Page 63 of Pick Me Up On Tuesdays

Before I could even attempt to stop her, Joy took a deep breath and launched into a gloriously off-key rendition of some overly dramatic ballad.

Max immediately joined in, his voice somehow worse.

Ethan, never one to be left out of chaos, threw in unnecessary vocal runs like he was auditioning for a fantasy-world version of a talent show.

Shun hummed along. Just a little. As usual.

Mia had the camera up, recording the disaster.

I sank into my seat, wishing I could disappear.

Fred, who was next to me, sighed. “I don’t even know what song this is supposed to be.”

“Doesn’t matter. They’ll butcher it anyway.”

Joy’s voice cracked spectacularly on a high note.

Max cackled. “Beautiful.”

I needed to escape.

I stood up, grabbed my bag, and turned to Fred. “Switch seats with me?”

He blinked. “Uh, why?”

“I need to focus on my research.” It was the best excuse I had.

Fred shrugged and scooted over. I slid into his former spot, putting more distance between me and Ethan.

Joy narrowed her eyes at me. She knew.

But she didn’t say anything.

We drove to the next destination. A park.

The nature park was, objectively, incredible.

We were surrounded by towering trees with glowing veins running through their bark, shimmering in the filtered light. The air smelled crisp, carrying hints of moss and distant rain. Strange creatures flitted between branches—some with iridescent wings, others with multiple eyes that blinked curiously at us before vanishing.

If I hadn’t been drowning in my own head, I might have appreciated it more.

The wildlife club wasted no time setting up equipment. Mia handled the main camera, Joy dictated the filming schedule like a military commander, and everyone else scrambled to keep up.

“Mia, get a slow pan of those crystal-backed lizards.”

“Fred, make sure the audio’s clean. No weird background noises.”

“Ethan, Max—” she turned to them. “I’m putting you on observation notes.”

Max groaned. “Lame.”

Ethan nudged him. “At least we’re not carrying the equipment.”

Joy ignored them.

I was supposed to be taking notes too, but my focus was shot. I kept catching myself glancing at Ethan, half-expecting his eyes to glow in the shadows.

It was irrational.

---