Ferrari (1) DRAFT

35

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"Alright so, you should probably try to avoid using the same word twice in the same sentence, or too often on the same paragraph," I say. "Unless it's the topic or issue you're talking it."

"So like I should change 'shows' to something else?" Alex asks.

"Yeah, you could use indicate, depicts, displays, you could use a thesaurus."

"Okay, so I should start by changing those?"

"That's what I'd do, yes," I nod. "And add a few oxford commas in there, just for clarity."

"Alright, thanks, Lucy."

He turns away from me, and begins editing his essay. English is not Alex's strong suit, so he's asked me to help him write his final essay.

He's already gotten into college, but he's hoping to increase his GPA by the end of the year.

While he's fixing up his work, I sent Mary a quick text, checking how far away she is.

It's a Friday night, and the three of us have a wild night planned. Yep, that's right. We're having an Indiana Jones marathon. Kaleem had invited us to a party out of town, but was immediately shut down my boyfriend.

Even though it's a Friday, they still have work to do. Kal will probably go to the party afterwards, but Liam is sensitive about getting the right amount of sleep, so he'll come home straight away.

Oliver will probably FaceTime me at midnight and still be in the office, and then show up at my house bright and early tomorrow morning, with no mention of exhaustion at all. I swear that man barely sleeps but it's completely unnoticeable.

"Should I put a comma or a semicolon before 'however'?" Alex asks.

"A semicolon, but a period is even better," I tell him.

He nods, and returns to his editing.

I hear Mary's car pull into the driveway, but I don't bother moving. She won't knock either. My parents have an open door approach, and have encouraged all our friends to just come on in. It's a little weird, but also very convenient.

Mary enters the house, and walks into the room with a giant smile on her face.

"Hey guys," she says, collapsing on my bed.

"Shh!" Alex silences is, trying to concentrate.

I laugh at him, and follow Mary into the kitchen. Alex will come when he's

Ready.

"You want a snack?" I ask, rummaging through the pantry.

"Obviously," she laughs.

"You like Oreos, right?"

"Definitely. You know they're vegan?"

"Are you vegan?" I ask, taking a seat next to her at the dining table.

"No, but I feel like I should be," she tears open the packet of cookies. "I just don't think I could."

"Yeah, I feel you there," I say. "I'm worried I won't be able to commit."

"I might try it when I move out,"

"Are you moving out as soon as you graduate?" I ask, munching on an Oreo.

"Not right away. I want a job first, so probably a few months after graduation. Hopefully, Liam and I can get an apartment near where we work."

"Maybe the city is a good place to work for you then? Have you thought about it anymore?" I ask, thinking back to our conversation in the cafeteria on Monday.

Ferrari Freight's Florida head office is in the middle of the city. It's about an out away from where we live, so it makes sense for Liam to want to live a little closer than he is now.

I wonder if Oliver is planning on moving into the city. But then again, he might already live there. I have no idea where he is, I just assumed he lived near here.

"Yeah, actually, I have an interview there tomorrow. Liam's driving me. We'll probably see you and Ollie there, though."

I frown. What? Ollie and I have a date tomorrow but I don't know anything about going into the city.

Mary analyses my expression, eyeing the surprises look on my face.

"Oh shit," she gasps, slapping her hand over her mouth. "Was that meant to be a surprise?"

I laugh at her. "He told me we were going to a race course!"

"You are!" she chuckles. "He said you wanted to see the office, too, though!"

"I guess we'll see," I shrug.

I've only had a few peeks at his work and family life, but I'm dying to learn more about these dynamics. It'll just help me understand him more, and mend our lives together.

My house is usually where we go to hang out. I've been to Mary's house before, and Kaleem's, but my parents are barely home, and our house is central to everyone, so it's really easy for everyone to come over.

My mum works in administration, and my dad in a hardware store. Neither of them went to college, but they do well enough to support the family. I'll probably get a job sometime over the summer though, just to treat myself a little more.

"Lucy! I finished!" Alex cheers, entering the room with his laptop in his hand. He sets it before me, with his changes highlighted.

I read it over, noting any issues in the text. There's not many left, just some referencing changes. Alex has been talking to Mary about something while I was busy, so I interrupt their conversation by handing him his laptop back.

"Still not done?" he sighs.

"It's okay, that'll take you five minutes," I assure him.

"You still trying to boost your GPA?" Mary asks.

"Yep," he nods.

"So you're still planning on going to college?"

He groans. "What you're really asking, is if I'm going to work for Oliver or not."

She gives him a mischievous smile, unashamed if being caught in her curiosity.

"And?" I urge, just as interested as she is.

"I'm leaning towards yes," he says.

"Good!" Mary cheers.

"What do you think, Lucy?" he asks me.

"I think it's a great opportunity," I tell him. "If you take the job, you'll be trained in the field, make money, and get your foot in the door in the industry. If you don't like it, you can leave the company with a solid recommendation and experience, or you can go to college and study something else."

"But I could also study first," he points out. "Except I don't want to."

"Well, there you go!" Mary calls. "Decision made."

I laugh at her forwardness. She's so excitable it's crazy.

"I think I will accept his offer," he says. "I think it'll make you happier."

"In that case, I think that's a good idea," I smile.

"Please don't tell Ollie though," he tells me. "Or Liam for that matter. I want to be certain."

"Yeah, don't worry, we've got you," Mary cheers, stuffing another cookie in her mouth.

"Now do your essay!" I joke.