4

~Darlina's POV~

I woke up early the next morning, still rolled up in a ball beneath my comfy pink blankets. The sun peeked into my window through my sheer white curtains, making me raise an arm to pull my covers over my face as I adjusted to being awake.

After I laid in bed for a few more minutes, I reluctantly sat up and sighed, running my fingers through my bedhead. I glanced over at the clock on my bedside table and saw that it was eight AM, which was about the time that I usually woke up. I'd always been an early riser, unless I went to sleep late.

Climbing out of bed, I nearly tripped over the cute pink flower stool that I had near the end of my platform bed, next to my window. Like I did every morning, I reached down to the tall, pastel colored lamp that looked like pieces of stacked candy and turned it on. It was an odd design, but I liked it. It was something my mom had gotten me on my seventeenth birthday, and I'd had it ever since.

Figuring that I might as well take a shower, I headed into my bathroom and washed up, this time not rushing myself through it as I had yesterday. I stepped out after about twenty minutes and wrapped myself in a towel, taking a few minutes to blow dry my hair enough that it was only a bit damp when I was done. Satisfied, I entered my room and dug around in my dresser for a pair of undergarments that I pulled on.

Not wanting to do very much makeup today, I pulled out the little white chair I had by my dresser and plopped down in it at my small vanity table. I quickly applied a bit of makeup and then grabbed a clean change of clothes to put on before I left my room, happily making my way to the kitchen.

Emmett wasn't awake yet, as I had expected, so I began to make pancakes on my own. I decided to make enough for both Em and Atlas as well, since I was sure they'd be hungry whenever they woke. Once I finished making the pancakes, I took two for myself and covered the rest of them, leaving them in the microwave for later.

I grabbed a small container of syrup from the pantry and skittered happily into the living room with my food, plopping onto the couch. The apartment was still very quiet due to the fact that the other two were still sleeping, so I made sure to keep the volume down when I turned on the television in order to not wake them up.

As I was eating, Emmett came sauntering down the hall, his eyes looking sleepy still. I glanced at him over the back of the couch and smiled at him, chewing on the food in my mouth. "There's pancakes for you in the microwave, if you want any." I told him after swallowing, bouncing my foot absentmindedly. He rubbed a hand over his face and nodded his head in acknowledgment, heading into the kitchen without saying a word. Emmett was definitely not a morning person.

He joined me in the living room a few minutes later with his own plate of pancakes, with his only coated in butter. Though I never understood why he only liked pancakes with butter, I didn't bother with trying to convince him it was better with syrup.

We ate breakfast in silence and I washed our dishes, glancing up from where I was furiously scrubbing at the plate when I heard a set of footsteps enter the kitchen. My eyes landed on Atlas and I nervously bit the inside of my cheek, turning off the water so he could hear me. "I don't know if you want them, but I made pancakes. They're in the microwave. Emmy and I already ate, so you can have as many as you want." I told him, gesturing towards the microwave.

Atlas cast his blue eyes towards the microwave and nodded, looking back towards me after a moment. "Thank you." He muttered, stepping around the island to head to the microwave. I turned the water back on and continued washing the dishes, loading them into the dishwasher.

Just a few moments later, however, he spoke again. "Where do you guys keep the syrup?" He asked, his voice hardly audible over the running water. I turned it off again and turned around, hurrying over to the pantry. He waited just outside the open door while I grabbed the syrup and held it out to him. "Usually on the first shelf." I said, pointing behind me to the very bottom shelf. Nodding, he murmured his thanks and went back to getting his food while I finished up the few dishes, not bothering to start the dishwasher just yet. I'd start it after he was done eating, so I could put his dishes in with the rest.

I left the kitchen after a few minutes, carrying a cup of my favorite juice, a strawberry and banana mix.

Emmett and Atlas were both relaxing in the living room with the television still playing, the latter of the two quietly eating. I hesitated before I joined them, sitting down beside Em since Atlas had taken the spot that I was sitting in earlier. He turned his head slightly when I sat beside him, cocking up an eyebrow curiously. Knowing him, he'd probably noticed my hesitancy in joining them.

"Something wrong?" He asked in a whisper, only for me to hear. My attention flicked away from the TV and up to him, meeting his eyes. "No." I said simply, crossing one leg over the other. He didn't seem to believe me, judging by the look he gave me, but didn't press on the matter.

After Atlas finished his food, Em looked down at me again. "Oh, by the way," He began, "Atlas and I are gonna go out tomorrow night, if that's alright with you." He told me, causing me to furrow my brows. "Out? Like to a party or something?" I asked, watching him shrug a shoulder. "Clubbing, but same thing, basically." He responded.

"Well, how are you going to get home?" I continued to press, a little worried. "We both know you're going to drink, and you can't drive after drinking, Em." I lectured, raising a brow up at him. He rolled his eyes, having heard this lecture from me plenty of times by now, and waved a hand at me dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. I already know, Li." He grumbled. I gave him a look, narrowing my eyes at him. "Then?" I asked expectantly, crossing my arms.

He grunted and dramatically flopped his weight back into the cushions as Atlas came walking back into the living room. "You're such a mom..." He groaned, causing my cheeks to burn in embarrassment. "I am not!" I huffed, a little offended. Turning his head towards me, he raised a brow in clear disagreement. "Then come with us, if you're that worried. You know I hate paying for Uber rides." He suggested.

I paused, biting on the inside of my cheek with uncertainty. "Well, you know I don't like clubs." I retorted, frowning. Emmy huffed and looked towards Atlas, as if he'd back him up. "What about you? Li's like a mom, so she doesn't like when I drive after clubbing but I don't like paying for Ubers. She should just join us, right?" He asked, staring at his friend rather expectantly while I eyed the side of his head in disbelief.

Atlas just looked at Emmett for a second, probably wondering if he was seriously asking him this, and then sighed heavily. "Didn't she just say she doesn't like clubbing?" He responded, cocking up a dark eyebrow. His eyes then cut over to me and I shifted a little nervously in my spot, the intensity of his gaze too much for me. "How about you just drive us there, and then he'll call you to pick us up when we want to leave?" He suggested instead, causing me to perk up at the idea.

Though Emmett didn't seem as satisfied with that compromise, as he always had wanted to take me out clubbing, I was glad that we settled on that instead.