"Let's get pizza," said Sienna as we finished our cell biology class.

"Again? Didn't we get pizza last week?"

"So?" she prompted.

It was crazy how that was enough reason for me to drive my friends around the shady parts of Baltimore solely on a hunt for pizza. I should have been studying like a good student, but after a week of exams and painful headaches, I think we deserved to slack off.

Without a doubt, some of our friends jumped on the bandwagon, ready for another adventure off campus. Sienna and I were always up for a ride, but that day our friends Zeno and Chad decided to tag along because in all honesty, they had nothing better to do. They needed a good reason to ditch.

And we gave it to them.

Chad sat in the front with me, giving very vague instructions to a pizza place he said was great and close to campus. I didn't explore Baltimore much since the lockdown, so naturally I trusted him. Sienna and Zeno were in the back, arguing over which song to play from my phone.

"Uh... Why do you have a playlist called 'Simping for Kaoru'?" asked Zeno, stifling a laugh along with Sienna.

Gazing at the duo from my rearview, I smiled, not ashamed in the slightest. "It's no secret that I simp for anime characters."

"You have another one called 'Chilling with Kaeya'?" he started laughing full heartedly now. "Dude, these are some very sus names."

"I can take my phone back by the way," I lightly threatened.

"Alright, alright. I'm putting a song on."

As I pulled up to the pizza place, we ended up crossing the street because everything in Baltimore is a giant hassle solely to get on my nerves. Not to mention drivers around here had no patience, calm, or common sense.

Seriously, they'd run me over at any chance they got and then find the fault in me. Who the hell gave them a license? Was that person blind?

Zeno suddenly stopped walking, causing me to bump into him. "What?" I asked, turning to see the object of his fascination.

"There's a tea place," he pointed out like a hungry child. "Let's go there!"

Chad shrugged his shoulders, heading off in that direction, also not much of a talker and a tall man that had an accent to his advantage. Unfortunately, he didn't know how to use it.

Stopping in my tracks, I turned to the line of college students blindly walking towards a boba tea place. "Uh... guys? Shouldn't we order the pizza first?"

With puppy eyes, Zeno frowned. "But the boba," he whined.

"Pizza first, then boba," I said, pushing them all in the right direction.

Cars were zooming down the broken road, speeding above the limit and driving like they lived life on the edge. The breeze blew against my hijab and the sunlight beamed against my face, a gentle afternoon to the chaotic events that'd soon follow. There was no pedestrian light, and by law pedestrians had the right of way.

And if they hit me, I'd either be dead or I'd sue them. College is expensive, but then again so are funerals.

As we began walking down the pedestrian crosswalk, a car a few feet ahead was slowing down. That man or woman did not want to get a legal case stapled to their heads for running over college students. Zeno, being the eccentric fool he was, had other ideas in mind.

He stepped off the white crosswalk, tunneling his hands around his mouth as his voice bellowed down the street. "Hit me and pay for my college tuition! Do it!"

"Zeno!" yelled Sienna and I under our breaths.

He chuckled, following close behind us. "Hey, it would be a win-win situation. If a car hits me, I don't have to take my exam next week and I'd get college paid for," he grinned from ear to ear. "So, who's really losing here?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "You're lucky they didn't hear you."

Zeno waved me off. "Oh, please. What's the worst that'd happen?"

"Possible death," coughed Sienna. She straightened herself, smoothing the invisible creases on her jacket. "But that's not my problem."

"Guys," called out Chad, ready with his card and wallet. "Hurry up. How are we splitting?"

We all sheepishly glanced at each other, an innocent smile on all our faces. I left my wallet in the car, probably not wise on my part, but I was lazy. Sienna left hers in the trunk of my car, and Zeno was Zeno.

Recognizing our expressions, Chad gave a deep sigh and a shake of his head. "Alright," he said with a defeated smile. "I'll pay."

"I could give you ten bucks," said Zeno, waving a Hamilton at him.

Scoffing, Chad pushed the money away. "I don't want money. I'll treat you guys."

"Let me Venmo you ten dollars since Sienna and I want the breadsticks too," I told him, leaving no room for arguments. Quickly typing in his info on my phone, I sent the money. "There we go."

Zeno's eyes brightened as he walked closer to me, handing me his ten dollar bill. "Take this," he said.

"Why?"

"You're gonna question free money?"

"I'd like to believe I'm a good person to question it."

He rolled his eyes at my sass. "It's for driving us here."

"Heck yeah," I grinned, grabbing it. "I just got my ten dollars back instantly."

In the words of Fullmetal Alchemist, the law of equivalent exchange means you give something up for equal value, and here is the cheers to me getting my money back of equal value. To be entirely honest, I was pretty sure that Zeno gave me money because of the shenanigans he'd put us all through in a few minutes.

* * * *

I was mad suspicious about this pizza. It looked kind of thin, greasy, and not the top quality I wanted. Hell, they didn't have cheese stuffed crust. Sienna shared my suspicions, but we didn't say anything because this really was a friends' adventure, so even if the pizza sucked, at least we all found time to hangout.

But why did the pizza have to suck? Why did it look funny?

Chad was really cheated with his wallet here. I felt bad.

We were back to crossing the crosswalk again, and Sienna was a few steps in front of me. I always prided myself in my intuition and what I called my sixth sense for danger. So, of course, I heard the tires shrieking very close by. When I turned to the source, I saw a blue truck speeding down at a speed that should have gotten him a hefty four hundred dollar ticket.

My eyes glanced back at Sienna, minding her business as she continued to walk right in the truck's direct path. Quickly, I grabbed her arm, pulling her back just in case. I was not ready to bring a bloodied body to my car.

The truck made a loud shriek, barely stopping in front of us. The driver's window was down, so he motioned for us to cross. We saved him from a lawsuit by stopping before he could run us over.

But then again, if he did, I wouldn't have to take my biochemistry quiz next week.

"Close call, huh," whispered Chad from behind us, carrying the pizza and ushering us away from the site of danger. "I wonder why he was speeding like that."

Sienna shrugged. "Beats me. But thank you for grabbing my arm," she said before looking around. "Where's Zeno?"

Sure enough, Zeno was right in front of the truck, hands at his hips with a devilish grin on his lips, glasses catching a glimpse of sunlight in them as his voice boomed across the street. Oh God, this cannot be happening. Please, no.

Zeno lived life on the edge, no amount of prayers could take that from him. "Go on, fucking hit me with that car!" he yelled. "Pay my tuition. Do it!"

Chad shook his head, handing the pizza box to Sienna. "I'll be back," he muttered before walking off to grab Zeno off the road. He took a hold of his gray hoodie, pulling Zeno against his will. Chad turned to the driver with an apologetic smile. "We're so sorry. Have a good day!"

I swore the driver whispered a few curses under his breath before speeding off. College students were always a pain in anyone's head.

"Chad, let go," protested Zeno, but there was no way he could escape that death grip.

Once they were both in front of us, Chad let go, clicking his tongue in disapproval at Zeno almost like a father scolding his teenage son.

However, our friend was too proud of himself to be ashamed. "I did good, didn't I?" he smirked.

Chad may have been in complete Zen mode, but I didn't have that type of chill. Raising my hand, I smacked Zeno upside the head.

"Ouch!" he winced, rubbing his head. "What was that for?"

"Stop being stupid."

"But it was funny."

Maybe I should have left him on the road. He could fend for himself, couldn't he?

----

I need new friends XD

If you're wondering, no I didn't leave poor Zeno on the road.

Not me forgetting to click 'publish' last night LOL. I was like, "why are there no comments?"

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