Where Life Takes Us

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

W A D E

"Dinner with your family last night was fun," Crystal complimented, with a smile as she closed her locker shut before facing me.

        Ever since I began going out with Crystal Andrews, the girl who I had feelings for a long time, I thought that I couldn't have been happier. It still felt unreal with all the stuff because of the stuff that happened to me in the past. It was like everything was beginning to fall into place; I never would have thought that Crystal ended up feeling the same way that I did about her.

        Last night, I brought Crystal to a restaurant with my family so that they could meet my new girlfriend. I wasn't that nervous to introduce Crystal to my family because I was excited for her to meet them. It seemed like my grandpa and sisters liked her; but looking back, I knew they were hesitant in accepting Crystal.

Even if I didn't have a ton of girlfriends, I knew my family couldn't accept them right away because they were all identically the same in their personalities and their mannerisms.

        "Of course you did," I teased, a smirk playing on my face. "I was with you the whole time."

        Crystal immediately broke out into a wide grin, while I leaned in to kiss her. We pulled away with playful smiles on our face, as our hands intertwined together. Both of us began heading down to the cafeteria, with a bunch of other students.

Everyone around the school already knew about our relationship. I knew that was true when you heard at least a couple people gossiping about us to their friends.

         We eventually found our way to the cafeteria and I wasn't that surprised to find the lunch tables already occupied with students. I scanned the room to find my friends at our regular lunch table where we always sat, which was why I snickered as Parker, Tyson, and Austin all cockily sent me a nod when I saw them.

        "I'm gonna hang out with my friends, so I'll just see you later," I reminded Crystal, as we stopped in our tracks.

        Crystal amusingly groaned out loud, her lips turning into a playful pout. "Aw, Wade! I was gonna have you meet some of my friends!"

        I wasn't around my friends as often as I usually did, which was because I sat with Crystal and her friends during lunch instead. Most of the time, I enjoyed spending time with them, but it meant that I couldn't be with my own friends during lunch. I didn't exactly want to tell Crystal that, in case she just didn't understand.

        "C'mon, I spent the last week with your friends every day during lunch! Isn't that enough?" I joked, letting out a chuckle.

        "Fine," Crystal agreed, but a smile was on her face as she raked her hand through her auburn hair. "I'll see you after school."

        "Alright," I grinned, letting go of her hand before leaning in to give Crystal a small peck on her cheek.

        As Crystal walked over to her friends at a nearby lunch table, I began making my way through the large crowd of students. The regular lunch table where my friends sat at was a fair distance away from the cafeteria doors where I was.

        "Hey, guys. What's going on?" I casually asked, approaching the boys and girls at the table.

        "Wade, do you know where Avery is?" Willow curiously inquired, a hint of concern laced into her words. "She hasn't been around during lunch lately."

        Knowing Avery, there was no doubt that something weird was going on with her. I had a feeling something was different about Avery; but, I didn't exactly know what her problem was.