The two boys froze, caught in the middle of swapping clothes. For a second, neither of them moved.
Noah snapped out of it first. “Hide, now! Wait here until Dad leaves. I’ll sneak you out after.”
He grabbed Oliver’s arm, glancing around the room for a good hiding spot. His eyes landed on the wardrobe. Without another word, he yanked open the doors and shoved Oliver inside.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Oliver whispered, sounding doubtful.
“Just hide and stay quiet. Don’t make a sound,” Noah whispered back.
Oliver nodded so fast he looked like a bobblehead. Noah closed the wardrobe, took a couple deep breaths to calm his racing heart, then strolled over to the door, trying his best to look casual.
Julian was standing right outside, his face set in a serious frown. He’d clearly heard the commotion from inside.
Noah tried to play it cool, forcing a smile. “Hi, Dad.”
Julian stepped into the room, his eyes sweeping over everything. “What were you doing in here?”
Noah’s heart was pounding in his chest. He couldn’t help glancing at the wardrobe. “Nothing, really.”
Julian’s sharp gaze followed Noah’s. He noticed a shirt sleeve sticking out from the wardrobe, the door not quite shut. Noah was a terrible liar and even worse at hiding his nerves. He was sweating, shifting from foot to foot, his eyes darting around the room. There was no hiding it.
Julian narrowed his eyes, clearly suspicious. He walked straight over to the wardrobe and pulled the doors open.
Noah’s whole body tensed up. He squeezed his eyes shut and covered his face with his hands, too scared to watch.
Inside the wardrobe, Oliver barely breathed. He covered his mouth, eyes squeezed shut, hoping he wouldn’t be noticed.
For a moment, the room was completely silent.
Julian peered inside, frowned, and bent down to pick something up. He turned around, fixing Noah with a serious look.
“So this is why you locked the door? Just to hide this?”
The cold tone made Noah drop his head, guilt written all over his face. He was just about to explain, when Julian let out a long sigh.
“Do you usually hide in the wardrobe to eat snacks?”
Noah froze, the words he’d been about to say stuck in his throat.
Snacks?
He opened his eyes and looked up, just in time to see Julian holding up an empty bag of chips.
Suddenly, it all made sense. This was Oliver’s mess. But at least Oliver hadn’t been caught. Noah let out a quiet sigh of relief.


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