The campus didn't look like a campus anymore. It looked like a miniature carnival had swallowed the entire quad, lights blinking and strings of paper lanterns swinging in the breeze. The air smelled like fried dough, grilled corn, and too much cotton candy. A stage had been set up at the center, with speakers taller than Ethan, and the buzz of music clashed with the laughter of students running from booth to booth.
It was supposed to be just another "cultural festival," but everyone knew it was basically an excuse to skip classes and turn the school grounds into chaos.
Maya adjusted her backpack and squinted at the bright banners overhead. Her sketchbook, as always, was tucked under her arm, but she hadn't drawn a single line since morning. Something about the atmosphere made her restless.
Behind her, Lila's voice cut through the noise.
LILA:(grinning, hands spread wide) Okay, tell me this doesn't feel like the universe set up a playground just for us.
Ethan shoved his hands in his pockets, unimpressed.
ETHAN: It feels like overpriced food and noise.
LILA:(mock gasp) Sir, how dare you disrespect the sacred art of carnival churros?
Noah, quiet as always, drifted to Maya's side, his eyes scanning the crowd like he was already calculating exits and escape routes. He wasn't paranoid — just observant.
NOAH: It's crowded. Too crowded. Easy for rumors to spread here.
Maya stiffened at the word "rumors." She didn't say anything, but she knew exactly what he meant. Her ears had already caught whispers when she passed by a group of second-years near the lemonade stand. Something about her sketchbook. Something about "crying behind the art room." Lies, all of it.
She bit the inside of her cheek and looked away.
Lila noticed. Of course she did. She always noticed.
LILA:(nudging Maya) Hey. Ignore the background noise. People talk because they're bored. You? You're not boring. You're wildfire, babe.
Maya forced a laugh, though her stomach twisted.
The four of them moved through the festival like they owned it. And in a way, they did. Everyone turned to look when they passed — sometimes with admiration, sometimes envy, sometimes annoyance. But no one denied their presence.
They stopped at a ring toss booth, where Lila immediately declared herself "the queen of precision" and missed every single shot. Ethan didn't even try, muttering something about scams, while Noah quietly picked up the rings after paying once and landed all of them in without missing.
LILA:(clutching his arm dramatically) Are you secretly a circus child? Is this your true backstory?
NOAH:(flat) No.
LILA:(to Maya, stage whisper) It's always the quiet ones.
Maya actually laughed then, the knot in her chest loosening just a little.
But the whispers didn't stop. Near the candy stall, someone snickered her name. Near the fortune-telling booth, she heard the word "pathetic" under hushed breaths. By the time they circled back toward the stage, her hands were shaking too much to hold her sketchbook steady.
Lila leaned in, her smile sharp.
LILA: Who said it?
MAYA:(shaking her head quickly) Drop it.
ETHAN:(low, serious) No. Don't tell her to drop it. Not this time.
Noah's gaze followed Maya's to a cluster of students near the back of the stage. One of them smirked when their eyes met.
Noah's jaw tightened.
The music on stage swelled, and a group of performers took their places, drawing the crowd's attention. The perfect distraction. The perfect stage.
Lila's grin returned, dangerous now.
LILA: Oh, babes. I have an idea.
MAYA:(narrowing her eyes) That tone never means anything good.
NOAH:(quiet, arms folded) Here we go.
ETHAN:(deadpan) I'm already regretting this.
She ignored them. Typical Lila. She dug into her jacket pocket, pulled out a shiny gold festival token, and twirled it between her fingers like she'd been waiting for this moment all night.
MAYA: Where'd you get that?
LILA:(smirking) Won it.
NOAH: You didn't play anything.
LILA:(mock offended) Excuse you, Noah, do you always assume I'm a thief?
ETHAN: Yes.
She gasped dramatically, slapped a hand to her chest, then broke into laughter that made a few kids nearby turn their heads.
LILA: Okay fine, I swiped it. Off some dude who was too busy texting his girlfriend to notice.
MAYA: Lila—
LILA: Relax. Karma owes me favors.
She marched toward the big stage at the center of the carnival where a local band was setting up, the crowd buzzing. Fairy lights strung overhead flickered like fireflies, the air thick with popcorn, smoke from grills, and laughter.
Maya groaned but followed, because of course she did. They always followed.
On stage, a nervous-looking announcer tapped the mic.
ANNOUNCER: Alright, folks! Before our headliner tonight, we're letting the crowd participate. Anyone with a gold token can—
Lila didn't let him finish. She shoved past a volunteer, hopped onto the steps, and waved the token in the air.
LILA:(yelling) We've got one!
The crowd actually cheered. Maya covered her face. Ethan muttered a curse under his breath. Noah… well, Noah just smirked and adjusted his stance like he was preparing for trouble.
The announcer blinked.
ANNOUNCER: Uh… great. Name?
LILA:(grinning wide) Lila Reyes, baby. Remember it.
She gestured wildly toward the others.
LILA: And I don't do solo acts. Bring up my crew.
The audience roared as if this was all part of the plan.
MAYA:(hissing) Lila!
LILA: (whispering, grabbing her arm) Trust me. This is going to be legendary.
Before Maya could argue, the four of them were herded onto the stage. Blinding lights hit their faces. The band's instruments glimmered in the glow.
ANNOUNCER: So, uh, what exactly are you four planning to perform?
There was a beat of silence. Then Lila leaned into the mic, her voice dripping with drama.
LILA: Chaos.
The crowd erupted with laughter and cheers. The announcer, unsure what to do, shrugged helplessly.
Ethan picked up a tambourine and looked at it like it was a weapon.Noah sat at the drum kit, testing it with calm, precise beats that shook the ground.Maya clutched the mic stand, panic written across her face.
MAYA:(whispering) I can't sing.
LILA: (grinning, already strapping on a guitar she had no idea how to play) Doesn't matter. Just scream pretty.
And scream she did.
The music hit like a car crash — Noah hammering the drums in a rhythm no one could follow, Ethan shaking the tambourine with deadpan precision, Lila strumming strings that screeched like dying cats, and Maya wailing improvised lyrics about cafeteria food and math homework like it was a punk anthem.
The crowd went wild. Phones shot up. People cheered, laughed, booed, all at once.
Someone yelled, "Encore!"
Another yelled, "Make it stop!"
And in the middle of it all, the four of them laughed so hard they nearly collapsed.
Of course, it couldn't last.
Two security guards stormed toward the stage. The announcer was flapping his arms like a distressed pigeon. The band members were yelling about their instruments being murdered.
But Maya, Ethan, Noah, and Lila? They didn't stop. They leaned into it.
Noah slammed one final thunderous beat. Ethan threw the tambourine into the crowd. Maya dropped the mic with a dramatic squeal of feedback. Lila bowed, arms wide, shouting:
LILA: Thank you, goodnight! We love you!
The crowd exploded again.
And then—
They were dragged offstage straight into the waiting arms of the principal, who looked like his blood pressure had just skyrocketed to a medical emergency.
PRINCIPAL:(fuming) WHAT. WAS. THAT.
LILA:(biting her lip, trying not to laugh) Art.
MAYA:(snorting) Performance art.
NOAH:(expression dead serious) It was a social experiment.
ETHAN:(shrugging) Could've been worse.
All four of them stood in front of his desk in the makeshift office set up at the festival grounds, trying desperately to hold back their laughter. Their faces twitched. Their shoulders shook.
PRINCIPAL:(slamming a hand on the desk) You embarrassed this school in front of the entire community!
LILA:(innocent) Or… we brought it unforgettable publicity.
That was it. Maya burst out laughing first. Ethan's lips twitched. Noah shook his head, chuckling low. And Lila? She leaned on the desk, grinning like the devil himself.
They couldn't keep a straight face if their lives depended on it.
The principal groaned, rubbing his temples.
PRINCIPAL: I'm done. You four are impossible. Detention. All of you. Monday morning.LILA:(saluting) Worth it.
And as they stumbled out of the office, laughing so hard their stomachs hurt, the night air hit them — cool, alive, electric.
MAYA:(wiping tears) We're gonna get expelled one day.
NOAH:(calm) Probably.
ETHAN:(flat) Definitely.
LILA:(grinning) And won't it be legendary?
They dissolved into laughter again, the festival lights blazing behind them, the memory already carved into their story — another chapter of chaos they'd never forget.
Monday morning hit like a hammer. The four of them shuffled into the dusty detention room, desks lined up in neat rows that smelled like wood polish and despair. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, too bright, too unforgiving.
MAYA: (slumping into her chair) This feels illegal. Like, isn't this cruel and unusual punishment?
ETHAN: (deadpan, arms crossed) It's literally just sitting in silence.
LILA: (dropping into the seat beside Maya, smirking) For people like us? Silence is torture
.NOAH: (quiet, sliding into the back row) At least it's not community service.
The teacher supervising them, Mr. Griggs — a man whose entire personality screamed "I peaked in 1985" — glared over his glasses.
MR. GRIGGS: You four will remain silent. No talking. No phones. No nonsense.LILA: (innocent smile) Of course, sir. Absolute angels.He narrowed his eyes, clearly not buying it, but returned to grading a stack of papers.
Five minutes passed. Five minutes of creaking chairs, ticking clocks, and the faint sound of a pencil scratching. Then Lila leaned toward Maya, her voice barely above a whisper.
LILA: (whispering) Dare me to sneeze as loud as possible?
MAYA: (whispering back, horrified) No. Don't.
ETHAN: (low, without looking up) She's going to do it.
NOAH: (calm, watching Lila's grin widen) Definitely.
And then—
LILA: AHH-choooo! (fake, exaggerated, enough to echo off the walls)
Mr. Griggs' head snapped up so fast it was a miracle his neck didn't break. The other three nearly choked trying to hold back laughter. Maya covered her mouth. Ethan's shoulders shook. Noah bowed his head, pretending to cough, but his smirk gave him away.
MR. GRIGGS: (snapping) MISS REYES!
LILA: (sniffling, utterly serious) Allergies, sir. Can't control nature.
The room went dead silent. Mr. Griggs glared at them like he wanted to vaporize them where they sat. But he sighed, muttering under his breath, and went back to his papers.
That was it. The four of them were gone. Silent laughter shook through the room, their desks rattling from barely-contained chaos. Every glance, every twitch of a smile, made it worse.
MAYA: (muttering through her hand) We're gonna die here.
ETHAN: (flat, but his lips twitching) Worth it.
NOAH: (quiet, shaking his head) We're impossible.
LILA: (grinning like she owned the place) Correction: we're legends.
And somehow, detention felt less like punishment and more like just another stage for their madness.