Untouchable

0.9

Ivy's POV

The student lounge was comfortably chaotic-voices overlapping, the occasional burst of laughter, and the hum of music from someone's speaker in the corner. Plush leather couches and sleek glass tables made the space feel both polished and lived-in, a rare middle ground in a school that often felt like it was designed to keep us all on edge.

Kayla and I had claimed one of the larger couches, lounging as the guys sat around us-Alistair beside me, his arm draped over the back of the couch like he owned the place, Adrian in the armchair nearby, flipping through a book he was definitely not reading, Nathaniel leaning against the edge of the coffee table, and Sebastian perched on the opposite couch, effortlessly relaxed as always.

Kayla glanced around, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Okay, serious question," she announced. "If you had to give up music or sleep for a year, which one would it be?"

Sebastian didn't even blink. "Sleep. I'd be exhausted, but at least I'd have something to listen to."

Nathaniel let out a scoff. "You already run on no sleep. What's the difference?"

"Exactly," Sebastian replied smoothly.

Kayla laughed. "Okay, Ivy?"

I sighed dramatically. "As much as I love music, I'd have to say I'd give it up. I need sleep."

Alistair gasped in mock betrayal. "And here I thought you were dedicated to your craft."

"I am," I shot back, "but I'm also dedicated to not dying of exhaustion."

Nathaniel smirked. "Adrian?"

Adrian, who had been suspiciously quiet, looked up briefly. "Neither."

Kayla huffed. "That's not how this works."

"I don't see why I should have to choose." His voice was perfectly even, but I could tell he was being difficult just to be difficult.

I narrowed my eyes. "You'd give up sleep."

Adrian's lips twitched slightly, like I had just said something amusing. "Maybe."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "No way. You act like you don't need sleep, but I've seen you pass out in the library before."

Alistair snickered. "Yeah, and almost fall out of your chair."

Adrian shot them both a dry look before flipping a page in his book.

Kayla nudged me. "Your turn. Ask a question."

I thought for a moment, then smirked. "If you could switch lives with one person here for a day, who would it be?"

Nathaniel answered first. "Alistair."

Alistair raised a brow. "Flattered, really."

Nathaniel shrugged. "I just want to know how your mind works. It has to be an experience."

"You wouldn't last a day," Alistair shot back.

"You're probably right," Nathaniel admitted.

Sebastian considered for a second. "Ivy."

I blinked. "Me?"

"You make music," he said simply. "It'd be interesting to see the process from your perspective."

Kayla nodded. "That's actually a good choice."

I turned to Adrian, waiting for his answer, but he just shut his book and leaned back.

"Pass."

Kayla groaned. "You are no fun, Adrian."

"That's the point," Alistair quipped.

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, just pick someone."

Adrian gave me a slow, assessing look before tilting his head slightly. "Fine. You."

I narrowed my eyes, suspicious. "Why?"

He shrugged, expression unreadable. "I want to know what it's like to be so stubborn and chaotic all the time."

I scoffed. "Excuse me?"

Nathaniel chuckled. "He's not wrong."

"Are you all teaming up on me now?" I asked, folding my arms.

Adrian smirked slightly, but didn't answer.

Kayla laughed. "Okay, new question: Who in this group would die first in a horror movie?"

"Alistair," I said immediately.

"What?" He looked genuinely offended.

"You'd try to charm the killer and get stabbed mid-sentence," I said, grinning.

"That is ridiculous," Alistair scoffed. "I would talk my way out of it."

Nathaniel shook his head. "No, you'd be the first to die, but in an entertaining way."

Alistair gasped. "I feel betrayed."

Sebastian leaned back. "Adrian would survive the longest."

Everyone paused to consider that.

"Yeah," Kayla admitted. "He's too calculating. He'd see the danger before it happened."

I scoffed. "Or he'd be the killer."

Adrian raised a brow at me. "That's bold of you to assume."

"I'm just saying, you'd be way too calm while everyone else is panicking," I pointed out. "It's suspicious."

He gave me a slow, almost amused nod. "Duly noted."

The conversation spiraled into chaos from there-arguments over who would be the final survivor, who would make the worst decisions, and why Nathaniel would absolutely be the one to investigate a strange noise in the middle of the night.

Somehow, it felt...easy. Like for once, none of us were trying to prove anything. No tension, no complications. Just us, in the moment. And I liked that.