An hour had passed since Kevz left, but Kale still hadn’t shown up. As Lemon started to feel bored, she played music on her phone, lying on the couch with her eyes closed.
A few moments later, a cab stopped by the studio’s gate. Lemon stood up and peeked from the window, thinking it was her pink friend. However, her body stiffened when she saw the passenger’s silhouette.
It was just the side profile, but she already knew who it was. So before Drew could get out of the cab, she quickly ran inside the restroom, locking the door behind her.
Listening outside, she heard him sitting on the couch. Lemon started feeling panicky. All along, she thought he had come back because he forgot something, but Drew seemed to be staying for a while longer.
Lemon searched for her phone in her pocket but recalled she had left it outside in a hurry. Ten minutes passed, and there was no sign of movement. But she was startled when someone knocked.
“Leslie, I know you’re in there. Please come out,” Drew called, trying to turn the knob.
Her anxiety shot up as she didn’t know how to face him. It was already hard to look at him when everyone was there. What more if it was just the two of them?
Besides, whenever she looked at him, she was reminded of what he was like when she caught them earlier. It turns her stomach upside down.
“D-Drew! Do you need to use the restroom? Sorry, I might take a while. Diarrhea,” she answered back. It was humiliating, but she couldn’t think of any other excuse.
Fortunately, he didn’t say anything more. But to be safe, Lemon stayed inside longer. She sat on the toilet bowl, waiting for Drew to leave.
“Leslie, I’ll go ahead. It looks like it’s going to rain.”
“S-Sure, sure. Sorry, my stomach feels awful.”
She moved closer to the door to listen. When she heard the screen door open and close, she let go of the breath she had been holding in, faced the mirror to fix herself, and exited the restroom.
“I thought you were planning to sleep there!”
Lemon was about to go back inside, but it was too late. Drew grabbed her hand and pushed her to the wall beside the restroom door. ‘Now, how can I escape this jerk?’
She bowed her head to avoid his gaze, but Drew inched closer. He leaned his hands to the wall and pressed his forehead to hers so she would look straight to him.
They were in that position for several seconds until Drew pushed himself away from her. Then he turned to face the stairs and sighed before facing her again.
He was overly dramatic with his blockings, but Lemon couldn’t say anything. She felt like she had frozen, and time stood still until Drew spoke.
“To be honest, I’m not supposed to be doing this. I don’t care about you or what you see me doing.” He just got started, but Lemon already wanted to punch his nose. “So, I don’t know why I had to apologize to you whenever you see me in compromised situations. But I guess Kevz was right. You’re still a girl, and you’re still our bandmate. So here, for the last time, I’m sorry for what you saw earlier.”
Drew looked annoyed, and Lemon was infuriated as well. As soon as he finished his dialog, he turned on his heels, leaving Lemon dumbfounded.
She tried replaying everything he told her, hoping she misunderstood or misheard. As she did that, she felt angrier.
And so the following day, Lemon arrived at the studio just in time for practice. It was her choice, as she didn’t want to encounter an undesirable person, Drew.
“Partner! I thought you’d be here when I arrived!” Kevz greeted with a broad smile, but she just smiled lazily at him.
“Sorry, I woke up late,” Lemon lied.
The group had warmed up and just took a break to wait for her. So, she quickly prepped up so they could get started.
Lemon sat on the couch to change into her slippers. She noticed someone and realized Anne was also there, and the girl smiled at her. But instead of smiling back, she just rolled her eyes in annoyance.
She removed her jacket, stood behind the mic, and signaled Kip to start. “Woah! Partner, you’re too sexy! It’s distracting!” Kevz commented, but she ignored him.
“Let’s start!”
Kip and Homme exchanged glances, and then they turned to Kevz, but he could only shrug at them. And since no one could tell what was happening, the group started practicing.
“Can we take a break? I’m hungry!” Kevz whined. They had been practicing for three hours straight, which was unusual for the group.
“Great idea! Lemon’s so intense, we wouldn’t survive if we’re hungry,” Roj jested, and they all laughed. Ignoring the silliness, she slumped on the couch and took out her phone.
“Are we going out, or should we just ask Guido to buy us food?” Kip asked, and they all opted for the second option.
“Kip, can you order for me, please?” Lemon asked sweetly before heading upstairs.
She sat on the chair with her earphones on. Leaning far back, she searched for the song they were supposed to practice and listened.
She was enjoying what she was doing without care in the world until someone disrupted her peace by pulling out one of her earphones. Creasing her forehead and frowning, she opened her eyes and saw Drew standing beside her.
“The food’s ready,” he told her.
Still annoyed at him, Lemon snatched the earpiece, stood up, and headed downstairs. She had only taken a few steps when he grabbed her wrist.
Drew looked like he wanted to say something, but he changed his mind and withdrew his grip. Lemon’s glare made him feel like he was melting.
They started eating quietly. At times, Kevz and Roj would joke and tease each other or someone else, but most of the time, no one spoke.
When Lemon finished eating, she took her plate to the kitchen and went to the veranda. “Cuz, are you okay?” Kip asked from behind her, tapping her shoulder to get her attention.
“Of course! Do I look like I’m not okay?” She asked back, and he shook his head.
Kip didn’t ask again after that, but they stayed out. When someone strummed the guitar, Lemon was quick to peek through the window. “Game?” she asked, but Homme quickly raised his hand.
“Let’s rest for a bit,” he grinned, so Lemon stayed outside.
After a couple more minutes, Roj called her from the window, and they started practicing again. The group spent hours perfecting their song lineup. It was already dark when they stopped.
“Partner’s a bit scary today! She’s too serious!” Kevz whispered when Lemon left for the restroom, but no one replied.
When Lemon came out, she lay on the couch with her phone. “You’re not going home yet?” Lemon asked, looking at everyone except Drew and Anne.
“Maybe later. It’s still early,” Roj responded.
“Same,” Homme echoed.
“Why, Partner? You’re going home already?” Kevz asked, his lips pouted.
“I’m still thinking about it. I can stay here overnight, right?” Lemon asked. Not expecting her question, the boys exchanged glances, their foreheads wrinkled. It was as if she said something terrible.
“Why, cuz? Did something happen at home?” Kip asked worriedly.
“No,” Lemon chuckled. “You guys are a bit overreacting. It’s just that there’s no one home besides Gemma,” she grinned.
“Oh, okay. I thought you packed up and left Aunt Tori. What about Kale? Where is he?” Kip followed up.
“Silly! Kale left with his mom. They’re visiting a relative and will come back tomorrow.”
“Then why don’t we have a drinking session, and let’s all sleep here!” Roj suggested, jumping up and down.
Kevz and Kip’s faces brightened as if it were a brilliant suggestion. Even Homme couldn’t hide the excitement on his face.
“It’s fine with me,” she answered, and they all shouted like they won the lottery.
“But since it’s still early, let’s do this first,” and Kevz turned on the TV. He put out his Nintendo Switch and started setting it up. Lemon shook her head in disbelief. They were like that in France, too.
As the boys set things up, she stepped outside to call Letty and let her know the plan. Letty gave her permission since she knew Kip and Lyra were there.
Lemon also called Kellen and told her of the sleepover. She also asked her to take Audrey with her and bring her some clothes.
The group started playing Just Dance. When the clock struck seven, Kip asked Guido to buy drinks. Everyone opted for vodka except for Anne, who wanted beer instead.
When Kellen arrived, Lemon went to shower first and changed into her pajamas. “Even your pajamas are sexy, Partner!” Kevz called out, but she just laughed at him.
When Guido returned, they were already seated on the couch and the floor. Homme also ordered pizza, as they hadn’t eaten dinner yet.
The playing continued even when they started drinking. Kevz even switched to Mario Kart and started a betting game, but he lost to Lemon until they all challenged her.
“Leslie Monica, are you cheating?” Kip yelled after she managed to beat the boys.
She was feeling tipsy and couldn’t control her laughter anymore. “You guys are noobs,” she teased, her words slurred.
After three more rounds, Lemon surrendered, as no one could beat her. Besides, she had to answer her phone. It had been ringing for the past fifteen minutes.
She went to the front yard to answer it. On her way back, someone was already standing by the doorstep. He was leaning on the frame with his arms crossed over his chest as if ready to scold someone.
‘What does Drew want this time?!’