There was a brief pause in their little group before Damien, with a sudden burst of emotion, tossed the flowers in his hands toward Maximillian, who caught them awkwardly. Turning to Ezra, he gripped his shoulders firmly and spoke with a seriousness that surprised them all.
"I see what's happening here. It's like it's becoming a pattern now. Am I next in line? Will I be affected too? It seemed odd to me that everyone was going through this, yet Celeste, who's closest to Alice, wasn't. But now, seeing this happen to her..." Damien paused, his brow furrowed in thought before continuing, "I've only met Alice a couple of times before. Whenever I came back from studying abroad, Big Sis would take me around to meet her countless acquaintances, and Alice was among them. Everything else I knew about her came from you, Ez, but y'know... look at me."
Damien theatrically cupped his own cheeks, drumming his fingers softly over them before forming a V-shape with his hands below his chin and wiggling his fingers suggestively. His intentions were crystal clear – he was subtly implying, "Look at this perfect specimen that I am. How could anyone ever forget me?"
"Seriously?" Ezra shot him a judgmental look.
"No, no, you don't get it, Ez," Damien protested, his expression exaggeratedly complicated. "I don't think anyone can forget me. I always leave an impact on people. What if she remembers me and drags me into that world with you guys... But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to experience it firsthand and help you from as close as possible."
"It's so obvious that Sienna spoils you rotten. Damy, the amount of ego you've got is downright hilarious," Ezra chuckled. "Did you seriously forget that it took Celeste two whole years just to get your name right? What impact are we talking about here? Chill, brother."
Before Damien could interject, a hand descended heavily onto Ezra's shoulder, gripping it tightly. Celeste's face loomed close, her wide, inquisitive eyes sending a shiver down Ezra's spine as if they were attempting to peel his skin with their penetrating gaze.
"Ez, what's the deal with Alice?" Celeste's voice was firm, with a touch of menace. "You conveniently left her out of your already limited explanation yesterday. What gives?"
Ezra's smile faltered, freezing awkwardly as he glanced at Celeste with a hint of fear in his eyes. "Oh... uh, I guess I just forgot?"
"Of course you did," Maximillian interjected, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Not surprising, really." Ezra shot him a side-eye before turning his attention back to Celeste, trying to regain his composure.
"Actually, I do have a reason," Ezra began tentatively.
"Don't you always," Came another sarcastic jab from that cold voice. Ezra shot him a look before motioning for Maximillian to hold his tongue for a moment.
"Okay, fine. I'll be honest," Ezra continued, his voice tinged with nervousness. "I was actually really nervous about how you'd react, so I didn't mention Alice. Plus, it's just a theory I have, so... yeah."
Ezra's gaze unconsciously drifted to Maximillian, who was uncharacteristically silent this time, though his smile was anything but reassuring. It was that peculiar smirk that Maximillian reserved for mocking the cowardice of others. Ezra had seen that infuriating smile on Maximillian's face more times than he could count, usually when Maximillian recounted the absurd encounters he had with people in the entertainment industry and their ridiculous behavior.
Ezra smiled, his lips twitching with annoyance and slight amusement as he turned to Maximillian and teasingly pulled at his cheeks. "Ah, I see how it is. Playing snarky with me now, huh? Well, that's just perfect. You look absolutely f***king adorable, by the way. Try harder."
"Ez," Celeste's voice interrupted again, but Ezra's grin only widened.
"Fine, fine, no more beating around the bush," he conceded, turning towards Celeste and raising his thumb. "Let's have shawarma tonight. I'll whip it up. And let's invite Louis too. Tomorrow's Sunday, and if my memory serves right, he tends to keep his scedule free on Saturday nights."
"Louis?" Damien queried, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Yeah, Louis," Ezra confirmed with a nod.
"Not calling him Hughes anymore?" Damien pressed further.
"Nope. Not calling him Hughes anymore. That's too distant," Ezra reiterated.
"Wow... did you find out something new?" Damien inquired, his interest piqued. Ezra's gaze momentarily flickered towards Maximillian before he responded.
"There's a lot to share among us. With Celeste, about our situation and our doubts regarding Alice... I just didn't feel strong enough to handle any reaction from my cousin. I mean, what if she lunged at me and pulled all my hair out by the roots? She's really, really concerned about Alice, she always has been, you know..." Ezra trailed off, his voice tinged with apprehension. "So I waited until I could gather you all here today, where we can talk together. You guys can serve as my support."
"I am not that emotional," Celeste declared, her scowl sending a shiver down Ezra and Damien's spines.
"Sure, sure, whatever you say," Damien muttered nervously.
Ignoring the tension, Ezra pressed on. "You all also need to hear what Celeste has to share too. We need to put our heads together and figure things out. And... there's something else too." He squinted thoughtfully before sighing. "Anyway, there's a lot to discuss, and it's not practical to do it over group chat. So, you're all invited over tonight. Aunt Evy's out, so we have the house all to ourselves. It's a shawarma party."
"I want mine with less to no vegetables," Damien declared, already engrossed in his phone, tapping away at a message to someone. He paused, looking up at Ezra. "Do you think Louis might reject?"
"He won't if it's about that world," Ezra reassured him.
Satisfied, Damien sent the message before turning his attention back to the group.
"I'm not coming," Maximillian announced, starting to remove the flowers from his head. "Do you think I don't know you plan to make us stay the night?"
"Wait a minute, Max." Ezra intervened, halting Maximillian's actions. He then surprised everyone by seating himself in Max's lap and swiftly snapping a selfie with him before Max could react. Ezra stood back up just as quickly, flashing a smile.
"For my lock screen," he explained. "I had previously deleted all your pictures, so I had none left. You look pretty with the flowers and all right now, so..."
Maximillian was rendered speechless but before he could say anything Ezra turned around and swiftly made a phone call. He could only listen as Ezra spoke in the most respectful tone imaginable, a stark contrast to his usual demeanor.
"Hello, Miss Minerva? Can I borrow Maximillian for tonight? Is his schedule free?... Oh, you'll make it free? Thank you," Ezra said politely before hanging up.
Shortly after, Maximillian received a text from Minerva that read,
[I dare you to reject his offer, you little shit.]
And so, that's how they all ended up at Aunt Evy's house that night after completing their respective tasks for the day. Aunt Evy had heard from Ezra over the phone about his plan for a late-night shawarma party with his friends, and she readily agreed. She even called Maria to send in some ingredients, ensuring the gathering would be a success.
The only enthusiastic ones among the group were Damien, who had even shown up in his pajamas—a pair of star and moon-patterned sweats posing as pajamas that he didn't seem the least bit embarrassed about—and Ezra, who had transformed the kitchen into a makeshift DIY kebab stand with Celeste's help.
On the contrary, Celeste appeared more annoyed than excited. Her frequent scoldings could be heard emanating from the kitchen, as she chastised Ezra for various mishaps, like adding too much spice to the food or purposefully loading some wraps with only vegetables.
Meanwhile, Maximillian seemed lethargic and utterly fed up. He slouched on the sofa with a tablet in hand, meticulously revising his collage assignment for what felt like the fifth time that day. His work had been suspended by Minerva, leaving him with nothing better to do. To top it off, both he and Damien were banned from the kitchen, as their culinary skills were deemed catastrophically bad.
And then there was Louis, who was dazedly helping in the kitchen, all while looking around in confusion at what was even happening and why were they suddenly having a party. Had they not come for a deep, serious discussion? He did find it odd that it was being held at night but he was even more confused now. Nevertheless, he continued to pitch in without question, occasionally earning a scolding from Celeste for inadvertently aiding Ezra's mischiefs.
As the only two freeloaders in the room, Damien, seated near Maximillian, felt a sudden urge to strike up a conversation with the usually stoic guy. With Celeste losing her mind over the antics of the others in the background, Damien leaned in and remarked with a smirk, "I honestly thought you were the type to even have a set bedtime, but you look pretty easygoing now despite how late it's getting."
Maximillian gave Damien a sidelong glance before closing his tablet. Figuring he might as well engage in conversation to pass the time, he replied calmly, "I sleep late. I usually have a lot of work to deal with, and it keeps me up for a long time."
Damien chuckled at Maximillian's response. "I sleep pretty late too and am perpetually tired, but I wish I could have as cool of a reason as you. I just read manga or play video games..." Damien then let out a laugh as he said amusedly, "Funny how all the people here are just sleep-deprived individuals with different reasons for being so."
At that Maximillian couldn't help but recall Ezra's peculiar habit of rising at the crack of dawn, then disappearing into the bathroom for what felt like an eternity, pampering his face with an arsenal of skincare products. Ezra would spend at least three hours devoted to perfecting his morning routine. For this he would readily forsake his sleep without hesitation. It was almost legendary. If Damien's words were anything to go by, Ezra was probably still at it. Maximillian couldn't stifle a grin at the mental image of Ezra meticulously crafting his morning masterpiece.
It wasn't just Ezra who had his quirky morning routine; Maximillian remembered Celeste's unique habits from when he was close with her during his time as her cousin's boyfriend. Unlike Ezra's skincare marathon, Celeste would disappear into her wardrobe for what felt like ages, agonizing over what to wear. She'd grumble about people being too nosy, insisting they'd notice if she dared to repeat an outfit from the previous week. "Do they think I don't own a washing machine?" she'd huff. But despite her complaints, she'd meticulously style her outfits to make it seem like she was wearing something entirely new each time.
As Maximillian recalled those times, Damien chimed in, "Oddly enough, the worst among us is actually Louis Hughes."
Damien recently discovered Louis's habit of pulling all-nighters while studying. He stumbled upon this revelation through their late-night text conversations, often initiated by Damien's inquiries about the otherworld or Ezra's well-being in regards to it. Damien suspected Ezra wasn't sharing much of his worries as Ezra usually tended to avoid causing him unnecessary concern. For this reason, Damien had decided to turn to Louis and ask him if there were any problems or not.
Over time, Damien noticed a peculiar pattern: no matter how late he messaged Louis, he'd receive an immediate response. Intrigued, Damien finally asked about it, and Louis nonchalantly admitted that he had a tendency to lose track of time while burning the midnight oil with his studies.
Maximillian, however, was familiar with this habit of Louis's from way back. His mind drifted to Ezra's recent words, 'Nope. Not calling him Hughes anymore. That's too distant.'
Maximillian couldn't help but ponder what might have prompted Ezra to make such a statement. Was he forgiving Louis so easily? Or did Ezra knew something? With a sigh, he settled back on the sofa, realizing that their conversation would have to wait until later when they could finally address whatever was on Ezra's mind.