sorry that this is like unforgivably late :')

• • •

"What?!" Jordan, Declan and I all exclaimed at once. "Raymond's house? Raymond?"

"Yep." Bennett was smirking, his ice-colored eyes glinting in the darkness of the room.

"Raymond," Jordan repeated. "Like. Raymond? Raymond Raymond?"

Declan gave Jordan a glare. "If you say Raymond one more time I'm going to cut out your tongue."

"But I don't want to be an Avox," Jordan complained. Declan gave him a confused look and Jordan just winked at me—this was another one of those book references between just the two of us.

When I looked up, I saw Bennett's telltale icy glare resting on Jordan. I was pretty sure he saw the wink.

He's not jealous, is he? That's stupid. Jordan doesn't like me, Declan doesn't like me, no one likes me like that except for him.

Sensing the danger within Bennett's glare, I changed the subject. "Jordan, this isn't the Hunger Games, you're going to survive. We have some toilet papering to do."

"But Naomi," Jordan protested. "I'm not going to survive if Raymond gets his hands on me. And neither are you."

"I'll protect you," Declan said, looking at us.

"Awww, Declan, that's so sweet of you to do that for us," Jordan cooed.

"Not you," Declan retorted, giving Jordan a glare. "I'll let Raymond have you." Jordan dropped his grin immediately and started to pout like a toddler, sticking his lip out.

"You don't like me?" he whimpered.

"No."

"B-b-but... I thought we were friends."

Bennett stood up, his lip curled angrily. "That's enough," he spat. "You need to go and do the dare before it's morning."

"Where are you going to be while we're doing this dare?" Jordan retorted.

"Watching with some popcorn," was Bennett's attempt at sarcasm, but his mood was almost too bad for it to seem funny.

What's wrong with him lately? Why is he in such a bad mood? I don't understand what's gotten into him lately. I really don't.

Clearly, the others were just as surprised at Bennett's sudden anger, but no one said a word. Finally, Declan interrupted the silence.

"Well, we're gonna go and get some toilet paper from the bathroom, then," he said lamely, and disappeared down the hall.

Jordan and I rushed to follow him, leaving Bennett and his bad mood behind in the living room. We quickly slid into the bathroom and Declan swiftly locked the door.

"What's eating Bennett today?" I asked as soon as the door was locked.

Jordan smirked. "You would know."

"Okay, that was uncalled for," I hissed in disgust as Jordan did his signature eyebrow-wiggle. Declan just shook his head as he opened the cabinet and took some extra toilet paper rolls from it.

"Everything I say is uncalled for," Jordan said brightly.

"Isn't that the truth," I muttered.

"Guys, a little help over here would be nice," Declan grunted, armed with at least eighteen rolls of toilet paper. We quickly took some from him and Jordan grabbed a few more of his own.

Stumbling like a bunch of drunk people, we made our way down the hall in the dark, armed with rolls and rolls of toilet paper. If we were going to do a job, we were going to do it right.

"Can we have a ride to Raymond's house?" asked Jordan, looking at Bennett ruefully. "I don't want to walk, especially not carrying all of this toilet paper."

Bennett's glare rested on him for a little while before he replied. "Fine."

"Yes, I know I am," Jordan replied with a grin. "I'm so fine."

"Hmmm," I muttered skeptically. "That's debatable. Oh wait, no it isn't. No one thinks you're fine."

"Bennett does," objected Jordan.

"No. I don't," he replied icily. "Now let's get on with this dare already."

We piled into one of Bennett's many cars (the one with the pistol beneath the dashboard, I should add) and drove off. I was riding shotgun because Bennett was giving the other two the cold shoulder today, for some reason.

"Should I be worried that you know where Raymond's house is?" Jordan muttered as we cruised down the streets of my neighborhood.

"Bennett, are you cheating on Naomi?" Jordan shrieked.

Bennett rolled his eyes. "Remember, I've driven here before. I happen to have a very good memory." His voice was cold.

"Jordan's just worried that you're not being faithful to him," Declan said. "I totally ship Jennett."

Jordan just snorted. "Um, actually, the ship that's going to sail is Beclan."

"Do you two ever shut up?" asked Bennett exasperatedly. "Please. My ears are bleeding."

Jordan ignored him and leaned over towards me. "What do you think, Naomi? Jennett or Beclan?"

"Pfft, I ship Jeclan."

They both recoiled. "What? Why? That's a terrible ship!"

"Because, I just feel like... I don't know... if some bystander was going to write a book series about our crazy lives somehow and post it somewhere for millions to read, most of the readers would ship Jeclan, because it's just the best ship."

"Well that was a specific answer," Declan muttered.

Bennett's sharp voice cut into our conversation as the car halted to a stop on the side of the street. "Okay, guys, we're here. Do what you came to do, and I'll be watching."

"But what if he calls the police?" Jordan asked in a small voice.

Declan was now the one to get exasperated. He rolled his eyes. "Jordan Wallace. You're part of a gang. Toilet papering someone's house is the least of your worries with the law."

"Besides," I added, "Bennett's waiting with a getaway car and, as he likes to remind us so often, a loaded pistol in the dashboard of his car."

I expected him to smile, but he didn't even blink, and we sat there in the car for a little while before he finally unlocked the doors and let us out.

"Have fun," he said blankly, as we slammed the doors shut.

We had already dressed in fairly dark clothes anyway, but Bennett had lent me one of his hoodies since I didn't own too many dark clothes. Carefully we crept across the street and into Raymond's lawn.

"Are you ready to do this?" Declan whispered.

"Of course we are," I replied, but Jordan didn't look too sure.

Declan was the first to throw, heaving one of the rolls over a tree branch. Jordan rushed to catch it and tossed it back, his worry forgotten. Soon, with my help, all three of the beautiful oak trees in Raymond's lawn were covered in white.

Next was the house itself. We had used a good deal of the paper already but we didn't hesitate to go all-out on the rest of the house: onto the roof, the windows, even the satellite dish.

It was actually pretty fun, like a scary game of catch, watching the white flags wave in the night sky as we threw the paper rolls. It was fun. And a game. Fun and games.

You know what they say. It's all fun and games until Raymond comes charging out of his house in a bathrobe holding a hockey club.

Yep.

Naturally, we were all scared to death by the burly figure who came charging out of the house, shouting out choice words while he wielded a wooden jockey club.

"Run!" shouted Jordan, but it was too late. Raymond was already out here. Jordan ducked a direct hit from the hockey club and rolled into the grass.

"Don't kill us!" he screamed dramatically.

"For the last time, this isn't the Hunger Games and he's not going to kill you!" I growled, sprinting away to where Jordan was now standing.

We turned around to hear a strangled yell, as Declan had socked Raymond right in the stomach and had him in what was basically a headlock. Raymond was struggling, but it was no use.

Of course it was Declan who came to our rescue in the end.

"What... the hell... are you three... doing in my yard?" Raymond spat through the headlock.

"Toilet papering it," Jordan answered. "Duh."

"Raymond," Declan whispered, his deep brown eyes shadowy. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

Raymond gulped.

"So, Raymond. Which one do you want?" I loved it when Declan's voice got like this... it was the same voice he used when he would use his famous line: "Parking lot, after school."

Raymond gritted his teeth. "Just let me go, or I'll call the police for trespassing and vandalism."

"How are you going to call the police if we don't let you go?" Declan asked slyly.

Raymond just glared. "Let me go!"

Declan smirked. "If you breathe a word about the fact that we did this to anyone, I will make it my mission to hunt you down." His voice was deadly quiet.

Raymond nodded quickly.

Carefully, Declan let Raymond go and he sprinted back towards the house, still clutching his hockey club. He leapt inside and slammed the door.

"Well," Declan said. "I guess we're done with that." He dusted off his hands and the three of us crept back to Bennett's car, hoping we hadn't been seen.

When we came back, Bennett didn't congratulate us. He didn't say anything. Nothing.

We rode home in silence.

• • •

ahhhh ok this is extremely super late I am so very sorry

ugh

so the next one-shot will belong to The_Dam_Snackbar_ but be patient because I put the 'pro' in 'procrastinate' so it's probably gonna be late

also did you guys read chapter 5 of TGGBB2 yet? ahhhh idk what to think

anyways peace out cacti 🌵