teach me to be innocent, l.hemmings

#7: giving to others is rewarding

PICTURE: HUGH PHILLIPS

After I dropped Katherine home, Luke and I drove around town for about ten minutes, planning on what we'd do tonight. He was dead set on making me "miss" my curfew so that's how we decided to try the whole partying thing again.

Apparently there was a bonfire every Friday night. I had never been to one, considering it was reserved for the party people and I was anything but. However, I knew my friends Lucy and Mac loved to go to those sort of things so perhaps it wasn't that bad.

Luke parked at the end of the strip. We decided we'd walk past the shops before visiting the bonfire at the end of the beach. 

"Can we get some dinner? I'm hungry." I whined quietly as we strolled passed the 24/7 diner.

"You're always thinking with your stomach." Luke whined, and I knew he was recalling the moment after I had gotten my tattoo.

Luke had been encouraging me to show my parents and friends the amazing ink he put on my skin, but I had opted for getting a burger with him instead. Actually, looking back on it now... I had yet to tell anyone about the tattoo.

I felt like it was some secret between Luke and I. For some reason it made the tattoo feel intimate when we were the only ones who knew of its existence.

"Please?" I stuck my lower lip out.

"Fine." He rolled his eyes. "But we're just getting take-away."

I peered through the large windows outside Dennys Diner. I was surveying the crowd. I was one of those people who would go to the next town to get dinner if someone I didn't like was in the diner.

"Oh! Ashton." I grinned, straightening up when I spotted one of my best mates. He was sitting in a booth in the corner. "Let's go say hi."

"Wasn't he at the party with us?" Luke frowned in confusion but allowed me to drag him into the old fashion diner.

"Yeah." I tilted my head as I reached the booth Ash was at. "Hey." I leant down, surprising my friend.

"Oh, hey Ari." Ashton looked shocked to see me. "Luke." He nodded in acknowledgement. "What are you two doing here?"

Luke and I slide into the opposite side of the booth. I picked up two menu's and passed one to Luke. I was just checking to see what I wanted before going to the counter and ordering. I'd keep my promise of take-away.

"Got bored of the party." I shrugged absently, leaving out the wasted state Katherine was in. "What about you?"

"Same, I s'pose." Ashton mumbled, his eyes lingering on a waiter who was walking out way. I was about to ask Ashton something else when the waiter stopped at our booth.

"You need anything, Ash?" The waiter asked, leaning against the table with a lazy smile.