The door creaked open, and Andrew stepped out into the fading evening light. The warm glow from inside the house outlined his figure, but what drew everyone's eyes wasn't him—it was the brown suitcase gripped firmly in his right hand.
Ryan stopped mid-step, his brows knitting.
"Andrew?" His voice came out sharper than he intended.
Andrew blinked, startled to see his three friends standing on the porch. "Oh… you guys are here?" he said, almost casually, like he hadn't expected them.
But Sophia wasn't listening to his tone. Her gaze was locked on the suitcase. "Andrew… what's that?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly.
Ryan's chest tightened. He took a step forward, blurting the first thing that crashed into his mind. "Are you leaving?!" The words rang louder than he'd meant them to.
Grace gasped behind him, her hands trembling a little. "Leaving?" she whispered. Her throat felt tight. "Andrew… you didn't even tell us. Are we not your friends?"
Sophia's fists clenched at her sides. "You promised we'd share everything. So why this?" Her voice shook, weighed down by the secret she herself hadn't managed to share yet.
Andrew looked at the three of them, utterly confused by their panic. Then his eyes fell on the suitcase in his hand. His expression shifted as realization hit him.
"Wait—no, no, no," he said quickly, shaking his head. "You're all misunderstanding."
Ryan's jaw tightened. "Then explain."
Andrew exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "This isn't mine," he said, lifting the suitcase slightly. "Our neighbor, Mrs. Bryan—you know her? She came earlier. She needed an extra suitcase because she's leaving town tomorrow. This is hers. I was just about to drop it off."
The tension hung for a beat, then slowly dissolved. Ryan let out a long breath and rubbed the back of his neck. Sophia blinked, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment. Grace lowered her head, pale and quiet.
"Oh," Ryan muttered, chuckling awkwardly. "That makes a lot more sense."
Sophia covered her face with her hand. "I can't believe we thought you were running away."
Grace gave a small, shaky laugh, though it didn't sound convincing. "We really overreacted."
Andrew raised his eyebrows at them, torn between laughing and scolding. "Seriously, you guys…" A faint smile tugged at his lips. "I'd never just leave. Not without telling you."
Ryan finally relaxed, stepping back. "Alright, alright. Guess I panicked."
Sophia lowered her hand, still flushed. "We were just worried," she admitted softly.
Andrew's voice softened. "And I appreciate that. Really." He nodded toward the house. "I'll drop this off and be back in a minute. Go on inside—Mom and Dad will be glad to see you."
The three exchanged glances, then stepped inside.
The house was warm, filled with the faint smell of spices and something sweet. Andrew's mother greeted them with a bright smile. "Oh, what a surprise! Andrew didn't tell me you were coming. Come in, come in!"
His father appeared in the doorway, giving a polite nod. "Good evening, kids."
They were soon settled on the couch with plates of snacks and glasses of juice. Ryan dug in right away, grinning like he owned the place. Sophia nibbled politely on a biscuit, while Grace sat stiffly, hands folded on her lap, looking like she didn't quite know what to do. Meeting Andrew's parents like this had thrown her off. She wasn't ready for it, and the comfort between his parents only made her feel even more like an outsider.
"So, how is school these days?" Andrew's mom asked kindly.
Ryan swallowed before answering. "It's fine, ma'am. Busy as always."
Sophia nodded quickly. "Yes, we had assignments today."
Grace just smiled politely, words caught in her throat.
The front door clicked open again, and Andrew walked back in, suitcase gone. "Sorry about that," he said, brushing it off. "Took longer than I thought."
His mom gave him a look. "I hope you didn't keep them waiting."
"They were fine," Andrew said smoothly.
Ryan, however, leaned forward. "By the way, why weren't you in school today? You just disappeared on us."
Andrew froze for a fraction of a second before replying, "I had to help Dad with some work."
His father chimed in without missing a beat. "Yes, that's true. We had errands to run today, Andrew came with me. We were all over town."
Ryan studied them for a moment, then shrugged. "Fair enough."
Sophia, reaching into her bag, pulled out a neat stack of notes. "I brought today's work," she said, handing them to Andrew. Their fingers brushed, and she felt her stomach flip.
"Thanks," Andrew said, meeting her eyes briefly before looking away. "This helps a lot."
Sophia's heart raced. She wanted to say more, but not here—not with everyone around.
The rest of the evening slipped by in small talk. Ryan joked with Andrew's dad about football. Sophia listened politely. Grace stayed quiet, lost in her own thoughts.
When it was finally time to leave, Andrew's mother smiled warmly. "Come again soon. You're always welcome here."
Andrew walked them out to the porch.
"See you tomorrow," Ryan said, swinging his bag over his shoulder. "And don't vanish again."
Andrew chuckled. "I won't."
Sophia hesitated, her eyes lingering on him for just a beat too long before she smiled. "Goodnight, Andrew."
"Goodnight," he replied softly.
Grace gave a small nod. "See you."
The three of them walked off together, their voices fading into the quiet street. Andrew stood watching until they disappeared from view.
Then he closed the door behind him and leaned against it, his smile slowly fading. His expression sharpened.
Inside his head, the thought was cold, certain, deliberate.
Everything was going exactly as planned.