Chapter 15: Pizza, Pranks & Pillow Fights (Yes, Really)
Friday – 6:00 p.m. – Ethan's House
Three bags hit the floor at once.
Aiden: hoodie, basketball, and two liters of soda.
Noah: laptop, charger, planner (yes, a planner).
Ethan: well, he already lived there and had built a blanket fort before they even showed up.
"This is a man cave now," Ethan declared, standing with a pillow like a sword.
"It smells like nachos and danger," Noah said.
"Just like our future," Aiden added.
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7:15 p.m. – Pizza, Games & Chaos
Aiden destroyed them in every round of basketball on the console.
Noah argued that real strategy games were better.
Ethan played music from his "Midnight Chaos" playlist, which included a song made entirely of cat meows.
"I can't tell if this slaps or if I'm hallucinating," Aiden said, head tilted.
"It slaps," Ethan replied confidently.
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8:30 p.m. – Truth or Dare (Obviously)
Ethan: "Truth or dare, Noah?"
Noah: "Truth."
Ethan: "Ever had a crush on someone in our group?"
Noah looked at the ceiling. "…Yes."
Aiden choked on soda. "You gonna elaborate?"
Noah just grinned. "Next question."
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Aiden's Turn
Noah: "Truth or dare?"
Aiden: "Dare. Let's go."
Noah: "Text Aria and tell her she has your favorite smile."
Aiden: "You evil genius."
He did it.
[Aiden → Aria]: you have my favorite smile. just saying.
[Aria]: who are you and what have you done with aiden
He couldn't stop smiling.
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10:00 p.m. – The "WTF" Moment
Aiden was in the bathroom brushing his teeth.
Ethan snuck in and poured cold soda into the back of his hoodie.
Aiden screamed.
Toothpaste hit the mirror.
Noah laughed so hard he fell into the laundry basket and knocked it over.
Ethan: "Worth it."
Aiden chased him through the house with a wet towel.
Noah, still inside the basket, whispered, "I regret nothing."
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11:30 p.m. – The Real Talk
All three of them sat under the blanket fort lights, energy finally dipping.
"I don't want things to change," Ethan said suddenly.
"They already are," Noah replied. "But maybe not in a bad way."
Aiden nodded. "We fight. We grow. But we're still us."
For a moment, the silence wasn't awkward. It was safe.
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One night.
One fort.
Three brothers by bond, not blood.
And a memory they'd talk about for the rest of their lives.