Page 135 of Pick Me Up On Tuesdays

The compound was stunning.

The kind of place that looked like it had a personality. Trees older than most civilizations swayed gently, flowers that didn’t belong to any region bloomed like stained-glass secrets. There were marble pathways carved with runes, and a soft breeze that smelled like saltwater and something sweeter. It felt like stepping into a dream—surreal, unreal, but real enough to hurt.

Joy whistled. “Wow. We just broke into Atlantis.”

We all had been here before—not once—but every time it hit differently.

The house was ahead—half glass, half ancient stone, part myth, part bachelor pad. The windows shimmered with enchantments. Somewhere inside that magical stronghold was Ethan.

I hesitated.

“I don’t even know what I want to say to him,” I muttered.

“Doesn’t matter,” Joy said. “You’re already here. That counts.”

Shun pointed toward a side path. “There’s a trail that wraps around the back. Less likely to trigger magical defenses. I think.”

“You think?”

She shrugged. “Fifty-fifty.”

We followed her, weaving through the garden like thieves in an over budget fantasy movie. Birds chirped suspiciously. A koi pond whispered secrets. Even the bunny looked confused.

Well, the garden was quite deceiving—too peaceful, too still. We barely made it past the glowing fox statues when the air shifted.

"Intruders!" a sharp voice called out.

We froze.

A tall, shimmering figure emerged from behind a wall of moon-blossoms—an elf, clad in white and silver armor that glittered like it had never known dirt. His face was sharp, his brows sharper. He looked like the kind of guy who ironed his soul every morning.

“Oh stars,” Joy whispered. “It’s a guardian.”

Shun took one step back. “We should—”

The elf blew into a whistle that didn’t make a sound. The hedges responded.

“What kind of security system uses sentient shrubs?!” I yelped.

“Run!” Joy shouted.

And we did.

The elf drew his blade—not to slash, but to mark. Wherever he pointed it, the mansion’s defenses reacted. The cobblestone paths came alive, reshaping like a puzzle to block our way.

“This is so unnecessarily extra!” I wheezed, dodging a vine that lunged like a snake.

“Ethan’s window!” Shun called, glancing up. “We just need to find it!”

“How would you even know what it looks like?” I asked between breaths.

“I pay attention,” she said smugly, leaping over a hedge beast like it was just another school hurdle.

We zigzagged through the garden, dodging sentient roses and magical traps that shouted trespasser in dramatic tones. The elf didn’t tire—he ran like a judgmental wind, expression blank but determined.

“There!” Joy pointed. “Top floor, west wing—open window with messy curtains and a tragic amount of half-empty cologne bottles. That’s definitely him.”

We skidded to a halt beneath the window.

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