Out of Step

xxii. they're insane

"Where's Alana?" Owen asked as Alex slid into the backseat of Ian's car. 

"She went to the school early," Alex said, stretching out along the backseat. "Something about – wait, I told Eli we'd still pick her up – she said something about trying to show the directors she was ready to perform today."

Ian hummed while Owen raised an eyebrow. "She's not allowed to perform today?"

"Ugh, finally," Eli said, having just opened the door to hear the last sentence. She collapsed into the back seat, nudging Alex and his stuff over.

"I'm surprised it didn't happen earlier," Alex said, moving his instrument and his feet. "If we're being honest."

Ian was only a slightly more careful driver than Alex, but even so, Alex kept muttering about how slow he was driving and how they'd never make it to practice on time.

"He drives better than you," Eli muttered as they finally parked. Alex let out an undignified, "hey!" while Ian smirked back at the two of them.

"Of course, I am."

"Only just barely though," Eli added, slipping from the car. She eyes up Alana, who's out of the field, bent over a drill sheet and muttering something before they all head inside to get ready for today's practice.

But no sooner, they're joining Alana, who's sitting in the strip of grass in front of the practice parking lot cross legged and tapping on her instrument.

Owen and Eli plopped down next to her and Alana looked up with a small smile. "Hey guys. What took you so long? I've been waiting here for hours."

Alex, who's standing nearly in front of Eli, rolled his eyes at her. "You wouldn't have been waiting for hours if you'd actually made it to the actual practices."

Alana's smile dropped at that and she sets her instrument down in front of her.

"How are you already sweating?" Quickly trying to change the subject, Owen directed everyone's attention to the little beads of sweat sticking to her face and hair as Alana ties her sweatshirt around her waist.

"It's almost freezing out here," Laila added, joining the small group. "And you are always cold no matter what the temperature is."

Tugging her hair tie out of her hair, Alana shrugged and leaned towards Owen, wiping her forehead on the exposed skin of his arm.

"You're kidding me, right?" he deadpanned, and Alana grinned at him.

"Should've worn longer sleeves," she said, gathering her slightly moist hair back up. She grappled with the pieces of hair that had refused to join the rest when she had first grabbed them, and, with her arms raised up, pulling her shirt slightly up and leaving her sides defenseless, Owen reached out and tickled her side.

"What was that for!" She squealed, dropping her hair quickly and flinging her hair tie towards Alex as she moved to bat his fingers away and defend herself.

"Should've kept your arms by your sides," he teased, and Alex made eye contact with Eli and Laila, making a gagging motion. Both girls let out a small chuckle drawing the attention of a bickering Owen and Alana back to the rest of the group.

"What's so funny?" Alana huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. It had been evident that she'd been bickering a losing battle.

"Nothing," Eli said, cutting off Laila before she could say anything. She reached out to grab Alana's hair tie, handing it to her. "We should get to our spots though; Mr. Lewis is heading up."

Alana was quick to throw her hair back up, somehow making it look worse than it had been before she took it out. Waving goodbye to her friends she snatched up her instrument, shivering as the cold metal touched her skin. She ignored it for the moment though, jogging to her basic's block spot and throwing on her hoodie.