After school, Arlo leaned against the wall of the school hallway, his arms crossed and his posture relaxed as he waited for his two friends, Richard and Gus, to arrive.
At his side, Daniel stood silently, his eyes darting between the faces of passing students as they weaved through the crowded corridor.
Soon the two boys entered the hallway with smiles plastered on their faces.
"Whaddup Arlo, D-man". Richard called out.
Daniel's brow furrowed in distaste, his disapproval of Richard's nickname evident in the deep lines that creased his forehead.
"D-man, who the fuck says D-man?" he said, his voice heavy with annoyance.
"Don't be such a dork, Daniel". Gus said with an exaggerated eye roll. "D-man is cool".
Daniel's frustration was palpable as he clenched his teeth, his jaw muscles tensing as he struggled to contain his irritation.
"I'm not about to do this with you guys right now," he said through gritted teeth, his words low and hushed as he tried to maintain a semblance of composure.
Arlo hid his chuckle, not wanting Daniel to feel ganged up upon.
With a casual air, Richard turned to his friends and said, "So, same plan today right?"
"You mean the plan where we all go to Daniel's house to hang?" Gus replied.
Richard's frustration was on the rise as he retorted, his voice tinged with irritation. "Of course I mean that plan, what other plan would I mean?"
"Just chill out man". Gus replied, putting his palms up in the air
They all started walking to Daniel's house.
The conversations went on for quite sometime before there was a brief pause and Richard said to Arlo.
"You've been awfully quiet today".
Arlo, jerked out of his thoughts, blinked in surprise as Richard's voice brought him back to the present.
"What?" he replied, the word tumbling from his lips in a tone that betrayed his momentary confusion.
Richard's gaze remained steady, his expression conveying a hint of concern as he repeated his question.
"You've been awfully quiet today.
Is everything okay?"
"It's true. Gus cut in. "You're normally a quiet person but today it's a bit extreme".
Arlo shrugged. "I… don't know what to say, I guess I'm just in a more reflective mood".
"Oh yeah?" Daniel teased. "What are you reflecting about?"
Arlo smiled but said nothing in return.
"Seriously though, what is bothering you?"Richard asked. "Is this about you being sent to principal?"
"Yeah". Gus cut in once more. "What happened in there? And why do you stink?"
He pinched his nostrils and turned away.
Arlo frowned and sniffed around himself surreptitiously.
He couldn't smell anything but he supposed he still smelled like sex and principal Janet.
None of his friends had sex before though and so they wouldn't be able to figure out what the smell was.
Arlo smiled genuinely this time.
"I'm fine guys, nothing much happened there, I just got away with a stern warning".
The four friends arrived at Daniel's house, the familiar building looming before them like a beacon of safety and comfort.
Without hesitation, Daniel fished out his key and inserted it into the lock, the tumblers clicking into place as he twisted the handle and pushed the door open, beckoning the group inside.
One by one, they stepped into the familiar space, the sounds of their footsteps fading as the door closed behind them with a soft click, sealing them inside.
Arlo immediately headed for the kitchen.
He knew Daniel's parents wouldn't be home for another 5 hours, so he could get as comfortable as he wanted.
Arlo casually grabbed a cold soda from the fridge, his feet falling into a lazy rhythm as he sauntered back to the living room, the sweet fizz of the drink a welcome distraction from the day's events.
Plopping down onto the couch with a soft thud, Arlo turned to face his friends, his expression serious and thoughtful.
"I have a question for you guys," he said, his tone measured and deliberate as he reclined into the soft cushions of the couch, his eyes darting between each of his friends' faces.
Gus nodded, his attention fixed on Arlo as he posed the question.
"Alright, we're listening," he said, his curiosity piqued by his friend's thought-provoking inquiry.
Arlo shifted in his seat, his gaze growing more intent as he voiced his hypothetical scenario.
"If you suddenly had the ability to make anyone do what you wanted," he began, "what would you do?"
Arlo's friends exchanged puzzled looks, their expressions shifting from curiosity to confusion as they digested the question.
Richard, typically the most inquisitive of the group, was the first to speak, his tone laced with skepticism as he echoed the question.
"Anyone do what we want?" he repeated, a hint of doubt in his voice as he struggled to comprehend the strange hypothetical situation that had been presented to them.
"For a limited time period, yes". Arlo replied.
"How limited?" Gus asked.
"Let's say ten minutes". Arlo said.
"So I can pick a person, anybody and get them to do whatever I want for ten minutes". Daniel said.
"Yes, what would you do?" Arlo asked.
Richard was the first to respond, his mind already racing with the practical applications of such an ability.
"Well, I would get a lot of stuff for free," he said, his lips curving into a wry smile as he imagined the possibilities.
Gus, nodding in agreement, added to Richard's statement. "Yeah, that seems smart," he said. I'd also get people to do stuff for me. "I'm talking homework's, projects, any thing really".
"Not bad". Daniel said. "I'd take lizzy or one of the popular girls and get her to tweet 'Daniel is so hot, I can't stop thinking about him."
They all burst into laughter then.
"Thats a good one". Gus said. "I'd compell her to be my friend also".
"That wouldn't work". Richard said. "You can only control her for ten minutes".
"Well, what if it was everyday". Gus argued.
"He never said it was everyday". Richard replied.
"He never said it wasn't". Gus said. He turned to Arlo.
"Is the ten minutes everyday or just a one time thing".
"Let's make it everyday". Arlo replied with a slight shrug.
"See". Gus said to Richard.