By the time Lucius dropped Luna off, Zach was already halfway across town, board wheels humming against the cracked pavement. The sun had sunk behind the hills, leaving the streets washed in orange and steel. He liked this hour the moment before everything went quiet.
He cut down 8th Street, past the empty gas station where the attendant never looked up from his phone, past the rows of leaning mailboxes and peeling fences. Ridgeway always looked tired, even at night. Like it wanted to sleep but didn't know how.
When he reached his street, he slowed. Lights flickered in his house's front window, TV-blue and unsteady. The sound of a man's voice, his stepdad's drifted through the thin walls. Another argument. Great.
He kicked his board up, caught it, and leaned it against the porch. Inside, his mom sat on the couch, arms crossed, jaw tight. The TV played a reality show nobody was watching.
"Hey, Mom."
She glanced up, her expression softening just a little. "You eat?"
"Yeah, at school." Lie.
His stepdad didn't look away from the screen. "Where were you?"
"Basketball."
"Basketball doesn't last till ten."
Zach's mouth twitched. "Guess I'm dedicated."
The man snorted, muttering something about "kids these days." Zach ignored it and headed for his room. His mother's voice followed him, tired and low: "Don't stay up too late, honey."
He almost said always do, but didn't.
His room was a cave of posters and half-finished projects: a broken speaker he kept meaning to fix, a pile of sketchbooks, a stack of worn sneakers. He dropped his bag, flopped onto the bed, and stared at the ceiling.
He used to draw a lot, comics mostly until his stepdad told him to stop "wasting time." Now he only drew when he couldn't sleep, which was most nights.
He picked up a pencil. On a blank page he began sketching faces of the group at school, frozen mid-laugh. Luna's grin. Harlem's steady eyes. Ava, half smile, half shy glance. He caught himself shading her a little more carefully, softer lines, lighter strokes.
What are you doing, man?
He set the pencil down. She was off-limits not officially, but in his own head. The way she looked at Lucius, the way she flinched whenever Zach joked too close… it wasn't hard to see where her heart leaned.
He told himself it didn't bother him. Except sometimes it did.
The next day at school started with rain not the hard kind, just a steady drizzle that made everything smell like metal and mud. The halls buzzed louder than usual, everyone shaking off water, laughing too loud.
Zach met Luna at her locker.
She handed him a can of energy drink. "Breakfast of champions."
"You trying to kill me?"
"You're already halfway there," she said.
He grinned, cracking it open. "You see Lucius?"
"Late again."
"Classic."
Ava appeared just then, clutching a folder to her chest. She smiled politely at both of them, then looked past Zach down the hall toward Lucius, arriving soaked and unbothered.
Luna's eyes flicked between them and she raised an eyebrow at Zach. He just shrugged.
"You see it too?" she whispered.
"Who doesn't?"
"Him."
"Yeah. Except him."
Lucius reached them, hair damp, hoodie clinging to his shoulders. "Hey."
"Morning, sunshine," Zach said. "You fall in a puddle or win a fight with one?"
"Bit of both."
Ava giggled softly, then hid it with a cough.
Harlem joined them, earbuds out. "We skipping first period?"
Zach grinned. "Was that a question or an invitation?"
They ended up in the empty gym, sitting on the bleachers. The echo of their voices bounced through the rafters. It felt like they owned the place.
Zach lay on his back, tossing a basketball in the air. "We should get outta here. Not just class. Ridgeway."
Luna stretched out beside him. "You say that every week."
"Doesn't make it less true."
Ava frowned slightly. "Where would we even go?"
"Anywhere with better coffee," Zach said.
Lucius leaned against the rail, watching the rain through the open doors. "You really think it's that easy?"
Zach smirked. "No. But it sounds nice, doesn't it?"
The ball hit the floor, rolling toward Ava. She caught it, surprising herself. Zach watched her laugh that small, quick laugh that sounded like she wasn't used to doing it.
She tossed the ball back. He caught it and spun it lazily on one finger. She laughs like she means it, he thought. Just not at me.
Luna nudged him. "You're zoning out again."
"Plotting world domination," he said automatically.
They talked until the bell rang again, then scattered to their classes.
That night, the rain didn't stop. Zach sat at his window, watching the streetlights turn the puddles gold. His phone buzzed, group chat.
Luna: "Movie night tomorrow?"
Ava: "If someone brings snacks."
Zach: "I volunteer as snack god."
Lucius: "I'll bring coffee."
Harlem: "I'll bring silence."
Luna: "Perfect combo."
Zach smiled at the screen longer than he needed to.
The next evening, they crowded into Luna's living room. Her parents were out; fairy lights looped around the windows, a projector threw light against the wall.
Ava sat cross-legged on the floor, bowl of popcorn in her lap. Lucius sat beside her, quiet but comfortable. Luna sprawled across the couch; Zach took the armrest. Harlem claimed the corner, scrolling through his phone.
The movie played something old and half-serious but none of them really watched. The talk was better, small jokes, stories, half secrets that came easier in the dark.
At one point Luna reached across Lucius to grab the popcorn, brushing his hand. Zach saw the flicker in Lucius's face, the momentary softness. He glanced at Ava and caught the way she looked away, pretending to be focused on the screen.
Zach leaned back, jaw tight, forcing a grin. "You guys ever think we're all just waiting for something? Like… bigger than this?"
Harlem didn't look up. "Always."
Lucius said quietly, "Maybe it's waiting for us."
The room went still for a heartbeat. Rain tapped against the windows.
Zach broke the silence with a chuckle. "Damn, Lucius. You ever try stand-up comedy?"
Luna threw a pillow at him. "Let people have a thought, Zach."
He laughed, catching the pillow. But inside, something about Lucius's words stuck Maybe it's waiting for us.
Later, after everyone drifted home and Luna started cleaning up, Zach offered to stay.
"You don't have to," she said.
"I don't mind."
They worked quietly, collecting cups and plates.
Luna smirked. "You noticed Ava tonight?"
He froze. "What about her?"
"She likes Lucius. You can see it from space."
"Yeah," he said lightly. "He'll figure it out someday."
"You sound jealous."
Zach laughed. "Of Lucius? Please. He can barely text back."
She didn't press, but her eyes said she didn't buy it.
When he finally left, the rain had stopped. The night air smelled sharp, electric. He kicked his board into motion, coasting downhill. For a second he thought he heard something a hum, faint and low, like the sky itself vibrating. He looked up.
Nothing but stars.
He pushed faster, the sound fading behind him, though the echo stayed in his bones.