4*TOWN

Never Gone 4

"Robaire? Why are you-"

"Look, I'm not here to argue with you. I'm just gonna put this as simply as I can- did you tell some magazine a bunch of lies about us?"

"Ha. I wish I had. You guys are gonna have a hard time clearing that up."

Robaire takes a deep breath in to keep his composure.

"You're sick."

"Wait, how'd you get my numb-"

Justin is cut off when Robaire hangs up on him. Robaire goes back inside, where everyone else has already went off somewhere- except for T, who's lingering in the living room, but looks as if he's going to leave as well.

"T?"

"Hi. You okay?"

"Honestly, I'm completely stumped with this. I just talked to Justin and he-"

T starts laughing.

"Wait, wait, you were acting all weird cause you had to talk to Justin? Haha! He made you nervous-"

"Literally shut up. I just didn't wanna talk to him."

Robaire rolls his eyes as T keeps laughing.

"I don't see what's so funny about that- Anyways, did you get anything out of Raya earlier?"

"Nah. She was just really confused. Maybe it's no one we know, just a random person that wanted some attention?"

As T is talking, someone knocks at the door. Robaire gets up.

"I'll get it."

When Robaire opens the door, Ryan is standing there with a smile and that clipboard. T's eyes immediately widen- not because of that, but because of his blazer that's a very familiar shade of blue.

"Hey-"

Before he can even get a full word out, T is talking over him.

"Ryan! You were in Raya's office earlier!"

He says, and a look of concern flashes on Ryan's face for just a second.

"Haha, what? I've been in mine all day."

Ryan shifts nervously as T stares him down.

"Liar! Oh my god, it was probably you who wrote all that!"

"Now let's not jump to conclusions here..."

Robaire crosses his arms, looking at Ryan with suspicion. Ryan talks again,

"What? I didn't do anything! I've been helping you guys!"

Ryan pleads, but no one is buying it. T texted the rest of the guys to come downstairs.

"This better be important, T."

Jesse says, leaning against the couch.

"Oh, it is. Earlier today, Z and I saw someone wearing this exact shade of blue coming from Raya's office-"

"I do not have time for this, guys. You're being ridiculous, and frankly, quite annoying. Just let me do what I came here for."

"Which is?"

Ryan is silent for a few seconds. He's looking at something on his clipboard, and he shakes his head.

"Well, I was coming to tell you guys that I successfully got all copies of that magazine called back, this won't be a problem for much longer."

He smiles at everyone, and no one returns it, except Jesse, who just nods politely.

"...Right. Okay. Thank you."

Ryan's smile drops slowly.

"That's it? You guys aren't happy?"

"Uh, we are? Thanks for doing your job, I guess."

T says with a shrug, still very much onto Ryan.

"I-"

"What were you doing in Raya's office, huh?"

T moves to stand directly in front of Ryan.

"Nothing. I didn't do anything in there today."

"Today?"

"That's- I mean, That's not what I meant!"

As Ryan fumbles over his words, the rest of the guys are finally catching onto what T's trying to get out of him.

"So you admit you were in her office. What were you doing in there? Planting evidence so you could frame Raya, I bet! Man, is Ryan even your real name? It sounds so close to Raya, has anyone else thought about that-"

"T, let's be serious right now."

Robaire says.

"Why are you all doing this? I've been nothing but helpful."

"Yeah, slandering us to the public was definitely just what we needed."

Jesse says flatly. Ryan scoffs.

"Well, how else was I supposed to get you guys to rely on me? Raya quitting was the perfect opportunity for me to-"

"I don't know. Thanks for admitting to that, by the way."

As Z says this, Ryan's face flushes red. He opens his mouth to respond, but nothing comes out, his embarrassment taking over.

"Well, now that that's settled- Ryan, you're officially fired."

Ryan's mouth is still hanging open when T's speaking.

"Yeah, I think that goes without saying."

Jesse adds. Ryan laughs breathlessly in disbelief.

"But I- then what are you guys gonna do about-"

"Okay! Now that you're officially not our manager anymore, you have no reason to be standing in our living room right now, so!"

T says, pretty passive-aggressive as he opens the front door for Ryan.

"Wow. Okay. Have fun trying to find someone else on such short notice."

Ryan grumbles as he makes his exit. T and the guys all look at each other, coming to a silent agreement.

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