In Your Dreams

50 || Emmett Larkin

The others had already left, and honestly, it was strange how quickly they all found excuses to leave after rehearsal. Each of them had an oddly specific yet plausible reason, but I didn't think much of it at the time. But hearing the three of them after the other, that was the suspicious part of it. It's like they've collectively thought of leaving.

Alecks was the first to go, claiming he had an appointment. He didn't bother elaborating his appointment-something he usually did in case we needed to cover for him. Since the last time he had an appointment, it was for a quick cleaning in the dentist. He'd told us about it and when he hadn't came back after a few more hourss, we decided to check out what's happening. Apparently once we've arrived at the dentist clinic, Alecks was just sitting by the waiting room, letting others to go first. Turns out he was terrified. So we decided to hang out by the clinic and give him some courage boost. But now, he simply mentioned that he has an appointment and bolted the moment I nodded my acknowledgment.

Then there was Asher. There are times he's a little goofy, despite his rugged demeanor. He said he needed to clean his bike and change the tires. That excuse felt flimsy because I distinctly remembered him cleaning his bike just two days ago. When I pointed that out, he argued his bike required high maintenance and insisted the tires were dull. Sure, Asher loves his bike, but his sudden urgency still felt out of character. Nevertheless, I let him go without another word from me. Much like Alecks, Asher bolted the moment I've let him go.

Here's where it got weirder: a few minutes after Alecks left, Asher said goodbye as well. The timing seemed almost too convenient. It was like they coordinated their exits, though I couldn't prove anything since Asher hadn't lifted his phone to check for messages. I would have thought Alecks send a mass message to the group, but that doesn't seem to be the case. It's just that their reasons to leave somehow accidentally coordinated to one another.

And then came Samuel. Out of the three, his excuse made the most sense-he wanted to check on Lance at their dorm. Poor guy must have been in pain, dealing with the stomach bug. When I suggested he could just text or call, Samuel shook his head and insisted on going in person. He also said that he wants to make sure that Lance is still alive and kicking as well as wanting to take care of him. His determination was borderline dramatic, but I eventually gave in. The moment I said okay, he was out the door.

Which left me alone in the room with Phoebe. She didn't seem in any rush to leave, glancing around with a bright smile like she was perfectly content staying a while. It would've been rude for me to suddenly take off, so I decided to stay too. The quiet between us wasn't awkward but calming, almost grounding, electrifying even.

"You don't have any mysterious appointments, last-minute plans, or someone you urgently need to check on?" Phoebe teased, her amused grin lighting up her face. She kept her eyes on me, waiting for my response. Turns out she also had caught up on the weird excuse the three just thrown at me.

A chuckle escaped my throat as I shook my head. "Nope, nothing like that. My schedule's completely open." I leaned back on the couch, spreading my arms across the headrest. A groan slipped out as I felt my spine stretched. "What about you? Nothing you need to take care of?"

She smiled and shook her head. "Well, there is something I need to do back at my dorm." A pang of disappointment hit me before she continued, "But it can wait. It's the weekend, no need to rush into academic stuff." She smiled again, though this time it didn't quite reach her eyes.

The heaviness in my chest lifted at her words. "Who studies on weekends, anyway?" I joked. I could name a few people who did, but it wasn't for me-I preferred making the most of my free time. Though there's nothing wrong spending the weekends to study. Some even dared to do some advance reading during the weekends so that the following week will be smooth sailing for him. But once again, that's not for me.