𝓔𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓷𝓪𝓵 𝓼𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓮
ᴴᵃⁿᵍ ᵒᵘᵗ ⁿⁱᵍʰᵗˢ

Elena's room buzzed with the sound of laughter and music as the gang gathered for one last hangout before her big trip.

The fairy lights around her room gave the space a soft glow, making it feel like the perfect spot for a bittersweet goodbye.

The air smelled faintly of popcorn and candy, courtesy of Alex raiding the kitchen earlier, and the sound of Mamma Mia! blasted from Alex's phone.

Alex stood in the middle of the room, dramatically lip-syncing Dancing Queen, complete with exaggerated dance moves that had everyone laughing—except Amelia.

"Alex, please, for the love of everything holy, stop!" Amelia groaned, burying her face in a pillow as her brother twirled dramatically.

"Absolutely not!" Alex declared, grabbing a hairbrush from Elena's desk to use as a makeshift microphone. "You only get one last performance before Elena leaves, and I intend to make it unforgettable!"

"You're going to make it unbearable," Amelia shot back, throwing the pillow at him.

Elena laughed from her spot on the floor, leaning back against her bed. "Honestly, this is peak entertainment. I don't even need to turn on Netflix."

Heaven smirked from the corner chair, flipping through a magazine. "As much as I hate to admit it, Alex might actually be the star of the night."

"Thank you, Heaven," Alex said, taking an exaggerated bow.

"Don't encourage him," Amelia muttered, but even she couldn't hide her grin.

Elena stood near her desk, folding a few last-minute items into her suitcase, when Alex sprang up from his spot on the floor.

"Everyone, attention please!" Alex announced dramatically, grabbing the hairbrush from Elena's vanity to use as a microphone. "It's time for the performance of a lifetime!"

"Oh no," Amelia muttered, already bracing herself.

As Dancing Queen started playing,

Alex began twirling around the room, lip-syncing every word with exaggerated enthusiasm. Elena watched for a moment, trying to stifle her laughter, before deciding to join him.

"Wait, wait, I want in!" Elena said, grabbing her water bottle to use as her own makeshift mic.

The two of them started dancing in sync, jumping on and off the bed as they belted out the chorus.

Alex spun Elena around dramatically, almost knocking over a lamp in the process.

"You're going to break something!" Amelia shouted, but her protests were drowned out by their laughter.

"Come on, Amelia!" Elena said, reaching for her hand. "Join us!"

"Absolutely not," Amelia said, crossing her arms.

"That's what a fun-hater would say," Alex teased, pointing the hairbrush at her.

Amelia rolled her eyes. "I'll have you know, I am very fun. I just don't feel the need to humiliate myself."

"Lame," Alex said, sticking out his tongue.

The room dissolved into laughter as Alex dropped to his knees, singing the final lines of the song with mock passion.

Heaven snapped a photo from her chair, muttering something about blackmail material.

Once the song ended, Alex flopped onto the floor, out of breath but grinning. "Thank you, thank you," he said, pretending to bow.

Elena collapsed onto the rug beside him. "I think we nailed it."

"You two are ridiculous," Amelia said, but the corner of her mouth twitched in a smile.

As the laughter died down, the conversation shifted to Elena's trip.

"So," Heaven said, closing the magazine she'd been flipping through. "Belgium, huh? That's fancy."

"It's kind of surreal," Elena admitted, leaning back on her hands. "I've never been that far from home for this long."

"Have you even looked up what there is to do in Antwerp?" Alex asked, sitting cross-legged beside her.

"Not really," Elena said with a shrug. "I've been too focused on packing."

"Let me help you out," Alex said, pulling out his phone. "Antwerp is, like, the diamond capital of the world or something. So obviously, you need to bring me back something shiny."

"Yeah, because I'm totally going to have time for shopping," Elena said, rolling her eyes.

"Don't forget about the waffles," Heaven added. "And the fries. They're supposed to have amazing fries."

"Waffles and fries," Elena said, laughing. "Got it."

Aaron, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke up. "You're going to kill it out there, Lena. Seriously."

Elena smiled at him, a small but genuine grin. "Thanks, Aaron."

"Speaking of fries," Charolette said, nudging Aaron playfully. "You owe me some. Remember the fair?"

Aaron smirked, leaning closer to her. "I didn't forget. Next time, they're on me."

Elena raised an eyebrow, watching the two of them with interest. "You two are getting very cozy," she said, a teasing lilt in her voice.

Aaron's ears turned pink, but he didn't deny it. "We're just talking."

Charolette shrugged, clearly enjoying the attention. "What can I say? He's growing on me."

Alex grinned. "Well, this is new. Aaron actually talking to a girl without stammering? Impressive."

Aaron threw a pillow at him. "Shut up."

The room filled with laughter again, but it didn't last long before Amelia brought up the one topic Elena had been avoiding.

"So... Mason," Amelia said, her tone casual but curious.

The room quieted slightly, and everyone turned to Elena.

She shifted uncomfortably, focusing on a loose thread on the hem of her hoodie.

"I haven't talked to him," she said finally.

"Since New Year's?" Alex asked, frowning.

"Yeah," Elena admitted. "And even before that, it'd been a week."

Aaron sat up straighter, his protective instincts kicking in. "What's his problem? He's usually glued to his phone."

"I don't know," Elena said softly. "Maybe he's just busy... or distracted."

"Distracted by McKenna?" Charolette asked, raising an eyebrow.

Elena's stomach twisted at the mention of her name, but she tried to play it off with a shrug. "Maybe."

"You're upset," Heaven said, studying her.

"I'm not upset," Elena said quickly, though her voice wavered slightly. "I mean, we're just friends. It's not like—"

"Friends," Heaven interrupted, air-quoting the word.

Elena shot her a glare, her face flushing. "Can we not?"

Alex grinned, leaning back against the wall. "You know, he's probably just being clueless. But if he doesn't text you soon, he's an idiot."

"Agreed," Amelia added. "Seriously, if Mason can't see what's right in front of him, he doesn't deserve you."

Elena sighed, leaning her head back against the bed. "You guys are impossible."

"Maybe," Alex said with a shrug. "But we're also right."

Despite the teasing, the warmth of her friends made Elena feel a little lighter.

For now, she could set aside her worries about Mason and focus on the people who were right in front of her.

— ETERNAL SUNSHINE —