𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒌 - 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐚𝐜 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬

₀₂₉ 𓇼𖦹

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm golden hue over the riverside, Briar and Austin remained lost in their conversation. The gentle breeze played with Briar's hair, making her laugh as she pushed it away from her face. Austin leaned in closer, his gaze fixed on her, a teasing smirk playing on his lips.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Briar teased, catching the look in his eyes.

Austin shrugged, his smirk widening. "Maybe a little. But can you blame me? You're fun to mess with."

Briar rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance. "You know, you're really full of yourself sometimes."

Austin grinned. "Only sometimes? You wound me, princess."

Briar playfully nudged him with her elbow. "Don't call me that. And you know what I mean."

Austin chuckled, leaning back on his elbows, his gaze turning towards the water. "You're right, though. I guess I just like seeing you all flustered. It's cute."

Briar felt a blush creeping up her neck but tried to play it cool. "Is that why you keep doing it? To see if you can get under my skin?"

"Maybe," Austin replied, his voice low and teasing. "But I think it's because you're worth the effort. You're different from the rest, Briar."

Briar's heart skipped a beat at his words, but she quickly recovered, narrowing her eyes at him. "You're really laying it on thick today, aren't you?"

Austin gave her a lopsided grin, tilting his head slightly. "Maybe, but I mean every word."

Before Briar could respond, a rustling sound came from behind them. They both turned to see their friends half-hidden in the tall grass, clearly trying to spy on them. Evie, Kaya, and Grace were stifling their laughter, while Jonathan, Jax, and Sam were unsuccessfully trying to act nonchalant, but failing miserably.

Briar raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. "You guys really need to work on your stealth skills."

The group finally burst out laughing, realizing they'd been caught. Jonathan was the first to speak, still chuckling. "We weren't really trying to be stealthy. We just didn't want to interrupt... whatever this is."

Kaya nodded, smiling brightly. "Yeah, we just wanted to see what's up. You two look so cozy over there."

Briar shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You guys are ridiculous."

Grace stepped forward, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "So... are you two officially a thing now, or do we still need to keep Madison off your backs?"

Austin exchanged a quick glance with Briar before responding, his tone light. "We're still figuring things out."

Evie sighed dramatically. "Well, if you two don't hurry up, we might have to step in and speed things along."

Sam jumped in, grinning widely. "Yeah, because you know, for the plot."

Everyone burst into laughter, the tension that had been hanging in the air dissipating. Briar couldn't help but smile at her friends' antics, grateful for their support even if they were a bit over the top at times.

"Alright, alright," Briar said, holding up her hands in mock surrender. "We get it. But seriously, thanks for having our backs. You guys are the best."

Austin nodded in agreement, a genuine smile on his face. "Yeah, we appreciate it. Even if you are a little too invested in our love lives."

Jonathan gave a mock salute. "Just doing our duty, captain."

As the group continued to tease each other, the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of pink and orange. The day might have started with uncertainty and tension, but it was ending with laughter and camaraderie, a reminder of just how much they all meant to each other.

But as they walked back to town together, Austin couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. There was still a lot to figure out between him and Briar, and with their friends' help—or interference—it was bound to be an interesting journey ahead.

𓇼𖦹

The next day at school, the group of friends found themselves in the cafeteria, their usual spot by the window. The sun streamed in, casting a warm glow over the table as trays of food clattered and conversations buzzed around them. But there was an air of excitement—maybe even mischief—hanging over their table.

Kaya leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with barely-contained laughter. "So, what's the plan for today? I mean, we can't just let Briar and Austin have a normal day, right?"

Evie grinned, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. "Absolutely not. I was thinking we could 'accidentally' keep pushing them together. You know, like spilling something on Austin so Briar has to help him clean up."

Jonathan nodded enthusiastically, adding his two cents. "Or we could lock them in the janitor's closet until they're forced to talk about their feelings. Classic."

Sam, however, had a different idea—and one that only he could think of. He leaned back in his chair, a devilish grin on his face. "I say we go big or go home. How about we stage a fake proposal in front of the whole school? Austin gets down on one knee, pops the question—boom! Instant romance."

The entire group stared at Sam in stunned silence, jaws dropping as they tried to process what he just said.

"Sam, you've officially lost it," Grace finally said, shaking her head in disbelief. "A proposal? In high school? Are you out of your mind?"

Evie snorted, trying to hold back her laughter. "Can you imagine? 'Will you marry me, Briar? I promise to share my lunch with you forever.'"

Even Austin, who had been half-listening, looked horrified at the suggestion. "No way. That's a hard pass, Sam."

Sam looked slightly offended, crossing his arms over his chest. "What? I think it's romantic! Besides, it would be unforgettable."

Jonathan gave him a sympathetic pat on the back. "Buddy, it would be unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. We're trying to help them, not make them the laughingstock of the entire school."

Jax, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke up, chuckling as he imagined the scene. "I can just see it now—Briar's face would go so red, she'd look like a tomato. And then she'd probably kill Austin on the spot."

The group burst into laughter, picturing the whole ridiculous scenario. Even Briar, who had been half-listening while trying to focus on her lunch, couldn't help but crack a smile. But she quickly snapped back to reality, waving her fork in the air.

"Okay, enough with the wild ideas," Briar said, trying to sound serious but failing miserably. "Let's just stick to something simple. Like, I don't know, not making me want to crawl under a rock?"

Kaya grinned, clearly still amused by Sam's idea. "Fine, fine. We'll keep it low-key. For now."

Austin, trying to keep a straight face, added, "Yeah, let's save the public humiliation for senior year. You know, really go out with a bang."

Sam pouted, clearly disappointed that his grand idea was shot down, but he couldn't resist one last comment. "You guys are no fun. But if you change your minds, I'm ready with a ring pop and everything."

Grace playfully smacked him on the arm. "You're impossible."

As the laughter died down, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. The group reluctantly gathered their things, still chuckling over the absurdity of the conversation.

"Seriously, though," Evie said as they walked out of the cafeteria, "we do need to come up with a real plan to get these two together. Something that won't end in total disaster."

Jonathan nodded, glancing at Briar and Austin walking ahead of them. "Yeah, but let's maybe tone it down a bit. We want them to be a couple, not traumatized."

"Agreed," Kaya said with a smirk. "But if all else fails, there's always the janitor's closet."

Briar overheard this and shot them a glare over her shoulder, making the rest of them dissolve into laughter once more. It was going to be an interesting rest of the year with this group, that much was certain.