Dylan

[21st December]

"Why'd you take so long?" Dylan raised a brow at me, arms perched behind his head as he laid on the bed. I offered him a small smile and paused in my steps when I noticed three beds in the room. Two vacant ones on the left and Dylan occupying the one on the right.

"Who's taking the other bed?" I questioned, sauntering to the one on the far left.

"J-" the door casually opened. "Yeah, this dude," I choked. Dylan delivered me a look before rolling around to smoothen out his blanket.

"Hey," Jay waved at me and rested on the bed next to mine. I rigidly greeted back before plunging onto the mattress, my back facing the brunette. This is such unfortunate timing!

"Good night," Dylan hummed as he switched off the lamp on his nightstand. It was awfully quiet after that, only the noises of blankets turning and light sighs.

I, for one, did not do well in new places. Thus, it was difficult for me to fall asleep, plus what happened in the bathroom kept replaying in my head much to my liking.

I glimpsed at the miniature clock on my nightstand; it was only thirty minutes past eleven. Don't teenagers go to sleep a little later? It was a tad bit uncanny to go to bed that early at a sleepover, especially when you have rowdy friends around.

But I guess it was all because the twins threatened to tell the guards they were invaders and have them escorted out. That was ridiculous.

I softly tapped my fingers on the bedsheet as my mind traveled to the mission. Shortly after, I was brought back to reality by the sound of blankets being pushed aside. I glanced over my shoulder to observe Dylan sitting at the edge of his bed as he rubbed his face tiredly. He noiselessly turned on his night lamp before shifting to us. I quickly pretended to stir in my sleep, my heartbeat rising at his sudden head turn.

Dylan seized the baby blue jacket that was neatly folded at the corner of his bed and tip-toed to the door. When he left, I instantly sat up and turned on the lamp on my nightstand, exposing Jay on his bed with his hands behind his back, eyes lingering at the door. He turned to face me.

"You're awake too?" I rolled my eyes as he pointed the obvious.

"Should we follow him?"

"Hm, he probably just went to get water," Jay shifted in his bed.

"But he brought his jacket with him-" I paused when I overheard the house door downstairs open. Jay abruptly perched up from his bed with furrowed brows. He exchanged glances with me before the both of us hurried to the door. Peeping out the corridor, we noticed Nick a room down, glimpsing around with a concerned expression. He saw us look around the foyer.

"Did someone leave?" He approached us.

"I think it was Dylan, we saw him step out the room with his jacket," I responded.

"It's almost midnight. There's no incentive for him to leave at such an ungodly hour," Nick ran downstairs and the both of us followed.

We watched as Nick peered through the peek hole of the apartment door with knitted brows. "He turned the corner," he informed us before twisting the knob as inaudibly as he could. The three of us tip-toed to the short corridor and lurked behind a wall with our heads poking out, watching as Dylan waited for the elevator, tapping his feet impatiently. Abruptly, he glanced back and the three of us almost tumbled as we rushed to hide.

We exchanged glances and I stifled a laugh at Jay's comical face; his cheeks were puffed out like a squirrel's as he attempted to not make a sound.

Ping!

The elevator door opened and Dylan sped in. The opening closed shut and I was about to follow him but Nick stopped me. "Where are you going?" he asked, glimpsing at the passageway that led to the lift.

"I thought we were going to follow him?" I arched a brow.

"We're not going to go down! We'll wait for him in the living room," we turned and retreated to the house with a sigh.

It was forty-five minutes past midnight when the main door was lightly opened, followed by soft padding of feet. In came Dylan as he lingered by the living hall with a rustle, a flimsy bag in his hand.

"Dylan," Nick called as he switched on every light in the room with a push of a button, making the boy freeze in his spot. This felt like it was straight out of a drama.

"Uh-"

"What were you doing out so late?" Jay raised a brow in question. Dylan pondered before he sighed and held up the synthetic pouch in his hand.

They were from the pharmacy a few blocks down.

"I have sleeping problems...so I bought some sedatives," he dropped his gaze to the floor. The three of us glanced at each other in dismay.

"There's some in the cupboard...why didn't you ask?" Nick quickly rose before going to the kitchen.

"I didn't wanna wake you," Dylan followed to get a glass of water. Jay and I exchanged another look before standing up to accompany the pair.

We waited as Dylan rested on the barstool and downed two pills with water. He sighed, sealing the lid of the bottle. My eyes wandered to his attire.

"...where's your jacket?"

He froze, Jay and I grew even more skeptical.

He stammered and tapped the glass apprehensively.

"I wrapped it around a stray cat...downstairs. It was freezing horribly," he responded, giving me a sharp glimpse. I raised a brow.

"That's it? Dude, why were you even agitated about it?" I chuckled, patting his back.

Jay didn't say anything, still dubious.

"Because the jacket was a gift from the twins...I thought you'd tell on me," Dylan ruffled his hair as he offered me a lopsided smile. I blinked, stunned that he'd discard their gift like that.

"It wasn't on purpose. The cat just looked so chilly. Winter was nearing anyway,"

"Hey, Johnny. You better not do that with the biker jacket I gave you!" Jay shot a deadly look at me as a warning and I rolled my eyes.

"I don't even wear it-"

"What did I miss? I heard someone holler," Nick wandered out of the pantry with an inquisitive grin. Dylan immediately tensed up and avoided eye contact.

"Dylan said he's feeling a little more relaxed now. Should we all go back to sleep? We have school tomorrow," I suggested, already standing up.

"Sounds good," Jay yawned and turned around, dragging his feet up the stairs.

"Alright, goodnight Nick!" I waved to Nick before jogging upstairs, Dylan taking his own sweet time behind me.

"I have to use the bathroom really quick," Dylan suddenly announced when we arrived at our guest room. I nodded, watching his figure disappear around the corner.

"Don't you find it suspicious?" Jay immediately questioned when I shut the door.

"What?" I turned to him with furrowed brows, marching to my bed. He stared at me as if he saw a ghost.

"Johnny, you out of all people would know,

Dylan loathes cats." He did?

"Well, what else would he have done with the jacket, then?" I crossed my arms. Jay sighed, dropping onto his bed.

"I don't know. But it's still unnatural,"

As if on cue, the door opened, and in came Dylan. Jay and I coughed.

Did he overhear us?

Dylan yawned and wandered to his mattress. He rested at the edge and quickly checked his phone for the time. He faced us as if he sensed our stares.

"Are you not gonna sleep?" he asked and the both of us instantly moved to be under the blanket.

"Yeah, yeah. Goodnight," I switched off my own lamp. It was hushed again after that.

Dylan detested cats? That's strange...cats are lovable! I sighed as I stared at the ceiling in thought. If what Jay said was valid, why would Dylan even have compassion for one then?

-

"You're in the twins' house?" Johnny questioned as he surveyed around the guest room. Jay and Dylan's beds were made and empty.

I must be in a dream again.

"Yeah, Silas suggested a sleepover," I sat up, observing as he took a seat on the vacant bed across me.

"Right before a school day? Weird," Johnny hummed, swinging his legs leisurely. I scratched the back of my head.

"Why didn't you visit yesterday night?" I suddenly asked. Johnny rolled his eyes with a groan.

"Your guardian didn't permit me, for whatever reason she had,"

"Guardian?"

"A lady in a claret dress and an old-fashioned pipe," oh, I haven't seen her in a while.

"There was no one to stop me today, so I thought I'd visit. Ugh, it's so boring here anyway. Can you complete your mission and return me my body already?" Johnny cried vehemently and flopped onto the bed. I smirked at him.

"I wish I could accomplish the mission soon too,"

"By the way, do the others know yet?" he inquired again and I swayed my head.

"Not yet," Johnny hummed. I tapped on the sheets, thinking about what to ask.

"Is it true that Dylan dislikes cats?" he looked at me strangely.

"He despises them. Why?" my eyes widened.

"Oh just wondering..."

It was silent again so I thought I'd ask something that came into my mind a while ago. "Johnny,

what's your relationship with Jay?"

-

"Rikki, take this one," Silas passed a folded set of uniforms to the youngest who was splayed across the grey ombre carpet in the twins' walk-in wardrobe. Their closet was similar to Johnny's but three times the size. I was pretty appalled and I questioned how huge their rooms would be.

It was currently six in the morning and Silas was sorting out uniforms for us to borrow.

"Hm," Rikki groaned as he lifted his hand in the air, and made a grabbing motion.

"No, get up," Silas seized his lifted hands and hauled him up.

The youngest whined but stood up nonetheless. Most of us were not early birds; Jay was still in his bed in our guest room, Ethan was perched on the floor as he dozed off right then and there, and Nick, surprisingly, was still in his room as Silas had told me.

Dylan was already fully dressed in the twins' extra set of uniforms, sauntering into the room while he fixed his tie. It was absolutely fortunate for us that the twins had about ten sets of clothes.

It was questionable, but still.

Silas marched over to where Dylan and I were after Rikki dragged himself to one of the available bathrooms. "Gosh, it's only six in the morning and I'm already exhausted," Silas huffed, doing a double-take at Ethan who was napping on the floor between the three of us.

"Why this-" Silas carefully kicked the eldest's side. That did nothing but made Ethan tumble to the ground with a thud, his eyes still shut. I stifled a laugh and proceeded to watch as Silas strived.

Dylan let go of his tie and scoffed at the sleeping boy before walking out of the room. "Hm, is Nick still sleeping?" I asked. Silas groaned and softly patted the eldest's cheeks.

"Probably...can you wake him up for me-"

"Get away!!" Silas immediately dashed away without a thought. Dylan raced in and emptied two cups of cold water on the sleeping male on the floor.

Well, he wasn't asleep anymore after that.

I covered my mouth in shock as I attempted not to laugh at Dylan's unforgiving morning call.

"What the hell?!" Ethan abruptly stood up and rubbed his eyes.

"The carpet!" Silas screamed, speeding out of the room to get a mop.

"Wake up already, old man," Dylan threatened to toss the empty cups at Ethan.

"Whoa, no fighting! Ethan, we're gonna be late for school. Get changed!" I waved my hands in between them.

Dylan walked out of the room with a groan. "I think that's yours," I gestured to the folded uniform on the small table behind him before hurrying out of the room to awaken Nick.

Assuming the matte black door led to his room, I opened it without a second thought.

"Nick?"

I poked my head into the room to see him hunkered on the edge of his king-sized bed and his elbows rested on his knees. He glanced up at me.

"Good morning," Nick's voice was raspy and deep.

"Uh good morning..." I looked around his room and was amazed at how neat it was.

"You can come in, you know," he suddenly spoke and I turned to him, the sunlight from his thin curtain glowed on his face. It was different from how it did back at the café. If anything, he looked astronomical.

"Oh, it's okay. I just came in to tell you we have to leave for school soon," I chuckled as I lingered at the door. Nick hummed, standing up to check the wristwatch on his nightstand.

Nick's body proportions were no joke; the turtleneck hugged his upper body so perfectly that you could make out almost every muscle line. His side profile was astonishing too, you could tell how small his waist was. God sure had favorites.

I quickly snapped out of it.

"Come down as quick as you can!" I shut the door and skipped downstairs. Immediately, Dylan passed me a cup of freshly made noodles with chopsticks in his mouth.

"To fill your stomach for now," I mumbled thanks and sat on the barstool.

"Hm, this is so good," I slurped the noodles, fanning my mouth at the heat.

"It's just instant noodles," Dylan snickered, leaning on the countertop.

"None for me?" Kidded Silas as he trotted down with his unbuttoned uniform, tie carelessly put on around his neck. Dylan rolled his eyes and slid an extra cup across the counter. Silas grasped the warm cup with a grin.

"Did you call Nick?" Silas questioned as he took the stool next to me. I hummed and walked around the counter to get to the garbage can.

"Ready to leave?" Nick swung his bag over his shoulders and worked his fingers through his lightly gelled hair. He threw me a wink before wandering towards the shoe closet and I flickered in surprise.

What was that?

"What was that?" Dylan asked, having witnessed the scene.

"No idea," I muttered before gulping down a glass of water.

"Are you guys secretly together or something?" he raised a brow. I spat out the water and the majority of it crash-landed on his face. Dylan shut his eyes; his face scrunched up in revulsion.

"God, fuc-"

I froze in my spot as I watched him bring a trembling hand up to his face and wipe it. Silas let out a suppressed laugh, trying not to suffocate on his noodles.

"I'm sorry-"

"UGH!!!" he shrieked and ran to the basin to rinse his face, Silas finally bellowed and almost toppled off his seat. His expression was so humorous that I unintentionally let a chuckle escape. Dylan paused and turned to glare at me.

"You're laughing?" he scoffed, turning off the tap and drying his face with his uniform's sleeves.

"Sorry,

I guess we're even from yesterday," I shrugged. The pizza incident was now off my mind.

Dylan's eyes twitched and he started lunging at me. By reflex, I flung the towel I previously fetched to wipe my mouth at him and it landed smack on his face.

"Oop-"

"You little shit!!"