5: Aftermath

The three boys lounged in Adam's room. Joey and Adam sprawled across the floor, flipping through game cases and half-eaten bags of chips, while Andrew leaned against the windowsill, taking slow pulls from his vape before exhaling the mist outside. He remained half in the conversation, half in his own world, his sharp eyes scanning the neighborhood out of habit.

Joey and Adam excitedly caught up, talking over each other in bursts of laughter and exaggerated storytelling.

"So, after we split up," Adam started, his hands gesturing wildly, "I booked it straight for my house, right? But then—get this—I totally ate it and face-planted into a bush." He mimed the fall dramatically, making Joey snort. "The cops ran right past me. I guess they already lost sight of me earlier. I just laid there for like, I don't know, ten minutes, just in case."

Joey let out a whistle. "Dude. That's legendary."

"I know, right?" Adam grinned. "I finally climbed out and made it home without a scratch. But my mom? Oh man, she lost her mind. Couldn't find me for hours and then she saw all these cop cars cruising around. She thought I got arrested or something." He rolled his eyes. "So now, I'm grounded for forever."

Joey, slouched with his back against the bed, frowned. "You don't look like someone on punishment."

Adam shrugged, stretching his arms behind his head. "Bro, I'm stuck inside all day playing video games. I'm counting this as a win."

Joey groaned dramatically. "That's so unfair. You get to chill all day, and I'm out here suffering kitchen duty, bathroom duty—"

"And a cop car ride home," Adam interrupted with a knowing grin. "And battle scars from the chase. You totally got the better deal."

Joey scoffed and pointed at his swollen ankle. "Yeah? Doesn't feel like it."

Adam grinned wickedly and before Joey could react, he slammed a heavy hand down onto Joey's ankle.

"AHH—WHAT THE—" Joey yelped, rolling onto his side and clutching his foot in pain.

Adam cackled. "You're fine, you big baby."

Joey lunged, tackling Adam to the floor as the two dissolved into a messy wrestling match, limbs flailing and laughter filling the room. Joey managed to pin Adam down for a second, but Adam squirmed free and flipped them over, shoving a pillow into Joey's face. Joey grabbed a stray sock from the floor and whipped it at Adam's head, sending them both into another round of cackling. The boys rolled dangerously close to Adam's desk, knocking over a half-empty soda can that spilled onto a stack of old homework. Adam yelped and tried to push Joey off, but Joey had him locked in a bear hug, refusing to let go as they writhed across the carpet like a pair of tangled up eels. They rolled over an empty chip bag, sending crumbs flying, neither caring about the chaos they were causing.

Then, a loud bang echoed from down the hall, making Adam freeze mid-laugh. His eyes widened in horror as the realization dawned on him. His eyes widened in horror. He managed to push Joey off of him as he clambered to his feet.

"Oh crap, I forgot. Trisha's home."

Right on cue, heavy stomping footsteps headed straight for Adam's room.

Joey sat up abruptly, glancing around. The spot by the window was empty. He soon realized that only he and Adam were in the room.

"Where'd he go?" Joey asked.

Adam barely had time to shrug before the door burst open, slamming against the wall with enough force to make the posters shake.

And there she was.

Trisha, thirteen years old and a force of nature.

Trisha stood in the doorway, arms crossed, an amused smirk tugging at her lips as she watched the boys squirm under her gaze. She was intimidating, but also undeniably pretty in a way that only made her scarier—long dark hair tied up in a messy bun, sharp features that made her glare feel like a laser cutting through steel. Her athletic build and relaxed confidence made it clear—she was enjoying the moment far more than she should have.

Joey forced a grin, unsure if that was the right move.

Adam let out a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck as if that would make him invisible.

"Well, if it isn't the two fugitives," Trisha crooned.

Joey's stomach dropped. The realization hit him instantly, and his head snapped toward Adam. "You told her?"

Adam groaned. "I didn't have much of a choice, okay? She overheard Mom yelling at me."

Trisha smirked. "Oh, don't flatter yourself, idiot. You think I didn't already know?" She jabbed a finger toward Adam. "You came home looking like a disaster, and you suck at lying. You might as well have handed me a full confession with a drawing of you and Joey running from the cops."

Joey winced. Yeah, that sounded about right.

Adam tried—and failed—to look innocent. "Maybe I just had a long day?"

Trisha scoffed. "Oh, yeah? And what about this dumbass?" She pointed at Joey, who nearly choked.

"Me?! I wasn't even here!"

Trisha raised an eyebrow. "Joey. Literally anytime you two are together there's trouble. As soon as Adam came back with a face full of dirt, I knew you both got caught doing something stupid."

Joey and Adam exchanged a silent look—one that screamed 'dang, she's right'.

Trisha cracked her knuckles. "You two have exactly five seconds to tell me why I shouldn't beat the crap out of you."

Joey sat up straighter, hands raised. "Whoa, whoa, let's not do anything crazy."

Adam, the traitor, pointed straight at Joey. "It was his idea!"

Joey gasped. "DUDE."

Trisha rolled her eyes. "Of course it was his idea. Joey's always been a little criminal in the making." She turned her glare on Joey. "But you—" She shoved Adam's shoulder hard enough to nearly knock him over. "You're the one dumb enough to follow him!"

"HEY!" Joey objected. "I take offense to that!"

Adam scowled. "You are a bad influence, though."

Joey huffed. "Okay, first of all, rude—"

"Second of all," Trisha interrupted, taking a very deliberate step closer, "do you have any idea how much trouble you nearly got into? Do you even understand how lucky you both are? Mom thinks you just went out for a walk like a moron. If she knew you were playing with fireworks—"

She didn't even finish the sentence. Instead, she lunged.

"OH CRAP—RUN—" Adam yelped, barely dodging as Trisha snatched for his collar.

Joey scrambled to his feet, his ankle screaming in protest as he dove over Adam's bed to escape.

"You absolute idiots!" Trisha growled, grabbing a pillow off the bed and hurling it with deadly accuracy. It smacked Joey directly in the face.

"OW!" Joey yelped, tumbling over the other side of the bed.

Adam was already darting around the room, using his desk as cover. "Trisha, let's talk about this!"

"Oh, we're gonna talk," Trisha snapped. "Right after I break your—"

A new voice interrupted smoothly.

"Hey, what's up?"

Trisha froze mid-lunge, her fist halfway to Adam's arm. The three of them turned toward the doorway where Andrew had casually strolled back into the room, completely unbothered by the chaos unfolding in front of him.

Joey and Adam were panting, wide-eyed, one hiding behind the bed and the other cornered against the wall.

Trisha, who had moments ago looked ready to commit murder, suddenly stiffened.

Andrew barely spared her a glance before leaning against the wall, his usual easy-going smirk in place.

Trisha blinked, her usual sharp demeanor cracking. "Who… who are you?" she asked, crossing her arms a little tighter as if to regain control of the situation.

Andrew, still relaxed, shrugged. "Andrew. Just moved into Mauna Vista. You must be Adam's sister. Trisha, right?"

Trisha's lips parted slightly, and for the first time ever, Joey saw her hesitate.

"Uh… yeah. That's me."

Andrew nodded. "Cool. Adam and Joey were just telling me stories before I ran to the bathroom. Sounds like you keep 'em in check."

Trisha let out a breathy laugh—a laugh Joey had never heard before. It was soft, almost… nervous? "I try. They're idiots."

Andrew smirked. "Yeah, I'm getting that vibe."

Joey turned to Adam, eyes wide with disbelief. Adam looked equally stunned, his mouth slightly open as if his brain had short-circuited.

Andrew, completely unfazed to the effect he was having, nodded. "Cool. Well, don't mind us. Just hanging out."

Trisha nodded too quickly, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her hoodie. "Yeah, uh, okay. Well… don't be too loud, okay?"

Joey almost choked. That was it? No lecture? No threats? Nothing?

Trisha backed out of the room and shut the door behind her, leaving an eerie silence in her wake.

Joey turned to Adam, still in shock. "Did that just happen?"

Joey grinned, tossing his phone onto his bed. He had made it.

Adam blinked. "Bro… I think my sister likes him."

Joey let out a loud cackle, clutching his stomach as Adam groaned in horror. Andrew reclaimed his spot by the window, taking another draw from his vape.

"You two good?" Andrew asked.

Adam dragged his hands down his face. "I hate you, man. I hate you so much."

Joey wiped a tear from his eye. "This is the best thing that's ever happened."

Later that night, Joey and Andrew arrived back at Mauna Vista, Andrew stowing the motorcycle in the alley. The streets were quiet, and the lights from the group home were dim, signaling that most of the staff and residents had already turned in for the night. It was well past curfew.

Joey let out a low whistle. "Marks is gonna kill me if he catches me sneaking back in."

Andrew raised an eyebrow. "So, what's the plan?"

Joey thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "You go through the front entrance. Act casual. If you get caught, just say you're new and didn't realize there was a curfew yet. That should buy me enough time to sneak in through the side door."

Andrew smirked. "You really thought this through."

"Of course," Joey said, puffing out his chest. "Genius at work."

Andrew considered it for a second. "Wouldn't the staff have already checked our rooms and realized we weren't inside?"

Joey shrugged. "Nah. They only do inspections if something happens. In theory, no one even knows we left."

Andrew nodded approvingly. "Smart. Alright, let's do it."

They split off, Andrew strolling toward the front entrance while Joey limped down the alley, carefully stepping over trash cans and loose gravel. When he reached the fence bordering the side of the home, he tested his ankle, took a deep breath, and gingerly climbed over. He landed with a quiet thud, biting back a groan at the sharp sting in his leg.

The side door was locked, as expected, but Joey knew the trick to getting in. The window beside it was always unlocked because the staff never bothered to check it. The residents had a collection of sticks and rods they used to reach the inside doorknob from the window, and tonight was no different. Joey scooped up a nearby rod and reached inside, maneuvering it carefully until—

Click.

The door cracked open, and Joey let out a relieved sigh, slipping inside just as the faint sound of approaching footsteps made him freeze.

Heart pounding, he pressed himself against the wall, holding his breath as the steps grew closer.

Then, a familiar voice cut through the silence.

"Plan worked like a charm."

Joey exhaled sharply, looking up to see Andrew strolling up to him, completely unfazed. Joey shook his head with a smirk. "Told you so."

Andrew chuckled and reached out to help Joey up the stairs. "Come on, genius. Let's get you to bed before you fall over and blow our cover."