Emma looked up from her phone, legs crossed in the air and all snug in her strawberry fleece PJs. "... Remind me why we're having this sleepover again."
Mia, who was drying her hair (yes she had just taken a bath) shot her best friend a look. "Because the boys and Nya wanted me to have a 'day off'. Seriously, what does that mean?!"
Maple, who was braiding Amy's hair, snorted. "It's a day you relax."
Mia raised a brow. "I always relax."
Annie blinked, unimpressed. "Sure."
Emma rolled onto her stomach and dangled her arms over the edge of the bed. "Girl, you punched a robot in the face last week because it startled you."
Mia flung the towel over her head like a dramatic cape. "That robot wasn't supposed to be there! It was lurking!"
Amy tilted her head, wincing slightly as Maple tugged on a knot. "To be fair, it was just bringing you your energy drink."
"You threw it out the window," Maple added, trying not to laugh. "We heard the crash from the courtyard."
Mia groaned and flopped onto the bed beside Emma. "Okay, okay, maybe I don't always relax."
Annie, curled up in a beanbag with a face mask on, peeked one eye open. "Girl, your idea of 'downtime' is filing kunai in alphabetical order. That's not relaxing. That's terrifying."
Emma grinned. "But now you're stuck with us. No missions. No boys. No battles. Just bad movies and even worse snacks."
"Hey," Maple said, mock-offended, holding up a plate. "I worked hard on these cookies!"
Amy popped one in her mouth and gave a thumbs-up. "Actually, these slap."
Mia stared at the ceiling. "I don't know how to relax. My version of rest is, like... sit on a rooftop and sulk about global threats."
"You're so dramatic," Emma sighed fondly, tossing a pillow at her.
Mia caught it one-handed. "I am dramatic."
"But now," Maple said, finishing Amy's braid and tying it off with a scrunchie, "you're under our command for the next twelve hours."
"No escape," Annie chimed in.
"Resistance is futile," Emma added in her best villain voice.
Mia squinted at them all. "So... it's a sleepover mission. But emotional."
"Exactly," Emma said, grabbing the remote. "And first mission: cheesy movie marathon, starting with Attack of the Ninja Bunnies."
Mia groaned, but smiled. "Fine. But if I see one badly choreographed fight scene, I'm climbing out the window."
"We locked it," Annie said without looking up.
"...You what?"
Sleepover: 1. Ninja Instincts: 0.
