𝗂𝗌𝗅𝖺 𝗉𝗈𝗏

𝗂𝗌𝗅𝖺'𝗌 𝖺𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍

october 2, 2024

8:00 am

the loud knocking jolts me awake, and i groan, burying my face deeper into the pillow. who the hell thinks it's a good idea to knock like that at— i squint at my phone. "eight in the morning? seriously?"

the knocking continues, louder this time, like whoever's out there is personally offended by my need for sleep. with a dramatic sigh, i kick off the blankets and drag myself toward the door, still half-asleep, my feet barely lifting off the floor.

"this better be important," i mumble, rubbing my eyes before peeking through the peephole.

what i see makes me do a double take. cora, drew, felix, and ky stand outside, looking way too awake for this hour. but what really shocks me is the fact that drew is awake. at eight in the morning.

i pull the door open, and before i can even ask what the hell is going on, they all barge inside like they own the place, dragging their suitcases with them. within seconds, they're making themselves comfortable on my couch, as if this is some kind of scheduled gathering and not an ambush.

"good morning, i guess," i grumble, still groggy, as i shuffle toward the kitchen to make myself a much-needed cup of coffee. "what's with the suitcases? are you guys moving in or something?"

felix practically vibrates with excitement. "tell her, ky!"

i narrow my eyes, suddenly more awake. "okay, what's going on? ky, spill. now."

"pack your bags because we're going to new york!!" ky announces, while the others dramatically wave their hands like they're performing a Broadway number.

i blink at them, still half-asleep. "what? what do you mean we're going to new york?" i ask, somehow even more confused than i was two minutes ago.

"exactly what i said—we're going to new york," cora says casually, as if she just told me we're going out for brunch and not dropping life-altering news. "so hurry up and pack, because our flight leaves at 11 a.m."

"WAIT, WHAT?! OH, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!" i yell, my exhaustion instantly replaced by pure panic. without wasting another second, i take off running to my room, scrambling to throw whatever i can into my suitcase.

as i fling open my closet, my brain struggles to catch up. new york? today? at eleven? i don't even remember agreeing to this—or was i tricked into it? wouldn't be the first time.

"you guys are unbelievable!" i shout over my shoulder while yanking clothes off their hangers. "who just decides to go to new york and tells someone the same morning?!?"

"us, obviously," felix calls back, completely unbothered. "and you're welcome!"

i groan, shoving jeans, sweaters, and whatever else i can grab into my suitcase with zero organization. do i need heels? a coat? pajamas? oh god, how long are we even staying?!

"how long is this trip?" i yell, stuffing my toiletries into a bag like a maniac.

"a week!" cora answers, sounding way too cheerful for someone who just ambushed me with last-minute travel plans.

"A WEEK?!? CORA, I SWEAR—"

"hurry up, isla!" ky interrupts, popping his head into my room. "we need to leave in like twenty minutes!"

"TWENTY MINUTES?! oh, i hate all of you," i groan, zipping up my suitcase and nearly tripping over it as i drag it toward the door. "this better be worth it."

but deep down, as chaotic as this is, a part of me is already buzzing with excitement. new york. unexpected, unplanned, and absolutely insane—just the way my friends like it.

i drag my suitcase to the living room, still half in shock, my heart racing from both the rush and the sheer insanity of this situation.

"okay, i'm packed. now someone please explain how this happened and why i'm only finding out about it now!" i demand, crossing my arms.

"because if we told you ahead of time, you would've overthought it and maybe said no," drew says, stretching out on my couch like he isn't the most shocking part of this whole thing. "this way, you had no choice but to go with the flow."

i gape at him. "you guys literally kidnapped me into a vacation."

"we prefer the term 'spontaneous adventure,'" felix grins, throwing an arm around my shoulders.

i sigh, shaking my head, but i can't help the small smile creeping onto my lips. they're right. if they had told me earlier, i probably would have stressed over every little thing, debated whether i should go, made a whole pros and cons list—blah, blah, blah. instead, i have exactly zero time to overthink. and honestly? it's kind of exhilarating.

"fine," i huff, grabbing my coffee and taking a big sip. "but if i forget something important, i'm blaming all of you."

"deal," ky says, grabbing my suitcase and heading for the door. "now let's go. we have a plane to catch!"

as we pile into the car, the realization finally sinks in. i'm going to new york. right now. with my best friends. and for the first time all morning, i feel it—pure, undeniable excitement bubbling in my chest.

@𝗂𝗌𝗅𝖺𝖿.𝗌𝗂𝗇𝖼𝗅𝖺𝗂𝗋 𝗁𝖺𝗌 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖺 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒...

replied by rolemodel: where r u going?

⤷islaf.sinclair to ny

⤷rolemodel really?? like deadass

⤷islaf.sinclair yeah why??

⤷rolemodel uh nadaaa

⤷islaf.sinclair okay latin king
rolemodel like this message 

the flight feels like a blur—probably because i'm still half-asleep for most of it. but the second we step out of the airport and into the crisp new york air, everything hits me at once. the towering buildings, the endless honking of yellow taxis, the rush of people who all seem to have somewhere very important to be. it's overwhelming, chaotic, and absolutely electric.

"holy shit," i breathe, adjusting my bag on my shoulder as i take it all in. "we're actually here."

"welcome to new york, baby!" felix cheers, spinning around dramatically.

"okay, taylor swift," i snort, shaking my head.

"where's our hotel?" ky asks, already pulling out his phone to check directions.

"not far," cora says. "it's like a ten-minute drive. we got a sick place in midtown with a view of times square."

"you guys really went all out for this," i say, narrowing my eyes. "whose idea was this, anyway?"

drew shrugs. "group effort. but mostly felix and cora."

figures. they're the biggest masterminds when it comes to ridiculous, over-the-top plans.

a taxi pulls up, and we pile inside, barely fitting with all our luggage. the ride is short but just long enough for me to press my forehead against the window, watching the city rush past. everything feels so alive, like it's constantly moving, shifting, reinventing itself.

when we pull up to the hotel, my jaw nearly drops. the lobby alone looks way too fancy for the level of chaos we bring as a group.

"okay, whose sugar daddy paid for this?" i ask as we walk in.

"relax, we found a good deal," cora laughs. "and we figured, if we're gonna do this, we might as well do it right."

"besides," felix adds, nudging me, "we have a lot to celebrate."

i pause. "celebrate what?"

they all exchange looks before ky finally smirks. "guess you'll find out soon enough."

i groan. "why do you guys love keeping me in the dark?"

"because it's fun," drew says simply, pressing the elevator button.

as the doors slide open and we step inside, a strange mix of anticipation and curiosity settles in my chest. whatever they have planned, i just hope it doesn't involve any more sudden surprises. but knowing them, i'm probably doomed.

the elevator ride feels like forever, mostly because i'm side-eyeing my friends, trying to figure out what they're hiding. the doors slide open, and we step out into the hallway, where cora leads us to our room. she slides the keycard in, and when the door swings open, i nearly choke.

"no way," i whisper, stepping inside.

the suite is ridiculous. floor-to-ceiling windows with a postcard-worthy view of times square, a sleek modern couch, a huge flatscreen, and the kind of hotel beds that make you want to throw yourself onto them immediately.

"okay, i take back everything. maybe kidnapping me was a good idea," i say, turning to face them.

"told you," ky grins, dropping his suitcase onto the floor.

as we all claim beds and start unpacking, i notice felix and cora exchanging glances again. they're up to something, and i'm officially done waiting.

"alright, spill," i demand, standing in the middle of the room with my hands on my hips. "what's the big secret?"

cora bites her lip, practically vibrating with excitement, while felix just smirks. "we got us exclusive access to backstage for friday night."

i blink. "backstage? backstage where?"

"tucker and gracie's show," cora finishes, grinning.

my brain straight-up malfunctions.

"i— what— you— excuse me?!"

felix throws his hands up. "surprise!"

i stare at them, my mouth opening and closing like a fish. "you're telling me that in two days, i'm going to be backstage at a tucker and gracie show? with them? with tucker?!"

"bingo," drew says, looking completely unbothered as he lounges on the couch.

"how—when—why didn't you tell me sooner?!" i'm fully yelling at this point, my heart racing, my hands shaking.

"because we wanted this reaction," ky smirks. "and also because we didn't want you to overthink it for three days straight."

i throw myself onto the bed, grabbing a pillow and screaming into it. this is insane. i am insane for agreeing to come without knowing what they were planning.

but underneath all the shock, the nerves, the sheer chaos of it all—there's excitement. undeniable, electric excitement.

in two days, i'm going to see tucker again. backstage. and whether i'm ready or not, it's happening.

@𝗂𝗌𝗅𝖺𝖿.𝗌𝗂𝗇𝖼𝗅𝖺𝗂𝗋 𝗁𝖺𝗌 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖺 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒...

replied by leovaughn: ur in ny? let's meet up :)

🦭

𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝖻𝗋𝗈𝗌𝗄𝗂𝗌, filler ig plus a lil cliffhanger but at least they're gonna be together again!!!

if you have any ideas, suggestions, or just things you'd love to see, drop them in the comments, bbgs!

sub, like and comment!!

enjoy!