Chapter 8
Autumn Berry – POV
Saturday morning came like a gentle reminder that not every day had to involve chaos or mysteries. Sunlight poured into my dorm room, and for the first time in weeks, I didn't wake up to a case alert or an urgent message from someone panicked. Quinn, on the other hand, had no intention of letting me sleep.
"Autumn! Wake up! We have plans!" she shouted, practically vibrating as she bounced on my bed.
I groaned, rolling over and hugging my pillow. "Plans? What kind of plans? If it involves spiders or cobwebs, I'm staying in bed."
"Spiders? Cobwebs? No!" she gasped, clutching a bag so heavy it threatened to crush her. "We're going on a club trip! Rhea said we need a weekend to bond. No crimes, no investigations, just fun. Water park, zoo, picnic! It's perfect!"
I squinted at her, blinking several times. "Fun… with the club?"
"Yes!" she said emphatically, almost bouncing out of the room with the bag. "Pack your things, Autumn. You're coming!"
There was no arguing with Quinn once she set her mind on something. I sighed, rolling out of bed, brushing my hair, and grabbing a backpack. Half an hour later, the whole club gathered in the lounge of our dorm building. Rhea was already there, clipboard in hand, checking off items from a mental list. Liam leaned against a wall, scowling at the sun while adjusting his hoodie. Theo tottered in with an oversized first-aid kit, sunscreen bottles spilling from the sides. Dorielle arrived fashionably late, carrying an absurdly small bag and smirking as she surveyed everyone like a queen inspecting her subjects.
"Alright, team," Rhea began, "today we have one mission: enjoy ourselves and not get into trouble. Any questions?"
Liam muttered, "Does wearing sunscreen count as trouble? Because I hate the sun."
Theo gasped. "Do not underestimate the sun! Burns, heatstroke, dehydration. I brought extra water and medical supplies. You're welcome."
Dorielle rolled her eyes. "Can we skip the lecture and just go already?"
Quinn squealed, juggling her snacks and water bottles. "Come on! We're wasting daylight!"
With that, we piled into two cars and drove off to the water park. The atmosphere was chaotic in the best way possible. Quinn immediately claimed a large float shaped like a dragon, insisting we all take turns riding it. Dorielle lounged on a smaller float, pretending to be too cool for the water but secretly laughing at everyone slipping past her. Liam grumbled about getting wet but ended up shrieking like a child as he went down the largest slide. Theo tried to act dignified on the lazy river, but after three minutes, he was floating upside down, sunscreen smeared across his nose.
I floated nearby, watching the club in action. Rhea helped smaller kids navigate the shallow pools, her calm and attentive nature shining even here. Quinn squealed every time she bounced into a wave, and Dorielle made exaggerated "help me" faces whenever the dragon float tipped, earning snickers from Liam. I smiled quietly, noticing the little details: the way Theo kept checking everyone's hydration, the way Dorielle's sarcasm softened when she laughed genuinely, even Liam's subtle enjoyment despite his protests.
After the water park, we headed to the zoo. Quinn immediately started pointing out animal stats, whispering probabilities of how often a bird would land on a specific branch or how fast a monkey could climb its tree. I tried to follow, partly impressed and partly amused. Dorielle attempted selfies with the parrots and got squawked at several times, while Liam commented dryly on the feeding schedules and muttered about penguin walking speeds. Theo made meticulous notes about the animals, occasionally offering us fun facts in his nerdiest voice.
We wandered through the enclosures, sharing laughs and occasional playful arguments. Quinn insisted on a "math break" at the penguin exhibit, calculating the odds of one waddling in a straight line while another slipped on wet stones. Dorielle groaned but stayed engaged, and even Liam shook his head with a small smile.
Finally, we found a quiet grassy area for a picnic. Rhea laid out a blanket with military-like precision while Quinn unloaded an absurd amount of snacks and Dorielle teased her for being "ridiculously prepared." Liam tried to hide his chocolate bar stash, Theo fussed over the napkins and utensils, and I simply sat back, observing, storing the moment in my memory.
We ate, laughed, and recounted small embarrassing stories from past cases — though carefully avoiding the serious ones. Quinn made charts comparing water slides and penguin movement speeds, which had Dorielle and Liam snorting with laughter. Even Rhea cracked a smile at one of Quinn's overly complex diagrams of penguin walking probability.
The sun dipped lower, casting golden light across the park. I watched our little group from under the tree: Quinn sprawled on the blanket counting penguin probabilities, Dorielle dramatically lounging on her side, Liam teasing Theo over spilled juice, Theo fussing over napkins as usual, and Rhea quietly keeping everything together.
For the first time in a long while, I felt like I belonged. The club wasn't just a team or a circle of detectives. It was… a family. And for now, at least, the world could wait.
As the day ended and we piled back into the cars, Quinn muttered about how exhausted her feet were, Dorielle dramatically "collapsed" onto the back seat, Liam argued over the music selection, and Theo meticulously counted water bottles. I laughed quietly, storing every little detail in my mind. These were the moments I wanted to remember — ordinary, chaotic, and perfect in their own way.
Even in the midst of laughter and sunshine, a small part of me stayed alert. My eyes caught a stranger at the edge of the park, seemingly taking too many photos. Just a person enjoying the day? Or someone watching? My stomach twisted slightly.
I shook my head and looked back at the group, smiling. For today, I decided, we would just be a family. Tomorrow could wait.
END OF CHAPTER 8