After Dark

Five

Liam is nervous. He realizes that as he packs a bag with extra clothes. He also realizes he doesn't have swim trunks.

He decides not to worry about it. He can just swim in the shorts he's already wearing. This will be the first time he's ever actually left his house in shorts. Luckily for him, his mother seems to be gone this morning.

He's not sure where she is but she's not in the house. That's all he really cares about. He slings his extra backpack over his shoulder and leaves his room. On his way down the stairs he types out a quick message to Paige to tell her he's on his way.

Leaving the house feels relieving in a way. Liam really never goes out much unless it's for school. He's nervous but excited at the same time, it creates a weird buzz feeling.

His car starts and he drives away from the house that's too big and in the direction of the other side of town. He lives the drive over to Paige's house. It always takes just the right amount of time for him to relax into the leather seats of his car.

He parks outside the apartment building and shoots Paige another text. It doesn't take long for the blonde girl to come popping out and walking towards his car. They both smile widely at each other as she sits down, putting a little backpack purse thing down on the floor by her feet.

"You excited?" She asks while they start back out on the road towards Ember's. 

"I guess." Liam hums quietly. He doesn't know how to feel. He's never done anything like this before. "I don't have swimming trunks, so this'll just have to do."

Paige glanced over at his shorts before nodding. "Those will be fine. Just throw your shirt off and you'll fit right in. Or don't, I don't think it really matters. You'll fit in either way."

Liam isn't so sure about that but he nods anyway. He's never all that sure about much but Paige always is. She's usually right too.

They drive the rest of the way in a comfortable silence. Ember's house isn't generally all that far from Paige's so it doesn't take them too long to arrive. Liam parks and shuts off the car in the driveway but doesn't get out.

Instead he looks to Paige. He doesn't know what to do now. Do they text Ember or just go up and knock?

Paige seems to know. Of course she knows. Paige always knows.

She gets out and so Liam follows her. She gets her bag but Liam forgets his in the backseat of the car. Once he remembers he has already shut the door so he decides against getting it. It'd be weird if he got it now.

He follows Paige up to the front door and she knocks. They only stand there for a moment before the door opens. Ember is standing there and she looks like she just woke up even though it's around ten thirty.

"Hey." She smiles at them. She's wearing black sweatpants and a gray tank top. Her hair is in a loose, kind of messy braid down her back. She even sounds tired.

"Did you just wake up?" Liam has to ask. He feels awkward afterwards though and regrets it. It's too late though because Ember's already looking at him and it's obvious she's heard the question.

"Yeah, about like half an hour ago. I don't know. Ian woke me up being loud as hell. Stupid mother fucker." She mumbles the last part to herself but Liam hears. He smiles and Paige even laughs lightly under her breath. "He went to go pick up someone or do something. I don't know I was half asleep."

"You look like you're still half asleep." Paige muses, moving over to plop down on the couch. Her bag is placed on the coffee table and easily forgotten afterwards.