The Full Chat History
Jax's phone lit up on the table next to her plate. The screen was facing up. April could see the notification clearly.
[GROUP: HER CHAOS]
Don Dante: She signed. We’re official.
April's hand shot out and grabbed the phone before Jax could react.
"You have a GROUP CHAT?!"
Silence. Very loud silence.
"Yes," Killian said carefully, not turning around from the coffee maker.
"Since WHEN?!"
"Yesterday morning," Mateo admitted quietly.
April scrolled up. The chat went back hours.
Oh my god, she thought.
She started reading.
[11:12 AM - CHAT CREATED]
[KILLIAN BLACKWOOD CREATED GROUP: “TUESDAY MITIGATION”]
Killian: Mateo. Checking in.
Killian: Can you send something special for April? Lunch delivery to whole office.
Mateo: Of course. Anything in particular you’d like?
Killian: Anything she likes. Just make sure she eats.
Killian: She caught Chad in his office with another woman.
Mateo: That fool. I’m on it.
[12:05 PM]
Mateo: Update: delivered.
Mateo: She asked me to make Chad suffer.
Mateo: Lobster risotto for her. Sad kale for him.
Mateo: She smiled when she saw the food.
Mateo: Then she watched Chad get his kale.
Mateo: Killian, she glowed.
Killian: Good.
Mateo: This woman is magnificent.
[12:23 PM]
[KILLIAN BLACKWOOD ADDED ARTHUR VANCE]
Killian: Arthur. Thanks for keeping an eye on April.
Killian: Chad’s spiraling.
Arthur: Confirmed.
[12:52 PM]
Arthur: She’s in the server room.
Arthur: With Jax.
Killian: How long?
Arthur: 23 minutes.
Mateo: Is that concerning?
Arthur: Listening at door.
Arthur: She’s laughing.
Killian: Then she’s fine.
[1:15 PM]
[ARTHUR VANCE ADDED JAX REED]
Jax: why am i in a chat with the CEO and CFO
Jax: am i fired
Killian: You’re not fired.
Jax: then why am i here
Arthur: April asked you to make Chad’s day worse.
Jax: oh YEAH she did
Jax: i have SO MANY IDEAS
Jax: I already did the thing she said to but legally i should probably check with you first
Jax: Killian as CEO is this okay?
Killian: What thing.
Jax: digital chaos thing
Jax: annoying autocorrect, calendar bombs, minor inconveniences
Killian: Will it damage company systems?
Jax: no
Killian: Will it harm anyone besides Chad?
Jax: nope
Killian: Then proceed.
Jax: YESSSSS
Jax: [happy hacker noises]
[1:34 PM]
Jax: his phone just autocorrected “team meeting” to “clown convention”
Mateo: ??????
[2:15 PM]
Jax: his calendar now shows 47 fake meetings
Jax: including “Apologize to April - 2:30 PM”
Mateo: Perfetto.
[2:22 PM]
[ARTHUR VANCE ADDED LIAM STERLING]
Liam: Arthur. What is this.
Arthur: Group coordination.
Liam: For what?
Killian: Chad situation.
Killian: Is April okay?
Liam: She’s thriving.
Jax: she asked us to make his day terrible and we are DELIVERING
Liam: She asked you directly?
Jax: yep
Liam: Good for her.
Liam: What do you need from me?
Killian: Are you in or out?
Liam: Always in.
[LIAM STERLING RENAMED GROUP TO: “THE STERLING SITUATION”]
Jax: why did you rename it
Liam: Because “Tuesday Mitigation” sounds like a corporate memo.
Mateo: Fair.
[2:43 PM]
Liam: Update: You are going to a gala. So is Chad. I’m handling Chad’s gala outfit.
Killian: What?
Liam: I told him I’d “take care of it.”
Liam: Appointment is at four.
Liam: I’m sending him to a stylist.
Liam: They’ve been instructed to make him look “bold.”
Mateo: Define bold.
Liam: Let’s just say the color is “electric plum.”
Jax: oh this is going to be good
Killian: That’s cruel.
Liam: That’s fashion.
[3:28 PM]
Arthur: Jax, My office.
[3:35 PM]
Liam: Also taking April shopping.
Killian: She asked you to?
Liam: She needs a dress for tonight. I offered. She accepted.
Liam: She looks perfect in emerald.
Killian: This is not helpful information, now I’m imagining her
Liam: You asked for updates
Mateo: ??
Jax: i’m living for this
[5:48 PM]
Mateo: Update: she left my kitchen.
Mateo: She’s… different than earlier.
Mateo: Lighter.
Mateo: Like she remembered she’s allowed to want things.
Killian: Good.
[7:33 PM]
Arthur: She’s beautiful.
[8:23 PM]
[ARTHUR VANCE ADDED CALEB HART]
Caleb: Hello?
Caleb: Why am I in a chat called “THE STERLING SITUATION”
Caleb: With people I don’t know?
Killian: You just met April.
Caleb: ...yes?
Jax: IN THE LIbrARY
Caleb: How do you know that?
Jax: i know EVERYTHING
Jax: Arthur was there.
Liam: I have questions.
Killian: We all do.
Mateo: Welcome to the group, Caleb.
[8:47 PM]
Caleb: She's not fine.
Caleb: Anyone?
[8:53 PM]
Liam: Oh Killian no.
Liam: He announced the engagement.
Mateo: Did April ask him to do that?
Mateo: Killian what did you do.
Killian: I thought it would help.
Jax: HELP?!
Mateo: She didn’t ask for that.
Arthur: Overstepped.
Killian: I know.
Killian: I fucked up.
[9:04 PM]
Caleb: [VIDEO FILE: “CHAD_AUDITION_FINAL.MP4”]
Caleb: Enjoy.
[9:21 PM]
Jax: i’m crying
Jax: i’m actually crying
Killian: He’s so confident.
Arthur: Funny.
Caleb: The casting directors asked if it was a prank.
Caleb: I said “No, he’s just very committed.”
Mateo: That was great
[CALEB HART RENAMED GROUP TO: “APRIL’S REVENGE SQUAD”]
Liam: Much better.
Jax: accurate
[9:27 PM]
[JAX REED ADDED JIRO]
Jiro: Jax said to check this chat.
Killian: You’re the one who wrote the song.
Jiro: Yes.
Jax: it’s trending
Jax: number three on twitter
Jax: #TheCupcakeSong
Mateo: About her?
Jiro: She told me her story.
Jiro: The supply closet.
Jiro: The cupcake.
Jiro: I was inspired.
Liam: Did you ask permission first?
Jiro: …no.
Mateo: She trusted you.
Liam: That’s the part that matters.
Killian: It wasn’t your decision.
Caleb: Glass houses.
Killian: That’s not the same.
Liam: Is it not.
Jax: oh my god
Jax: it is exactly the same
Arthur: Focus.
Jiro: She looked upset when I finished.
Jiro: I need to apologize.
Jax: Lux.
Jax: VIP.
Jiro: On my way.
[9:54 PM]
Mateo: Has anyone noticed Arthur hasn’t actually said anything?
Mateo: He just adds people and confirms things.
Jax: oh my god you’re right
Jax: Arthur’s entire contribution is silence
Liam: He’s the silent coordinator.
Caleb: The puppet master.
Killian: Arthur, do you want to contribute more?
Arthur: No.
Arthur: I spoke when it mattered.
Jax: okay wow
Mateo: Perfetto
Jax: never change Arthur
[10:13 PM]
Jax: okay operational question
Jax: april has rules
Jax: which means we need receipts
Jax: congratulations you’ve been invited to the least sexy dropbox ever
Jax: Folder: “STI PANELS”
Jax: PDF from your portal or lab email only
Jax: i’m verifying authenticity, not reading your medical history
Liam: Good. Keep it simple.
Caleb: If paperwork is the price of being eligible when she says yes, I’ll file it in triplicate.
Mateo: Bravissimo.
Arthur: Confirmed.
Killian: April’s boundaries are not negotiable.
Jax: look at us. responsible. disgusting.
[10:18 PM]
Jax: April’s are in there too.
Jax: with her permission.
[JIRO RENAMED GROUP TO: “THE CUPCAKE COURT”]
Liam: Why.
Jiro: Because we’re all here because of a cupcake.
Mateo: ...he’s not wrong.
Jax: i love it
[11:36 PM]
Jax: She left.
Mateo: What happened?
Killian: We shut Chad down.
Arthur: Velvet rope. Policy document. Security.
Jax: That sounds... good?
Liam: She looked furious.
Mateo: Not at Chad. At us.
Caleb: Why?
Arthur: She didn’t ask for that.
Jax: oh fuck
Jax: we spoke for her
Mateo: Merda.
Jiro: Where is she?
Killian: Don’t know. She walked away.
Caleb: Should we look for her?
Arthur: No.
Arthur: She asked for space by leaving.
Arthur: Honor that.
[11:41 PM]
Jax: why are we texting
Jax: we’re literally in the same booth
Liam: Because admitting we fucked up in person is harder?
Arthur: Accurate.
Liam: She trusted us.
Mateo: We turned it into a spectacle about us.
[11:52 PM]
Jax: guys
Jax: i know where she is
Killian: Where?
Jax: ...the Vault
Mateo: What’s the Vault?
Jax: Don Dante’s office
Killian: Is she safe?
Jax: i mean
Jax: probably?
Jax: she walked in there on purpose
Jax: she negotiated entry
Caleb: Should we go down there?
Arthur: No.
Jax: okay adding him to chat
Jax: so we can at least ask if she’s okay
[11:53 PM]
[JAX REED ADDED DON DANTE]
Don Dante: Gentlemen.
Jax: is April okay
Don Dante: She is negotiating with me.
Don Dante: Quite effectively, I might add.
Killian: Negotiating what?
Don Dante: A favor. Something petty and precise.
Don Dante: She has excellent taste in revenge.
Don Dante: I find it refreshing.
[12:06 AM]
Jax: congratulations you’ve been invited to the least sexy dropbox ever
Jax: yes this is the worst sentence i’ve ever typed
Jax: Don Dante do you have a recent sti panel
Jax: just drop it in the folder
Jax: pdf only
Don Dante: Of course.
Don Dante: I will respect the folder structure.
Jax: ok.
Jax: April’s are in there too.
Jax: with her permission.
Jax: do not be weird about it.
[12:58 AM]
[DON DANTE RENAMED GROUP TO: “HER CHAOS”]
Mateo: Why that name?
Don Dante: Because she designs the chaos.
Don Dante: You simply execute.
Don Dante: As it should be.
Jax: ...accurate.
[6:47 AM - WEDNESDAY]
Killian: She’s still asleep.
Arthur: Confirmed. Checked ten minutes ago.
Mateo: Let her sleep.
Liam: Agreed. But we need to talk.
Liam: Yes.
[7:15 AM]
Liam: We need it notarized.
Jax: at 7am on a wednesday?
Liam: Do you want this to be official or not?
Killian: How do we get a notary at this hour?
Don Dante: I know someone.
Arthur: Of course you do.
Don Dante: He owes me a favor.
Killian: What kind of favor?
Don Dante: The kind you don’t ask about.
Killian: ...right.
Liam: I’ll draft the contract.
Liam: Give me twenty minutes.
[7:41 AM]
Liam: [CONTRACT_DRAFT.pdf]
Liam: Thoughts?
Killian: “Coordinated Chaos”?
Liam: You have a better title?
Mateo: I love it.
Jax: APPENDICES
Jax: you put APPENDICES in a relationship contract
Liam: Comprehensive coverage requires comprehensive documentation.
Caleb: This is the most insane thing I’ve ever been part of.
Caleb: I’m signing it.
[8:03 AM]
Don Dante: The notary will arrive in twelve minutes.
Arthur: That was fast.
Don Dante: I’m persuasive.
Jax: “persuasive”
Jax: is that what we’re calling it
Don Dante: Yes.
[9:14 AM]
Mateo: She’s awake.
Arthur: How do you know?
Mateo: I’m literally holding her.
Jax: details
Mateo: She woke up on top of me.
Mateo: She thought everyone else had left.
Mateo: She asked me to stay.
Liam: We’re all still here.
Mateo: I know.
Mateo: Bringing her to the kitchen now.
[9:31 AM - CURRENT]
Don Dante: She signed. We’re official.
April looked up from the phone, eyes bright.
"You all..." She swallowed. "You've been coordinating. Since yesterday morning."
"Yes," Killian said.
She scrolled back through the messages. Saw the timestamps. Saw them checking on her. Saw them drafting a contract at dawn. Saw Don Dante's notary arriving in twelve minutes.
She saw Mateo's message: She thought everyone else had left. She asked me to stay.
Her throat went tight.
"Can I—" She looked around the table. "Can I rename it?"
"It's yours," Killian said. "Always has been."
April typed slowly.
[APRIL FEULLER RENAMED GROUP TO: "April's Fools"]
Then Jax laughed.
"Perfect," he said.
April set the phone down and picked up her coffee. Then stopped.
"Oh shit," she said.
"What?" Arthur asked.
"I need to text Laura back."