Back To You | BOOK #1 OF ITS YOU TRILOGY

10. all smiles.

Kaydon

Melly placed down the orders we said earlier and went back to the counter all cheery. The six of us continued to retell the old funny stories we used to love when we were kids.

From Blake jumping off the tree, with Parker getting chased with a wooden spoon by her grandma, to football stories that the girls are engaged in. It feels good, like really good to have these conversations again.

Maybe it can all work out.

"And then the guy rams into me!" Blake shoves fries in his mouth and shakes his head. "At least we won though."

Ty snorts, "That team sucked." Blake nudged him and the two guys continued to shove burgers in their mouths like maniacs. We just told them about the story where a fight almost happened because Blake didn't know where he was going.

"Seems like football has been rough," Cameron says.

I nod, "Sometimes. It's mostly the team captains that are assholes." It's true. Every game, Ty or Blake gets into an argument with the team captain on the other side. The captain will then secretly try and target them or curse at them both if they get the chance.

Blake shakes his head again and rolls his eyes. "They do it for no reason!"

We all chuckle and sit in comfortable silence while eating our meals. Our group hadn't ever been quiet or awkward, per say. We're always loud, jokingly bickering, singing, laughing, or dancing.

We either sing our hearts out to One Direction and Taylor Swift or dance along.

Back then when the girls had their games for club, the guys and I would always go and cheer for them. You could hear our cheering from a mile away. Ty would always jump up and down, I would yell to be more aggressive, and Blake would eat a snack and spilling crumbs all over the place. We would always act super tough to boys who would stare at their asses all the time. Yes, six year old little creepy kids.

This goes for the same for our small games we played for football.

Parker would be screaming her heart out for us to beat the shit out of them, Cameron would be a nervous wreck but booing the other side, and Sierra would always cheer us on and made sure we don't get hurt. They would always shoot other girls glares who were trying to "flirt" with us. Flirt as in twirling strands of their hair, giggling like Barbie dolls, being super obnoxious.

I know, we were seven. Young, small. Our parents would always be there cheering for us. The six of us always had big mouths, it's like a curse.

We're a family and that's what family do. Support each other and protect each other.

Well, we were a family. Now I'm not so sure.

My phone lights up and a sound of a text message cuts through our conversation that I zoned out of. Ty looks at me a raised an eyebrow, "Sarah again?"

The girls flit their eyes at the each of us. "Sarah?" Sierra asks.

I turned off my phone and slid it in my pockets. I shrug, "Sarah Holiday, you saw her." Her mouth made the letter 'O' as she silently nods her head. When I saw the message it looked like a super long one. Gotta read that, great.

Parker exhales and throws her napkin on her empty plate. "I'm stuffed," she grabs some money from her wallet and sets it on the table for Melly. "Ready to go?"

We all nodded and slid out the booths. I checked my phone for the message from Sarah and she sent a picture of her with a guy with dirty blonde hair of them kissing. I couldn't see the picture clearly but I just turned it off. I feel a nudge on the arm and I look down to see Sierra. She's pretty tall, 5'10 and reaches up to my shoulders but I still look down on her.

"Everything okay?" she looks at me with concern in her eyes and I just fought back a small grin. I miss the way her eyes just look at me like that with full concern and care.

I shake away my thoughts and put my hands in my pockets. "Everything's fine."

**
I lay in bed in my dark room with the moon light shining in my window. It was only me in my house. No parents, no pets, no one.

The only family that I felt safe in was the Laurkens most of the time. Yeah, the Shruder, Sanchez, and Davis families too but it doesn't feel the same.

The only noise happening was me rustling around in my bed trying to fall asleep. Whenever I'm close to falling asleep, I always shoot wide awake because of my paranoid ass thinking someone's downstairs. My parents weren't around much when I was young so paranoia and overthinking was the result of that. Christmases were just me and the other families, New Years, Thanksgiving, etc. They only come home whenever their trip ends and leave like two days later.

Am I glad they're gone? Sometimes. Do I wish I have a normal family? Sometimes.

It's like they forget they have a kid and all they worry about is their money and job. They rarely come home on my birthdays.

I turn on my side and stare out from my window. Stars were dotted around in the sky, the fairy lights shining from the tree in the middle of my house and Sierra's. I see her window was still bright even though it's 1 in the morning.

I squint my eyes and see her dancing around in her pajamas to a song with a hairbrush in her hand like a microphone. Her eyes were closed as she moves her hips around and jumps off her bed landing on her two feet. Her smile was huge and I couldn't help but crack a smile too.

She was wearing plaid pajama pants and a black tank too. Her hair was down in soft brunette highlighted waves.

Maybe I can do a Taylor Swift.

Like that one song she used to beg me to sing with her. You belong with me?

Am I gonna do it, hell yeah.

I jump out of my bed and turn on my lights. I rip out a notebook piece of paper and grabbed a marker to write on it.

'Tuesday night dance parties?'

I grabbed a piece of tape and stuck it on my window. I wait by the window and then I spot her stop dancing and narrowed her eyes at me when she read the message.

She left the view and came back with a piece of paper with words written on it too. She smirked and folded her arms, waiting for me to read it.

'You're correct. Deal with it.
P.S song is One Thing by 1D ;)'

I laugh and shake my head. She grins and turns back to continue her dancing. I take off my notebook paper and turn off my lights once again.

This time I hopped in bed and closed my eyes drifting off into sleep with a stupid grin on my face.