That Summer Feeling [H.S.]

15. Playground

When I agreed to help the guys make a traditional English dinner, I had no idea it would mean that I'd be all alone in the kitchen rubbing spices on 6 pounds of beef.

It started with Louis. He said he was going to call his sister to double-check the recipe. Then Harry. He excused himself to the bathroom. After, it was Niall. He said he wanted to go change his shirt, not wanting to spill anything on the one he was wearing previously. And finally, Zayn. But he just left without saying anything.

I didn't want to think much of it but I was feeling a little bit silly being here by myself massaging different herbs and spices on raw meat to "make it absorb the flavor," or whatever Louis said. I heard footsteps coming towards me. I thought I'd be relieved of this job but it was only Bella coming in to grab a soda.

"Where is everyone?"

I shrug. "Not sure."

"I can't find Adam or Liam. I wanted to use their Xbox but it's like they disappeared into thin air."

I look at her as she takes a seat on one of the stools. I halt my movements. "Really?"

"Yeah." She nods and takes a sip from her drink. "So weird."

I hum in response and move to the sink, washing the spice rub away from my hands.

"You think all the guys went somewhere?" She asks me.

"Maybe." I dry my hands with a small rag. "It's weird, though. They each said they were gonna do something different."

"I wonder what's going on. It is possible for them to be all together, right?"

"Yeah, but doing what and where?" I purse my lips. "And without telling anyone?"

"This is sus."

Zoey enters the room. "I thought the guys were making dinner?" She says as she grabs the bag of the off-brand kettle corn we had to buy.

"They were," I say but then correct myself, "they still are. They sort of.. left."

"What do you mean? Where?"

"I'm not sure."

"Adam and Liam are nowhere to be found either," Bella adds.

"Wait," Zoey says before taking a seat next to Bella, "they're all just not here?"

"Seems like it," I say.

"They've literally gone AWOL," Bella says, "we're trying to get to the bottom of it."

"Have you guys called or texted them?" Zoey asks.

"I texted both Adam and Liam 5 minutes ago. No response."

"And they just left you in here?" Zoey asks me.

"They each said they were going off somewhere different." I shrug. "That was, like, 15 minutes ago."

"Weird," she comments.

"I'll call them again," Bella says.

Beau, Sierra, and Maggie come in, giggling amongst themselves as they each look at their phones. They step into the kitchen and greet us, momentarily pausing our ongoing investigation.

"You guys, we got some good pictures," Beau is the first to speak, "it's going on all my social medias immediately."

"Yeah, we even got some candids of the boys," Maggie says, making my ears perk up, showing her phone screen to Bella and Zoey.

"It's so cute how they're spending so much time together," Sierra says, placing herself down on a stool next to Maggie.

"Yeah," I say with a sigh, "so much that they all disappear at the same time."