IT WOULD BE A lie to say to you that none of the eight teenagers had discussed setting number twenty-three on fire. in fact, they were once again debating about it, for the fifth time.

"hypothetically speaking—" armani began, being rudely cut off by adelaide cato.

"you don't need to say hypothetically speaking!" she yelled, laughing a little at armani's startled face. "sorry, i didn't mean to yell," she quickly apologized. 

"you're fine. anyways, what if we just burn their house down?" 

"that's arson, dipshit," leonora said, for probably the hundredth time that evening.

elliot mayz threw a twig at her head as a sign of disagreement, something he tended to do to anyone he disagreed with whenever the group gathered under the big oak tree. 

"look, we don't have to burn their house down we can. . ." AJ began, trailing off while trying to think of an alternative. 

"—we can just set their smoke detectors off?" isabelle innocently suggested, gazing over at athena who hummed in agreement. 

"isa—"

"come on jules, live a little," elliot groaned. using the girls middle name had become a habit since he heard her dads call her by her full name after finding out about their visit to the local police department. 

leonora valentine instantly shut up, hating the way she felt when he called her by her middle name. 

.•° ✿ °•.

"honestly, dude, what is
that feeling? it's all gross and
gooey. the last time i felt that was
when i hugged my friend christopher
goodbye in fifth grade."
— leonora

°•. ✿ .•°

"setting off the smoke detectors doesn't sound too risky," elliot added, giving leonora a smug smile, knowing it would send her off the edge. 

leonora huffed, pulling the cardigan that was folded on her legs over her head. she heard a few chuckles at her defeat position and angrily flipped them off from under the cardigan. 

"yeah, i say smoke detectors. all in favour for smoke detectors say i," paloma called out, nodding impressively as the whole group, minus a sulky leonora, replied saying "i". 

"fine but i am not participating," leonora grumbled, pulling the cardigan off her head and flattening her static hair. 

"why not?" isabelle widow pouted, batting her eyelashes on purpose. 

"that face will not work on me, missy."

isabelle frowned, turning back to her sketchbook in which she was currently sketching the large oak the group sat under. a shrill shriek from leonora startled the girl, sending her pencil flying off the page, ruining the slightest part of the picture. 

the widow girl shot her head up to see what had happened, only to be met with the beak of a goose. isabelle immediately slammed her book shut, grabbing her pencil case and scurrying backwards and standing up quickly. 

"what the hell?!" isabelle cried, running over to where leonora stood, frozen in fright. "what's wrong with her?" she asked, looking around the group. 

"irrational fear of birds," elliot laughed obnoxiously but then stopped to yelp as the goose ran towards him. "what?" he nervously held the back of his neck as the group stared at him in amusement. 

"nevermind, can someone un-freeze leo so we can get a move on?" paloma asked awkwardly, poking the fifteen-year-old girl's arm. 

armani shoved elliot towards leonora, giving the boy a "you-were-a-hypocrite-so-now-you-have-to-do-this" look. 

elliot groaned in defeat, waving his palm in front of leonora's face. his eyebrows knit together as he realized she was going to have to be carried. 

"the things i do for you, valentine."

❀⊱┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄⊰❀

"i desperately need coffee," leonora yawned, leaning her head onto elliot mayz's shoulder as the eight teens sat in her room, at three am, discussing their 'fire alarm' plan.

"do you not have a coffee machine downstairs?" armani sarcastically asked her. 

"too far," she frowned, pathetically reaching her arm in front of her. elliot rolled his eyes at her childishness unlocking his phone to uber-eats the whole group starbucks.

"okay i'm ordering starbucks what does everyone want?" elliot softly asked everyone, allowing each teenager to take a turn saying their order. "okay done, it should be here in twenty minutes," he smiled, resting his own head on top of leonora's.

"guys i really, really, really want to burn their house down!" AJ sighed, shoving one of leonora's throw-pillows over her head as the music started getting louder. 

"ditto!" adelaide added, tying her ginger hair into a loose bun.

athena yawned loudly, sleepily chewing on the gum she had to keep herself awake, while she glanced over at leonora who once again commented "arson," on the idea. 

"even if we do the smoke detector plan it will wake the whole neighbourhood up, won't it?" azaria jenkins sighed, biting her recently painted nails.

"b-b-b-bingo!!" leonora quietly shouted, drumming her fingers in the air before doing jazz hands, and accidentally hitting elliot in the face during the process. 

"oh! sorry, e," she winced, patting his face softly. he shrugged, a smile still on his face and he continued to rest his head on her shoulder and listen to the rest of the conversation. 

"we're going to be up anyways though, what difference does it make?" paloma added onto azaria's comment. 

"well, yeah. but—" 

"no buts!" armani interrupted azaria, before bursting into giggles. "buts! butts! get it?!" he exclaimed, his eyes tearing up from laughter. 

elliot chuckled at the boy, shaking his head at how his mind worked. 

"i will never understand your brain, mani."

NOTES:

→ BOOYAH!! look at me gooooo,
i haven't updated in over a month
and here i am, finally updating!!

→ i missed you guys so so much
did you miss me?🤨🤨 i've been
too busy binging the sturniolo 
triplets on youtube LOL!

→ anyway, enjoy this chapter because
idk when i'm going to write the next 
one lmfao. OH MY GOSH HELP, THERE'S 
A DRANGONFLY BUZAING NESXT TO ME
SKFBEIFFE

→ it's gone, i'm alive. i love you all and
have a good rest of your day/night!!
mwah <33