Alaska || Auston Matthews

sixteen

ALASKA

Getting ready was not hard at all. For the first time in forever, I found an outfit right off the bat. This made the whole process go that much faster, allowing me to be the first one ready. Even Carly and Steph were surprised by my unusual punctuality, both making comments about how the world must have stopped turning. 

I brush off the playful comments by poking fun of myself while observing their outfits. Carly was the fanciest out of all of us with her mini skirt and glitzy top, while Steph wore jeans and a nice shirt. I opted for a more casual look, pairing high-waisted denim shorts with a gray tank top and jacket in case it gets chilly. As for my shoes, I slipped on a pair of thick soled velvet sneakers to add at least one interesting aspect to my outfit. 

I feel a little out of place standing next to Steph and Carly, but I convince myself that I'm comfier than both of them combined.

The two deem me as designated driver for the night which I don't mind because I really don't feel like drinking anything. Plus, I love driving. It's something about being in control of where I'm going and how I'm going to get there. Sometimes back home, when I couldn't sleep or I needed a break from studying, I'd just get in my car and start driving, daydreaming while watching the scenery outside change. 

Steph says we have the option of taking either the Land Rover we took to the beach or the convertible BMW the boys rented. I jump on the opportunity to drive the BMW, putting the top down as soon as I get in the driver's seat. Carly huffs in annoyance, mumbling something about her hair getting everywhere, but Steph and I brush her off and enjoy the fresh air. 

Other than whatever is playing on the radio, the ten-minute car ride is silent, both Steph and Carly checking typing away on their phones while I happily observe the dreamy LA atmosphere. The boys, as usual, are already at the restaurant, a rooftop eatery with views of the whole city. We nonchalantly ride the elevator to the top floor, easily finding the table full of Leafs in the corner. 

"Didn't you guys just leave ten minutes ago?" Mitch asks as we approach the table. I nod and look to Steph. She must have let him know when we left to give him a heads up. 

"Yeah, why?" she asks, taking the seat next to Mitch. I sit on the other side of Mitch, across from Will and Carly, and diagonal from ever bipolar Auston. 

"How'd you get here so fast? It took us at least 25 minutes and we went the same way," Mitch says, obviously fascinated by our impressive travel time. Steph frowns at first, thinking over what we did then smiles, glancing at me.

"It's probably because Alaska drove. She tends to believe the speed limit doesn't apply to her," she replies, causing all eyes to fall on me. I internally groan at the new attention, but roll my eyes and give a small smug smile.

"At least the Ranger Rover is in Willy's name, so that's his problem if you get ticketed," Mitch says, smiling at William.

"Good thing we took the BMW," I tell him, smiling before taking a sip of the water that was already at my spot. Mitch smirks and looks at Auston then back to me. Auston, who had looked distant this whole time, perks up at the mention of the BMW.

"Then you're Auston's problem... in more than one way," Mitch says, mumbling the last part, however, the whole table still catches it, laughing in response. My cheeks heat up as I look at Auston for the first time tonight, meeting a pair of brown eyes. I involuntarily admire his appearance, taking in the sight of his neat jawline and black baseball hat adorning his dark hair. He smirks, amused by my little investigation, making me snap my head to face forward toward William and Carly.

Carly winks at me over her menu as William wiggles his eyebrows. I shake my head, picking up my menu. I scan over the options, settling on a nice burger and salad after a few minutes of internal debate. Everyone else looks over the menus as well while making casual conversation amongst themselves. I stay quiet, content with just listening and observing. Soon enough, our waiter introduces himself as Harrison and takes our orders.