon runs from the back with a plastic cup, but when he sees just me, he doesn't throw it.

Glossy eyed, I look down to Leo. "You are crazy."

"So what?" He squints. I think he's waiting for an explanation, but I need to catch my breath. I hold up a hand.

"Have I made you kill anyone?" A sudden sigh comes out of him.

"No." Almost.

To that, his gaze takes a dark shade with him narrowing it on me. "Then... crazy is fine. We are fine."

*

*
Our trip has began.

As our punishment, Marvin, our designated driver, makes Leo and I sit at the back with a livid Roon between us. He also takes Leo's bag of Lays chips.

"No, Natty, don't let him- " Leo tries to protest, but Roon restrains him.

I know better than to talk. I shake my head when Nat looks at me for an explanation. At least Marv waits until the first pitstop, speeding to the convenience store of a gas station before he eats.

Nat gets a long list from him and hops out of our ride, asking, "Do we need all this food?"

Everyone nods. Leo goes with Nat, and they return with a trolley of unhealthy food, much to Marvin's delight.

"Ok, now, can I have another bag of chips?" he booms as soon as they finish loading the food in the boot. Nat rolls his eyes.

*

Back on the road, Nat feeds Marv while the latter drives.

When two more bags of chips are devoured, Nat gasps. "Wait, there's no more Lays."

"What?!" Leo and Roon snap in unison.

"Guys, chill. You'll wake Charlie." Nat points to me. I'm not asleep. My eyes are just closing.

*

Ok, I slept. But the others did too!

Four clueless boys, enjoying the travel breeze, resting their minds until -

"Get out! -"

"-AAAAH!" Everyone panics.

We all vamoose, only to meet Marvin on the roadside.

"Guys, chill; it's me," he titters. " I was just waking you up for a stretch."

"Pardon me?" I yawn.

Roon gasps, too stunned to speak. One look at him and I could see a hurricane brewing inside.

Nat bursts into a guffaw that infects me and Leo. "Roon-HAhaHA-wah-why are you - Hah, calm down! HAmHAHA...Hmm! Hm. Ok-Ha-Sorry, sorry, yeh?"

Leo pats Marv, still laughing. "R.I.P., bro."

Eight star jumps later, a unanimous decision to quit leaves Marvin standing awkwardly by the car alone.

"Guys, we need to do more for our blood to circulate -"

"Get. In." Roon seethes.

Marv instantly obeys. The next time he stops driving, we are parked in front of a woody house at five in the evening. It's nestled right by a lake, and as soon as we step out, a gentle breeze wraps around us, like a warm embrace from nature. Trees swish as though ushering us onto a different little planet. It's like my grandparent's home minus the contemporary architecture.

A loud yawn snaps me out of my enchantment. I turn to Nathaniel, and he closes his mouth.

Roon comes between us, babbling, "Yo, since you like reading so much," and yanking out a storybook onto my palm.

Before I see the title, Natty shrieks, "You're giving him Fifty Shades?!"

"Why, what's wrong with it?"

"It is smut." Nat shrugs.

"Meaning?"

Marv halts in his tracks to gasp at me, "Wow, you don't-" Then he catches Leo shaking his head. "- Sorry, I mean, it's got lots of sex scenes."

Instantly, I drop the book. Its thud is so acute that every eye snaps it on the ground. Rooney's gaze reverts to me first. "Yo, not cool." He picks it up and wipes dirt off, grumbling, "And what kind of person does not read smut? Right, Leo?"

"Now, why would I read about stuff I've been doing?"

Marv spits out water.

"EMOOOTIONAL DAMAGE!" Nat throws his head back.

What is the joke, though? I turn to Roon to explain, but he's too busy yelping, "Y'all suck!" He stomps to the boot. Leo shrugs at me, drawing closer.

"Guys, just take what you need for the night and tomorrow morning."

They oblige. I remove our bags while Leo goes to unlock the front door. As we troop inside, I admire the knitted cushions while Natty squeals, "D and D!!"

"Really?!" Marv rushes to open a set on the centre table. As Roon joins them, they remove a dice and some game pieces. Leo and I bend a corridor into a cosy bedroom. We drop our bags on the bed. He plops beside them when Nat screeches, "Get back here before you lose, wizard!"

"Mmhph," Leo groans into a pillow, then peeks at me. "You can go play with them."

I lean on the wall. "No, I'll just ... ur, find something to eat."

"Oh?" He rises, climbing off the bed. I nod, only for him to move past the doorway. "Let's make something to eat!"

In the kitchen, I check the fridge while he hurls an oil gallon and fresh potatoes onto the counter. There're some frozen sausages and butter.

"How can I help?" He utters as I peel the potatoes.

"Just ... put some olive oil and butter on fire."

"Like this amount?" He shows me an oily pan. I instruct him to add just a little more. Boiling the potatoes, I search the fridge for more ingredients while he fries the sausages.

"Do the others like spices in their food?"

"A little," Leo says.

While I am cutting onions and garlic for the gravy, he adds, "No tomatoes, though. Ron hates them."

"Ok."

"So," He lowers the stove."Tomorrow, we have the whole day to ourselves. What should we do after taking the pictures?"

"I was planning to watch Good Friday Mass, actually," I mutter, hoping not to dampen his spirit.

"Oh," he replies in a cryptic falsetto. I observe him with a consoling gaze, although he smiles. "So you, like, believe in forgiveness and all that ... considering how you handled my grudge with Harry."

I nod, catching his eyes. They soften briefly before he reverses to our mess. I clean up while he serves five plates of bangers and mash. He summons the rest, only for the three boys to appear in oversized suits, ties on their heads, and cotton beards.

"Whose idea was it?" Leo seethes.

They point to Nat, who gasps, "What? I'm in my rich cleric era. And my style is impeccable despite how dull your uncle's clothes are, so they copied me."

Leo shakes his head. I titter. His friends know how to get on his nerves, intentionally or not. He makes them take the suits off until they are done eating.

Having finished first, Nat leaves just as Marv moans, "Charlie, please tell me there's more."

"You can have mine." I offer him what is left on my plate. He gratefully savours his extra mashed potatoes, and Roon gags. "Ya, eat well cuz when you're done, I'll kick your warrior into the afterlife."

"No one is playing afterwards," Leo orders, "You guys need to rest for the concert."

"Oh, but come -" Marv is cut off by abrupt music resonating from the corridor. Nat emerges on Leo's skateboard, belting out a song playing on his phone. "Karma is the breeze in my hair..." He drifts into the kitchen when we instead hear, "Ur, guys, how do you stop this thing?"

Marv goes to his rescue. Roon and Leo share grimaces and the giant boy returns with a tumultuous Nat hurled over his shoulder. "Let me down, Mar- MARVEY! Mar -"

"Is he ok?" I ask.

Marv chuckles, "No, he's officially been brainwashed by Train Swift."

"Taylor Swift!" Nat corrects ballistic. "How dare you?!"

"Ok, that's it," Roon jolts to his feet and seizes his phone, albeit with great struggle. Nat surveys the damage to his fingernails and then gestures the middle finger. Leo turns to me, concerned. I shrug. Perhaps it's a code to suggest annoyance; I would also feel irritated if someone snatched Harry's Macbeth from me.

Speaking of the classic, I've to complete it today. Since I'm done eating, I wash my plate fast and then resume reading, whereas the others deliberate on changing their game.

"Roon keeps stealing my dragon figurines," Nat grumbles," let's play something else."

"No, you guys have rest for the concert," Leo mutters, but Nat still suggests," Flip the bottle?!"

"Is food involved, like on Tiktok?"

"Marv, you've eaten enough," Roon grunts. "But, ya, let's add some stakes."

"Ok, then, the winner picks the movie we will watch on Leo's pen drive," Nat quirks. "Or even better, the winner takes back his stuff and everyone else's most cherished item."

"No." I look up from the book.

"So it's a ploy to get your phone back," Marv concurs.

An unabashed nod propels three to their feet. "Oh, come on!" Nathaniel lunges for Leo's leg while the others escape.

"Dude, what the - Fine! We'll play or whatever, but let's -" Leo pauses for a eureka moment. "Aha, let's gather mattresses down here first."

"On it!" Marv yells, ascending the stairs with Roon. I tail them. We enter different rooms and heft thick mattresses out. Leo supports each of us in bringing them downstairs. Painstakingly, the four of us push the couches into a corner along with the centre table, leaving the flat-screen television to overlook five mattresses. Roon provides a half-full water bottle and therefore earns first play.

"Hurry up," he commands. We huddle around the space covered only by the floor mat. He flips the bottle, but it rolls down his mattress.

However, before Marvin boos him, Leo interjects, " Where's Nat?"

"Ur ... I saw him run upstairs." I realise.

"Maybe he's getting your pendrive."

"I doubt that, Marv."

"Yo, the phone -"

"Has he taken it?" Marvin frowns as Roon ransacks his jeans pockets, then his pillow. Just as he exhales, pulling it out of the case, Nat staggers into view at the top.

"My ball!" Roon's grin evaporates.

"Lays!" Marvin's reaction contrasts.

Leo facepalms. "For pete's sake, you can't skateboard."

"True," he concedes, staggering down because the items block his view. I notice he's spotting the hoodie Leo gave me.

"You're right, but these," he pants once in front of us, "these are your stakes."

"The hoodie is not mine."

"Really?" He scans the paint splashes on the sleeves, and then his eyes widen. "OoOo -"

"I want a rematch," angry brows cut him off. Instantly, we let Roon flip again. The bottle flies to a wall and falls flat. Leo tries, followed by Marv, but they also fail. Nat excitedly hugs their stuff, keen on my turn. I imitate Leo's wrist-jerk, and the bottle miraculously lands upright by Marvin's mattress.

"YOO!" Roon bursts.

I squirm as everyone cheers. Their masculine shouts ring loud until, fortunately, Nat silences them to say, " So, should I return the hoodie?"

I turn to Leo. "No."

He gapes as I mimic his smirk.

"So, whose item should I return?!" Nat raises both brows.

"You can have your phone back."

Roon gives me a flabbergasted look too. I shrug, and he turns to his jubilant friend, uttering, "Seriously, Charlie?"

Nat sticks his tongue out at him. Rolling his eyes, Roon scoots over with the phone. However, just as Nat frees his hand to receive it, Roon snatches the bag of crisps instead. He vanishes past the dining room.

"You took the Lays, dimwit! Nat ..."

"Language." Marv does not hear me. He starts squabbling for the basketball. Leo and I watch them until Nat lobs it, absent-minded. The instant it falls on me, I toss it to Leo, who smacks my chest. Soon, we squirm to avoid each other's toss while his blind friends wrestle.

"Argh, fine!" Leo groans, catching the ball for the fourth time. Then, he grabs my hand.

"Leo, NO!"

He gets on his heels. I almost trip.

"No, - where are you taking me-"

"- Shush!" He takes the corridor and shoves me into a room.

As he shuts the door, I wrench the ball from him and bounce it against his head, whisper-shouting, "What is wrong with you?!"

"Oh, so now you like violence." He giggles, capturing me in a nanosecond. I almost scream, but Roon's voice suddenly resonates in the corridor.

"Nat, is that you? I'm coming for my ball!"

When the volume of his footsteps lowers, Leo pokes his head out and then pulls me in the direction opposite where Roon is headed. I run alongside Leo, only for him to give me such whiplash that I lose sight of him in the kitchen. Unfortunately, the ball is still in my grasp; I halt for a second to scan where he can be, then enter the hall where Nat stands alone, gasping, "Where's everyone?!"

"You should run." I toss to him. He abandons Leo's skateboard and takes my advice. Keeping the board, I cheer him on.

Little do I know that the confused boy will bump into Marv and throw the ball back.

"NO, give it to Ro-"

"Charlie!" Leo yells from the ... kitchen! He receives my pass. Marv rushes to him from behind me. Leo dribbles past him. Dizzying me, they encircle the counter, and then Leo flicks the ball between and past his legs so fast that he trips.

"ANKLE BREAKER!" Nat is now in the kitchen too. Unfortunately for my beloved ears, I'm inches away from the entrance. I wince as Roon also appears.

"Yo, where's my ball?!"

"He broke his ankles. Lemme show you!" Nat holds up his phone, which has surprisingly been with him throughout the ruckus. Ron bursts into a laugh. Marv snatches the ball, crawls up, and throws it at them. He misses.

"Sorry," Leo chuckles, dropping to an octave at the last bit. "But I told y'all we should sleep. Today's lesson is: 'Listen to me.' "

No, today's lesson is: 'Always have your earmuffs on', I bare in mind. We retire to our mattresses after warm baths in separate rooms.

Everyone is asleep when a hand shakes my shoulder. I stir.

"Charlie," a voice whispers.

My eyelids flutter. "Sil?"

"Let's go." She tugs me by my arm. I groan, ascending the stairs with her nonetheless. We enter the closest room, and she opens the window.

"What are you doing?"

She does not respond, climbing out. My feet touch the roofing sheet, and she cackles, "Oh, come on, I know you're not scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Death." She grins. My nose scrunches.

"Come on now," She pulls me to the edge. "It's easier out here anyway."

"How so?"

"Mmm..." She rubs her chin. "There are no guards, for instance -"

"Charlie!" A male voice interrupts. I turn to see him at the window.

"Who's that?"

"Leo."

"Well, tell him to go back inside!" She demands. I shrug at her, and she smacks my head. "Tell him to go!"

"Sil-"

"- Fine. I'll do it." She storms up to him and screams, " Go back inside!"

"Charlie, what's wrong?" He is suddenly grabbing my hands. I quiver. His arms are about to trap me when Silver pushes him out of nowhere.

"ARE YOU DEAF?" She bangs his chest again. "DON'T TOUCH HIM! WHY DO MEN LIKE YOU LIKE TOUCHING HIM WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION?! HUH? WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM HIM!"

Turning, she comes to me and utters, "Forgive me."

She hits me. I fall.