Hanging With The Boys

16.

AFTER CLEANING UP The Bean alongside Kenzie and doing everything we're required to do before locking up, I start walking home. Normally, if I'm working the night shift, I would drive home but Luke was my ride and he's with Becca. I'm not complaining though because he's happy. And if he's happy, then I'm happy even if I don't know much about this crush of his. Kenzie offered to give me a ride but it's out of her way and it's a beautiful night anyways. I feel oddly safe walking home alone at night. Maybe it's the small town vibe.

When I'm turning onto my street, my phone rings. It's Forrest. After almost a week of dating, my heart still skips a beat when I see his name on my phone. Even though we were friends before we started dating and his name popped up on my phone then. But now it's different, in a good way. His name on my screen has a whole new meaning to it.

"Hey." I smile into the phone.

"Hey. Are you still at work?" he asks.

"No. I got off a while ago and now I'm walking home. What's up?"

"I was just wondering what day your family is having Thanksgiving dinner next weekend."

"Sunday. What about you?"

"Same. I was planning on inviting you over to meet my family if you weren't having dinner that day. Maybe you can come over for a bit, though? After you're done having dinner with your family, maybe you can stop by for dessert?"

"Yeah. That sounds good."  

"Great. Well, I gotta go. So, I'll talk to you later. Bye."                                                                                            

"Bye." I say, hanging up just as I start walking up my driveway.         

Once I've changed into my pajamas and burrowed down into the covers of my bed, my phone pings with a message from Luke.

Luke: U home?

Me: Yep

As soon as I send the message, my phone starts to ring. It's Luke facetiming me.

"You look comfy." He observes when I answer.

"Yes I am. I'm all ready to sleep or watch Netflix all night. And don't lecture me about how it's a Sunday night so I should be getting rest because you're the one facetiming me."

"I wasn't going to. So, am I interrupting your plans?" he laughs.

"Not at all. Spill the tea."

"Spill the tea?"

"Yes, tell me everything."                                                                                             

So, he does. He tells me about their conversation and how he kissed her when he dropped her off. We talk about some other things but at some point, I drifted off to sleep, most likely exhausted from the long week and weekend. I don't know anything until I wake up to the sound of my alarm, indicating that it's Monday morning once again and I see that I'm still on the face time call with Luke. It's 7 am and he didn't even hang up.

The week leading up to Thanksgiving weekend goes by rather quickly. Everyone's anticipating the three-day weekend. I enjoy having my relationship with Forrest public, although Merissa isn't too happy about it. Kenzie is barely around at lunch throughout the week, consistently busy with training for cheer competitions. Luke occasionally eats lunch with Becca, or they grab lunch together, but she hasn't come to hang out at lunch with the rest of us yet.

I end up working on my homework for most of Friday night and all day Saturday, hoping to get most of it done since Thanksgiving dinner is on Sunday and I don't want to do anything on my day off on Monday. But Saturday afternoon I have to go to work, where I share my shift with Kenzie.