Evan woke up te that Sunday, and for once, he didn’t feel guilty about it. The soft sunlight was filtering through his curtains, painting zy golden streaks across the floor. He stretched under his bnket, enjoying the stillness of the morning—though, by now, it was closer to noon. It had been a long week, and he figured he deserved to take his time.

  After a few more minutes of rolling around, he finally got out of bed, rubbing his eyes and yawning as he grabbed a t-shirt off the chair and slipped it on. His feet thudded softly against the wooden floor as he headed for the stairs, the thought of a hot cup of coffee pulling him forward.

  The house was quiet as usual, but as he descended the steps, a soft sound reached him—someone tapping lightly on their phone screen. He froze mid-step, blinking at the sight in the living room.

  Sienna was there.

  She was lounging on the couch in her usual confident way, one leg crossed over the other, her sharp gaze fixed on her phone. But something was off—she looked… restless. It was as though she had been sitting there for a while, waiting for something or someone.

  Evan hesitated for a beat before walking into the room. As soon as she heard him, Sienna looked up. Her eyes met his, and she stood up quickly, shoving her phone into her pocket as though she’d just been caught doing something she shouldn’t.

  “Uh… hey,” Evan said cautiously, still half-asleep as he made his way toward the kitchen. But Sienna stepped in front of him, cutting him off.

  “I… might’ve been out of line st night,” Sienna said suddenly, her voice firmer than usual, though something in her tone—just a touch of hesitation—felt uncharacteristic. “I’m sorry.”

  Evan paused mid-step, surprised to see her standing in the living room, arms crossed, eyes on him but flicking away almost immediately. It was rare to see Sienna look anything but completely in control.

  “You’re… apologizing?” he said slowly, trying to process the moment.

  “Yes, Evan,” she replied with exaggerated patience, though the faint redness in her cheeks betrayed her embarrassment. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have told you to quit the robotics club.”

  Evan blinked at her, memories of the night before surfacing—the sulking, the whining, and her slurred demands that he “listen” to her. The contrast between the Sienna standing before him now and the one sprawled out on her bed, flushed and clingy, was enough to make him bite back a grin.

  Still, the corner of his mouth twitched. “Oh, you’re just going to pretend st night didn’t happen, huh?”

  Sienna’s gaze sharpened. “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh, you don’t remember?” Evan teased, stepping closer. “Let me refresh your memory. You—drunk out of your mind—pulled me into a hug and wouldn’t let go. You even pouted when I pinched you to get you off.”

  Sienna stiffened, her blush deepening. “You’re exaggerating.”

  “I wish I was exaggerating,” Evan shot back, folding his arms as a wide grin spread across his face. “You were all like, ‘Evan, quit the club and just focus on meee.’” He mimicked her soft, slurred voice with exaggerated whining, earning a gre from her.

  “I did not sound like that,” Sienna snapped, though her voice wavered slightly.

  “You did,” Evan said, ughing now, unable to help himself. “And when I told you no, you curled up like a kid who didn’t get their favorite toy. You literally turned your back on me and sulked.”

  Sienna scowled, clearly trying to pull together her composure. “You’re delusional,” she said crisply, though her pink cheeks gave her away.

  Evan shook his head, his grin softening into something more teasing than sharp. He stepped up to her, catching her cheek between his thumb and forefinger and giving it a light tug. “Oh no, Sienna, you’re not getting out of this one. I should have recorded it—the whining, the pouting, the whole ‘I just want you to listen to me’ speech.”

  “Stop pulling my face!” she growled, swatting his hand away, though her embarrassment was obvious. “That was nothing! You’re overreacting.”

  “‘Why are you so meeean, Evan?’” he mimicked again, this time squishing her cheeks just enough to make her gre at him, her lips puckering slightly in protest.

  “Evan!” she snapped, her voice muffled as she batted his hands away. “Let me go!”

  Evan released her with a ugh, stepping back. “I’m just saying, Sienna—if you’re going to throw tantrums when you’re drunk, you should at least own up to it.”

  Sienna smoothed her shirt, straightening her posture like it would restore her dignity. “Fine. So I got a little… frustrated. I was worried, Evan.” She crossed her arms tightly, her voice softening as her blush finally started to fade. “I was already stressed from work, and when I saw those comments under that photo, I just…”

  Her voice trailed off, and for a moment, she looked away, frowning. “I lost it. I know it’s not logical, but seeing those disgusting things they wrote—it made me furious. And then thinking about you in that club with… I don’t know, girls who probably smell like instant ramen and wouldn’t leave their house unless they absolutely had to… It didn’t help.”

  Evan raised an eyebrow at that. “They’re not like that,” he said quietly, though he let the comment slide. He didn’t feel like arguing. What is she even imagining? he thought with a quiet chuckle. Probably some weird gender reversed stereotype.

  Sienna sighed. “Either way, I was wrong to take it out on you. I mean it—you should stay in the club if it’s what you want.”

  Evan smiled softly. “Thanks, Sienna.”

  There was a brief silence before Sienna walked back to the couch, as if remembering something. “But,” she said, grabbing something off the cushion, “I do have one small request.”

  Evan tilted his head in confusion as she approached, holding out two small objects in her hand. He squinted at them—bracelets. Thin, pin-looking, nothing fancy.

  “What are those?”

  “These,” Sienna said, holding one out to him, “are safety bracelets.”

  Evan stared at her bnkly. “Safety bracelets?”

  “Yes.” She handed him one, and he turned it over in his hand. It didn’t look special at all.

  Sienna continued, “If something happens—like an emergency—it’ll send an alert to the authorities and to the other person wearing the bracelet. It also tracks location.”

  Evan froze. “Wait… what?”

  Sienna looked at him expectantly. “It’s just a precaution. You wear one, I wear one. This way, I know you’re safe—especially when you’re surrounded by those… girls.”

  Evan stared at her, disbelief crossing his face. “Sienna, you’re joking, right? This is… weird. It’s creepy.”

  “It’s not creepy!” she argued. “Plenty of families have apps on their phones that do the same thing. This is just a better version—it’s discreet and it works faster. What’s so wrong with wanting to make sure you’re okay?”

  Evan still looked uncertain, turning the bracelet over again. It wasn’t like he had anything to hide, but… it felt off.

  “Come on,” Sienna pressed, her tone softening. “It goes both ways, remember? I’m not just tracking you; you’ll be able to track me too.”

  Evan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t know…”

  “Please? It’ll give me peace of mind,” she added sincerely.

  After a moment of hesitation, Evan gave in. “Fine. I’ll wear it.”

  Sienna’s face lit up, and she quickly fastened the bracelet around his wrist before putting on her own. “There. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  Evan gave her a look. “It still feels weird.”

  She ignored him, clearly satisfied. “Anyway,” she said, shifting the subject, “what’s this I hear about a new friend?”

  Evan blinked, caught off guard. “Uh… yeah. His name is Finn. He’s cool.”

  Sienna smiled warmly. “I’m gd to hear that. You haven’t had a friend in ages—at least not since…” Her voice softened as she trailed off.

  Evan looked down, feeling a twinge in his chest. He knew exactly what she was talking about—the old Evan’s memory of his childhood friends, how they’d changed when they found out about his family situation. They’d ask for money, take advantage of him, until he finally cut ties with them. It still stung, even if it was just a fragment of memory for him.

  “Yeah,” Evan said quietly, “it’s been a while.”

  Sienna’s expression was gentle. “I’m proud of you, Evan. I’d like to meet this Finn sometime, if that’s okay.”

  Evan looked up, surprised, but he smiled faintly. “Sure. I think you’ll like him.”

  Sienna grinned. “Good. I’ll hold you to that.”

  LunarEcho