The Next Day
Evan was awakened by the sound of the doorbell. Groggy, he sat up, ran a hand through his hair, and shuffled to the door. When he opened it, he blinked in surprise.
Standing on the doorstep were Aryan and Marco, both smiling.
"Hi," Aryan greeted cheerfully, holding a small gift bag.
Evan hesitated for a second, then quickly straightened up and composed himself. "Oh—come in. Please, make yourselves comfortable. I'll be right back." He disappeared into his bedroom to freshen up and throw on something more presentable.
As soon as he left, Marco leaned toward Aryan and whispered, "Did you see his face? We should've come a little later."
"Would you stop?" Aryan muttered, elbowing him lightly. "We're already inside. What's the point in saying that now?"
Evan returned a moment later, now more awake and dressed neatly. He sat across from them.
"We didn't wake you up, did we?" Aryan asked, a little sheepishly.
