By All Means, Fear [AJR]

Chapter 5

"Lex." Nothing. "LEX." He turns over and runs his hand through his hair. "ALEXANDER!" I slap him in the face with the last pillow i could find, and he jolts awake, sitting up fearfully.

"Goddamn, Daniel!" he shouts. "You could have just put some Meghan Trainor on TV! That would have woken me up!"

I roll my eyes. Lex is the only one who calls me by my real name, and Meghan Trainor has been his celebrity crush for years. He's obsessed with Takin' It Back, Title, Thank You, and Treat Myself.

"What day is it?" he says. He checks his phone. "Oh. It's our birthday," he deadpans. Wait, what?

"Let me see what time it is," i say. He shows me his phone. 7:46 A.M., June fifth. "Oh. Only seven forty?" i remark, playing it casual. "Let's go to Central Park or something." He shrugs. "Sure."

"Hey, an idea," i added. "How about we pick each other's outfits? Y'know, just to explore our taste in clothes." He shrugs again. "Sure." Not soon after, i'm in orange shorts and shirt, stuck with some old pink shoes that somehow manage to fit me. Lex is dressed in black leggings and a Beatles Abbey Road shirt.

About half an hour later, we head to Central Park. As expected, Steve, Tom, and Shawn are there, wearing the most random outfits i had ever seen them in.

"It's weird," Tom says. "I go to bed August fifteenth, and suddenly, it's December twenty-sixth! How did i wake up in a different season!?" He buried his head in his hands, and Shawn set a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll get out of this," i told them with a sigh. They all turned to me and burst out laughing. I knew it was because i was dressed in pink and orange, the two colors i hated most.

"It's not funny," i snapped, crossing my arms. "And i thought i was dressed weirdest," Tom said. "Apparently not," Shawn wheezed.

"I'm guessing it's June fifth for you?" Steve asks me. I nod. "September twenty-ninth?" i guess. Steve sighs. "Somehow."

I turn to Tom, studying his outfit. "I can see why you're in winter gear," i say. "Do you see snow?" Shawn asks. Tom nods. "It's pure white," he says.

"What the fuck is going on?" Jack demanded from behind me.

"You think we fucking know?" Steve shot back. "That's what we're trying to figure out."

I shake my head. "It's weirding us all out," Tom says. "It's December for me. Fucking DECEMBER." We glanced at one another. If there was one thing Tom hated most about himself, it was the month his birthday landed in.

"Okay, so, it's everyone's birthday?" Shawn asks. We all nod. "That's the only connection," i deadpan. "Lex is acting normal."

Jack snaps his fingers. "Ryan called me 'sunshine' when i got out of bed this morning, and Adam called me the king of today."

Tom clapped, getting our attention. "Chelsea!" he exclaims. "Chelsea said that it felt like it was still August." Shawn gasped. "Laura and Laurance said that it was August!"