Living With Boys

Chapter Forty-Nine: I Read That Reed Reads

I'll be posting another update on Saturday or Sunday before Christmas!

Chapter Forty-Nine: "I Read That Reed Reads."

"SO YOU WEREN'T BLUFFING." Jackson laughs.

I chuckle softly. "Nope, why would I?"

He just shrugs and sits down at their usual table, digging into the cafeteria's pizza.

After Louis had left after my little rant last night, Carly called me and had requested me to eat lunch with them to discuss what tonight's plans were. Given that I was talking to Louis for an hour somehow, I was too tired to pack so I needed to wake up extra early this morning to start. I'm about halfway through, so when I get back tonight I'll have to stay up and pack the rest before leaving for the airport at three.

"Some things are too good to be true." He answers with a full mouth.

"Yeah. When Carly said you were eating with us, I thought she was talking about someone else." Becca states.

"Whatever, needless to say, we're just glad you're back because we have some pranks set up for next week before the break!" Bella says excitedly.

"Oh," I say. Too bad I won't be here for them. "Sounds fun."

"Oh trust me, it will be." She assures me.

"Right." I grin. "So, um, times, how are they working out? I'm on a time limit."

"A time limit?" Carly says in disbelief. "Since when?"

"Um, since I have to wake up early tomorrow." I reply.

"Why?"

I shrug. "I'm going back to California."

"Wait, what?!" Carly exclaims. "Since when?"

"Since last week?" I say with furrowed eyebrows. "I'm going for the break. I won't be back until the end of the first week of January."

"But. . ." Becca trails, "that's almost a month!"

"You betcha." I smile widely.

"You're not. . . you're not planning on never coming back, are you?" She asks uneasily, biting her lip.

Yes. "No." I say. "Of course I'm coming back." Only because I have school to finish.

"Okay, cool! So we can just make a list of winter pranks to pull once you come back!"

"Yeah."

***

The rest of lunch was uneventful, as per usual. We came to the conclusion that I'll get picked up about an hour after I get back to the house because I needed to change. I looked like a homeless person because I was in a rush this morning and didn't have time to shower or dress properly.

None of the boys were on the bus after school, so I took it that they were skipping or doing something else. So when I see that Lance is the only one at the house when I walk in, raises my eyebrows.

"Hey." I greet, grabbing a glass and the apple juice for me to take to my room.

"Hey." He replies casually, flickering through channels.

"Um, if anyone comes to the door just yell for me."

"Going somewhere?" He asks.

"Um, yeah. I'm meeting up with some friends before I leave tomorrow." I explain. Lance turns around and stares at me curiously.