Scene: Everlight Heights –
Ethan zips up his hoodie and looks around Hazel's new apartment one last time.
Ethan (smiling):
"Alright, Hazel. I'll leave you to unpack and take your first solo nap in peace."
Hazel (grinning):
"You mean without your non-stop chatter? What a blessing."
Ethan (dramatically clutching his chest):
"Wow. Wounded. Anyway, I'll come by tomorrow, okay? Don't start missing me too early."
Hazel (playfully):
"Bye, Ethan. And thank you… really."
Ethan flashes a peace sign, turns around, and exits the flat. The door clicks gently behind him.
---
Scene: Inside the Elevator – Descending
Ethan steps into the elevator, leans against the wall, and hums a soft tune—some lazy Sunday rhythm only he knows. He taps his fingers on his thigh, smiling to himself, clearly in a light mood.
---
Scene: Lobby – Moments Later
The elevator doors slide open. Ethan strolls out into the lobby, still humming. The air is warm, the sun streaming in through the glass entrance. He heads toward the parking lot, keys in hand.
Suddenly, the door opens, and two figures walk into the building—Drake and Caleb, laughing about something. They're casually dressed, fresh from their own Sunday routine.
Ethan's eyes meet Drake's for a moment—neither of them expecting to run into anyone.
There's a slight pause.
Ethan narrows his eyes slightly in recognition, his hum stops.
Drake, mid-step, also locks eyes with Ethan. His stride slows down just a bit. The look isn't hostile.
They pass each other wordlessly, just a beat of shared eye contact.
Caleb (cheerfully clueless):
"Come on, man, floor seven! Let's see who wins the elevator race—me or that old machine."
Drake (still glancing back slightly):
"Yeah… coming."
Ethan, now outside, turns his head slightly, watching them from the corner of his eye before continuing to his car. He unlocks it, slides in, and rests both hands on the steering wheel, silently processing the encounter.
Inside, the elevator doors close behind Drake and Caleb as they ride up,
Caleb is leaned casually against the wall, absently twisting and flipping a small cube between his fingers. Drake stands beside him, his expression thoughtful, brows slightly furrowed.
Drake (breaking the silence):
"Hey… isn't that the guy who was with Hazel that day? You know, when we were all sitting in the school ground?"
Caleb (glancing up, still fiddling with the cube):
"Who?"
Drake:
"The one who just walked past us. White T-shirt, humming something."
Caleb (snaps his fingers as he remembers):
"Oh! You mean Ethan?"
Drake (quietly, almost to himself):
"Yeah… Ethan."
Caleb (raising a brow, curious):
"Something wrong?"
Drake (shrugs slightly, trying to play it off):
"Nothing. Just wondering what he's doing here."
Caleb (chuckling):
"Maybe visiting someone. Could be relatives or a friend. Chill, man—it's a flat, not a secret base."
Drake (nods, masking his thoughts):
"Yeah. Right."
The elevator dings and the doors open. Caleb pockets the cube, and they both step out, walking casually toward their room.
Knock-knock.
Ben swings the door open, revealing Drake and Caleb standing casually outside.
Ben:
"Finally. Took you guys long enough."
They walk in. Caleb immediately tosses himself onto the couch like it's his throne, letting out an exaggerated sigh.
Caleb:
"This couch missed me."
Drake walks straight to the fridge, grabs a chilled bottle of water, and takes a long sip as he leans against the kitchen counter.
Just then, Zayn steps out from the bedroom, tousled hair and all, plopping down beside Caleb.
Zayn:
"Guess what? Heard someone moved into the room opposite ours."
Ben (perking up):
"Opposite room? Oh, 702B, right?"
Zayn:
"Yeah. but I heard it's a girl."
Lucas (half-sleeping on the other couch):
"So? Who cares?"
Caleb (grinning):
"Hey, hey, we gotta welcome her properly, right?"
Drake (completely uninterested, waving his hand dismissively):
"You guys carry on. I'm not in."
Lucas (sitting up just to protest):
"Nope. No escaping. Everyone's coming. Group effort, bro."
Ben (smirking):
"Come on, man. It's a girl. We have to welcome her."
Caleb (nudging Drake with his foot):
"Don't act like your curiosity isn't lowkey killing you."
Drake rolls his eyes and mutters under his breath, already regretting showing up,
The hallway buzzed with quiet chaos.
Caleb stood right in front of the door of 702B, grinning wide as he knocked confidently—maybe a little too confidently.
Beside him, Zayn clutched a tiny bouquet that looked like it came from a roadside shop two blocks down. He examined it, then tilted his head and muttered,
"Do flowers shrink or did I get scammed?"
Lucas, meanwhile, was using his phone as a mirror, meticulously fixing his hair like he was about to propose instead of welcome a neighbor.
"How do I look? Too charming or just enough?"
Ben stood calmly with a giant basket of fruits—way too big for a casual hello—balancing it carefully like he was delivering a peace offering to royalty.
And then there was Drake—leaning against the wall across from them, arms crossed, eyes on the floor, exuding "I was dragged into this" energy. His jaw clenched every time someone laughed. He had better things to do—at least that's what he told himself.
Knock knock knock.
Caleb glanced back at the group, smug.
"Any second now, boys. Get your welcome smiles on."
Zayn lifted the wilted bouquet like it was a prized trophy.
"Ready when she is."
Lucas gave his hair one last swipe and grinned.
"Let's charm the mystery girl."
Ben shifted the basket and whispered,
"This thing weighs a ton. She better open the door soon."
Drake didn't say a word. But his eyes flicked to the door.
For just a second.