12th Grade – Final Semester 

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Yixing rechecked his text message. This was the only option. Senior year was almost coming to an end. They had to do something if they wanted to achieve their goal. Without wasting another moment, he pressed Send and waited.

Looking around the empty library, Yixing was suddenly reminded of the time he was studying for the college entrance exams with Kyungsoo. It was almost a month ago, yet he could still remember vividly how irritated Kyungsoo was when Jongin decided to join them (upon Yixing's insistence). He could also picture how Kyungsoo's eyes would occasionally drift over to Jongin and his study books, wondering what the other boy was presumably stuck on. Though Kyungsoo didn't offer to help, Yixing could tell he wanted to. His friend has always been easy to read.

He just wished Kyungsoo was more willing to accept his feelings for Jongin. It was obviously there, underneath the irritated expressions, the angry glares and the snappy insults.

Yixing didn't think he could live with himself if he let his best friend end his high school years without confessing to Jongin – without experiencing young love.

This is their final year together. Time is ticking.

“Ugh. I hate being early,” said a nasally voice from behind Yixing.

He turned around and greeted Tao with a smile. “I'm surprised you're even here.”

Tao rolled his eyes and plopped down in the seat next to Yixing. “Yeah well, I care about Jongin enough to worry about his pathetic love life.”

“Aww how sweet,” Yixing cooed.

“Save it,” Tao ordered, holding his hand up. “I don't want to be stuck here forever, so are you going to tell me the plan or do I have to wait for the lovebirds to arrive?”

“It's a group meeting, so yes, you will have to wait for them,” Yixing answered.

“But they're so.....”

Yixing sighed. “I know.”

“You don't know how many times I wanted to hit their stupid faces with a dirty shovel.”

Yixing laughed. “Your way with words is incredible.”

Tao smirked at the compliment. “Thanks.”

Someone scoffed from behind them.

“I guess I know what you guys talk about behind our backs now,” said Sehun as he walked around the table and sat down in front of Yixing.

“Well, now that you know, can you do us a favor and not make kissy faces with Luhan?” Tao asked, expression serious.

“What are you talking about? We have never made kissy faces.”

Tao and Yixing exchanged looks. “What?” Sehun asked.

“You obviously don't know what you look like when you're in Luhan's presence,” replied Yixing, a tiny smile gracing his face.

Sehun opened his mouth to say something, but then suddenly decided not to. Yixing figured that he probably knew they were right about the way he looked whenever he was around Luhan. There was no point in denying it. The whole school could clearly see it.

“So are we just waiting for Luhan? Is anyone else coming?”

“Suho has a student government meeting, so he won't make it. That leaves us –”

“With your pretty princess,” Tao finished, grinning at the scowl on Sehun's face.

“He should be here soon,” Yixing said quickly before Sehun could hurl profanities at Tao for calling his boyfriend a pretty princess, which he was if Yixing was being honest.

And as if he could sense them talking about him, Luhan came running into the library with his hair disheveled, shirt untucked and backpack wide open. If anyone else saw him, they would think he was running because of an emergency or something.

“Sorry I'm late guys!” Luhan breathed as he made it to their table, nearly out of breath.

Yixing smiled because he was honestly glad that Luhan had decided to join his team. A small part of him had a feeling that the reason why Luhan had changed his mind about interfering in Kyungsoo's love life was partially due to Sehun being involved. A few months ago, Luhan had discovered Yixing and Sehun alone in their classroom, discussing plans, and since then, he's been a part of the team.

Regardless of why he changed his mind, Yixing was just happy to have Luhan be a part of his team. Having Luhan on their side when facing Kyungsoo was essential, and everyone knew that.

Luhan waved at Yixing and Tao before sending Sehun a loving smile – one that neither Yixing nor Tao missed. He pulled out a chair and immediately sat next to Sehun. Yixing noticed how he scooted his chair closer to Sehun than what was necessary.

“Just sit on his lap,” Tao suggested nonchalantly.

“Shut up, Tao,” Sehun muttered, his tone dangerous.

Luhan, on the other hand, merely flushed, which made Yixing grin because he always thought pink was a beautiful color on Luhan. Honestly, his friend was too pale sometimes. A little color wouldn't hurt.

“Did I miss anything?” Luhan asked, trying to steer their attention away from the fact that he and Sehun have now locked hands.

“No, we were just –”

“You have something on your face,” Sehun interrupted, his other hand naturally reaching out to wipe something off of Luhan's face.

“Oh? I – I do?” Luhan blinked rapidly as Sehun's thumb began to brush his left cheek.

“Why do you have flour on your face?” Sehun asked, nothing but pure admiration in his voice – a complete contrast to the Sehun that told Tao to shut up a few seconds ago.

“Oh! I was in Home Economics, and we made biscuits.”

“Why don't you just his face, Sehun?” asked Tao when Sehun was still trying to remove the tiny speck of flour from Luhan's blushed cheek.

Sehun immediately dropped his hand and sent Tao a swift kick under the table, causing the other boy to yelp. He clearly didn't appreciate Tao's comment.

Luhan, however, looked like he was contemplating something – like he was actually considering what Tao had suggested.

For a second, Yixing wondered if Luhan had purposefully left flour on his face so that Sehun could affectionately wipe it off.

Looking at his friend, who was now smiling at his boyfriend earnestly, Yixing had to admit that Luhan was fully capable of doing such a thing because underneath that innocent exterior was probably a teenager with raging hormones...

Hormones.

Yixing shook his head and chuckled at the thought of Luhan actually possessing hormones.

“What's so funny?” Luhan asked, his eyebrows creased in curiosity. Sehun turned to look at Yixing as well.

“Nothing.”

Luhan tilted his head, not quite believing Yixing's answer, but before he could say something, Yixing cleared his throat and stood up. “Since we're all here, I hereby –”

“Please sit down,” said Tao, tugging him back down. “I rather not feel any more embarrassment from being around you guys.”

“And we feel the same way,” Sehun added, eyeing Tao's velvet fedora with distaste.

“I like dressing according to my mood,” Tao explained with an annoyed undertone.

“Yeah, so purple is your mood?”

It took everything in him not to laugh at Sehun's remark, but Yixing knew that if he valued his safety, he shouldn't laugh. Luhan also shared the same sentiment because across the table, he could see Luhan tightening his grip on Sehun's hand, his lips pressed into a thin line.

“No, idiot. Purple is not a mood. Purple is a representation of sensuality, passion, and euphoria.”

“Right. So wearing a purple hat represents all of that?”

“It's a fedora,” Tao corrected with an impatient eye roll. “But I didn't expect you to know that, so....”

Sehun opened his mouth, a retort undoubtedly at the tip of his tongue, and of course, Tao also looked ready to make his counterargument, but thankfully, Luhan quickly stepped in.

“So Yixing, what did you want to tell us?” he asked, blinking rapidly to let Yixing know that he should speak up immediately.

Yixing understood and coughed in hopes of stealing their attention – anything to avoid having Tao lecture Sehun on his “lack of style” or whatnot. They've been there before, and honestly, Yixing would rather rip out his own kidneys than sit through something like that again.

“Right. The reason why I wanted to meet you guys was because,” Yixing started, eyes darting between Sehun and Tao, both of whom had gotten surprisingly quiet. “I think we should come up with a solid plan for Kyungsoo and Jongin before senior week.”

“What do you have in mind?” Luhan asked eagerly as he traced the back of Sehun's hand with his thumb – a cute gesture that Yixing couldn't help but notice.

“Not another ridiculous 'Push them together and hopefully they'll make out' type of plan, right?” Tao questioned, eyes on Yixing, completely judging him for what happened last time at Kyungsoo's birthday party.

“I thought that was a brilliant plan,” Yixing countered, feeling mildly offended. “They had their first kiss thanks to me!”

Sehun snorted. “I don't think Kyungsoo's lips falling on top of Jongin's lips counts as a real kiss.”

Yixing shot Sehun a dark look. “Their lips touched for longer than three seconds. It counts.”

“If that's what you think a real kiss is, then I suddenly feel sorry for Suho,” Tao stated with a fake frown.

Yixing rolled his eyes. “Leave Suho out of this. We're talking about our idiot friends, Tao. Please try to stay on topic.”

Luhan snickered at Yixing's condescending tone, while Sehun smirked. Tao, on the other hand, flashed him the middle finger.

“That's nice,” Yixing said flatly before continuing. “Besides nearly going to the hospital when Kyungsoo had decided that he should thank me with his tiny fists, I thought the plan was successful. It got them flustered whenever they're together –”

“How is that a good thing?” Sehun asked, confused.

“Because when you're flustered, you're more likely to blurt out stuff. Duh.”

Tao shook his head in shame. “I really don't know why you're in charge of this operation.”

“Because Yixing watches a lot of romantic dramas!” Luhan answered enthusiastically. “He knows everything there is to know about getting two people together, and even if his plans aren't the most effective, they're worth a shot. I trust Yixing completely. He'll come up with something great this time!”

Luhan flashed him a smile, and Yixing returned the gesture. “Thank you, Luhan. That was very sweet.”

“No problem, Xing.” Luhan leaned back with a satisfied grin on his face – one that Sehun couldn't take his eyes off of.

Sensing Sehun's gaze, Luhan turned to look at him, and for a second, Yixing thought Sehun would kiss Luhan – he certainly looked like he wanted to – but the other boy simply smiled and gave Luhan a gentle pat on his shoulder.

Tao cleared his throat, drawing Yixing's attention away from the couple that was acting rather strangely. “Well, since we're all here, let's get on with it. What's the plan?”

“Right. You know how the spring music festival is coming up?”

The others nodded.

“Kyungsoo and Jongin both love music, so how great would it be if that was their first date?”

Silence fell upon the group. Yixing looked around nervously, not quite sure if they understood him. Shouldn't they be praising him for his wonderful mind?

“What –”

“How do we get them to actually go together?” Sehun asked.

“Yeah, they would never agree to that,” Luhan added with concern.

Tao crossed his arms. “Seriously, did you even think this through?”

“Yes, I did. The answer to your question is simple – we all go together and when they're too immersed in the music, we leave.”

“So we ditch them. That's your great plan?” Tao asked, voice incredulous. “Did Kyungsoo really hit you that hard?”

“What if they go their separate ways?” Sehun asked. “I don't –”

“Would Jongin really leave Kyungsoo by himself?” Yixing interrupted, eyes on Sehun. “You're his best friend, so you know him better than I do. Would he?”

Sehun exchanged glances with Tao. “No...He wouldn't,” they both replied.

“Exactly.” Yixing ped his backpack and took out a pack of tickets. He handed Tao and Luhan one, while Sehun got two (one for Jongin). “We'll start the night out as a group to avoid being suspicious, and once the concert starts, we'll sneak away. Do think of ways to leave Kyungsoo's sight without being detected. He wasn't always the lookout when we were younger for nothing. He sees everything.”

“Okay. Can I say something?” Tao asked, flipping the ticket over in his hand.

“It's not like we can stop you,” said Sehun.

Ignoring Sehun's snark, Tao asked Yixing, “Even if we do manage to get away and leave them together, what are you expecting them to do? How would this help them?”

“It's a long ride home,” was all Yixing had to say. He flashed Tao a smug smile.

“I hope this works,” Sehun mumbled as he placed the tickets in his bag. He swung the bag over his shoulders and abruptly stood up. “Are we done here? I have to leave for tennis practice.”

“Yeah, I think we're good,” Yixing answered.

Luhan stood up, but before he could announce his own departure, Yixing held up his hands. “Luhan, you can't leave yet.”

“Why not?” the other one asked, his hand inching toward Sehun's.

“We have to discuss something.”

“O...kay.” Luhan turned and pouted at his boyfriend. “I'll see you later then?”

Sehun smiled. “Yeah. Later.” He pressed an index finger against Luhan's forehead. “Stop pouting. You look like a toddler.”

Tao snorted. “He always looks like one,” he murmured to the side. Yixing mentally agreed.

“Thanks, Sehun. You're so sweet,” Luhan said sarcastically, slapping Sehun's finger away, obviously not pleased with the way Sehun handled that.

Sehun chuckled. “You're welcome.” He leaned in, looking ready to kiss Luhan, who immediately looked up, but unfortunately for Luhan, he stopped midway. “I should go,” Sehun said, patting Luhan on the head instead. He then gazed into Luhan's eyes, and Yixing was positive that he was telling him something through those eyes. Lovers telepathy.

“I'll walk you out,” Luhan whispered absentmindedly.

“Of the library?” Tao asked incredulously. “Really?”

Luhan doesn't hear him. He was too far gone. Sehun entwined their fingers, and the two of them walked away.

Not even five yards away from the table, the couple stopped and hugged. Frankly, it would have been a sweet moment if they hadn't started kissing in the middle of it.

Yixing closed his eyes for a second. It was a good thing the library wasn't full of people.

“They know we can still see them right?” Tao asked.

Yixing's eyes land on Luhan, who had both arms around Sehun's neck and was pulling him closer – which Sehun didn't have a problem with. “At least they're not kissing right in front of us.”

“Yeah. It's much worse seeing that up close,” Tao added. “As cute as they are together, and as much as I adore them as human beings, I rather not see them each other's faces.”

Yixing hummed in agreement.

A few long seconds later, Luhan pulled away, and said something to Sehun, his lips twisting into a frown by the end of it. Sehun, unlike earlier when he teased his boyfriend for pouting, said something before pecking Luhan's lips, apparently to comfort him. It worked because Luhan was beaming a split second later. He leaned in and showered Sehun's face with kisses.

“How long is this going to take?” Tao nagged. “It's not like they won't see each other again.”

“It'll be over soon,” Yixing assured as he crossed his fingers.

After getting what he supposedly deemed was the appropriate number of kisses, Sehun waved at Luhan before he turned and walked away with a wide grin on his face no doubt.

When Luhan walked back to their table, he too had on a giant smile. His eyes were much brighter than before, and his lips were a bit swollen, but overall, he looked very satisfied.

“Finally,” Tao mumbled when Luhan sat down, still slightly dazed from earlier.

Yixing knocked on the table to grab his lovestruck friend's attention. “Earth to Luhan...”

“Huh?” Luhan looked up. “Oh! Right.” He shook himself out of his thoughts and cleared his throat. “What's up? You wanted to discuss something?”

“Yes. Our chemistry project.”

Luhan's eyes widened. “The project? You wanted to talk about the project? That's it?” He looked as though Yixing had betrayed him.

“Yes?”

Luhan slumped in his seat. “Couldn't this wait till later? I wanted to see Sehun practice...”

“No,” Yixing said sternly. “We are working on that project together, partner.” He pulled out the chemistry textbook and started flipping through the pages.

“Xinnngg,” Luhan whined.

Tao chuckled, causing Luhan to eye him with suspicion. “Tao, you knew about this?”

Tao shook his head. “Nope, but I agree with Yixing. We should finish this before the due date.” Tao also got his copy of the book out of his bag, and began looking through his notes.

The only person who didn't move was Luhan. “But guys –”

“You've been avoiding this since we got the assignment,” Yixing accused. “Stop pushing it off in favor of watching Sehun hit a few balls across a net.”

“I don't know why you find that fun,” Tao remarked.

“He looks handsome while doing it,” Luhan said softly, a faint blush making its way across his cheeks.

Tao laughed. “You're such a puppy.”

Luhan furrowed his eyebrows. “I am not a puppy.”

“Do you hear that, Yixing?” Tao asked. “Do you hear a puppy barking? It's not just me, right?”

Luhan scowled.

“Nope, it's not just you. I heard it too,” Yixing said, taking great pleasure in teasing Luhan.

“Fine!” Luhan pulled out his notebook, somewhat aggressively, and started to work. “After we're done here, I'm leaving.”

“You know, Luhan, missing Sehun's practice isn't the end of the world,” Tao began, eyes on the frowning boy. “If you're not always there, Sehun would obviously start missing you, and if he misses you, then he'll definitely want you even more when you are there.”

Luhan blinked. “You think so?”

“I'm sure of it.”

Luhan gave Tao's statements another thought, and slowly, a tiny smile appeared on his face.

Seconds later, Yixing nudged Tao's side after Luhan decided to dive right into the project.

“Nice work,” he said under his breath so only Tao could hear.

“Thanks, but I can't believe I just said that.” Tao squeezed his eyes shut and frowned deeply. “Now I'm imagining Sehun wanting Luhan even more than he does now, and –” He shuddered. “I need a cold shower.”

*******

“You all came in the same car?” Jongin asked when he met up with his friends at the entrance of the outdoor festival. “I don't feel left out at all.”

“We ran out of room,” Sehun answered, draping his arm over Luhan's shoulder.

“Trust me, you didn't miss much,” Tao said as he pushed a beaming Yixing aside. “Now excuse me, but I have things to do.” He left before any of them could stop him.

When Jongin's eyes land on the couples in front of him, he eventually understood why Tao wanted a quick exit.

“We're not hanging out as a group?” Kyungsoo asked suddenly, eyes wide.

Jongin chuckled. “Why do you always look terrified?”

“Shut up, Jongin,” Kyungsoo snapped, almost automatically. “And for your information, I don't always look terrified.”

Jongin shrugged. “Whatever you say, amigo.”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, and turned his back on Jongin. “So what are we doing first?”

“You can do whatever you want since the concert doesn't start till 9. Suho and I will be in the instrument section.” Yixing grabbed Suho's hand and they both left.

Kyungsoo turned to Luhan. “Lu?”

Luhan glanced at Sehun. “Um..Sehun and I are feeling kinda hungry, so we're going to get something to eat. Let's go, Sehun!” he ordered while tugging an amused Sehun along.

“What was that?” Kyungsoo whispered, looking confused over his friends' behavior.

On the other hand, Jongin knew something was up. His friends love hanging out in groups, so seeing them leave one by one was rather suspicious. It was probably planned.

Kyungsoo, however, hadn't thought of this possibility. He simply stood there and stared at the backs of their friends, perplexed.

“Looks like you're stuck with me,” Jongin spoke, startling Kyungsoo because apparently, he had forgotten that Jongin was still there.

“Pfft. Please. I rather not,” Kyungsoo stated before he walked away.

Without really thinking, Jongin ran after him and grabbed his wrist. He forced Kyungsoo to face him.“I wasn't done talking,” he said, disgruntled.

“And why should I care?” Kyungsoo asked. He snatched his hand away. “Don't follow me.”

Jongin scoffed. “And why would I want to follow you? I simply stopped you to tell you that I wasn't done, and that you were rude for walking away. Now that I've said all that, goodbye.”

He turned and stalked off. It felt good to have the last word. Really good.

“Hey Jongin!” Kyungsoo shouted, causing Jongin to turn around, against his better judgment.

“What?”

“When you somehow manage to get lost, ask any of the adults around here for directions. I'll be listening for your name over the intercom. Be a good boy, okay?”

Kyungsoo smirked and walked the other way, leaving Jongin standing there, dumbfounded. “Did he...?”

Indeed, Kyungsoo had just treated him as if he was a child, and that was enough to get Jongin cursing loudly as he weaved through the crowd.

“Stupid Kyungsoo and his stupid mouth!”

He desperately needed to find something to relieve his stress because being around Kyungsoo does things to him – annoying things.

Luckily, the festival had plenty to do, so Jongin found himself almost forgetting his conversation with Kyungsoo. Almost.

Half an hour later, after he had won some random dance contest, Jongin decided that he should grab something to eat (with the free voucher that he won) before the concert started.

He was a few feet away from the chicken concession stand when he spotted Kyungsoo walking away from the frozen yogurt stand. The other boy was busy looking down at his phone, probably texting Luhan, and as a result, he bumped into someone, spilling most of his yogurt onto the person's shirt.

The guy, who was a head taller than Kyungsoo, started yelling at the smaller male, and before he could figure out why, Jongin was already making his way toward them. His mind set on getting in between Kyungsoo and that guy, who was most likely drunk because he had a cup of beer in his hand.

“Look at what you did! Are you blind or something?!” the guy hollered as he pointed at his stained shirt.

“I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking,” Kyungsoo explained, sounding worried.

“You think sorry is enough? You should at least offer to pay for a new shirt. Do you not have manners?” the guy snarled.

“I really am sorry, but I don't have any money with me –”

The guy roughly shoved Kyungsoo to the ground, and when Jongin saw this, he felt his blood boil. Furious, he started running, his fists clenched.

“Shut up! I don't need your excuses! I want you to pay me now,” the stranger ordered. “If you don't –”

“YAH!” Jongin hollered, but before he could punch the guy, someone grabbed him from behind, restraining him.

“Don't,” said Sehun as he pulled Jongin back. “There are cops around. It's not worth it.”

“BUT –”

“Kyungsoo!” Luhan ran over and helped Kyungsoo up. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine, Lu,” Kyungsoo answered, though Jongin could tell he was still in shock.

“What's this?” the stranger asked, eyes darting back and forth among the new arrivals. “Are you all going to gang up on me?” he asked with a cocky smirk.

“No, we're not,” Sehun said calmly. He released Jongin, though his hand held onto Jongin's fist. “We don't want any trouble.”

The guy laughed. “If you don't want trouble, I suggest one of you pay for my shirt since your friend here ruined it.” He glared at Kyungsoo, and Jongin wanted nothing more than to kick the guy in his disgusting face.

“My friend already apologized,” Luhan spoke, eyebrows furrowed. “You were wrong in pushing him, so you should also apologize. And why does he have to pay for your shirt? It's not even a brand name.”

The guy stepped forward, his expression menacing. “What did you just say?”

Sehun immediately got in between the guy and Luhan. “I suggest you back off,” he ordered, eyes blazing now that Luhan was a target of the guy's wrath. “We don't want to fight you, but if you put your hands on either of them, my friend and I won't hesitate to teach you a lesson.”

Taken aback by Sehun's threat, the guy blinked, then his eyes wandered to Jongin. He swallowed. “You t-think I'm scared of you two?”

“No,” Sehun stated coldly. “You also shouldn't be ignorant enough to actually fight us.”

The guy narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“Let's say that we do fight, what do you think will happen to us? My friend and I will have to do some volunteer hours, a little community service, since we're underage. We might even get off with a warning. You, on the other hand, might be charged with public disturbance, spend a night in jail, have the incident marked in your permanent records, and you might even be fired from your job if your boss finds out you had a run in with the law. Doesn't sound good, does it? Now, are you seriously willing to go through all of that over a ruined shirt? Or is your pride more important?”

The guy blinked, and while he was considering Sehun's words, Jongin glanced over at Kyungsoo, who was staring at Sehun, thankful.

“You're lucky I'm suddenly feeling gracious,” the guy finally said.

Jongin snorted. “Right,” he muttered. “You just didn't want your sorry kicked by two high schoolers.”

The guy glowered at Jongin, and Jongin returned the favor. “I'm out,” he said after a few more seconds of staring down Jongin.

When he finally walked away, Sehun turned to face Jongin. He raised an eyebrow.

“What?” Jongin asked.

“You didn't punch him,” Sehun said curiously.

“Yeah, well, you told me not to.”

Sehun smiled. “I didn't expect you to actually listen.”

Jongin rolled his eyes, and made his way over to Kyungsoo, who was being comforted by Luhan. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo replied, avoiding Jongin's eyes.

“What –”

“Why are you all gathered here?” Yixing asked when he arrived on the scene with Suho behind him. “What happened?”

“Kyungsoo ran into some jerk,” Luhan answered promptly. He then laced his fingers with Sehun's. “There could have been a confrontation, but Sehun handled it brilliantly.” He gave his boyfriend an appreciative smile.

“Well, I wasn't going to let my best friend have blood on his hands,” said Sehun, casting a glance towards Jongin.

“Jongin, you were going to fight the guy?” Yixing asked, surprise in his tone.

“That guy pushed Kyungsoo!” replied Jongin, louder than he would have wanted to. “I can't watch him getting bullied –”

All eyes were suddenly on him, and Jongin felt oddly uncomfortable, his heart beating rapidly and his mouth running dry. “What?”

“Is there a specific reason why you can't watch Soo get bullied?” Yixing asked, a smile slowly creeping on his face.

Jongin doesn't miss the flicker of interest in Kyungsoo's eyes. “Uhhh. I –”

“Because you care for him?” Luhan suggested, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

“Be-Because I'm the only who can bully him,” Jongin blurted out, immediately feeling dumb because he knew that wasn't the truth, and the others probably knew that too.

Kyungsoo's face hardened, and he crossed his arms. “My hero,” he stated with so much sarcasm Jongin grimaced.

It's amazing how Kyungsoo could get to Jongin without lifting a finger. One look from the smaller male can cause Jongin to tremble. Feeling his palms sweat, Jongin knew he had to get out now before he said anything else stupid.

“Yeah. You're welcome. Now if you all could excuse me, I have to go buy chicken.” Quickly, he waved and left before they could stop him.

When he was far away, he stopped and mentally cursed because th