AFTER THE STROM
502 Words
The party slowly returned to normal.
Music blasted through the speakers again, students were dancing, and people kept talking excitedly about what had just happened in the game room.
“Did you see that shot?”
“He didn’t even look nervous!”
“Adrian never loses.”
But I wasn’t paying attention to the crowd.
I was still thinking about the challenge.
About how easily Adrian had accepted it.
I turned toward him.
“You realize that was completely reckless, right?”
Adrian leaned casually against the wall.
“I handled it.”
“That’s not the point,” I said.
“You didn’t even ask me before making that deal.”
His expression became slightly more serious.
“I knew I’d win.”
“You can’t always rely on that.”
He studied my face for a moment.
“You were worried.”
“Of course I was!”
I crossed my arms.
“Some random guys show up, make a ridiculous bet about me, and suddenly you’re playing pool like it’s life or death.”
Adrian chuckled quietly.
“You’re dramatic.”
“I’m realistic.”
Maya suddenly appeared beside us again.
“That was insane!” she said excitedly. “The entire school is talking about it.”
“That’s exactly what I didn’t want,” I muttered.
Across the room, several students were already staring at us.
Some were whispering again.
“See?” I said to Adrian.
“You’ve officially made me the center of attention.”
He didn’t look bothered.
“You’ll survive.”
Before I could argue again, someone shouted from the other side of the room.
“Adrian!”
One of his friends walked over quickly.
“Your dad just called.”
Adrian’s relaxed posture immediately changed.
“Why?”
His friend shrugged.
“He sounded serious.”
For the first time that night, Adrian looked uneasy.
“I’ll take it outside,” he said quietly.
He walked toward the front door, pulling his phone out of his pocket.
I watched him leave.
“That looked important,” Maya said.
“Yeah.”
Something about his expression before he left had been different.
More tense.
More worried.
A few minutes later, Adrian returned.
But something had clearly changed.
His jaw was tight, and the usual confidence in his eyes was gone.
“What happened?” I asked.
He hesitated.
“Nothing.”
“That doesn’t look like nothing.”
He looked at me for a long moment.
Then he sighed.
“I have to leave.”
“Now?”
“Yeah.”
I frowned.
“But it’s your party.”
“Not anymore.”
He started walking toward the door again.
Then he stopped and turned back to me.
“Lena.”
“What?”
His expression softened slightly.
“Be careful tonight.”
I blinked.
“Why?”
But he didn’t answer.
Instead, Adrian walked out of the house.
And somehow…
That warning made me feel like the night wasn’t over yet.
- Writer
