8| Weekend Trip

                                    

                                          
   "Holy shit, Sato. This place is huge," I say in astonishment, gazing at the large estate in front of my very eyes.  
                          
   There's a fountain in the middle of the circular parking space and nicely trimmed bushes along with flower beds, leading to a staircase that takes you to a double door. The house is a freshly painted white, and the walkway is an elegant cobblestone. There's even a limo parked out front. 
                          
   "Yeah, Sato's family is kinda loaded," Haru states, closing the front gate behind him, acting like it's no big deal. 
                          
   Sato rubs the back of his neck, chuckling nervously, "Yeah, my dad was a CEO for a major tech company, and my mom is a well-known botanist," He explains. 
                          
   Ayame skips past the rest of us, humming a happy tune, "I hope you still have the hot tub and the goldfish!" They exclaim. 
                          
   I'm not even going to ask. 
                          
   Hanako sighs. I swear, that woman can only be stretched so thin before she snaps. "Ayame, remember why we're here." 
                          
   "I know, but that doesn't mean I can't have any fun," They pout like a toddler. 
                          
   A part of me wonders why I'm even here until I remember that I was practically dragged here against my will. 
                          
Flashback (A Few Days Ago):
                          
   "And that's the story of how I get my toe stuck in a water bottle in the middle of a McDonalds," Ayame finishes their story, a proud smile resting on their lips. 
                          
   What am I doing with my life? Have I really sunken so low as to listen to this crap. We didn't even ask. Why am I still alive? 
                          
   I look around the living area to find everyone else with the same expression as me. Hanko is sitting next to me, rubbing her temples. Haru slowly scoots away for Ayame, a petrified look on his face. Akira is sketching things down in his book, so I don't think he was even paying attention. There's Sato, who's been on his phone the whole time, looking at it with knitted brows. 
                          
   Curiosity sparks within me due to how out of character this is for him, "Hey, Sato, what's up?" I question, causing him to make eye contact with me. 
                          
   Ayame inhales loudly, offended by my words, "I'm right here!" They exclaim, but I ignore them, attention focused on Sato. 
                          
   "Oh, well, my older brother just texted me and said he wasn't going to be home for the weekend, so there's no one to take care of my mom. My other brother is abroad right now, so I'll have to do it," He sighs, chocolate brown orbs exhausted. 
                          
   Now everyone's attention is on him. 
                          
   Me, in all my intellectual glory, asks, "Why does your mom need to be taken care of?"
                          
   Everyone sighs, including Ayame, which really pisses me off. 
                          
   Sato chuckles, trying to refrain from sounding sad, "Well, she has stage 4 Colon Cancer," He answers, his eyes narrowing. 
                          
   My purple orbs widen, "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," I answer. 
                          
   "It's okay," He smiles, trying to act happy. 
                          
   Ayame's eyes light up, meaning they just got an idea, so I am now rightfully terrified, "Hey, I've got an idea! Since we get a three-day weekend, we should all go to your house and help out!" They exclaim. I can sense some ulterior motives, but I choose to ignore them. 
                          
   "That'd be amazing," Sato agrees, taking a sigh of relief. 
                          
   "I'm so down," Haru states.