𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙚 | ✓

xiv

It's about a quarter past midnight, and half the group hasn't shown up yet.

Daniel stands in the parking lot, pacing back and forth, while Cash attempts to calm him down. He moves in and out of the beam of light from a nearby streetlight, disappearing into the shadows and then revealing himself again.

"They're probably just running a little late," Cash guesses, sounding extremely uncertain. He keeps checking his phone and looking around in case someone sees them.

"Let's just hope they make it here before 12:30 because all the shops are gonna be closed after that," Akanke comments from her spot in the dark. Her phone is in her hand, illuminating her features and reflecting on her circular glasses. The light bounces off her of hair, creating strange shadows around her face.

"Don't you share a room with them?" Rachela, the last of the four, says. She's leaning against a tree and her hands are in the pockets of her black hoodie, which makes her nearly impossible to see in the darkness.

"Yeah, and I thought they were right behind me." Akanke says it rather harshly as she looks back at the hotel for the hundredth time.

Two figures step out from behind one of the school's buses, where the group is hiding. One has a flashlight on, probably from their phone. The two are silent and move toward the four before finally calling out. "Akanke?"

"Jess? Lila?" Akanke perks up at the sound a familiar voice and rushes over to meet the other two girls. "Is Lavender going to come?"

"They didn't really give me much of a choice," says a third voice from behind the bus and suddenly Lavender appears. Her silhouette is illuminated by the streetlights but it's too dark to see her expression.

"Sweet. Did you guys happen to see Sean?" Daniel asks, his footsteps echoing off the buses and distant building.

"Nope." Jess shakes her head.

"Should we leave without him?" It's Lila who asks it and the question turns some heads.

"Absolut- um, no I don't think so," Daniel answers, covering up his mistake quickly and stopping his movement. "Didn't Akanke say she wouldn't let us leave until we had everyone?"

"I did say that," Akanke confirms, "but I also put my trust in everyone and I'm not sure if that was the best decision." She checks her phone to reveal it is now 12:23. "I don't think Sean would be the type to flake out on us though. I believe in him."

And suddenly, there was a shape in the darkness running toward them, yelling into the void-like parking lot. "Hey guys!" It's Sean.

"What took you so long?" Akanke asks as she pulls up an app on her phone and types in their location, requesting a ride for eight from a local driver. There had been a short time where she and Cash had tried to see if there was a way to hijack the buses, but alas, the doors were locked.

"I couldn't get out of the bedroom until everyone was a sleep and Nathan and Carson were up talking for hours. I ended up getting out through the window. I doubt they'll even notice I'm gone, even if they're still awake." Sean says the last part kind of sadly and it's obvious to everyone there that the boy isn't happy with his friends at the moment.

A car pulls into the parking lot, the headlights shining on the group. The driver pulls up alongside them as Rachela moves away from the trees and the rest of the group closes in toward the vehicle.

The driver rolls down the window and asks for a "A-cane-kuh Duncan". She groans and walks up the car window. "Where to?" The man behind the wheel asks.

"Do you know this city?"

"Lived here my whole life."

"Just start driving then." Akanke opens the door to the car and realizes the back only has six seats. She slides into the passenger seat and turns around to watch with a smirk as seven other teens try to fit into the six seats. It proves to be quite difficult.