21ST OCTOBER.
MAINLAND TOWN:
NEAR MR. WILLOW'S HOUSE

APHRODITE BROUGHT THE engine to rest as her eyes rested on the a house with faint blue exterior paint and a lawn full of periwinkles. She re-checked the address that Karan, West and Yumi had managed to find from their sources. She had parked the rented car a few houses away from his house.

No one got out of the car. The boys, who were sitting behind uncomfortably, were quiet. Aphrodite slumped her shoulders and sighed with relief before her hands made way to the hem of her white hoodie. She threw her hoodie in her backpack and looked at Yumi. Yumi snapped her head away, the colour of red tinting her cheeks.

"Looks like no one's awake," West said as he examined the nearby houses. "Assuming that our sleuthing was correct, The Monster's car should be in his garage and he should be at the local gambling centre."

"He gambles?" Lex asked with an inquisitive eyebrow raising upwards.

"Hellz, yeah," Karan said. "His wife doesn't know, though."

"How did you find all of that in less than 24 hours?" Aphrodite asked, a hint of appreciation in her tone.

West shrugged. "Apparently--" His eyes paused on Yumi for a second who turned her head away, avoiding West's gaze. "--one of us is great at making people talk."

Hmm, what are you hiding, Yumi?

"It's, um, it's easy when the entire college hates someone." Before Aphrodite could respond, she said hurriedly, "anyway, the road looks clear. We better get going before he comes back."

"Aight," Karan said. "Everyone knows their positions and stuff?" His caramel eyes travelled around his team and once everyone nodded, he extended his hand. "On three." Everyone rested a hand on top of each other. "One, two..."

"All for one and one for all!" They cheered softly in unison and jumped out of the car. Aphrodite and Yumi led the way towards the house with a dark blue roof. The night was crispy cold but the energy within the team was warm enough to light up the entire neighbourhood. Aphrodite held the iron gate's rod and turned around. West nodded at her in assurance. She swallowed and pushed the gate open. It squeaked lightly which made a chill run down her spine. She held the gate for others to get in.

Yumi nodded at them as she hid behind one of the thickets that covered her entirely and made her feel invisible in the darkness. The flickering lampposts were in the opposite direction and she had the perfect view of the road and the house. She was going to be the eyes and ears of this task.

In the meanwhile, West crouched down below the window. Karan climbed on him to reach the window of the living room. He successfully opened it from outside. He jumped inside but his hand hit a metallic ashtray. Thankfully, Karan's fast reflex stopped it from falling down. He found his way to the garage and opened it from the inside, revealing two cars.

Lex's eyes fell on Aphrodite whose face lit up when the garage shutter opened. She smiled mischievously and took out two cartons of eggs from her backpack. She passed one to Karan and West who went to the other side of the Limo--and kept one for her and Lex.

Aphrodite noticed Lex's eyes on her and lifted her chin, asking what he was thinking.

He shook his head. "You're enjoying this," he whispered after leaning a little closer. It wasn't a guess. It wasn't an assumption. It was a crystal clear statement. And he was right.

She was still smiling. "Yes!" She bit her lip. "Haven't been a teen in months."

"Let's be teens then," Lex nudged her to crack the first egg. She chuckled and took an egg to crack it on his Limo. They had decided to crack the eggs on the car instead of throwing them for safety purposes--so that it won't make much noise. In less than two minutes, the carton was empty and the nauseating odour of egg was filled in the rusty grey garage.

Everything was going according to the pla--

Lex's phone vibrated in his pocket. Someone is awake. They are coming down. HIDE! Yumi had written in their group chat.

Shit.

Think fast, Lex.

Hide!

West and Karan shared a look before running out of the garage. Aphrodite picked up her bag in a jiffy and looked around. There was no place to hide. Lex's brain was about to deactivate but he quickly clutched her arm and ran to the other cheap jeep. He crouched down, pulling her with him.

The footsteps entered the garage and they switched the light on. "Holy shit," the male voice said. But it wasn't Mr. Willow's voice--it was softer. Lex mustered up some courage and leaned to his left, carefully glancing at the direction from where the voice came. A boy who seemed of their age stood there, smirking at the egged car. "Damn, that's the best prank ever." He said. "Dad's gonna be so pissed." He laughed alone.

The boy's eyes turned in Lex's direction who quickly leaned back. He held his breath but that wasn't the worse part. He was pinning Aphrodite to the car. Their hands were entwined and his fingers were brushing against her stomach. The clothes she was wearing were thin and he could feel her warm skin. Oh, damn. His eyes met hers but it broke away instantly when the footsteps approached closer.

Lex chewed his mouth and gripped Aphrodite's hand even tighter. They were going to get caught. There was nowhere they could go. He glanced at Aphrodite. He failed them. He failed all of them. But Aphrodite's eyes were hopeful. She gave him a squeeze of assurance.

A loud bark echoed from the backyard. The barking didn't stop. It got a little louder and raspy-er. But it was human-ly and soft. And he knew who that was--Yumi. "Who's there?" The footsteps paused just five inches away from Lex and Aphrodite. "Hello?" The boy repeated and turned around to go outside. Lex let out a breath of relief. Aphrodite grinned and showed him the phone that was in her hand. She texted Yumi. She saved them.

Before Willow Jr. could come back, Aphrodite and Lex rushed outside to hide behind the thickets. Once the boy went back to his room, they ran back to their car. West and Karan were ready inside. Yumi followed them a couple of minutes later. As soon as she hopped into the car, she was hugged tightly by Aphrodite. She shrunk under her embrace, a smile creeping on her face.

"Thanks for saving us!" Yumi's lips parted but before she could reply, Aphrodite pulled apart, brought the engine to life and glanced behind. She smiled briefly at Lex, but that smile--it was different. It was real. And it meant something.

The missing element. He knew what the missing element was.

"That was extremely close." Karan sighed once they were out on the main road. "Aphrodite and Lex were so close to getting caught."

Lex stared out of the window.

"Hold on, hold on," Karan smirked. "Is--is the Lex Rivera smiling?" Lex's smile--which he didn't even notice--disappeared in a matter of seconds.

"I can smile, Sharma," He countered.

"That's the thing. We all know you can but you don't." Lex did not comment and went back to staring at the lampposts running by.

"Well, you should smile more," Aphrodite said. His eyes met hers through the rearview mirror as a smirk plastered on her face. "Because it makes you look less miserable." Lex rolled his eyes playfully while others burst into laughter.

All for one and one for all. Huh. Let's see how long they keep that promise. 'Cause, we all know promises are meant to be broken. The question is--how long it takes.

header image by Logan Meis.

how was the chapter? did you like the lexodite moments so far? can you feel the chemistry heating up?

have a great day/night!

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