Stella’s POV
I checked the time on my phone again. 7:48. Okay, so technically, I still had twelve minutes to get there, but was it better to be early? Or maybe arriving right on time would look cooler? I sighed, tossing my phone back on the bed and straightening the collar of my casual outfit—a plain white top with some comfy jeans, nothing fancy. I tied my hair into a simple ponytail, hoping that would look okay. Gwen was pretty vague about this invite, just that I had to be there. Something “special,” she’d said, and now here I was overthinking if I should dress up for it.
Shrugging, I grabbed my stuff, deciding not to dwell on it any longer, and headed out. As I walked down the dorm hallway, I couldn't help but fall into my thoughts again. Thoughts I wish would just stay buried.
Zeus. His face kept creeping into my mind no matter how hard I tried to shake it off. A small pinch of pain twisted in my chest. He’d been so distant lately, especially with Dana that is always around him. Maybe it was better to just…quit whatever feelings I had. Fair enough, right? But then, there was this itch in my heart. Like, I still needed to talk to him. I just didn’t know what I should even say.
Suddenly, a hand covered my eyes, and I froze, my heart leaping up to my throat. Just as I was about to scream, a familiar, playful laugh broke through the silence.
“What are you doing out so late, gorgeous?” A familiar voice, smooth and teasing. I knew that voice.
I turned around to find Liam grinning at me, earbuds hanging around his neck and beads of sweat on his forehead. He was in his jogging pants and a sleeveless hoodie that clung to his shoulders like he’d been running a marathon.
“Liam?” I stammered, taken aback. “What are you doing out here like…that?”
He chuckled, pulling his hoodie down a bit. “Just got back from a run. Gotta keep the muscles alive, you know?” He flexed a little, which just made me snort.
“You look like you’re training for the Olympics or something,” I muttered, trying not to laugh.
“Hey, somebody’s gotta keep fit around here!” He shrugged, still grinning. “But what about you, huh? Where are you off to at this hour?”
“Oh, um, Gwen invited me somewhere… It’s kind of mysterious, honestly. Said it was special or something.”
“Special, huh?” He raised his eyebrows, his face lighting up with curiosity. “Well then, care if I tag along? Just in case it’s, like, a secret surprise cult initiation or something. You’re gonna need backup.”
I laughed, rolling my eyes. “It’s not that dramatic, Liam.”
“Still, safety in numbers, right?” He gave me this lopsided grin that was honestly hard to say no to. “Besides, I need an excuse to stick around. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
“Alright, fine. But if it’s some embarrassing setup, I’m blaming you for distracting me.”
He gave a mock salute, and we started walking together. As we walked, he kept talking about his “killer workout routine” and how he could probably run a marathon in his sleep. I tried to keep a straight face, but his confidence was just so over-the-top, it was hilarious.
“And then, get this,” he said, his eyes widening. “Halfway through my run, I almost stepped on this massive bug. Like, this thing had to be the size of my fist.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Your fist? Sure, Liam, next thing you’ll say it was a dinosaur.”
“Hey! I’m serious!” He laughed, throwing his hands up. “It was freakishly huge. I barely survived.”
“Oh yeah, sounds traumatic,” I deadpanned, making him chuckle again. “But I’m sure you fought it off bravely.”
“Darn right, I did.” He shot me a wink. “That bug won’t be bothering anyone again.”
We kept joking like that all the way to the meeting spot, with me teasing him and him acting like the hero of some action movie. He was good company, though, and I found myself laughing more than I had in days.
Finally, we reached the location Gwen had texted me. It was an old room in one of the quieter parts of the building, pretty out of the way and almost…creepy, honestly.
Liam looked around, frowning. “Uh, why here? Isn’t this place abandoned?”
I shrugged, glancing around at the dusty windows. “I dunno. Gwen said it was important. Maybe she’s trying to spook me or something.”
“Or maybe she wants to test your courage,” he joked, giving me a nudge. “Gwen’s got that evil genius side, you know?”
I snickered, just as Liam’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at it, sighing. “Aw, man. It’s Janserd. He needs me back at the dorm. We’ve got this wood project due this week, and knowing him, he’s probably forgotten all the supplies.”
“Oh, go help him,” I said, waving him off. “I’ll be fine here.”
But Liam didn’t leave right away. Instead, he stood there, just staring at me. For a second, his gaze softened, and he stepped closer, his eyes meeting mine with this intensity that made my breath hitch. He leaned in, his eyes flickering down to my lips.
“Stella, I…”
I felt the wall pressing against my back as he moved closer, his face just inches from mine. But before I knew it, I started laughing, looking away and gently pushing him back. “Liam, c’mon,” I chuckled, trying to catch my breath. “I—just…not like this, okay?”
He blinked, stepping back, and then he laughed too, rubbing the back of his neck. “I…uh, yeah. Sorry, Stella. I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s fine, really,” I said, smiling to show him I wasn’t mad. “You just caught me off guard, that’s all.”
“Right.” He nodded, giving me a small, apologetic smile. “Okay then… I’ll, uh, I’ll get going now. See you around, Stella.”
He waved goodbye, disappearing down the hallway. As soon as he was gone, I let out a deep breath, leaning against the wall. My heart was still racing, but not for the reason he’d probably hoped. Liam is such a good guy, sure, but it was clear now. My heart? It wasn’t his. It was already tangled up in someone else. Someone who could make me laugh one minute and drive me crazy the next.
Zeus.
Shaking my head, I finally opened the door. I stepped inside the room, the door creaking slightly behind me. My heart was still racing from my almost moment with Liam, and my mind was busy processing it all when—
“Surprise!!!”
I jumped, nearly dropping my bag. A chorus of voices rang out, and before I could even blink, Gwen, Mia, and Harper were all rushing toward me. Gwen’s arms were the first to wrap around me, followed by Mia, who practically tackled me in her excitement. Harper stood back, smiling as she clapped slowly, shaking her head at the other two.
“What is this?” I managed to stammer, completely dumbfounded. Was it my birthday? No, definitely not. Someone else’s birthday? That didn’t make sense either. What was happening? My mind spun in circles, trying to piece it together.
“Well,” Gwen started, pulling back slightly with a mischievous grin, “we decided to throw you a little fun to cheer you up! Surprise!”
I blinked at her, my brain still catching up. “Cheer me up? But I—”
Before I could even say thanks, Mia burst into the conversation like a hurricane, as she always did. “Stellaaaaa!” she squealed, bouncing on her heels. “Do you know how much I got for this night? Zero cents! Zero dollars! I pulled some real strings, girl. And the food! Oh my god, the food is all my connections, baby! Plus, I did ‘all’ the decorating, and trust me, it was no walk in the park. I’m like, ‘exhausted’.”
She threw her arms out wide as if she’d just given me a tour of the entire party setup.
I looked around, finally taking in the room. There were colorful fairy lights strung across the ceiling, a cozy assortment of pillows and fluffy blankets on the floor, and a small snack table in the corner loaded with chips, candy, and soda. It was simple, but really cute and definitely warm. I couldn’t help but smile at how much effort they’d put into it. But Mia’s rant…
I opened my mouth to say something when I noticed Gwen and Harper exchanging looks, their eyebrows raised in disbelief.
“Mia!” Gwen shouted, slapping the back of Mia’s head lightly, making her yelp. “That’s my credit! I did all the cleaning and decorating. You? You were lying on the floor pretending you were dying because you ‘carried too many bags.’”
Mia’s face was pure shock as she rubbed the back of her head. “Excuse me? I carried those bags all the way from the store, Gwen. That was hard work!”
“You carried one tiny bag with a loaf of bread in it,” Harper chimed in, crossing her arms, looking so done with both of them. “Let’s not exaggerate here, Mia.”
“I was emotionally drained from all the arrangements, okay?” Mia shot back dramatically. “Do you know how much it takes to get free food these days?”
I couldn’t help it. I started laughing—like, really laughing. The three of them were so ridiculous, so over-the-top and childish, but in the best way possible. This? This was my crew. And I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have found them.
“Oh my god, you guys,” I giggled, wiping at my eyes, “you’re ridiculous.”
Mia puffed her chest, hands on her hips. “You’re welcome, by the way. I made all this possible.”
“Yeah, by talking too much,” Gwen smirked, rolling her eyes.
Before I knew what I was doing, I ran up and jumped at them, catching them off guard and sending us all tumbling onto the soft pillows and foam carpet. “Ooof!” Gwen groaned as she landed awkwardly on her side. Mia screamed like she’d just been thrown off a cliff, and Harper barely managed to stay standing, shaking her head in disbelief at the chaos I’d just unleashed.
“Oh my god, Stella!” Mia screeched between laughs. “You’re trying to kill me!”
Gwen, who had managed to untangle herself from the mess of pillows, threw one at Mia’s head. “Take that! And I’ll get you for stealing my credit, too!”
Mia gasped, grabbing the pillow and swinging it back at Gwen like a gladiator in battle. “This is war!”
Before long, it was an all-out pillow fight. Mia was screaming like she was in an actual battlefield, flailing wildly while Gwen smirked and calmly dodged every swing, retaliating with perfectly timed blows. Harper and I, well, we just sat back, laughing so hard we could barely breathe. Harper looked over at me and muttered, “We really let these two out of the house? Big mistake.”
I couldn’t stop laughing. It felt so good to let loose like this, to just have fun with them. Every swing, every shout, every sarcastic comment from Gwen and every over-the-top reaction from Mia, it was exactly what I needed.
Tonight was fun. It was hilarious. It was perfect.
Finally, after what felt like ages of battling it out, Mia collapsed onto the floor, dramatically throwing her arms wide. “I can’t! I surrender!” she wailed, giggling so much she could barely talk. “I’m defeated.”
Gwen stood over her with a pillow raised in victory, grinning like she’d just won a championship match. “Victory is mine!”
Harper shook her head, still chuckling. “You guys are unbelievable.”
We all ended up lying on the floor in a heap of pillows and blankets, catching our breath. The room was filled with laughter and the soft glow of fairy lights. I looked around at them—my friends and felt a warmth in my chest I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Thanks, guys,” I finally said, my voice a little softer now. “I really needed this.”
Mia rolled over onto her stomach, grinning at me. “What are friends for, huh? Besides, I think I needed it too. Life’s been a little…blah lately.”
“Agreed,” Gwen said, reaching over to lightly punch Mia’s arm. “Even if you’re annoying sometimes.”
“Hey! I am delightful!” Mia protested, sitting up and throwing a pillow at Gwen’s head.
Harper groaned, pretending to cover her ears. “Can we not start this again?”
We all laughed. The room was filled with a kind of joy that was hard to describe. It wasn’t just the fun or the jokes, though those helped. It was the feeling of being understood, of being cared for. I didn’t know what I did to deserve them, but I was so grateful for these girls. Even if they were completely ridiculous.
As the night stretched on, we kept talking, kept laughing. Conversations drifted from the dumbest topics, like Mia’s obsession with weird food combinations to more serious things. Like Harper’s future plans, Gwen’s latest crush, and even a little about Zeus. I didn’t tell them everything about him, but just enough to let them know I wasn’t over him.
And that’s what friends are for, right? To be there for you, even when you’re not sure how to be there for yourself.
Now popcorn was everywhere. On the couch, on the floor, in my lap. Gwen was hugging a pillow tight, her eyes glued to the screen, tears already welling up. Next to her, Mia was a mess of tissues, sniffing every other second like her life depended on it. Meanwhile, Harper and I were just... watching. Both of us were so focused, our eyes darting back and forth between the characters on screen, trying to figure out who the real killer was in “Hearth Path.” This wasn’t just a romance movie. No, it was a murder mystery disguised as one. The girl, Sandy, was killed. Her baby, too. And now Jack, her grieving husband, was on a rampage trying to find out who did it. Every scene had some new clue. 
Mia gasped dramatically as Jack burst into tears on screen, dropping to his knees in the rain. "Nooo! Poor Jack!" she wailed, clutching her popcorn like it was a lifeline. 
Gwen wiped her nose, sniffling. "He deserves better than this!"
Meanwhile, Harper and I exchanged glances. We were trying to solve this. There had to be a hint somewhere. The way the camera zoomed in on the best friend’s hand. The weird way the neighbor was avoiding eye contact. “It’s gotta be someone close to them,” I muttered to Harper. “Maybe the best friend? He’s been acting weird lately.”
Harper nodded, her eyes narrowing. “Yeah, but did you see how the neighbor avoided Jack at the funeral? There’s something off about her too.”
“True, but—” 
Just then, a voice from behind the couch made us both jump. 
“What you guys watching?” 
“AHHH! Damn it, Zeus, you scared us!” Gwen yelled, putting her hands to her chest like she was trying to keep her heart from exploding. 
I blinked, confused. Zeus? Here? I thought tonight was just for the four of us. What was he doing here? I shot a look at Gwen. She was acting like it was no big deal, but something about her smirk made me suspicious. Did she… invite him? Was this part of some ridiculous plan of theirs? I wouldn’t put it past them. 
“Oh? You guys watching Hearth Path?” Zeus asked, his voice casual as if he hadn’t just scared the life out of us.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Mia muttered, already reaching for more tissues.
Before anyone else could say anything, Gwen shot Zeus a glare. “Shh! The next scene’s about to reveal the killer. Sit down!” And just like that, she grabbed Zeus by the ear, pulling him down onto the couch between me and Harper. 
I stiffened. Great. Now Zeus was sitting next to me, making everything so much worse. I could feel his arm brush against mine, and my heart immediately picked up speed, not in a good way. 
“Hi,” Zeus whispered, waving at me like he hadn’t just sat next to me after everything that happened earlier. 
I didn’t say anything. I was still mad. Even though I had no right to be mad. After all, nothing was really going on between us, but seeing him with Dana earlier stung. It hurt in a way I wasn’t ready to admit. So, I stayed quiet, focusing on the screen.
Zeus, of course, wasn’t having it. “You do know the killer liked Jack, right?” he said, louder this time so everyone could hear. “Like, he was obsessed with him. That’s why he killed Sandy and the baby.”
The whole room froze. 
Mia gasped, her eyes wide. “Wait… are you saying he's gay?!”
Zeus shrugged. “Pretty much.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Gwen screamed, throwing her hands up in the air. “You just spoiled the whole thing! We were this close to finding out!”
Harper, who had been sitting quietly the whole time, face-planted into the nearest pillow. “I can’t. I just can’t with you guys.”
“I was gonna figure that out on my own!” I snapped at Zeus, half-joking, half-serious. I’d spent the last hour piecing together the clues, and now Zeus had just casually dropped the biggest spoiler of the movie like it was no big deal. 
“Oops,” Zeus said, not looking sorry in the slightest.
More time passed with us arguing, Mia going on and on about how shocked she was that the killer was gay and how she “totally didn’t see that coming.” Gwen was still ranting about how Zeus ruined everything, while Harper kept trying to disappear deeper into the pillow like she was done with all of us.
Finally, Gwen stood up, her hands on her hips. “Alright, popcorn’s out. I’m getting more.”
“Harper, help me with the popcorn,” she added, pointing to Harper who was more than ready to escape the chaos.
“About time,” Harper muttered, clearly relieved. “I need a break from all this drama.”
I saw my chance. I started to stand up, ready to follow them into the kitchen. Anything to get away from Zeus for a bit. But then, they both turned to me with the same look. One that said, “Stay put, Stella.” Like they were sending me some kind of telepathic message.
I narrowed my eyes at them. What was going on? Why were they so determined to leave me here? Alone. With Zeus.
Harper walked past Mia and gave her a quick pinch on the arm.
“Ow! What did I do now?” Mia complained, rubbing her arm, looking at Harper like she’d just committed a crime.
Harper didn’t respond, just smiled that knowing smile of hers. And that’s when I realized it. This whole thing, it was planned. They were up to something. Gwen, Harper, and Mia had been plotting behind my back, and now Zeus was somehow involved too. 
Unbelievable. These three idiots were actually crazy.
They left the room, leaving me and Zeus in awkward silence. I kept my eyes glued to the screen, pretending to care about the next scene, even though I’d already lost track of the plot. My mind was too busy racing, trying to figure out what they were up to. Why would they put me in this situation? 
Zeus shifted next to me, clearing his throat. “So… still mad at me?” he asked, his voice softer now, like he actually cared about my answer.
I bit my lip, not sure what to say. Of course, I was mad. Even though I shouldn’t be. But what was the point in admitting it? 
“I’m not mad,” I said quietly, my voice betraying me a little.
Zeus turned to face me, his eyes searching mine. “You sure? Because you look like you’re about to explode.”
I sighed, still not looking at him. “It’s just… never mind. It doesn’t matter.”
There was a long pause before Zeus spoke again. “Then... I should be mad. You left me hanging that night, you know?” He said giggling. I can feel how hurt that was.
That caught me off guard. My heart skipped a beat, and I finally looked at him. His expression was serious, almost… sincere. Like he actually wanted me to believe him.
Before I could say anything, the sound of Gwen’s voice echoed from the kitchen. “You guys better not be fighting out there!” she called, her voice teasing. “We’ve got more popcorn coming, so keep it civil!”
I rolled my eyes, laughing softly. Of course, Gwen had to chime in. 
Zeus smirked, clearly amused. “Guess we’re not allowed to fight tonight.”
I shook my head, feeling the tension between us start to melt away. “Guess not.”
It was fun. And it was exactly what I needed.