Chapter Text
The sounds of utensils clinking against plates and quiet conversation filled the dining room
"So, how were your classes today, sweetie?" Ten's mother asked as she cut into her food.
"They were great!" Ten replied immediately. "We got our math tests back and I got an A."
His mother's face brightened. "I knew you would! You studied so hard for that test."
Ten rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly.
"It wasn't that hard."
His father laughed. "Funny. Last week you were telling us it was impossible."
The three shared a laugh before a loud ringing suddenly cut through the conversation.
His father slowly lowered his fork.
"Ten."
"Right. Sorry."
Ten reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
The screen read: Seven Calling.
Without hesitation, he declined the call.
"Sorry."
His father gave him a look.
"What have we said about phones at the dinner table?"
"No phones at the table."
"And?"
"And family time comes first."
"Good."
Ten placed the phone beside his plate.
"Sorry."
"It's alright, sweetheart," his mother said. "Just remember next time."
Before Ten could respond, the phone immediately started ringing again.
Ten sighed. His father raised an eyebrow. "Persistent friend."
"You have no idea."
The ringing continued, he grabbed the phone and silenced it.
"Sorry."
His mother chuckled. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. It's just Seven."
"Oh."
The understanding in both parents' faces was immediate.
His father nodded. "That explains it."
"What does that mean?" Ten asked.
"It means your friend has never understood the concept of waiting."
The phone buzzed several times in rapid succession.
Ten glanced down.
───────
Seven: ANSWER.
Seven: TEN.
Seven: PICK UP.
Seven: HELLO???
Seven: I KNOW YOU CAN SEE THIS.
───────
Ten quickly flipped the phone over.
His mother laughed. "Oh dear."
"I'll call him back after dinner."
"That's probably for the best."
His father pointed his fork at him.
"And if the house isn't on fire, he can wait."
Ten grinned. "I'll let him know."
His mother took a sip of her drink before smiling.
"So besides being harassed by your friend, anything exciting happen today?"
Ten brightened instantly.
"Actually, yeah! I'm recommended to try for president!"
His mother's eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Yeah!"
"Oh, sweetheart, that's wonderful!"
Ten's father asked. "Think you're going to do it?"
"I think so."
"You'll do great."
The conversation drifted from school to hobbies, then to weekend plans. Every so often Ten's phone buzzed with another message from Seven, causing his parents to exchange amused looks. A second later a loud knock echoed through the house. BANG. BANG. BANG.
Ten's father frowned. "Who in the world is knocking like that?"
"I'll get it," Ten offered, standing from his chair.
"Be careful," his mother said.
"It's probably just Seven."
His father sighed.
Ten laughed and headed toward the front door. The knocking continued. BANG. BANG. BANG.
"Okay, okay! I'm coming!"
Ten unlocked the door and pulled it open. Immediately, a soaked figure nearly stumbled inside.
"FINALLY!"
Seven stood there completely drenched from head to toe. His hair was plastered to his forehead. Water dripped from his clothes onto the welcome mat. His chest heaved as if he'd sprinted the entire way there.
"Seven?!"
"YOU LEFT ME TO DEAL WITH IT ALONE!"
Ten blinked. "What?"
"YOU KNOW WHAT!"
Seven pointed dramatically at him.
"LAST NIGHT!"
"Oh," Then realization hit. "OH?!"
──────────────
The night before
Nine’s house was glowing before they even got inside. Her parents went on a vacation, so she had the house to herself! Colored lights flashed through the windows. Music thumped so hard it was heard down the street. Someone had spray painted a sign on the front lawn that read “IF YOU CAN HEAR THIS, YOU’RE INVITED.”
Seven had stared at it. "This is already a mistake!"
Seven yelled over the music. Eight shrugged next to ten
"It’ll be fine!"
Inside was chaos. Nine stood on the dinner table island.
"WELCOME EVERYBODY!" she shouted, raising a drink. "NO RULES TONIGHT!"
The crowd cheered. Eight immediately turned to leave.
Ten grabbed his sleeve.
"Too late."
Nine spotted them instantly.
"TEN! SEVEN! EIGHT!"
She pointed dramatically.
"YOU’RE LATE!"
"We didn’t know there was a start time!" Ten yelled up to her.
"There is now!" Nine declared.
She pulled out a small bottle. Same kind as her last party, it was Unlabeled and suspiciously glowing under the party lights.
Ten leaned in.
"..Is that the same thing from the last time?"
"No," Nine said confidently.
Nine ignored him again and tossed a second bottle onto the table.
Then a third.
"Enough for all of you!" she said proudly.
Eight caught one immediately.
"Mine."
"NO!" Ten said at the same time.
Seven looked uncertain but curious. "What is it this time?"
Nine smiled. "Upgrade."
Eight already opened his.
Ten lunged.
"WAIT-"
Too late, Eight blinked.
"..Okay, that last one tastes worse."
Eight shrugged.
Then sat down very calmly.
"..I feel fine."
"You said that last time," Ten said.
"And I was fine," Eight replied.
Against all logic, that was enough for Ten and Seven to hesitate less.
Nine slid another bottle toward Ten.
"Your turn."
Ten hesitated. "..Are you sure this is safe?"
Nine smiled wider. "No."
“That’s not reassuring!”
Nine finally looked at Zero, who had just arrived.
The only one not holding one.
"You’re not gonna drink it?"
Zero shook his head immediately.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because I don’t trust anything that comes from you."
Nine gasped. "Rude."
Zero didn’t move.
Eight, meanwhile, had already finished tens.
"Still fine," he said.
Nine turned to Ten and Seven.
"C’mon. Don’t be boring."
Nine just grinned and leaned closer.
"Zero’s doing it too, right?"
All eyes turned.
Zero blinked.
"No."
Nine tilted her head.
"You sure?"
"Yes."
Ten immediately seized the moment.
"See? Even Zero-"
Eight interrupted.
"I’ll bet you he drinks it if you do."
Zero frowned slightly.
"..Don’t involve me."
But it was too late. Eight shouldered Seven, giving him a nod. "Oh! I bet," he ran his hand through his pockets, taking out a ten and twenty. "30 bucks-"
Nine interrupted, "I BET 50!"
The room had already shifted, and a challenge had been planted. Nine looked at both of them like she’d already won. Eight looked satisfied for no reason.
"..We are not doing peer pressure," Ten said firmly. Nine shrugged ignoring him.
Zero stepped back slightly. "I’m leaving."
"WAIT!" Seven said quickly.
Everyone turned. seven looked at Zero, then at the bottle.
"..Just a sip?"
Zero stared at him, then narrowed his eyes, glancing down at the bottle. Then the money. "Fine.."
The crowd cheered, chanting "ZERO! ZERO! ZERO!"
Zero looked around the crowd, already making his head spin. He quickly leaned back, drinking the liquid as everyone around him cheered.
"Zero! That was sick!" Nine pumped her hands above her. "How do you feel!"
"I feel fine."
"..Oh."
Then he slowly sat down.
"..I feel-"
He fell sideways off a couch.
THUD.
"HE’S DEAD!" Seven screamed.
"He’s not dead!" Ten said, panicking.
Nine had already backed toward the door as if it wasn't her parents' house.
They ran straight out of Nine’s house, past dancing crowds.
──────────────
"Oh?!" Seven repeated. "THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY?!"
"I RAN THREE BLOCKS IN THE RAIN!"
"Why?"
"BECAUSE ZERO'S DAD IS LOSING HIS MIND, HE CALLED MY PARENTS AND I GOT KICKED OUT!"
Ten immediately looked around. The dining room was only a few feet away. His parents could absolutely hear Seven yelling. Without hesitation, Ten grabbed the front of Seven's soaked hoodie and yanked him inside.
"Ow- HEY!"
"Shhh!"
Ten slammed the door behind them, starting to drag him to the stairs.
Seven blinked.
Ten immediately covered his mouth.
"MMMMPH?!"
"Keep your voice down!" Ten hissed.
Seven pried Ten's hand away.
"Why?"
"My parents!"
As if on cue, Ten's father leaned around the corner from the dining room. "Everything alright?"
Ten froze, and Seven smiled nervously. "Yep."
Water dripped off his sleeve onto the floor.
His father stared.
"..Why are you soaking wet?"
"Weather."
"How long were you outside for?"
Seven opened his mouth. Ten stepped on his foot.
"OW!"
"He's exaggerating."
His father looked between them.
"Bring a towel."
"Okay."
The second his father disappeared back into the dining room.
"Why are we whispering?!"
"Because if my parents find out what happened, they're never letting me leave the house again!"
Seven thought about it. "Fair."
The two hurried upstairs. The moment the phone rang, neither Ten nor Seven thought much of it. They were still upstairs. Still trying to piece together exactly how badly things had gone.
Seven sat on the floor of Ten's room with a towel draped over his head while Ten paced back and forth near his desk.
"Okay," Ten said, trying to think. "Maybe it's not that bad."
Seven looked at him. "Zero is in the hospital."
"Right."
"And his dad knows we were there."
"Right."
"And Nine's neighbors probably called the cops."
Ten pointed at him. "Okay, stop talking."
"I'm helping."
"No you're not."
Seven shrugged.
Before either could say anything else, muffled voices drifted up from downstairs. Ten barely paid attention at first. His mother was probably talking to a relative or one of her friends.
Then he heard her say, "What happened?" .. "He drank what?"
Ten froze. Seven immediately looked up. The two stared at each other. Downstairs, his mother's voice rose.
"No, tell me exactly what happened."
Ten's stomach dropped.
"Oh no."
Seven's face went pale.
"Oh no."
Another pause.
Then his mother's voice again.
"He was THERE?"
Downstairs, his mother's voice rose sharply.
"No. No, that can't be right."
"You're saying Ten pressured him into drinking it?"
Ten felt like the floor had vanished beneath him.
"That's not what happened," he whispered.
Seven looked sick. The conversation continued.
"He told him everyone else was doing it?"
Pause.
"He challenged him?"
"He kept pushing after Zero said no?"
Ten shook his head immediately.
"No. No, that's not-"
The party. The crowd chanting, The bets. The way everyone had looked at Zero. Trying to stop it, trying to help.
But maybe it hadn't looked that way. Maybe Zero's dad hadn't seen it that way.
Ten felt cold. His heart started hammering against his ribs. The phone conversation continued for several more minutes. His mother's voice became sharper. Finally, the call ended.
Heavy footsteps. His father's footsteps coming upstairs.
Ten stood automatically. The bedroom door opened.
His father stood there.
"Seven."
Seven sat upright immediately.
"Y-yeah?"
"I think it's time for you to go home."
Seven glanced toward Ten.
Then back to his father.
"..Okay."
Seven stood slowly.
His father stepped aside without another word. When seven reached the door, he hesitated. His eyes found Ten. "Call me," Seven said quietly.
Ten nodded. Then Seven left he heard the front door shut.
And suddenly Ten was alone.
His father turned toward him.
"Living room."
Ten obeyed immediately.
His mother sat on the couch, her eyes were red. The sight made something twist painfully inside his chest.
"Sit."
Ten sat.
Nobody spoke for several seconds.
His father stood nearby with crossed arms.
His mother stared at him.
"Did you pressure Zero into drinking?"
Ten blinked.
"What?"
"Answer me."
His stomach dropped.
"No."
His mother's jaw tightened.
"His father says you did."
"I didn't!"
"He says you encouraged him."
"I wasn't trying to-"
"He says you kept pushing after Zero refused."
Ten stood abruptly.
"That's not true!"
His father immediately spoke.
"Sit down."
Ten obeyed. His hands were shaking.
"I wasn't trying to make him drink."
"Then why did his father tell me that?" his mother demanded.
"I don't know!"
His voice cracked.
"I don't know!"
His mother stared at him.
"How much did you drink?"
Ten blinked.
"What?"
"Do not lie to me."
Her voice cracked.
"How much did you drink?"
Ten swallowed.
"..A little."
His mother's expression hardened immediately.
"A little?"
His father laughed once.
"A little."
Ten looked down, unable to meet either of their eyes.
His mother leaned forward.
"Do you have any idea what could have happened?"
Ten opened his mouth.
"Do you?" she repeated.
"No."
"No?" Her voice rose.
"Your friend is in the hospital!"
Ten flinched.
"I know."
"No."
His mother stood. "You don't know."
Tears had started gathering in her eyes now.
"You don't know what it's like getting a phone call from another parent telling you your son was involved in something like this."
She pointed at him. "Telling me my son helped pressure another child into drinking something that put him in the hospital."
Ten felt sick.
"I didn't mean-"
"I don't care what you meant."
The room felt suffocating.
His father finally spoke. "You lied to us."
Ten looked up.
His father rarely sounded angry.
"You told us you were spending time with friends."
"I was."
"You left out the part where there was alcohol."
Ten looked away.
"You left out the part where there were no adults."
"You left out the part where someone ended up hospitalized."
Each sentence felt heavier than the last. His chest hurt.
"I didn't know it would happen."
His mother's laugh sounded broken.
"That's the point."
Ten froze.
His mother wiped at her eyes. "You're supposed to know better."
Ten felt himself shrinking.
"I'm sorry."
His voice barely came out.
"I'm really sorry."
His father looked exhausted, his mother looked devastated.
"I didn't want this to happen."
His voice cracked.
"I swear."
His mother looked away. "You broke our trust."
Ten had no defense.
Silence stretched across the room. Then his father spoke.
"Go pack."
Ten blinked.
"What?"
"Pack a bag."
The room suddenly felt unreal.
His ears rang.
"What do you mean?"
His mother stood.
Her expression remained cold.
"You're leaving."
Ten stared.
The words didn't make sense.. Leaving? Leaving where..?
His heart began racing.
"Dad?"
His father wouldn't meet his eyes.
"Pack your things."
Ten stood so fast the coffee table nearly shook.
"What?"
His voice cracked.
"No."
His mother looked at him.
"You need to understand how serious this is."
"I do!"
"No."
Her voice rose again.
"You don't."
Tears finally spilled down her face.
"Because if you understood, you never would have done it."
Ten felt panic flooding through him.
"Mom."
Nothing.
"Mom, please."
His father spoke quietly.
"We want you gone in the next hour."
"No."
His voice shook.
"No, please."
"One hour to pack whatever you can carry."
The color drained from Ten's face.
His mother crossed her arms.
"You wanted to act grown up? Then you can figure out where you're staying."
Ten stared at her.
His mother looked away.
"I can't even look at you right now."
That sentence shattered something inside him.
The room blurred.
Ten realized he was crying.
He hadn't even noticed when it started.
"Mom."
She wouldn't look at him.
"Please."
"You are not staying here."
His breathing became uneven.
"No."
Tears spilled down his face.
"You can't be serious."
"You need to leave."
Ten felt like he was going to throw up.
"This is my home."
His mother's expression cracked for only a second before hardening again.
"Not anymore."
"Please."
His voice broke.
"I'll do anything, I'll apologize to Zero, I'll never go to another party again."
His mother turned away.
"You have one hour, you can take your car."
Ten stood there for several seconds, praying one of them would stop him.
Eventually, he turned and walked upstairs. Every step felt heavier than the last. When he reached his room, he shut the door. Then collapsed onto the floor. The sob that escaped him hurt. He buried his face in his arms. Sixty minutes. Then he wouldn't live here anymore. His eyes drifted around the room. His desk, his posters, his books, His bed, the glow in the dark stars his mother had helped stick to the ceiling when he was little. Everything suddenly felt temporary.
His phone buzzed.
Seven. "..Hello?"
"Ten?"
The second Seven heard his voice, his tone changed.
"What happened?"
Ten couldn't speak.
"Ten?"
A sob escaped him.
"..They kicked you out, didn't they?"
Ten covered his mouth.
Seven swore quietly. "How long?"
"..An hour."
The line went silent. "I'll be waiting outside."
───────────────────────────────────
Clothes. That was probably important. He stuffed shirts into the bag. Jeans, Socks, A hoodie, another hoodie. The bag began filling quickly. Every few seconds he stopped and looked around his room.
His phone buzzed again.
──────────────
Seven: Need help?
──────────────
Ten stared at the message.
Then typed back.
──────────────
Ten: No.
Seven: Liar.
──────────────
he shoved the phone into his pocket. What did people pack when they got kicked out?
His laptop, Charger, Toothbrush, Phone charger, A few notebooks, His wallet.
The duffel bag grew heavier. His eyes landed on a framed family photo sitting on his dresser. Three years ago, on a trip to the lake. Ten stared at it. For a second he considered taking it. Carefully, he set it back down.
"No," he whispered.
He zipped the duffel bag shut. He still had thirty minutes left. The room looked the same. Except now there was a bag sitting in the middle of it.
A knock came at the door.
Ten stiffened. "Yeah?"
The door opened slightly his father stood there. Then his eyes drifted toward the packed bag.
"You almost ready?"
Ten swallowed. "..Yeah."
His father nodded once. The door clicked shut.
Eventually, his phone buzzed again.
──────────────
Seven: I'm outside still pls hurry coldd:(
──────────────
Ten looked toward the window. Sure enough, Seven sat on the curb. Rain still drizzled outside. Waiting, just like he promised.
Ten picked up the duffel bag. Then he grabbed his backpack. His fingers closed around his car keys. before he slipped them into his pocket. Then looked around his room one last time.
Eventually, he opened the bedroom door.
The hallway felt unfamiliar. Step by step, he walked downstairs the duffel bag bumped against his leg.
Ten stopped near the front door he reached for the doorknob. His hand trembled.
"..Bye."
Neither answered.
He opened the door cold rain and evening air rushed inside. Then he stepped out. The door closed behind him. Across the yard, Seven immediately straightened. The moment he saw Ten carrying bags, his expression fell.
"..Oh."
Ten couldn't speak.
Seven walked forward without another word and took one of the bags from his shoulder.
Neither of them said anything.
Together they walked toward tens car. Seven opened the back door and tossed Ten's and his bags inside.
Ten just stood there, staring at his house. The porch light glowed softly above the front door, the same light that had welcomed him home every night for years.
Seven noticed "..Don't."
Ten swallowed. "What?"
"Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Stare at it."
Ten looked away immediately.
Seven rubbed the back of his neck.
"Trust me."
His voice was quieter than usual.
"It doesn't help."
Ten nodded.
Neither of them mentioned that Seven had gotten kicked out himself, Neither of them mentioned that he clearly understood exactly how this felt.
Ten climbed into the driver's seat. seven going into the passenger
Then Seven's phone lit up. A text notification.
Seven blinked."..No way."
"What?"
Seven turned his phone around.
A message sat on the screen.
────────
Eight: Need ride. Got kicked out.
────────
Silence.
Ten stared, Seven stared.
Then Seven looked at him. "..Are you kidding me?"
"What happened?"
"I don't know!"
Seven immediately started typing.
────────
Seven: HOW??
────────
Three dots appeared, disappeared, appeared again.
────────
Eight: Parents found out very dramatic.
Eight: 3/10.
Eight: Mom threw a shoe at me.
Eight: 2/10.
Eight: Pick me up.
────────
Seven slowly lowered the phone.
Ten stared at him, Seven stared back.
"...Well."
"...Well."
Seven sighed.
"We can't leave him."
"Nope."
Ten started his engine.
"We're getting Eight."
For a moment, he sat there. Hands gripping the wheel. Rain sliding across the windshield. Everything felt wrong.