When Magnus walked through the door, the lights flickered on and everyone yelled:
"Surprise!"
But the expression on his face remained utterly unimpressed.
Valeria put her hands on her hips and looked at Maya and Sofia.
"Okay, which one of you spoiled his surprise party?"
"We didn't," Maya said tiredly. "It's just that…"
"…after the day we've had," Sofia continued for her, "nothing is ever gonna surprise us again."
"Yep," Magnus confirmed.
Camila frowned. "Okay, what the hell happened to you three today?"
"Nothing!" all three of them answered at the same time.
Camila blinked. "You literally just said something happened."
"Nothing happened!" they repeated in perfect unison.
"When you say it like that, something definitely happened!"
The three of them exchanged a look. Magnus nodded once. Sofia nodded back. Maya solemnly returned the nod.
"Whatever happened in town," Magnus said, "stays in town."
"Our lips are sealed," Sofia confirmed.
Maya raised a hand dramatically. "We swore a blood oath on the lives of our collective future children and grandchildren to never speak of the events that took place today!"
"…What the hell happened?!" everyone in the beach house shouted.
"Hey!" Maya shouted back. "Aren't we supposed to be celebrating his birthday—belatedly?" She clapped a hand onto Magnus's shoulder and started pushing him toward the cake.
Alex narrowed her eyes. "Fine. Celebrate now. Interrogation later. But this is not over!"
"Give it up!" Maya called over her shoulder. "You'll never get anything out of us!"
"Our lips are sealed," Sofia repeated.
Magnus shrugged. "What they said."
Valeria stared at the three of them.
"Seriously? You three are the worst people in this room right now at keeping secrets. Just save us all the time and trouble and spill already."
All three of them looked genuinely offended.
"Hey!" Sofia objected. "Y'all don't know half of the secrets I keep!"
"I was gonna say that!" Magnus protested.
"Exactly!" Maya agreed. "I've also kept loads of secrets."
***
The birthday celebration did start after that. People were singing, congratulating Magnus, and clinking glasses or cans with him. There was cake cutting and distribution. There was also cake theft courtesy of one opinionated and vindictive raccoon, whom Alex swore was taking revenge on them for not ordering more Pizza for Magnus's birthday party. There were party games, the drinking kinds. Alex stayed by his side the whole time, with either her hand in his or her arms around his waist and his on her shoulder. Friends joked they were joined at the hip, which made him blush while Alex leaned in even more possessively. People made gagging sounds while Sofia could be heard loudly exclaiming: "You see what I've been dealing with?!"
Eventually, the party wound down. Maya announced they should all go for a walk down the beach. Everyone else either agreed or understood there was no point arguing with Maya. Alex, however, raised her hand:
"You guys go ahead, I'd like some alone time with my boyfriend, we'll join you in a bit."
Tori rolled her eyes. "You've been clinging to him the entire party, and now you even want alone time with him? Get a room! You're committing crimes against us single people."
Alex unashamedly leaned over and pulled Magnus into a kiss in front of everyone. Several girls gagged or groaned while Ethan whistled loudly.
Sofia rolled her eyes so hard it was almost audible. She threw her arms around Camila's and Maya's shoulders and turned them toward the door.
"Alright, everyone," she said. "Let's all just go down to the beach and let the birthday boy have some alone time with his girlfriend before Alex decided she wouldn't mind going even further with an active audience."
"I wouldn't mind that, actually," Ethan half-joked.
Camila reached back to smack his shoulder, then grabbed his wrist to pull him along.
Everyone filed out of the beach house after that, leaving only Magnus and Alex in the living room.
They kept kissing for a few more minutes, until Alex was sure everyone was far enough away. When they finally broke apart, Alex whirled on him. "Okay, spill! What happened today?"
Magnus blinked at her. "Really?! That was the important thing you wanted to talk to me about?"
She stared at him. He held her gaze, then shook his head firmly. "Nope. Can't tell you."
"Okay, then at least tell me the plan worked or something. Did you manage to raise Maya's Interest or Sofia's Trust?"
"Well, yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Maya's Interest is over twenty percent already. And Sofia's Trust is now at eighty percent."
"Excuse me?!" she half-shouted. "You were at—what—sixty-five percent before today?"
"Sixty-two," he corrected.
"That's an eighteen-percent gain in less than a day," Alex said slowly. "Okay, what the actual hell happened in town today?"
"Nothing happened!"
"Babe!" She grabbed his shoulders. "Something crazy happened. Probably something life-changing, even. Otherwise, how would you manage to raise Sofia's Trust by eighteen percent in half a day?"
"Nope! Can't tell you. Ask me something else! Anything else."
She stared at him for a long moment. "Okay fine, did you get my text?"
He pulled out his phone to check, only to find it dead. Then slapped his forehead.
"Of course! It must have died when that happened."
"When what happened?" Alex asked innocently.
"When…" he started to say, then stopped himself. "Nope! Nothing happened."
Her eyes narrowed. "One of these days, you're gonna tell me."
"I won't. Maya wasn't kidding — we all swore a blood oath on the collective lives of all our future children and grandchildren."
"That just makes me more curious—"
Magnus leaned in and kissed Alex, effectively shutting her up. She half-choked back a laugh and smacked his shoulder before melting into the kiss. After months of dating, he had apparently learned a new trick — one from her own playbook.
After they finally pulled apart, he changed the subject while Alex was still looking dazed:
"So, what did you text me about?"
"Oh, Tony is definitely not a normal raccoon!" Alex announced. "He openly admitted he knowingly ate the food you packed for me on the ride to Jordan's track meet as revenge for the bath on your birthday."
"I mean, maybe all raccoons are vindictive and petty? I still think he's just a normal raccoon."
"Babe, I'm telling you. That's not normal raccoons' behavior. He's way too smart."
"I don't know. I still don't see it. And since when are you an expert on raccoons' behavior?"
Alex opened her mouth, but before she could answer, a gunshot rang out… from the direction of the beach — the same area where everyone was heading toward earlier. Magnus was already bolting out the door. Alex cursed under her breath and followed him.
***
Ten minutes earlier…
The entire group took to the beach for a walk under the moonlight. Couples broke off in different directions, intending to enjoy private conversations while still staying close to the general group.
Maya and Chloe were walking far ahead. Maya had her arms on her girlfriend's shoulder, asking Chloe about her day. Chloe shyly told her about helping with the party preparation and was surprised at her own contribution earlier that day.
Maya laughed. "Well I'm not surprised at all, Clo. I wish you could see yourself the way I see you."
"I'm trying to." Chloe whispered.
Maya cupped the younger girl's face, and pressed a tender kiss on her lips. When they pulled apart, Chloe blushed.
"So," she hesitated. "What happened in town today?"
Maya froze.
"Nothing happened," she said automatically. Then, softer, she continued. "Sorry, Clo. But this is one thing I cannot tell you about."
Chloe shrugged. "Okay. If you don't want to tell me, I won't push."
Maya wrapped her arms around her girlfriend again. "I'll tell you everything else. Just not that."
Chloe smiled. "Okay."
And she was about to lean into another kiss when—
"There you are!" A familiar voice interrupted their tender moment.
Maya whirled, her voice dripping with venom as she spoke:
"What the fuck are you doing here, you piece of shit?"
Then she froze. The guy they were facing was holding them at gunpoint.
Chloe stepped forward and put a soothing hand on Maya's arm as she turned toward the guy:
"Todd, put the gun away."
Todd glanced back and forth between Chloe and Maya, his eyes lingering on Chloe's hand on Maya's arm for a long moment, but he didn't lower his gun.
"What? Put it away?" he finally said. "So she can beat me up again? You think I'm stupid, Clo?"
"Don't you fucking dare call her that!" Maya growled.
Todd pointed the gun at her. "Shut up, you bitch!"
Maya spat. "Scared, you little shit? Put that gun away and fight like a man."
Todd laughed. "Why should I fight like a man when you're so damn unnatural?"
Maya scoffed. "Get a bit more creative with your insults, you homophobic asshole!"
"Shut up!" Todd shouted. "It was all your fault. You corrupted her! Chloe was fine and normal before she met you. You… you turned her into a lesbian."
Maya rolled her eyes. "I didn't turn her into anything, you asshole. She was born that way."
"No," Todd yelled. "Don't lie to me, you bitch! It's your fault!"
The shouting had drawn attention. Miguel, Aaron, and Ethan were already circling in from the side, careful to stay outside Todd's line of sight.
And then everything happened at once.
Maya stepped forward. The gun went off. Chloe shoved Maya aside and fell to the ground with a hole in her chest. Miguel tackled Todd, knocking him unconscious. Ethan took off his T-shirt to pick up the smoking gun, then wrapped it inside so his fingerprints wouldn't be on it.
Meanwhile, Aaron and Rachel were already checking on Chloe.
They shared a look. Rachel pressed her lips together and covered her forehead with one hand. Aaron held her gaze for a moment — the kind of look that passed between two people who both knew the answer and were hoping the other would find a different one. Neither of them did. Aaron shook his head slowly. "There's nothing we can do."
Maya knelt beside the younger girl, clasping her hand. "No, Clo, please! Stay with me!"
And that was what Magnus saw when he finally reached the group.