Invisible String

Chapter 4

Iyaara

Few weeks passed by.

“Ugh, today’s classes are so boring,” Ava groaned, slumping onto her desk.

I pressed the pen against the table, stifling a laugh. “I know, right?”

Ava leaned closer, mischief glinting in her eyes. “What if we just… bunk?”

“Huh, yeah, sure,” I said sarcastically. “Are you serious?”

“Come on! You only live once. Let’s do it!” she urged.

I hesitated, then smirked. “Fine. Let’s do it.”

Thankfully, our seats were next to the window. We slid it open quietly, and I jumped out first, landing softly on the ground below. Ava was about to follow when Kairo appeared.

“Going somewhere?” he teased.

“None of your business,” Ava snapped.

“Oh, it is my business,” Kairo said, mischief in his eyes. “Especially when I can snitch to the teachers.”

“Kairo!” Ava groaned. “Don’t you dare.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Then take me with you.”

I shrugged helplessly. “There’s nothing we can do. Either he comes, or we’re doomed.”

“You heard her,” Kairo said. “Either I join the mission, or you two are history.”

“You’re impossible,” Ava muttered.

“Correction,” Kairo smirked. “I’m smart.”

Before we could argue, he pulled out his phone.

“Who are you calling?” Ava asked.

“The final member,” Kairo said. “Can’t bunk without him.”

Minutes later, we waited near the school gates. Moments after, Ryker appeared — expression flat, unimpressed.

“You dragged me here for this?” he asked.

Kairo shrugged innocently. “Well, well. What’s school life if you haven’t bunked at least once?”

“I’m not doing this,” Ryker said firmly.

“Come on, bro,” Kairo said, smirking. “Or I’ll tell the teacher you were part of it too.”

Ryker’s eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Before they could argue further, I noticed the security guard heading our way. “Guys! We might get caught!” I hissed.

That was all it took — we ran, laughing as adrenaline carried us down the street until we were far from school.

“So… where do we go now?” Ava panted.

“Anywhere but near the school,” I  said.

“Let’s go to the beach. It’ll be fun!” Kairo said

“Yes!” I said instantly.

“So, the beach it is,” Kairo confirmed.

We hopped on a bus, laughing all the way. When we reached the beach, the sound of waves crashing filled the air. The sand clung to my feet as I kicked off my shoes.

Ava didn’t waste a second — she ran straight toward the water and practically dragged me in. Kairo followed, splashing and laughing. Ryker, of course, stayed on the shore, arms crossed.

“Come on, bro, it’s fun!” Kairo shouted.

“Nah, I’ll sit here,” Ryker said flatly.

“Nope, not happening,” Kairo grinned. Before Ryker could react, he dragged him into the water.

Ryker groaned, but a faint smirk appeared.

Water flew everywhere as we started a playful splash war — I hit Ava, she hit me back, Kairo joined in, and then all of us targeted Ryker. We all splashed him together, laughing hysterically.

Ryker grinned wickedly. “Oh, so that’s how you betray me, huh?” he said to Kairo.

Kairo shrugged.

In the next second, Ryker grabbed Kairo and dumped him into the water, laughing as Kairo sputtered. Without missing a beat, he splashed Ava so hard that she literally tasted the salt in her mouth, sputtering and laughing.

I laughed out loud, clutching my stomach, tears of laughter forming in my eyes.

Ryker smirked and looked at me. “What’s so funny?” he asked.

Before I could answer, he grabbed my waist and pulled me under the water with him. The cold waves wrapped around us as we submerged together. For a few seconds, the world above disappeared. Our faces were close, and the water muffled everything. While we were underwater, I felt something strange, a flutter in my chest, so I quickly came up to the surface, gasping for air.

Ryker surfaced right after, water dripping from his hair.

After a few moments, everyone — me, Ava, Kairo, and Ryker — stepped fully out of the water, shivering and laughing, shaking out the sand and wet fabric. I shivered and said, “I… I’m hungry.”

“Same,” Kairo said, wringing out his shirt.

“I didn’t bring money,” he added.

“Don’t worry,” Ava said, pulling out her purse. “I’ve got some.”

I checked my bag. “Guys! I have some too!”

Ryker raised an eyebrow. “Will that even be enough?”

“Probably not…” I admitted.

Kairo grinned mischievously. “Then we buy some clothes with the money we have and steal some."

We headed to a nearby local store. My job was to act like I was buying something, Ava stayed by my side, and Ryker distracted the employee. Kairo, of course, had other plans — slipping clothes into his bag and cutting the tags.

“What are you doing?” the employee demanded.

Ryker jumped in immediately. “Where’s the polo shirt I asked for? How can you be this irresponsible?”

The employee froze, all attention on Ryker, while Ava and I struggled not to laugh. The moment we stepped out, we burst into hysterics.

Afterward, me, Ava, and Ryker bought clothes using the money we had, enough for the three of us. We slipped into our dry outfits, shaking out the sand and wet fabric, while Kairo grinned like a little troublemaker.

Then we made our way to my apartment.

“You live alone?” Kairo asked.

“Nope. My aunt’s away on a business trip.”

I set the bowls on the table. “Lunch's served.”

Ryker stared at me, raising an eyebrow. “You said you could cook?”

“Yes. Ramen,” I said proudly.

Ava and Kairo immediately burst out laughing.

We ate, we talked, we laughed about school, friends, and ridiculous adventures. By the time they left, I cleaned the dishes, smiling. I skipped dinner afterward because I wasn’t hungry anymore, and as it was saturday tomorrow, I scrolled on my phone for hours until sleep finally claimed me.