When they finally finished their project, Stacey stretched her arms above her head and let out a loud sigh of relief. "Finally," she said, dropping her pen onto the desk. "I thought this would take forever."
Sheena leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples. "I’m just glad we got it done before the deadline. That was exhausting."
Aiah nodded in agreement, her fingers absentmindedly tidying the stack of papers on the desk. "At least it’s over now," she said softly, though her gaze flickered briefly toward the door, as if considering the noise still filtering up from downstairs.
Stacey stood up, brushing imaginary dust off her clothes. "Alright, now let’s clean up. We can’t just leave all this mess here," she said, gesturing at the scattered papers, empty coffee cups, and stray pens.
Sheena groaned in protest but didn’t argue. "You’re so bossy," she teased, standing and starting to gather the papers.
"Someone has to keep things in order," Stacey shot back with a smirk, already picking up the cups and wrappers to toss them in the trash bin.
Aiah joined in quietly, stacking the folders neatly and placing them back into her bag. As they worked, the mood in the room felt lighter, the weight of the project finally lifted. Even Stacey seemed more relaxed, humming softly as she tidied.
When everything was finally cleaned and organized, Stacey surveyed the room with a satisfied nod. "Now, let’s go downstairs and see what the chaos is all about," she said, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.
Sheena laughed. "You were just complaining about the noise earlier. Now you want to join them?"
"Hey, I never said I didn’t want to," Stacey quipped, heading toward the door. "Let’s go before they drink everything without us."
Aiah chuckled softly, slinging her bag over her shoulder as she followed them out of the room. Her thoughts wandered again, lingering on the possibility of seeing Mikha downstairs. As much as she tried to push it aside, the idea sent a flutter through her chest.
As the group descended the stairs, the atmosphere shifted. The living room had grown even livelier, with Gwen animatedly recounting a story that had Colet and Johanna in fits of laughter. The bottles on the table were fewer now, some half-empty, while the snack bowls sat neglected amidst the chaos.
Stacey rolled her eyes, hands on her hips. "Well, well, looks like you guys are in full party mode. Did you even miss us?"
Gwen smirked, raising her glass. "You snooze, you lose, Stacey. But don't worry, we saved some drinks for you."
Mikha, who had been half-listening to the commotion, immediately turned her attention to Aiah as she entered the room. She hesitated before blurting out, "Hey, you guys done already?"
"Finally," Stacey replied, plopping onto the couch with a dramatic sigh. "We deserve a reward after all that."
Colet grinned, patting the space beside her. "Then come join us! We were just talking about our most embarrassing moments in school. Gwen's story was legendary."
Aiah hesitated, her gaze briefly meeting Mikha's before she smiled politely. "I think I'll just sit this one out."
Mikha’s chest tightened slightly, but she quickly masked it. "Come on, Aiah," she said, her tone light. "One drink won’t hurt. It’s practically a requirement after Stacey’s chaos."
Stacey groaned in mock offense. "Excuse me, I am the definition of grace and order."
The room erupted into laughter, and even Aiah couldn’t help but chuckle. Relenting, she sat down beside Mikha, taking the glass that Johanna handed her.
