Chapter 2
"How the Girls Got Their Night Out"
One boy, three girls, and a plan. ♪
On their way to the shopping mall, Crystal and Miky walked past the massive campus of Lyra High — the school they still attended.
“Incredible how much you’d spend if your parents gave you a credit card,” Crystal teased.
“I could say the same about you! And I really hope you saved some cash for my birthday gift,” Miky giggled.
“Your birthday is in a month!” Crystal groaned, rolling her eyes.
“Exactly — plenty of time for you to find me something super-mega-special like AirPods, sooo... I trust you won’t let me down,” Miky sang, way too pleased with herself.
“Out of all the clothes, jewelry, shoes, makeup kits, you cling to that?” Crystal sighed.
“I pity the guy who ends up dating you. You’re not exactly cheap maintenance,” Crystal snorted, while Miky beamed proudly, unbothered.
Miky pulled out her phone to check the time.
“We’ve got plenty before the mall. Come on — let’s see who’s on the field since we’re already here,” she said and dragged Crystal toward the nearby sports grounds.
Crystal automatically reached for the small pocket in her bag where she always kept her phone — just to check messages.
But her hand hit empty fabric.
She froze.
Her face drained of color.
She checked the other pocket.
Empty.
Both empty.
Her stomach dropped.
“No. No. No... this is NOT happening!” she gasped, panic spiking as she stared at Miky.
“What?” Miky asked.
“This can’t be real — it has to be here — I always shove it somewhere stupid—” Crystal babbled desperately as she tore through her bag like a tornado.
Seconds passed.
Her breathing quickened.
Her eyes burned.
“I... I lost my phone...” she whispered, horrified.
The little bell charm didn’t jingle.
Not even faintly.
“You’re kidding me, girl! You LOST your phone?!” Miky shrieked.
“I... I don’t know... it’s not here!”
“Okay, okay, I’ll call you! Maybe it’s in some secret pocket you forgot you had,” Miky said, already dialing Crystal’s number at lightning speed.
Crystal shook her head.
“No... the sound is off. And I don’t feel any vibration in the bag.”
Miky waited.
Put the phone to her ear.
“It’s ringing!” she said brightly. “Do you hear it?”
Crystal froze — then shook her head again.
Miky tried again.
“No one’s picking up! Ugh, damn it!” she groaned.
Crystal stopped her.
“Forget it... someone definitely picked it up already,” she muttered, defeated.
“So what? You can’t just take someone’s iPhone. We’ll find it, trust me! When did you last have it?” Miky insisted.
Crystal closed her eyes, rewinding the morning in her mind.
And then it hit her.
“Parasounds!” she gasped, hope flickering back into her chest.
“I’ll call them right now — maybe someone turned it in!” Miky chirped, already searching for the shop’s number.
“Yeah... that’s where I last held it. I wanted to reply to a message when that...” Crystal started — biting her tongue before she could accidentally mention why she’d been so distracted to lose it
Her fists tightened.
A blush flashed over her cheeks.
Oh God... seriously? I cannot be this stupid... Crystal thought, drowning in panic.
She remembered the exact moment she’d lost her phone.
She couldn’t believe that guy had distracted her so much she didn’t pick it up.
“It must’ve fallen somewhere in the music shop, no doubt,” Crystal confirmed quickl.
“Well, considering how fast we ran out, I’m not surprised... I still don’t know what possessed you in there,” Miky scolded lightly as she found the number and spoke briefly to one of the employees.
She shook her head hanging up.
Crystal sniffled miserably.
“Told you someone picked it up...”
But who?
There were so many people in the shop…
Could that guy have found it?
Miky’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
“You’re a hundred-million-percent sure you lost it there?” Miky asked again.
“Yes! I’m sure!” Crystal snapped, irritated that her friend doubted her.
And it’s all HIS fault! she fumed internally, picturing the blue-eyed boy she’d crashed into.
Not only will I remember you as the guy who made me faceplant in public — now you’re also the reason I lost my phone! Great. Fantastic. Way to go, you moron!
“Don’t worry, we’ll keep calling. Someone will answer eventually,” Miky said soothingly.
“Maybe we’ll even find it today. It’s useless to anyone who can’t unlock it. You’ll get it back, don’t worry.”
She tried to be comforting — but even she didn’t sound convinced.
Crystal nodded weakly.
Her face was pale, her stomach tight with dread.
“Thankfully everything’s on iCloud... but Dad will never buy me a new one. I barely convinced him to get me this one.”
Her voice wavered — a mix of despair and resignation.
“I know. It took you an eternity to wear him down,” Miky agreed with a grimace.
“Snow will fall in Africa before your dad buys you another iPhone.”
Crystal shot her a glare.
“Seriously? THAT’S your idea of comfort?”
Miky shrugged, then instantly shifted strategy.
“Okay, okay. I know what will cheer you up!” she said, grabbing Crystal’s hand.
“I don’t need cheering up,” Crystal muttered. “I need my phone.”
“Oh please, get out of your head for one minute,” Miky insisted, tugging her toward the school sports grounds with a bright smile.
Crystal finally, though reluctantly, quickened her pace and let Miky pull her into the familiar chaos.
She knew exactly why Miky was guiding her there —
and a tiny smile tugged unconsciously into the corner of her lips.
The familiar weekend buzz of the sports grounds drifted toward them — voices, laughter, sneakers sliding on pavement.
They walked past the backside of the school, where the massive, modern sports complex stretched across the entire yard — one of their favorite hangouts.
What used to be an overgrown, abandoned park was now a vibrant hub of life: a skate park, outdoor gym, soccer and volleyball courts, ping-pong tables, and of course, small cafés and snack stands that had popped up the moment the place became popular.
It was always full — laughter echoing, music blasting from portable speakers, balls bouncing, skateboards rattling — the perfect place to forget your problems for at least a moment.
“It’s Saturday... Ryan’s definitely here with the guys,” Miky said brightly, doing her best to pull Crystal’s mind away from the lost phone and toward something far sweeter — her crush.
Her gaze scanned the bleachers.
“Aha — there’s Evan,” she pointed toward the basketball court just as Evan slammed the ball into the hoop.
Crystal looked up but her mood was still a dull gray.
No sign of Ryan.
She shrugged, already ready to give up.
“Hold up — look there!” Miky pointed toward the shade under a cluster of pine trees.
Ryan was sitting on the grass.
And next to him... a familiar face.
Their friend — Justine.
Crystal froze for half a heartbeat.
A sharp sting of jealousy fluttered in her stomach as she watched her show Ryan something on a colorful flyer.
He was casually leaning close and nodding.
Crystal couldn’t make out what they were talking about from this distance.
“Danielle would absolutely lose it if she saw her with him,” Miky muttered.
And honestly — she wasn’t wrong.
Danielle was officially Ryan’s girlfriend, and everyone at school knew better than to hover too close. But she wasn’t anywhere in sight right now.
Without waiting for Miky, Crystal headed straight toward them, ears perked, curiosity fully activated.
“...Alycia said you’d know the best way to handle it. So tell me — I honestly have no clue,” Justine was saying.
“Hi, Justine!” Crystal chirped — deliberately interrupting.
“Crissy! Girl — you scared the life out of me!” Justine yelped, dropping the flyer she’d been holding.
Ryan lit up — jumping to his feet the moment he saw Crystal.
“Hey, hon! Perfect timing — your vibe always boosts my dunking game,” he said with that wide, cocky grin he was famous for.
Crystal flinched at his “hon” but recovered fast.
“Yeah? Try saying that when Danielle’s around and she’ll throw you into that hoop herself,” she shot back.
Ryan just smirked, totally unbothered.
Why do I like him when he’s such a menace? she wondered, annoyed at herself.
“Did we interrupt something?” Miky teased as she caught up.
“Huh? No! Nothing was interrupted!” Justine smiled, diving down to pick up the flyer.
She handed it to Miky.
“I just asked Ryan for some info because Alycia told me to cover this for the school paper.”
Miky snatched the flyer — and nearly combusted when she read it.
“Wait. WAIT. Hold on. WHAT? Night Vice are playing tonight? How did I not know this?!”
Crystal sighed.
“Miky. Calm down.”
“I can’t calm down! LOOK—look at the lineup! Do you not see who’s performing?!”
Crystal looked again — unimpressed.
Justine raised a brow at Crystal.
“You’ve never heard of Night Vice?”
Miky groaned.
“She lives under a rock, don’t mind her.”
“I mean... it sounds familiar...” Crystal mumbled, glancing at Ryan for help.
“You’ve definitely heard of them. They go to our school. They act all cool, but they’re alright,” Ryan said, chuckling.
“I told you about MARK! Hottest guy in senior year! Shame on you! Blonde moment alert — it’s tragic being your friend!” Miky whined dramatically.
“Oh, give me a break! I get it, you adore them,” Crystal lifted a hand defensively.
“How am I supposed to know every guy in the school? And you KNOW I don’t follow alt-rock stuff.”
“That’s fine,” Justine stepped in, diplomatic as always.
“I barely know anything about these bands either — that’s why I came to Ryan.”
“Yeah, you should be ashamed too, girl,” Miky said.
“You’re like... the school’s eyes and ears.”
“Didn’t know you were so into them,” Justine teased Miky.
“You’d be too if you heard them,” insisted Miky.
Crystal rolled her eyes.
“Anyone can call themselves a musician nowadays,” Crystal muttered.
“All you need is a laptop, a dusty mic, and a YouTube account. Boom, overnight hit. Some people basically sing over a washing machine.”
Miky shot her a murderous glare — Ryan burst out laughing.
“Oh, I personally LOVE a good washing-machine beat. Great for freestyling. Just gotta make sure your chorus is louder than the spin cycle.”
He winked — not entirely joking.
But everyone laughed.
“And honestly? Some of those alt bands put more heart into one demo track than the Billboard guys do in a whole album.”
Miky nodded like a proud disciple.
Crystal just blinked.
“Well... Night Vice still sounds like a knockoff crime show with a bad soundtrack.”
Miky gasped dramatically.
“TAKE. THAT. BACK. Mark has the voice of an angel!”
Crystal stuck her tongue out in response.
“So you’ve been following them for a while?” Justine asked Miky.
“I LIVE for the day Mark finally realizes I exist,” Miky sighed.
Crystal gave her a dry smile.
“Yeah... good luck with that.”
Because truth be told — every guy Miky crushed on had the exact same reaction to her: none.
“Hey! Wait—right! You hang out with them. I’ve seen you guys together,” Miky turned to Ryan with sudden enthusiasm.
Ryan just shrugged.
Crystal rolled her eyes.
“Oh please, Miky — name one person Ryan doesn’t hang out with.”
“Top-tier observation,” Miky shot back. “So... Can you introduce me to him? Please?”
“Maybe,” Ryan answered, cool as ever.
“But tonight? He probably won’t even notice you — even if you walk up to him naked,” he added with a wicked grin.
“Yeah right, like you know what he’ll notice,” Crystal snapped at him.
“I’m just saying. This gig is huge for them,” Ryan explained.
“Someone from a label’s coming. Steven told me his uncle pulled strings to get the guy there. It’s the break they can’t mess up.”
The moment Ryan said Steven — Miky froze.
Her brain lit up like a pinball machine.
“Wait. WAIT. I KNEW IT!” she suddenly shouted, and the others stared at her like she’d grown wings.
“I’ve been trying to place him all morning!” Miky punched her fist into her palm.
Then grabbed Crystal’s wrist with wild triumph.
“What are you talking about?” Crystal blinked.
“Steven! The guy from this morning — the gorgeous one — remember?” Miky whispered to her ear so Ryan wouldn’t hear.
Crystal felt her heart jump.
“I thought I recognized him — I’ve seen him at school! He hangs out with Mark. That’s why he looked familiar! And he just recently started playing with the guys in the band!” Miky rattled off like a machine gun.
“Oh my GOD, it would be SO cool if we all went to their show tonight! What do you say?” she suggested out loud.
Crystal repeated his name in her mind.
Steven...
She had to admit — something warm fluttered in her chest when she heard his name.
And immediately hated that she liked the feeling.
What is WRONG with me?! Ryan is right here and I’m getting shivers thinking about that guy?!
Then it hit her —
why he’d joked about her bumping into him “on purpose.”
Crystal scowled to herself.
Wow. The ego on him. He really thinks he’s famous already?
And yet...
Something inside her sparkled at the thought of seeing him again —
now that she knew he walked the same hallways as she did.
“Look... Miky... not to kill the vibe, but... I’m not even sure we’re allowed to go in,” Justine said carefully.
That snapped Crystal out of her thoughts.
“Why not?” Miky frowned.
“I’d go in a heartbeat, trust me...” Justine added, her shoulders drooping.
“I’m supposed to be there — I need to write the report for the school paper. But Ryan was just telling me when you barged in — you have to be eighteen to get inside.”
“So... I’ll have to do the interview at school instead.”
Miky let out a dramatic cry.
Ryan just smirked.
“It’s not funny! Easy for you, you’re legal!” Miky protested.
“For what it’s worth, I’ve heard them like... a hundred times,” Ryan said.
“But Alycia wouldn’t have sent you to me if she didn’t know exactly why.”
He winked.
“Given the circumstances... well — if you’re really up for it, we can figure something out.”
Crystal narrowed her eyes.
“Wait. What does that mean? Figure out how, exactly?”
But she didn’t get an answer.
Because Ryan’s best friend, Evan, appeared out of nowhere.
“Ah-HA! Now I get why you’re not playing — stuck with the ladies, huh?!”
Tall, handsome, darker complexion, baggy rapper fit, cap backwards — pure chaos in human form.
“Hey, Crissy! What’s up?!” he greeted her — they knew each other from the school radio — then immediately launched into rapid-fire chatter:
“I’m down! Let someone else chase the ball. We’re staying here!”
A second later, Darian showed up too — calm, thoughtful, camera around his neck.
“Oh please, Evan. The team is doomed without Ryan...” he scoffed.
He nodded at Justine as a fellow school-journalism comrade.
“Guys, get back on the court. I can entertain the girls myself,” Evan snorted proudly.
Crystal shot him a look.
“Please. We girls can entertain ourselves just fine.”
Ryan laughed.
“We could actually leave him here. He talks too much on the court anyway.”
“He talks too much everywhere,” Crystal countered without missing a beat.
“You can leave him here only if you show me where the OFF switch is.”
Evan started muttering under his breath, pretending to be offended, which made all three girls laugh.
Ryan turned to go.
“If you stay and cheer for us, I’ll get you into the club tonight. Deal?” he called back, winking.
“Is he SERIOUS?” Miky squealed, instantly thrilled.
Justine bit her lip anxiously.
Crystal folded her arms with a sharp tch.
“Look at him! He really thinks he’s escorting three girls out tonight,” Darian said, elbowing Evan as they walked off.
“That’s my man! He sets up the dates for all of us!” Evan beamed.
“...What was THAT?” Crystal muttered, baffled.
“How exactly does he plan to pull that off? I don’t get it,” Justine added, tilting her head skeptically.
“Well... exactly how he said it! We’re going out tonight, girls!” Miky glowed — not confused or concerned in the slightest.
Crystal sighed.
“You two have fun. I’m not going.”
“What? Hey! No ‘I’m not going’! Don’t do this!” Miky bounced toward her, but Crystal only shook her head.
“You HAVE to come!”
“I want to... but...” Crystal hesitated.
“You wanna tell my dad that idea?” she finished darkly.
Miky winced, crossing her arms in thought.
“What? He wouldn’t let you go? Not even until midnight?” Justine asked, clueless about Crystal’s... complicated relationship with her father.
“I’ll try... but I doubt it. My dad is a nightmare when it comes to this stuff.”
“I don’t see the problem,” Ryan said casually.
“Then you’ll just have to sneak out, right?”
Crystal nearly choked.
He had reappeared only to grab the water bottle he left on the ground.
“You’d say anything just to drag us into your chaos...” she grumbled.
“If I’m dragging you anywhere — it’s only into the best night of your life,” Ryan shot back over his shoulder as he walked away.
Justine’s eyes widened.
“He didn’t mean that seriously. He wouldn’t tell you to sneak out to a club that’s eighteen-plus!”
Miky snorted.
“Don’t tell me you think Ryan is some kind of saint. There was a school trip incident last year. He was suspended for a month!” she cackled.
“Justine doesn’t know. She transferred this year,” Crystal reminded her.
“What did he do?” Justine asked as they walked down toward the bleachers.
“Oh... nothing major,” Crystal said.
“Just a video going around of some drunk girls partying in his room.”
Justine looked horrified — and amused — as she glanced at Ryan passing the ball on the court.
A lovely girl with a ponytail was just approaching the court.
“There wasn’t any... nudity, was there?” she whispered.
“Well... um... apparently a few drunk girls snuck into the guys’ room,” Crystal admitted.
“I’d bet it was the other way around,” Miky smirked. “But sure — let’s pretend.”
“Someone else filmed it, but Ryan showed up on camera, so he took the fall,” Crystal explained, trying to soften it.
“But why only him? Who filmed it? Doesn’t anyone know who else was in the room?” Justine pressed.
“Oh, they know,” Crystal sighed.
“It was his group of friends — they all dodged the camera somehow.
Ryan took the blame for everyone.”
“Hey!! Watch it, flirt-queen at three o’clock!” Miky suddenly blurted.
Her face soured as that girl with the ponytail — completely unfamiliar to them — slipped onto the court, snatched the ball straight from Ryan in a lightning-quick steal, and tossed it into the hoop with ridiculous ease.
The cheers that erupted were...
well, very male.
Sun-kissed skin, sharp cat-eyes, long dark hair in a high ponytail, a fitted yellow athletic tank and black shorts hugging every curve —
yeah, everyone was staring.
Crystal, Miky and Justine exchanged a collective “who the hell is that?” look as they watched Ryan challenge her back — stealing the ball and dunking it with a cocky flourish.
Their little face-off electrified the court.
After sinking three more shots in a row, the dark-haired girl pumped her fist in triumph.
“Five out of five! Told you! Pay up, slacker!”
Ryan groaned, dug a crumpled ten-euro note out of his pocket, and handed it over.
She took the money...
then slapped him a victorious high-five.
Crystal watched with a tightening chest as Ryan jogged over, gave her his water bottle, and laughed breathlessly at something she said.
And then —
the girl leaned in and planted a quick kiss on his cheek before trotting off.
Crystal’s jaw dropped.
Her heart jerked violently, like someone had kicked it from the inside.
Her pupils blew wide in disbelief.
Great.
Exactly what she needed. Another girl hanging off Ryan.
As if watching him smile at Danielle every day at school wasn’t enough.
Miky caught her expression and moved in fast.
“Forget this stupid match.
Burger? Please? I’m starving like a wolf.”
“The only thing you ever think about is food, Miky,” Crystal muttered — but she stood up immediately.
She wasn’t staying here another second.
Miky fell into step beside her, loyal as a puppy, steering her away from the court.
Another minus to this day.
And coming here was supposed to make her feel better.
Now she felt worse than before.
And the whole idea of that night —
the music, the crowd, Ryan’s promise —
suddenly didn’t feel exciting anymore.
Just… complicated.
➡️ READ NEXT, Chapter 3:
She wasn’t supposed to be here.
Sneaking out. Breaking rules. Letting the night pull her somewhere she can’t control.
But one ride, one club, and one unexpected reunion...
changes the way everything feels.
Because seeing him once was an accident.
Seeing him again?
That’s something else entirely.
