Chapter 5: A Project No One Asked For
Saturday – 11:38 a.m.
The supplies from the box sat untouched in the center of the room. Glue sticks. Markers. A folded sheet of instructions that none of them had bothered to read.
They sat in a loose circle now—still technically in detention, but the vibe had shifted.
"I say we fake it," Aiden said, tossing a glue stick up and catching it. "We slap a few pictures on a poster board and call it a day."
Noah shook his head. "It's a community impact project. We can't fake that."
"Sure we can," Aiden said. "It's called being creative."
Ethan leaned against the desk, arms folded. "Creative? You mean lazy."
"Tomato, to-mah-to."
Aria, without looking up from her notebook, said quietly, "What if we actually try?"
Aiden turned. "Try? You're siding with them now?"
Aria shrugged, not meeting his eyes. "Maybe it's worth seeing what happens."
There was a pause. A real one.
Then Lana—calm, as always—spoke up. "We could do something with the arts. Music, visual, maybe sports. Use what we know."
Noah nodded. "What if we hosted something? Like a mini showcase for younger students? Help them explore different interests."
Aiden's brows lifted. "So… I play ball, Ethan does music, Lana and Noah handle planning, Aria does the design?"
Aria's head snapped up at the mention of her name. "You think I'd want to—?"
Aiden cut in, grinning. "I know you're gonna make it look good."
Aria blinked. Just blinked. Then went back to sketching—but this time, with the tiniest smile tugging at her lips.
---
1:02 p.m.
The group was still technically under punishment—but now it felt more like a planning session. Noah had pulled up a spreadsheet. Ethan was humming melodies under his breath. Lana was organizing task lists in her neat, careful handwriting.
Aiden sat beside Aria, flipping through her sketches.
"Can I see more?"
She hesitated, then slowly turned the page.
Aiden froze.
It was a new drawing. A quiet moment, captured in graphite—a basketball rolling across a gym floor, a player's shadow just barely visible behind it.
"You drew me again," he said, quieter than usual.
Aria's voice was soft. "I didn't mean to. It just… happened."
For once, Aiden didn't joke.
He just looked at her. Like really looked.
"You're really good," he said. And it wasn't flirty. It was real.
And Aria didn't say anything back—but her hand inched just a little closer to his on the desk.
---
1:30 p.m.
Ms. Calder returned just in time to see the group gathered around the poster board, half-laughing, half-bickering about what title to use.
She didn't say a word.
She just watched them for a second.
Then smiled.
Wednesday – 3:37 p.m.
The library conference room smelled like printer ink and stress. It wasn't detention anymore—it was "project time." But the energy still felt weird. No desks in rows. No Ms. Calder watching. Just five teens who hadn't exactly chosen to be a group.
Aiden kicked back in a chair and spun a basketball under the table.
"Just saying, if this was a real team meeting, we'd be eating pizza."
Ethan rolled his eyes. "You're not on a team. You're in a library."
"Same vibe."
Lana pulled out the notes she'd organized in a color-coded binder. "Okay, we have a week to finalize everything. Noah, how's the venue request going?"
"Sent the email. Waiting for admin to reply," Noah said, tapping away on his laptop. "We'll use the gym if we get approval."
Aria was sketching quietly in her notebook. Every so often, she'd glance up—just for a second—when Aiden laughed too loud.
Ethan was softly humming something under his breath.
Lana sighed. "Okay, we're getting nowhere."
Aiden leaned forward. "You want energy? Let's vote on a name."
"For what?" Lana asked.
"Our event. It's gonna be public, right? Might as well make it sound cool."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Cool, or cheesy?"
Aiden shrugged. "Why not both?"
Noah offered, "Future Jam?"
Aria looked up. "That's… not bad."
Lana smiled. "I like it."
"Boom." Aiden slapped the table. "It's official. Future Jam it is."
---
4:02 p.m. – Break Time
They stepped outside for air. The sun was still hanging in the sky, casting long shadows across the courtyard.
Aiden walked beside Aria, bouncing his basketball.
"You gonna draw the flyer?" he asked casually.
She nodded. "Already started."
"You always draw when you're thinking?"
Aria looked at him. "You always talk when you're nervous?"
That caught him off guard. He stopped bouncing the ball.
"…Wow. You're sharper than you look."
She smiled—just a little. "Same to you."
A few steps behind them, Lana and Noah were walking slower.
"You really take this seriously," Lana said, glancing at Noah's organized Google Doc on his phone.
He shrugged. "It's not about the grade. I just… like building things. Order. Structure."
She looked at him for a long moment. "You ever just… let go of the plan?"
He looked back. "Not really. Why?"
"No reason."
But her smile said otherwise.
---
4:26 p.m.
Back inside, Ethan finally spoke up.
"So… I've been working on something. Music-wise."
Everyone turned.
He hesitated—just for a second—then pulled out his earbuds, holding one out.
Aria took it.
Lana leaned in.
Aiden and Noah listened closely.
The beat was soft. Melodic. A slow rise. It sounded like discovery—like something unfinished but honest.
"You made this?" Lana asked.
He nodded.
Aiden blinked. "Okay, okay, Mozart. Didn't know you had that in you."
Ethan smirked. "There's a lot you don't know."
---
They were different. So different.
But for the first time, those differences felt less like walls…
And more like pieces of a bigger picture they were finally starting to build together.