the bucket list | lrh

24 - dinner

The dinner table was lethally silent, and the sound of forks skimming metal plates surrounded the group as they all shoveled food into their mouths.

It wasn't a refractory silence, and the kids didn't mind it much at all. They were all much too busy stuffing their food into their stomachs, and were almost oblivious to the lack of conversation.

"What are you guys gonna get up to tonight?" Scout asked, feeling a little uncomfortable about the strange looming silence.

"We were just gonna hang out here," Mary answers for the other two, who are otherwise occupied staring at each other and eating like they've been starved for several days. With Scout and Mary taking opposite chairs, it left Luke and Valentine directly across from each other. To say they were stealing secret glances would be the ultimate understatement.

"Yeah," Valentine agreed, mouth full of food. Luke chuckled a little at the girl who couldn't wait until she was done chewing to make a comment.

"We could—mmm—" Luke had to cut himself off, the chicken was too good to not give a satisfactory groan. "We could go hang out with my friend," Luke suggested, eyes glued on Valentine for an answer. He certainly didn't care much what Mary thought of the idea, though he wouldn't deny her attendance. He really just wanted to spend more time with the brunette across from him.

"Yeah, we could," Valentine smiled back, a little proud that he'd invited her out to do something. It made her feel wanted that he'd suggest bringing her around his friends—after what happened last time so saw them, that is. She didn't feel she necessarily made a good impression on them, but she enjoyed the idea of hanging out so much she couldn't even stop to think of that.

"I have to be home at some point, actually," Mary mumbled, though she was lying. She definitely didn't have to be back before some imaginary curfew, considering she was twenty and Kellianne wasn't very strict.

"I can drive you home," Luke offered, not extremely disappointed that she wouldn't be joining them.

"So just you two are going?" Scout asked, waving his hand in their direction. The little girl nodded, feeling awkward as she just made those plans in front of her own father. Valentine was open with Scout, she just liked to keep her private life to herself. There wasn't much that her dad didn't know, she just wanted a little secrecy—else she wouldn't feel like much of a teenager.

"Yes," Luke answered when he realized Valentine clearly didn't plan on giving the man a verbal response. He didn't want to seem rude to the brunettes dad, though he couldn't exactly admit why that was.

"You two have gotten close lately," Scout observed aloud, no bitter tone to his words. He was coming around to the idea of the two being friends, but only because Luke had responded so kindly to his warning the other night. If he would treat her well, Scout thought he might consider accepting it.

"Haven't they?" Mary asked rhetorically, finding the whole conversation a bit humorous.

"Sure have," Valentine spoke slowly as she finished her last bite and stood up straighter than before. Without a need to lean towards her plate as if instinctively, she felt a little too informal staying in that position. Scout always raised the little girl and her older sister to be as polite as possible, though he would never comment on her lack of manners. It was only himself and the girls own friends, so he didn't find it all that strange.

"You're going on a road trip soon, right?"

With that, Valentine's eyes were wide and Luke could hardly hold back the gasp that was pushing past his lips. As if the paleness in the brunette's face was so very obvious, Scout decided against questioning her immediately.