Chapter Three: Saturday

Eliana woke up to the sound of knocking.

She groaned and pulled the blanket over her head.

The knocking came again.

Three times.

Loud.

Persistent.

“Who is it?”

“Your favorite neighbor!”

Eliana opened her eyes.

Nate.

Of course.

She dragged herself out of bed, still wearing an oversized T-shirt and shorts, and opened the door.

Nate stood there holding two cups of coffee.

He looked far too energetic for eight in the morning.

“You look terrible,” he said.

Eliana stared at him.

“Good morning to you too.”

“I brought coffee.”

She looked at the cup.

“You're forgiven.”

He handed it to her.

“I knew you'd say that.”

“How?”

“You have the face of someone who can't function without caffeine.”

Eliana took a sip.

He was right.

She hated that.

“What do you want?”

“Breakfast.”

“Make your own.”

“I don't know how.”

“You ordered food yesterday.”

“Ordering food isn't cooking.”

Eliana sighed.

“What about Ilyas?”

Nate pointed down the hallway.

“Already invited him.”

As if summoned by his name, Ilyas stepped out of his apartment.

He was dressed casually in a dark hoodie and jeans, his thick black hair slightly messy.

He looked at Nate.

Then Eliana.

Then the coffee in her hand.

“You got her coffee?”

Nate nodded.

“She likes me more now.”

Ilyas gave him a blank look.

“She liked you before?”

Eliana laughed.

Nate placed a hand over his heart.

“Why are you both attacking me this morning?”

“Because you deserve it,” Ilyas said.

Eliana laughed again.

And just like that, Saturday had begun.

They ended up at a small café a few streets away.

Nate insisted on paying.

Ilyas argued.

Eliana stayed out of it.

“You two argue like an old married couple,” she said casually.

Silence.

Nate looked at Ilyas.

Ilyas looked at Nate.

Then both of them looked at Eliana.

She burst out laughing.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Nate said.

Ilyas shook his head.

“You're strange.”

“You're just realizing that?”

“No. I've known since yesterday.”

They laughed.

The afternoon passed quickly.

They walked around the neighborhood, stopped at a bookstore, bought things none of them needed, and eventually ended up sitting on a bench in a small park.

For the first time, Eliana noticed how different the two boys really were.

Nate was restless.

He couldn't sit still for more than five minutes without finding something to joke about.

Ilyas was the opposite.

He could sit quietly for an hour and somehow never seem bored.

“You're both weird,” Eliana said.

Nate looked offended.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“What did I do?”

“You talk too much.”

He looked at Ilyas.

“She thinks I talk too much.”

“You do.”

Nate turned back to Eliana.

“See? He's supposed to be my friend.”

Ilyas smiled.

“I am your friend. That's why I'm honest.”

Eliana smiled.

There was something comforting about watching them together.

They had only known each other for a day, but their friendship already felt strangely natural.

Later, they stopped by a grocery store.

Eliana was standing in the cereal aisle when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

“So…”

She turned.

Nate was standing there with his hands in his pockets.

“So what?”

“You're really enjoying spending time with us.”

Eliana smiled.

“I am.”

“Good.”

There was something about the way he said it that made her pause.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

He smiled and walked away.

Eliana watched him for a second before shaking her head.

She was about to follow when she noticed Ilyas standing at the end of the aisle.

He was watching Nate.

Not strangely.

Not suspiciously.

Just watching.

Then his eyes shifted toward Eliana.

“You coming?”

“Yeah.”

She walked toward him.

“What were you looking at?”

“Nate.”

“Why?”

Ilyas shrugged.

“He's about to buy chocolate cereal.”

“So?”

“He hates chocolate cereal.”

Eliana laughed.

“You remember that?”

Ilyas looked at her.

“He complains about everything.”

She smiled.

“You've been paying attention.”

He didn't answer.

Instead, he picked up a box of cereal and placed it in her basket.

“You like this one.”

Eliana looked down.

“How did you know?”

“You ate it yesterday.”

She stared at him.

“You noticed that?”

Ilyas shrugged.

“It's not difficult.”

But Eliana couldn't help smiling.

There was something different about the way Ilyas noticed things.

Nate made her feel seen because he was always looking at her.

Ilyas made her feel seen because he noticed things she didn't realize anyone had noticed.

And she wasn't sure which one was more dangerous.

That evening, the three of them returned to The Hawthorne with grocery bags in their hands.

Nate dropped his bags on the kitchen counter.

“Movie night.”

Eliana looked at him.

“Already?”

“We're neighbors.”

“That's not how friendship works.”

“It is now.”

Ilyas placed his groceries down.

“What movie?”

Nate looked at Eliana.

“You choose.”

She thought for a moment.

“Something romantic.”

Nate groaned.

“Of course.”

Ilyas smiled.

“Why are you complaining?”

“Because you two are going to spend the entire movie judging the characters.”

Eliana pointed at him.

“Because they make terrible decisions.”

“Exactly.”

Nate looked at Ilyas.

“She'll probably complain about every decision.”

Ilyas nodded.

“She definitely will.”

Eliana crossed her arms.

“You both are already ganging up on me.”

Nate smiled.

“Get used to it.”

She didn't know why, but those words stayed with her.

Get used to it.

She would.

She just didn't know yet how much of her life would eventually be shared with the two people standing in that kitchen.

For now, they were simply three neighbors.

Three friends.

And three people who were beginning to realize that maybe they hadn't moved into The Hawthorne by coincidence after all.