The After of Everything

You

Third Person's P.O.V

"Are you going to cook now?" Baks asked the obvious, making Maize roll his eyes. He was already preparing the sauce, since the meat and veggies were in the sticks.
"What do you think, genius?" Nine asked, scoffing and helping Maize with the charcoal.
"No need to be so feisty. Sheesh." Baks pouted, crossing his arms on his chest.
"Need help?" Jaden asked. Her mouth was already watering for the barbecue. Knowing Maize, it would taste delicious.

He was not the group's cook for nothing even before.

"Yeah. Nine can't seem to fire up the charcoal." Baks answered in spite, walking away with a 'hmph'.
"You come back here and I won't feed you." Nine shouted as Baks had already walked a few feet away from them.
"I can't hear you!" he shouted back before completely disappearing from the crowd.

Jaden merely laughed and nodded.

"I got it."
"I can't seem to light this shit up." Nine complained, gritting her teeth in embarrassment.
"No worries. She's got it." Rhea proudly said. Jaden blushed in response. The trust she had for Jaden was too pure for Jaden.
"Where's Laine and Solemn?"
"They're inside. They charged everyone's phones for later." Nine answered, coming back with embarrassment beside her. She looked at how Jaden was lighting up the charcoal.
"What's up later? Is there some sort of fireworks?" Baks asked.

Maize was silent, not wanting to answer it himself. He didn't tell Baks because he knows he'll be teased by him the entire him before his performance. Jaden blew on the coal. The coal was, as if, sizzling. The cracking sounds mesmerized Jaden, losing her focus for a moment.

"You'll know." Laine answered. She and Solemn were back from the villa.
"He doesn't know?" Solemn asked, looking around to know if there was anything that she could help with.

The sun was slowly setting, creating an ambiance of tranquility. The kiss of the sunset gave everyone's rosy cheeks. It almost seemed ethereal. Jaden and Maize stared at the sunset, admiring its hue, giving the body of water a tint of blush.

"He doesn't." Nine noticed Maize and Jaden looking at the horizon and did the same. She was also captured by the picturesque aesthetics of the biggest star that she could see.
"The sunset looks beautiful," Baks murmured to himself. Maize found himself prying his eyes away from the sunset and looked at Solemn, who was also gazing at the sunset.

Ah, you still have my heart. Solemn felt eyes on her, and she searched for who was looking at her. It was funny for her because the first person that she looked at was Maize.

Inside her mind, she hoped that it was Maize looking at her. But what then? When their eyes met, Solemn couldn't help but stare at Maize's amber eyes. As if she was being sucked inside the whirlpool of emotions, she gripped the table, hoping that she wouldn't trip.

Maize mouthed something to Solemn, and Solemn hoped that it was what she thought she read. Maize smiled softly before looking down at meat.

"These won't cook themselves, guys." Maize snapped them back to their responsibilities, but with smiles on their faces.

Solemn was still stuck on her feet. She was discombobulated. She was unsure if she read it right, and if it was, what did that mean? Solemn wanted the answers, but she wasn't confrontational. Confrontation wasn't her strong suit, and that was one of the reasons why their relationship was rocky in their first year.

"I can't believe we get to see the sunset like this for a week straight." Jaden danced, playing with the sand on her feet.
"Tell me about it."

Some of their batchmates approached them, asking if there was anything that they could help them with, but Baks told them that they were free to do anything they wanted, and that they have the whole barbecue all taken care of.

"You're eating first?" Baks's voice rose in tension, confused about why Maize was eating first.
"Let him be. He's been cooking and all. He must've been hungry." Solemn came to the rescue, positioning  her hand on her hip to appear more mean.
"What? You're suddenly friends now? Sheesh, fine. I'll leave him be."

It was supposed to be a nice save, but when Baks left, the both of them were left with an awkward ambiance. Solemn hadn't thought it through. She just wanted to accompany Maize when he ate.

"Can I sit next to you?"
"Yeah. It's not like it has my name on it for you to ask permission." Solemn rolled her eyes in response and sat beside him, but of course, with apparent distance.
"I know this is your villa. You don't have to hide from me." Maize let out a soft chuckle.
"You were always sharp."

It has been such a long time since Solemn heard a compliment from him, and as always, it had made her stomach do a backflip. But she was good at hiding how she felt.

"Of course. With how you were yesterday, I knew."
"Let's say that the conversation is concluded, what do you want to talk about?" Maize redirected his upper torso and faced Solemn.

Their eyes locked and the atmosphere around them was slowly getting hot. Solemn knitted her eyebrows, standing her ground.

"How have you been?" when Solemn asked, she saw how Maize's eyes turned cold. It was such an instant shift that even she was surprised.
"Okay. You?"

His 'okay' never meant exactly as it is. Solemn thought to herself. She wanted to ask if he blamed her. She wanted to know if he resented her for breaking his heart. But her mouth didn't move an inch. Her lips trembled as she tried to force asking, but to no avail.

"Busy because of school. How's the celebrity life treating you? A lot of girls here and there, huh?" Solemn giggled as she asked. She wanted to slap herself.
"You said you wanted to see me perform on stage, so I did just that."