The Donut Shop ✔️

'N' Stands for 'Notional Fears'

"I mean, you could have been caught..." Ethan started. Tweed's hopeful look in his eyes diminished like the flame of a lantern being blown out by the salty sea air. "But you weren't," Ethan finished. Like magic, the fire renewed in his gaze, and he gave a gracious curve of his lips. 

A part of Ethan's heart felt relieved. They were okay. He cracked into a huge grin as well. "Let's go to the pool room!" 

Mara let out a strangled cry and shook her head and muttered something profane under her breath, but gave no further comment as they trekked down the hall, Tweed leading their expedition with a rebellious prance. Another set of white birch doors opened, and they ogled around at the indoor pool. 

The pool itself was shaped like a snowman with aquamarine, clear waters, and the room was surrounded with glass so clear that a bird could fly into it. On the outside of the room, thick vegetation and vines grew up the glass, coloring the whole room in dark green. 

"There's a door!" Mara whisper-shouted as she pointed to a glass door on the other side of the pool. Ethan stuck out his arms and kept his friends from stepping forward when he heard the sounds of audience laughter and a brash, confident voice die out.  

"It sounds like Red turned off the TV. We need to be extra quiet," he said. Tweed nodded, puffing out his chest and taking the lead into the room. Only to immediately drop his keys into the pool. 

"Aw, man!" he shouted, and Mara, who was on his left, slapped her hand over his mouth. 

"Why don't you say it louder next time?" she asked him, sucking her teeth as she kneeled next to him, pushing up her sleeve and shoving her arm past the serene glass surface of the water. However, her arms were too short to reach, and so were Tweed's. 

"Guys..." Ethan said as Red opened a nearby door down the hall. Once he realized they were in here, they were doomed. 

"Quick! Take off your sweater!" Tweed whispered to Mara, who immediately clutched her arms to her chest. 

"No! You'd have to pay me a million dollars to see me naked."

"You won't be naked. Besides, I've already seen you naked, brainiac."

Mara's eyebrows knitted together as she smacked Tweed, nearly pushing him into the pool. "Tweed!" she yelled. 

Ethan smirked at this as both of them whispered to each other, Mara glancing back at him with a red face and Tweed with a bashful grin. 

"I think your conversation's gonna have to wait until we're not, oh, I don't know, in a murderer's house?" Ethan said. This seemed to gather their attention, because they began scrambling to get the keys once more. Eventually, Tweed decided just to barrel into the water after stripping his pants and shirt off.

Mara yelped, surprised at his sudden lack of clothes, and her eyes met Ethan's, who grimaced at his friend's boldness. 

Instead of a big splash, Tweed's feet slid into the pool, as did the rest of his body. He managed to grab the keys, and he shivered a bit as he grabbed the grey, rough concrete ledge, but not before Ethan heard the door to the room beside theirs open. Red was definitely onto them. He must be searching for intruders, and he was close to finding three delinquent teens taking a dive in his pool.

"Guys, hurry!" he whispered, and Tweed hoisted himself out of the pool, slipping his clothes on quickly. All of them tiptoed briskly to the door and shoved it open. 

The cool dusk air hit Ethan's face, and he sighed with relief. The cicadas singing in nearby lawns were as heavenly as the sounds of an angel's chorus. Ethan relished the feeling he felt at escaping without being caught, and his lips curved up, but upon remembering what they had found out about Red, his grin faded.