Darkened Crown

Chapter 7: The Night is Young

 The game ended with a deafening roar from the crowd. Kingsley Academy had clinched a narrow victory, thanks to a last-minute save by Lucas, who had barely managed to pull off the winning shot. But his usual spark was missing.

 As he made his way off the field, the cheers and applause felt distant, muted by the frustration simmering beneath his surface. Ava, ever the opportunist, swooped in with her wide-eyed innocence. "You were incredible out there, Lucas," she gushed, her voice soft and sweet. "I don't know how you handle all that pressure. I could never."

Lucas forced a smile, his eyes dark and clouded. "Thanks, Ava. Just doing my best," he muttered, clearly on edge. Ava's sugary sympathy only seemed to fray his nerves further.

Seraphina, standing nearby with Fiona and Elena, exchanged a knowing look with her friends. Ava's demeanor always seemed just a little too perfect, a little too poised. Without missing a beat, Seraphina sauntered over, a disarming smile on her face.

"Ava, darling," she said, her voice dripping with saccharine, "I'm sure Lucas appreciates your concern, but don't you have a cheerleading after-party to attend?"

Ava's smile faltered for a split second before she recovered. "Oh, right! But, you know, I just wanted to make sure Lucas was okay. You know how important he is to all of us," she replied, batting her eyelashes a bit too fervently.

Fiona snorted softly, unable to hide her disdain. "Don't worry, Ava. We've got it covered," she said, her tone cool but her smile unwavering.

Ava lingered for a moment, looking as though she was weighing her options. Then, with a cheerful "See you guys around!" she flitted off, though not before casting one last glance over her shoulder at Lucas.

Seraphina rolled her eyes. "That girl is so predictable. Like a moth to a flame, always buzzing around someone else's drama."

Lucas was feeling deflated after the game. He was usually the group's jokester, but tonight his frustration was palpable. The girls couldn't see him sad as he was the the glue of their group.

Sensing his gloomy mood, Fiona stepped up. "How about hitting the 5th avenue, dinner at our place and sleepover" she suggested with a grin. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

Lucas hesitated. "I'm not really in the mood..."

Before he could finish, the girls huddled together, giving him their best puppy-eyed looks. Fiona clasped her hands together, Elena pouted dramatically, and even Seraphina batted her eyelashes like a cartoon character.

"Please, please, pleeease!" they begged in unison, their voices dripping with mock desperation.

Lucas chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright, alright! I give up. Let's go shopping."

The girls cheered, and Lucas couldn't help but smile, feeling his mood lighten just a bit. Maybe tonight wouldn't be so bad after all.They headed to their favorite shopping district, where the stores were opulent, the lights bright, and the salespeople far too polite. 

They tried on clothes, laughed at the outrageous price tags, and dared each other to pick the most ridiculous outfits. At one point, Lucas picked up a neon pink scarf and wrapped it around his neck with a dramatic flourish. "What do you think, ladies? Too much?" 

 "Too much? It's not enough!" Seraphina declared, grabbing a matching hat and placing it on his head. "Now you look like a flamingo who got lost on Fifth Avenue."They roared with laughter, and Lucas's spirits seemed to lift a little more.

 At the checkout counter, he decided to flirt with the cashier, a girl with bright red hair and a nose ring. "Hey there," he said, flashing his best smile. "If I buy all this, do I get your number for free?" 

 The cashier raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Sorry, I don't date customers. But I can throw in a discount on socks if that helps."The group burst into laughter, and Lucas shrugged, pretending to be wounded. "Rejected again," he sighed. "My heart can't take much more of this." 

 They continued to tease him about it all the way to their favorite diner, an old-school joint with checkered floors, neon lights, and the best milkshakes in the city. They squeezed into a booth and ordered their usual: burgers, fries, and shakes.

 As they waited for their food, the stories started."So, remember that time in eighth grade?" Elena began, grinning wickedly. "Lucas had this huge crush on Miss Hargrove, our history teacher, and he thought it would be a great idea to impress her by answering every single question in class."Lucas groaned, hiding his face in his hands. "Please, no...""Oh, yes!" Fiona chimed in, laughing. 

"And he was so eager he accidentally called her 'Mom' in front of the whole class."The table erupted in laughter, and Lucas turned bright red. "I was young and impressionable!" he protested. "And she did kind of look like my mom from the back.""That's the best part!" Seraphina added between giggles. "You didn't realize it until after everyone was staring, and you just kept talking like nothing happened."

 "I wanted to die," Lucas confessed, but he was smiling now, his earlier gloom starting to dissipate. "I swear, I almost dropped out of school that day."As they continued to share stories, they found themselves revealing moments so embarrassing, they all wanted to disappear.

 Fiona told them about the time she'd fallen face-first into the pool at a summer party while trying to look cool in front of her crush. 

Elena confessed to accidentally texting her dad a message meant for a boy she was seeing, and the whole table howled at her mortification.By the time they left the diner, their sides ached from laughing so hard.

 They picked up some drinks on the way back to Lucas's apartment—a sleek, modern space his parents had gifted him for his birthday this year. It had quickly become their go-to spot for nights like these.As they changed into their newly bought matching pajamas—a mix of ridiculous patterns that only they could pull off—they lounged around, creating a fort of blankets and pillows in the living room. Fiona set up a playlist, and the soft hum of music filled the air.Just then, Seraphina's phone buzzed. 

She glanced at the screen and saw a new post from "Kingsley Confidential." "Has the Golden Boy Lost His Shine?" the headline read, accompanied by a candid photo of Lucas from the game, looking tired and distant. The post continued: "Once the heartthrob and star player of Kingsley, Lucas's recent lackluster performance has everyone asking—has our golden boy finally lost his magic touch? Rumors swirl about his dwindling motivation and even a potential fallout with his closest friends. Is this the beginning of the end for our favorite good guy? Stay tuned, Kingsley Academy... things are just heating up." 

 Seraphina felt a flicker of anger. Not tonight,  she thought, quickly shutting off her phone. Lucas didn't need this hanging over him, not when he was finally starting to lighten up."Everything okay?" Fiona asked, noticing the sudden shift in Seraphina's expression."Yeah," Seraphina lied, slipping her phone into her pocket. 

"Just a stupid post. Nothing to worry about."She turned her attention back to the group. Lucas seemed genuinely happy for the first time that evening, and she wasn't going to let anything ruin that.

 Tonight, they were just a group of friends, laughing and forgetting about the drama that always seemed to follow them at Kingsley Academy.As the night wore on, they toasted to their embarrassing moments, their unbreakable bond, and the countless adventures still ahead. For now, under the soft glow of city lights streaming through the windows, they were untouchable. And Seraphina knew that whatever came next, they would face it together.

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