The permanent eclipse

I said maybeee

The atmosphere around the table was quiet, tense. Lunch was a sad assortment of stale bread, a packet of crisps someone had found behind the bar, and some soup that Eli had somehow managed to warm up in a mug. Everyone was hunched over their food, picking at it without much appetite.

JJ, as always, was trying to keep things light for the triplets, who sat glued to his side, their wide eyes taking in everything around them. Frankie and Alex sat on either side of him, leaning into his shoulders, while April was across from him, watching with an expression somewhere between awe and worry.

"So," JJ said, reaching over and messing up Frankie's hair, "who wants to bet that in a week, Dad's gonna be back here, telling us it was all just a big government mistake?"

Frankie's eyes widened. "Really?"

JJ winked. "Maybe. But if not, you've got me and Archie, and we're pretty much unstoppable. Right, Arch?"

Archie just snorted, shoving a spoonful of soup toward April. "Yeah, well, maybe we'll see who's unstoppable when there's nothing left in the cupboards."

Across the table, Leo leaned back, grinning. "Come on, mate. If there's nothing left, we'll just make do, yeah? Bet you anything I could survive off crisps and beer alone."

Canny rolled her eyes, barely hiding her disapproval. "Well, you're welcome to try that on your own. Some of us would like to survive properly, thanks."

Leo only laughed. "Oh, come on, Canny. Lighten up a bit. We're all stuck here together, might as well enjoy it, right?"

Nancy nudged him, smirking. "Yeah, exactly. We've got a free pub, no adults, and all the time in the world. Could be worse."

"Could be much worse," Leo echoed, lifting an imaginary glass in a toast.

Elanise, who was sitting quietly beside me, gave me a small, unsure smile, like she wasn't entirely sure how to join in on the chaos but was happy just being there. I leaned over a bit, catching her eye.

"They're a lot, aren't they?" I whispered, grinning.

She chuckled softly, nodding. "Yeah... but in a good way."

"Glad you think so," I replied, feeling the warmth of her laughter. "You're in good hands with this lot. Weird hands, maybe, but good ones."

Just then, a series of buzzing noises rippled around the table as our phones lit up with messages. Everyone glanced down, picking up their phones to read the latest updates in the group chat.

Tom W.: Right, meeting in the school hall at 7 p.m. Pass it on—everyone should be there.

Becca L.: Are you sure this is a good idea?

Sam P.: What choice do we have? We can't stay holed up forever.

Emily Carter: What if the adults are at the school? Or if there's a plan?

Harry D.: Doesn't matter if it's a good idea or not. We need to do something.

Amelia R.: We could find out what's really going on.

Everyone exchanged glances, the flicker of optimism from a minute ago dimming. The idea of meeting at the school sounded... unnerving. It was like waiting for a storm to hit, knowing you couldn't avoid it.

"So... we're going, right?" Nancy said, her voice a little quieter than usual.

"Of course we are," JJ replied, a determined edge to his voice. "No point sitting around guessing. We'll find out what's going on and finally get some answers."