Heists and Vengeance

Thirteen

Erin

"Ah - I needed this." Erin slumped on the sofa, and closed her eyes. They'd been working all week, and had been ready for another day of prepping for the heist. But that morning, Ryder had taken one look at all of them and announced that today was a day off. They'd all been confused, but Ryder had insisted. No one argued after that – who would turn down a free day off? They all wanted a rest.

And so, they'd done just that. Erin had set away her alchemy kit, and spent her time filling up her sketchbook with the ideas that she hadn't had time to put to paper. Cole had been out, like always, but instead of spending his time trying to find as much information as he could about the gala, he'd just been unwinding with a few friends. Lana had logged off Controversy and had spent her time on her laptop, watching internet videos. And Brett...poor Brett. He'd been so exhausted, he'd spent the whole day in his room, just sleeping.

Erin had gone to check up on him a few times, but he had been completly wiped out. Her heart panged for the boy – he was so eager to please Ryder that he was ready to ignore his body's needs, as long as it made his friend happy. Erin didn't usually say anything, but she disapproved – she felt Ryder was taking advantage of this fact – even subconsciously. But she didn't want to intrude on their business, and avoided the topic, except, of course, for the time a few days ago. Her words had seemed to have made an impact on him, and that thought lifted her heart.

That evening, they'd all decided to have a movie marathon, complete with snacks and drinks. Brett wouldn't be a part of it though, since he was still asleep. Erin felt bad, but...he needed the rest. Plus, she'd catch him up with anything he missed the next day.

"You guys ready?" she called, as she fiddled with the remote for their TV. The others - Cole, Ryder and Lana – had decided to collect the food and beverages. Honestly, she was impressed that they'd left it to her to choose it – apparently, she'd have the best taste.

She scrolled through the TV Guide for a few minutes, before finally settling on an action comedy she'd heard about, but never got around to watching. Just then, the others came in bearing snacks.

Just then, the others came in bearing snacks. There was a bit of fuss, during which food was set down, Coke cans opened, and seats claimed. Finally, when they were settled, Erin clicked play.

They were five minutes into the movie, when they heard shuffling upstairs. A few minutes later, Brett walked into the room, rubbing his eyes.

He stopped short when he saw the movie they were watching. "Fatal Humiliation? That's my favorite movie! Why are you guys watching without me?" His tone was light and jokey, but Erin saw that he did feel slightly offended.

"Well...you have watched it six times." When Brett just looked at her impatiently, she hurried to add more. "But, it's not just that. You were wiped out! We didn't want to wake you up before you'd gotten enough sleep."

Brett pressed his lips together, and Erin waited in anticipation until he nodded. She breathed a sigh of relief. Brett wasn't just her crush – he was her best friend, and she didn't want there to be any conflict between them. "Alright," he said, and flumped onto the couch. "Pass me the Flaming Chips. And a Coke as well, please. And - oh man! You've got that far already?"

"It's five minutes, Brett." Cole said.

"A lot can happen in five minutes. You know, this one time..."

"Do you want to watch the movie or not?" Ryder groaned, exasperated.

"Well, yes, of course."

"Then, shut. Up."