Precious Star

Stutter

Smashed into Max's car, we made our way into town, "So, since you guys were so bored and decided to invite me, what did you have planned out? Or did Charles ask you to take me out of the house?"

"What?! No!" they all exclaimed simultaneously, turning to look at me as they scrunched their eyebrows together and repeatedly nodded their head in disapproval.

"We were..." Lando started.

"Thinking maybe..." Daniel continued from beside him.

"We can..." Carlos followed.

"Possibly..." Max harmonized as he drove.

"Go... or do..." Pierre dragged on.

Looking at all of them, none of them were looking at me. As a matter of a fact, they were looking at each other, waiting for someone to respond. I've known them for years. They are dumb to think I don't know what they are doing. "Can I help?" I asked, crossing my arms and leaning back on my seat.

"Yes, please!" they all sighed.

"We can go to brunch, shop around, visit a museum, and then see what comes up if we have time because I know Charles only told you guys to keep me until dinner."

"He did not say that, Alaina," Max responded.

"He did say that, right?" Lando whispered to Daniel, thinking I didn't hear. "Oh, okay, okay," he finished. I'm guessing Daniel responded with a yes.

"Good, then I don't have to be home and can go out to some bars and not come till midnight."

"No, no, no. You have to be back at a responsible hour," Carlos quickly responded.

"But I thought you said Charles didn't need me and that you had nothing to do," I answered, acting as innocent as possible. From my peripheral vision, I watched as Pierre frantically texted someone, that someone obviously being Charles.

"Most of us have to get home to our women by dinner," Daniel responded, trying to help out the situation. 

"Lando?"

"Yes," he nervously answered. He was the weakest link, poor baby.

"You don't have a woman. Are you down to go clubbing tonight?"

"Yeah, no. I can't," he stuttered.

"What, why?" I asked, 'defeated.'

"Well, you know."

"I actually don't know."

"I have to go with my dog," he stuttered once again.

"You have a dog?" we all asked simultaneously.

"Yeah, yeah," he answered, scratching his neck and a visible bead of sweat falling down his forehead.

"Mhmm, that sucks. I guess I'll have to be home by dinner."

"Yeah, totally sucks," Pierre responded before quickly typing (Charles) again.

"You actually have a dog?" Daniel whispered to Lando.

"Yeah, my Roblox one," Lando whispered back. I snorted but had to quickly cover it with a cough.

~

The rest of the day honestly went by pretty quickly. By the time we had made it out of the museum, the guys miraculously needed to get back home. "So I'm guessing my surprise with Charles is ready?"

"Surprise?"

"Charles?"

"Ready?"

"What?"

"No!"

"Yeah, sure," I simply nodded my head in disapproval as I made my way back to the car, the guys following quickly behind me. I was disappointed mainly in Charles and myself because he couldn't have chosen a more obvious group than these five. I love them and all. I really do. But they really don't know how to lie. I should have taught them better. I'll work on that with them.