"Do you have a... nine."

"Go fish."

"Damn, I swear I sense you had a nine. :("

"???"

Wei Wuxian draws a card from the deck. The two boys were playing in the kitchen of Luo Binghe and Hua Cheng's apartment, waiting for the cookies in the oven. It was a rainy Sunday, and Wei Wuxian had come over to hang out.

"Umm, do you have a seven?"

"Awe, I have two. :("

Wei Wuxian handed over his sevens.

Wei Wuxian was actually here with a purpose.

"Do you have a... four."

Luo Binghe gave his fours to Wei Wuxian.

"Yes!" Wei Wuxian did a fist bump. He had got four fours and now he put it on the marble counter next to him.

"Hmm, do you have an eight?"

"Aw man :(" Wei Wuxian handed over his eights.

Wei Wuxian was solely here to win this card game.

Hua Cheng walked into the kitchen. The boy walked to the fridge and glanced over at the two.

He took a cup and poured himself a glass of cranberry juice. Then he lazily watched the two finish their game.

Wei Wuxian won.

"Ha! In your face!" Wei Wuxian shouted, slamming his hands on the counter in victory.

Luo Binghe looked slightly offended. In his face?

"Anyway, I called the window seat!"

"You two seriously playing Go Fish to fight for the window seat," Hua Cheng noted. He took a sip of the red juice.

"Actually, I was all in for giving him that window seat but he wanted to get the seat 'all fair and square'," Luo Binghe replied.

"Huh," Hua Cheng voiced.

Wei Wuxian made a face at him. "You're just salty 'cause Luo-xiong and I get to sit together while you will have to sit in the front of the bus," he said smugly.

Hua Cheng snorted. "As if." He flicked Wei Wuxian on the forehead with a finger. "Why were you playing Go Fish anyway? That game's too simple."

"Oh, you know why. Cause the au-" Wei Wuxian's mouth was quickly covered by Luo Binghe's hand before he could finish the sentence.

"No more of that. Every time we say something like that, the comments explode."

"Oh right," Wei Wuxian said. "But my awesomeness always spreads far beyond the universe. :( It's not my fault."

"Uh huh, have you packed up everything for tomorrow?" Hua Cheng asked. To Wei Wuxian.

"Yeah. But why only to Wei Wuxian?" Wei Wuxian asked with a grin.

The timer beeped, and Luo Binghe stood up. He grabbed an oven mitten and opened the oven door, taking out the baked goods.

"Just asking," Hua Cheng said nonchalantly, "I just don't want a repeat of last year's camping trip."

"Hey- we don't talk about that part," Wei Wuxian said, a shadow passing over his face.

"Hey, who wants to try my new recipe?" Luo Binghe called.

"Ooh, ooh, me!!!" Wei Wuxian hurried over, waving an arm in the air.

Hua Cheng took another sip of his drink. He grimaced.

Last year's camping trip. Never again.

。。。

。。。

。。。

"Prez! What do you mean the seating chart is rearranged???" Wei Wuxian exclaimed. "What do you mean?????"

Wen Qing sighed. She wanted so badly to hit Wei Wuxian over the head with her clipboard.

It was Monday morning. It rained last night and now the grass and trees were heavy with dew. It was slightly chilly but not enough for one to grab a jacket. Rain droplets dripped down from the leaves, occasionally hitting a student on the head when they walked past the trees.

The students of MengDie class 5, had gathered in the back of the school, all with their suitcases packed for the student exchange week. Some were more prepared than others.

"It means that you have a new seat. Next to He Xuan. Now shut up and get your suitcase and butt into the bus."

"Noooo!!!" Wei Wuxian wailed and dramatically clung to Luo Binghe as he happened to walk past.

"I won that card game! I am gonna have that window seat next to Luo-xiong."

"You will get that window seat!" Wen Qing threw up her hands in frustration. "Just next to He Xuan."

"But, but..." Wei Wuxian wanted to argue more but the girl could be seriously intimidating at times.

Hua Cheng strode over, holding a bag over his shoulders. He was Luo Binghe's new seatmate.

He said, "What are you making a fuss about? It's only a 20 minutes ride, you'll live."

"Thank you!" Wen Qing exclaimed. "That's what I've been trying to tell him."

"B-but, but, I don't want to sit next to He Xuan. :( I never talked to him before," Wei Wuxian said.

"That's like the fifth sad face you made in this chap," Hua Cheng commented. He flicked Wei Wuxian on the forehead again.

"Hua-xiongggg" Wei Wuxian dragged the name.

Wen Qing muttered under her breath, "I swear, you three are like the three stooges."

Luo Binghe: "..."

"Here, how about this," Hua Cheng turned to Wen Qing. "I'll swap places with Wei Ying. I'll sit next to He Xuan and Wei Wuxian can sit next to Luo Binghe."

Wei Wuxian's jaw dropped open. "Hua-xiong... You would do that?? No, who are you and what have you done to my bro, Hua-xiong??" Wei Wuxian pointed an accusing finger at Hua Cheng.

Wen Qing: "..."

Hua Cheng ignored Wei Wuxian. "You have no problem with that, right?" Hua Cheng asked Wen Qing.

Wen Qing shrugged. "I don't see the difference if we only switch you and Wei Wuxian. You can do that."

"Yay! I'll get to eat Luo-xiong's cookies- I mean, sit next to Luo-xiong!" Wei Wuxian cheered.

Luo Binghe: "..."

Hua Cheng said under his breath, "Don't get too excited yet. This means you owe me a favor."

Wei Wuxian: "En, en, what?"

Hua Cheng smiled. "Nothing. Why don't we get your stuff onto the bus?"

"But I swear I heard you say something," Wei Wuxian said, as Hua Cheng ushered him to the bus, lightly pushing him in the right direction.

"You are thinking too much, I let you sit next to Luo-xiong and have your window seat. What are you supposed to say now?"

"Umm... Who are you and what have you done to my bro, Hua-xiong?"

"..."

"There's a catch to this right??"

"This is why I never do anything nice for you."

。。。

。。。

。。。

"Omygosh, is that them??"

"No, it's a bunch of old seniors visiting our school."

"...it's them! The bus says "MengDie!"

"Well, of course, it's them," Shen Qingqiu said sarcastically. The boy was not in a good mood.

There were no classes that morning due to the student exchange thing. That means he gets to sleep late, right?

But noooo, Shi Qingxuan wanted to see the students from MengDie, and he just had to drag his roomies along with him.

They were going to see them either way. In the afternoon!! Yet, the three boys were hiding behind a tree and a bush, peeking over at the parked bus in front of their school gate. Well, only Shi Qingxuan was. Shen Qingqiu couldn't care less and Xie Lian was still half asleep. Shen Qingqiu doubts Xie Lian even knows where he was, the boy keeps blinking sleepily, with bags under his eyes.

They were still in their monogrammed, school-given, pajamas.

Shi Qingxuan and Shen Qingqiu watched as the people from their student council walked outside, properly dressed, and greeted the class from MengDie.

The people were Ling Wen, Shi Wudu, and Pei Ming.

And Lan Xichen.

Lan Xichen wasn't part of the student council, but he definitely was part of the welcoming committee. He was an essential part. Just one smile and you will feel at home.

The MengDie class was being led into the courtyard.

What happened next was in a flash.

Shi Qingxuan suddenly whisper-shouted, "Arghhh, a wasp!!"

Shi Qingxuan accidentally hit Xie Lian.

Xie Lian, who was almost standing asleep, was jolted awake but lost balanced.

Xie Lian crashed into Shen Qingqiu.

Surprised, Shen Qingqiu reached his hands out to the nearest thing to stabilize himself.

Unfortunately, that was Shi Qingxuan and Xie Lian.

All three boys tumbled out of the bush and into the courtyard.

And of course, they landed in front of the group of students from MengDie.

Perfect timing.

The whole class stared at the three boys.

A disoriented Xie Lian keeps muttering, "What? What? What? What happened?"

Shi Qingxuan piped, "Hey, at least we didn't get stung by that wasp. I heard that wasps can sting more than once, unlike a bee."

There was silence after that.

Then among the crowd, someone quipped, "Everybody knows that."

Pei Ming let out a tiny but audible cough.

Shen Qingqiu could die of embarrassment right now.

🤔

😁

Thank you for reading!

('▽')/✨

Comments and votes will be (highly) appreciated! As usual!

Word Count: 1626