𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑⁰¹ʰᵉᵐᵐⁱⁿᵍˢ✓

⁵²oh my darling

clementine

"Dude, I was at a party at Christmas with Wyatt, Cam, and Harish, and I swear to you, someone somehow recognised Harish and asked him to play one of Reonide's songs," Mara tells me, her voice animated in joy through the speakers of my phone. "It was so cool, he got recognised three times that night, all asking him if he was in the band Reonide!"

I laugh, excitement filling me at the success of Harish's band. I know he'd been anticipating this moment since the band started, so it probably meant a lot that he was finally getting recognised. "Oh my god, did he play a song?"

Mara scoffs, chuckling to herself at the memory. "Unfortunately not. He was wasted as fuck and he doesn't even remember being recognised," She giggles before immediately exclaiming "Oh!" She squeals, surprising me. "Speaking of parties, let's throw a party,"

I cock a brow at the offer. "What for?"

"For when you're back here. Let's throw you a goodbye party a few days before you move away," She explains. "Well, it's not really a party, not a celebration type thing, just something along the lines of a gathering. You know, have dinner, talk, and just relish in your presence while you're there,"

I snort, a smile pressing on my lips. "Relish in my - Mara, we really don't need to do that,"

Mara tsks, disapproving me. "No, we need to do this, Clem," She says, her tone pleading me for permission. "You're going away and we probably won't see you until the holidays or something or if we collectively agree to fly out to LA and meet you, but you know how unorganised we all are as a group. Pretty sure Wyatt's the most adult one out of all of us,"

Laughing, I nod, agreeing to how unprepared we usually are when it comes to making plans or going somewhere together. Someone's usually late or too early, or at times one of us would just completely forget about the plan.

I sigh, narrowing my eyes as I contemplate on it. "Just a small gathering?"

"Yep,"

"Just us four and Wyatt?"

She pauses, humming as she makes me wait for her reply. "Hah - okay, well, I was thinking you could invite Luke," She laughs awkwardly as she makes the request. "And maybe Ashton, Michael, and Calum -"

She's right. This would be our last gathering before I'd move away, and honestly, it sounds good. I'd just love to spend a night with my friends, drink and talk the night away, wake up the next day with a headache, and leave New York with good memories.

"I'll have to ask them, I'm not sure they can make it since they're midst a tour. But we'll see, I guess," I say, receiving an excited squeal from her Mara as soon as the words escape my lips.

"Yeah! You ask them!" She exclaims, her phone shuffling with something and muffling her voice. "Okay, so I made a list of where we could stay. Like, not at home, somewhere outside. Club? Rose's Region? Random restaurant?"

Just as I'm about to say something, I hear a cough sounding behind me, as if lungs are shaking and heaving out what impurities are within.

I turn, seeing dad holding onto the patio doorway and hacking out some phlegm, a cup of what looks to be a hot drink in his other hand, floating steam indicating its heat.

"Mara, I'll talk to you later, okay? I trust with whatever place you pick," I say before hearing her hum to an agreement as I end the call. "Dad? You okay?"

His cough quickly turns into a laugh, and he makes his way over to me and sets his drink on the table. "Didn't mean to make such a grand entrance," He remarks jokingly and chuckles as he sits beside me.