"This is a horrible idea."

I shuffle my hands in the pockets of my hoodie. "You've told me that a hundred times and still you're going through with it."

"Yeah, try sleeping when you know someone is idiotic enough to go after drug dealers," Kal whispers.

It's currently three AM and we're walking down the street where we spotted the dealers the previous time. Thankfully, it's not a starry night and the moon doesn't cast a strong glow. Instead, it's hidden behind thin clouds. All the lights are off except for the street lamps and no one makes a sound, aside from howling dogs and the ocassional cat meow.

"Try sleeping when you know said dealers could hunt you down," I reply with a shrug. I don't actually believe it's going to happen, but you know how it goes: the chances are low but never zero.

"And we're going to help them by providing them a good look on our faces?"

I zip up my hoodie full way and bunch its strings so much that the fabric covers my whole head and face, except for my mouth and nostrils. "Not if we approach them like this, no."

I hear Kal chuckle and my chest inflates with pride. There's nothing more rewarding than people who laugh at my jokes. Lifting up the hoodie only so I can actually see, I notice his hand is slapped on his mouth.

"I shouldn't be laughing!" he whisper-yells.

Nudging his shoulder I say, "Dude, we're alone out here."

"Maybe we should try different alleys?"

My eyes widen as a grin spreads across my face. "You're right!"

Kal's eyes widen too, but he doesn't seem too happy. "No, forget I said that."

"C'mon, Kal! Maybe they're at the old Trader Joe's and selling their stuff. We won't even have to get too close. I'll just snap a photo of their license plate and we'l be done."

Kal develops a pained expression, as if he just drank a litre of lemon juice. "Why does that kind of make sense? Am I losing my mind too?"

I grab him from the wrist and drag him towards the old store and, soon enough, he stops pretending he doesn't want to come along and walks without shuffling his shoes on the pavement.

As we get closer to Trader Joe's I realise there's no way we can go closer and not be noticed. There are at least ten people outside holding lit cigarettes or joints, puffing out smoke. There's no car or van in sight.

I stand on my toes and lean towards Kal. "I think we should get going."

"You think?" he replies, shaking his head. "Why did I ever listen to you?"

"More walking, less talking," I say and turn on my heel.

"Hey! Jason, is that you?"

Oh dear God.

My body freezes as I hear one of the -for the luck of a better word- junkies shout to us.

"Jason! Who's that with you?"

"Let's slowly walk away," Kal whispers and I nod.

As if I could move any faster.

Everything seems to be going alright, except for the fact that we have a shift in a few hours. But no. I hear footsteps, and next thing I know one of the junkies is coming close to us, saying how excited they are about the new batch.

It was nice being alive.

"Hey, wait up!"

Without turning back I say, "I forgot the pack at my house, gotta go, see you soon!" and with that I break into a run as if my life depends on it. Because, you know, it could.

Kal doesn't miss the momentum and catches up with me only a few seconds later, and in a few more he's way ahead of me.

"WAIT UP!"

He stops running and looks back at me. He waits for me to catch up and mumbles a "sorry" before running again, slower this time.

"Actually, I'm not sorry," he says. "We're running because of you, again!"

I want to tell him that it was his fault the first time, but I can't talk and run.

We reach my house and rush inside through my window once again. I unzip my hoodie and throw it on the floor before jumping face-first on my bed, letting out big breaths. Kal is sitting on my chair and burning holes on my face.

"Okay, fine, it wasn't the most successful info hunting."

His eyebrows furrow. "We could have been caught!"

"Uh...dangers of the trade?" I ask as if it's no big deal, even though I still am scared shitless. "It was kind of exciting, though, right?"

Kal grabs his hair and leans forward. "Exciting?"

I gaze at the ceiling. "Okay, not exactly exciting. How about adrenaline-inducing?"

"There are other ways to trigger the production of adrenaline. Go kiss someone or go bunjee- jumping or..." Kal shakes his head. "Do you happen to have my shirt lying around? I'm really sweaty and starting to get cold."

I think about it for a moment. "Yeah, you're sitting on it."

Kal stands up and lifts his wrinkled grey tee like a trophy. His gaze falls on the door.

"It is indeed a door, in case you were wondering. The portal to Narnia is in the closet, if that's what you're looking for."

Kal laughs quietly. "Which portal leads to the bathroom?"

"Mhm... I think the door will do," I reply.

I hug my pillow and let my eyelids droop and close, trying to forget I only have about three hours of sleep ahead of me.

"Summer? Is that you in the bathroom?"

Why is Dad awake at this hour?

I clear my throat. "Yeah, had too much to drink, ha ha."

"Of what?"

"Water of course!"

Kal comes back in my room a few seconds later, eyes widened. "That was close."

Four hours later I'm regretting more than ever my decision to go after drug dealers. I slapped as much concealer as I could under my eyes, but still the black circles peek through. I'm wiping the floor, holding the broom with both hands and resting my head on it. I black out sometimes and only realise it when my head slides down the stick.

"We are never ever" -Kal yawns- "chasing bad guys. Ever."

He's sitting on the sofa and wiping the tables close to it, rubbing his eyes every few seconds.

"Hello wor- What the heck?" Olivia says a little too loudly for my taste. "You look like zombies!"

"Thank you, that's the look we were going for," I mumble and get back to trying to clean the floor.

"Didn't you get any sleep?"

I don't have to look over at Kal to know he's glaring at me. "I would have slept just fine if it wasn't for Summer."

"Why? Did you two..." Olivia rubs her index fingers together.

My eyes shoot open. "Never in a million years!"

"Yeah! She sent me a whole Fall Out Boy album and insisted I listen to it and I did and here we are."

Huh he's got a lie at the ready.

Olivia shrugs. "Okay, at least it was FOB. Did you two think to...I don't know, make a cup of coffee for yourselves or something?"

A smile spreads itself across my lips. "You're a genius, Liv!"

"Yeah, I know. I'm going to go make some for you, in the meantime..." Her eyes dance between Kal and I. "Just try not to fall facefirst on the floor."

Even though she's laughing, it remains a quite difficult task for me. I give up cleaning the floor, since no one really comes here to check out how clean it is, and sit on the couch next to Kal, whose face is resting against the table.

A thud makes me look up a few minutes later. Two pink cups of coffee are set before my face so I quickly grab one and take a huge sip.

Ew

I was expecting to taste the rich capuccino flavour accompanied by caramel or vanilla I usually go for, but instead my tongue drops dead with the bitterness of unsweetened black coffee. I struggle swallowing it so much I get up and spit in the bathroom sink.

"Is there even the slightest bit of sugar in here?" I ask when I go back.

Smiling, Olivia says, "No, and it seemed to do the trick." I pout as I grab the broom again but she only takes a bite from her cupcake. "Don't be a baby. Kal seems to even like it."

I eye the guy. He's indeed sipping on the coffee and cleaning tables with his free hand.

Olivia clears her throat. "Okay, he might be a psychopath."

"Uh...can I have a cup of coffee, too?"

I turn around and freeze for a moment. Alex stands close to the cash register, fidgeting with his fingers.

Olivia crosses her arms. "I don't know. Will you take it after we make it or leave before we're even done?"

"Olivia, c'mon," Kal mutters as he approaches us. "Let him speak."

"Now he wants to speak? Because he didn't try at all the past three days," the girl replies, shooting a glare over at Alex who drops his gaze at the floor.

"I'm sorry, guys. I should have at least informed you," Alex says. He continues, slowly looking up. "I promise, we can watch as many movies as you want. Sofia or any of her friends won't even come along. It's just that...Sofia wanted me to be with her and-"

Olivia puts her hands up. "Sofia wanted you to be with her? We wanted you with us too, you know. She could have survived without you. She had her friends with her so it's not like she would be stuck with adults. Besides, you're not her..." Olivia shakes her head. "Isn't it too early to be going out to dinner with her parents? You're not going to marry each other."

Alex's jaw clenches. "You know what? We might, sometime." He glances at me. "At least Summer is more supportive of my relationship with Sofia."

The cold hands of guilt wrapped around my neck are enough to fully wake me up. I do appear so supportive of them while in reality I'm doing it to cover up my crush on him and Sofia's -let's say- cheating.

"And you're the only one complaining," Alex continues. "Summer, Kal, are you so mad that I didn't come along on Saturday or do you have any other things you want to tell me?"

I take a deep breath. I know I'm not supposed to say anything, but I can't help but notice how absent he's becoming.

"Actually, yes," I say. "You're never with us unless Sophia is too. You pick her over us. I never thought you would be that guy."

Alex frowns. "What guy?"

"The one who gets in a relationship and forgets all about his friends," Olivia says rolling her eyes."

The pale boy puts a hand over his heart. "Who said I choose Sofia over any of you? Or that I forgot about you? I love you, guys, you're my best friends, the siblings I don't have. How..." His lower lip juts out. "I can't believe you even thought I am like that."

Olivia shrugs. "You act like that, though," she mumbles.

Alex nods to himself and shifts his gaze away from us. I can feel my own eyes stinging, regretting I ever said anything.

"D-Do you feel like...like that, too, Kal?" he asks, gulping down tears.

Kal's head shots up. His olive green eyes fall on Alex and his mouth opens and closes several times before he actually speaks.

"Of course not, Al. We've all been in a relationship and know that sometimes you just want to spend every minute of the day with that person. You're allowed to be with Sofia, especially after barely seeing her all year." Kal sucks in his lips. "But I also get why...I mean, it does look like you're avoiding us, sometimes. I know you aren't, though."

"I hope he isn't," Olivia says.

Alex turns to her. "Of course I'm not," he mutters. "I could never."

She shrugs. "Then I guess I'll take up on your offer to have a movie marathon."

Alex cracks a smile. "Will Summer and Kal be joining us?"

I can't stop the smile forming on my lips. "That goes without saying, idiot."

His smile grows wider. "Can we all hug now?"

Kal rolls his eyes. "Al, we're eighteen. We need to stop with the group hugs."

Alex makes his trademark puppy eyes at him, and Kal shakes his head before coming closer and we all hug. It does feel juvenile, but it's also comforting, like a reassurance that nothing will change as the years go by or if a few secrets become less secret.

..........

Ugh these customers ruin all their good moments. NaNo is over but I have another goal now, which is to finish the story before 2021. If 2021 ever happens lol.

What's your favourite coffee/chocolate drink?

Mine is a good ol' hot chocolate capuccino or fredo capuccino with cinammon and cream