saturday mornings are for pancakes // a dream x reader fanfiction

CHAPTER 39: PERFUME

My eyes are going hazy from staring at the code for so long, but I try to continue line by line. I keep reminding myself that I did this to myself; I'm the one who procrastinated the project. I guess I'm just paying the price now.

A sharp knock with the sound of the door opening causes me to jolt. I turn to see Nick standing in my doorway.

"We're going to see a drive in movie," he says, "You're going with us."

My brows furrow. "Says who?"

"Says me."

"And what movie are seeing?" I ask, glancing at the unfinished code on the monitor.

I hear a faint yelling from the kitchen. My eyes widen as I look at Nick.

Nick looks as if he's holding in a laugh. "That was nothing."

"No!" I hear the yelling again, closer now.

Nick chuckles. "Ignore that."

George appears in the doorway. "No."

Now it's my turn to laugh. "No what?"

"We are not going to see that movie," he says clearly.

I look from him to Nick. "What movie is it?"

"Titanic." Nick shrugs.

Titanic? That movie's good, but it's also like a billion hours long. I glance at George. "And why don't you want to see it?"

He crosses his arms. "I just don't have a good experience with Titanic."

"No, no." Nick shakes his head. "You gotta tell them."

George rolls his eyes. "I went on a bad first date to go see Titanic once."

I laugh. Not sure which I find more amusing: the thought of George on a date or George watching Titanic with someone on a date. A first date too.

"So many questions," was all I said.

Nick nudges George. "Now tell her the rest."

George turns his head slighting in order to give Nick the side eye. "The rest?"

Nick nods before suggesting, "Or I can?"

George lets out a sigh. "The person ended up crying."

"What's wrong with crying?" I ask, "it's a sad movie."

George somehow can no longer meet my eyes. He stares at the floor as he tells me the last part of the story. "She snotted on my favorite first date shirt."

Nick and I burst out laughing. I laugh so hard I can't even breathe after. Nick huffs out words that sound like "That gets funnier every time." George stands there, embarrassed, then tries to save himself.

"Come on, you agree that snot is like... disgusting," he sputters, "It really is!"

Nick and I are barely calming down when the sound of the front door opens. We know Clay's in his room, so it can only be one other person. Nick and George don't even pay attention to it, but my heart and mind are all the sudden on high alert.

Natalie rounds the corner after a moment and smiles. "Hey guys."

"Hi Natalie," George says, trying to cover up for the fact that Nick is keeled over and still laughing. "Clay's in his room."

"Got it," she says. Her eyes meet mine for a second. My heart sinks a bit, but she seems perfectly content, happy even. And maybe that kills me just a bit more. It's like my presence doesn't even have an ounce of impact that hers does to me. "Talk to you guys later," she says before walking down to Clay's room.