Dream Catcher

Chapter 13: Dinner

"Hmm... Should I get the sirloin steak or the filet mignon?" You ask Clay, glancing happily at George's horrified expression.

"What!? Those are the most expensive items on the menu. Please shoot for something under $50," George pleads.

"Good question. Maybe I'll get the sirloin, and you get the filet mignon, and then we can split," Clay suggests, grinning behind his menu.

"Guys, come on," Nick says quickly, laughing nervously, "Just order from the kid's menu or something."

"Maybe I'll get a salad," you mutter, scanning the menu.

"Well, I'm getting chicken tenders," Nick says, placing the kid's menu down on the table. You laugh at him as Clay insults him.

George, oddly enough, backs Nick up and states he will be ordering chicken tenders as well.

"And that decision has nothing to do with the price," he says, placing his menu down.

"Will they even let two grown men order from the kid's menu?" You ask, shaking your head at the two boys.

"I'm actually getting the sirloin. Y/n, you can get whatever you want," Clay says, closing up his menu.

"No, I liked your half and half idea. I'll order the mignon," you say, glancing sidelong at the three boys paying for you all.

"Hey, everyone. Ready to order?" A waitress asks. She smiles flirtatiously at Liam, signally she'll take his order first.

"I'll take the shrimp," he says, giving her a small smile and she beams.

"We'll both have the chicken tenders," Nick says, pointing between George and himself.

"Sir, I'm so sorry, but you aren't allowed to order off the kid's-"

"Please? They've been so excited," Liam says smoothly, pouting his lip a little at the women. She blushes furiously.

"Oh. Well, in that case, of course! And as for you two?" She turns to you and Clay.

You finish ordering, smiling innocently at George as she walks away. He glares at you and Clay. To fill the time, you and Clay start talking about your channels. You ask him for tips while he lets you in on some secrets he's kept to himself. The room's warmness surrounds your table as you hear the distant clink of wine glasses and the low murmur of hushed voices. George and Nick bicker about who's closer to Liam, while Liam talks to another waitress on the side. You grin to yourself, a prodigious amount of satisfaction hovering over you.

"What?"

You jerk, coming back to your conversation with Clay.

"Oh. Nothing," you say silently, smiling at him, "Just happy."

He grins at you, and you begin to ramble, trying to cover up your pink ears. Luckily, the waitress comes back just in time to pass out plates of steaming food. You and Clay happily accept your dishes, ignoring George, Nick, and Liam's furious looks. You slide half of your steak onto Clay's plate, and he does the same. Soon enough, everyone begins to dig in. The rest of the dinner is filled with silent delight, happy to be eating. You stubbornly eat all of your steaks, not wanting to be guilt-tripped by your friend despite your full stomach. Finally, the waitress comes back to clean your dishes.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Any room for dessert?"

"NO!" George and Liam yell at the same time, already knowing how expensive the dinner will be.

"Okay," the waitress startles, "Here's your check."

You bump your leg nervously, waiting to catch George's reaction. His face goes through half the stages of grief in a second, before turning to you and Clay, an exasperated look on his face.

"Guys. Please. Pitch in a little," he begs, looking between you two.

At the same time, you glance at each other. Then, you stand up abruptly before sprinting out the door. Clay throws his keys behind him.

"See you at the hotel! We'll take a taxi!" He yells behind him, guiding you out of the restaurant.

You push through the doors, panting.

"It's pouring!" You observe, sticking your hand out to touch the rain.

"That's okay. I'll protect you," Clay says smugly, grabbing your wrist as he pulls you out into the rain.

You gasp, the intense rain piercing your skin. You shiver, the night air sending goosebumps all across your body. You hear Nick shout from the restaurant's inside, and Clay pulls you away, running to who knows where. You open your mouth to stop him, but his gleeful laughs stop you. You grin, letting the rain dampen your clothes and hair. After a minute or two of running, he stops to catch his breath. You collapse against a wall, gasping for air. Looking up, you see him spread his arms out as if he's trying to hug the rain.

You walk over in front of him, opening your arms as well.

"Do you think the rain will hug us back?" You shout over the downpour.

"It already is. It wet our clothes so our clothes could hang on tight to us. It's the rain's way of hugging us back."

"That was incredibly cringey," you say, and he kicks you lightly. You laugh, shoving him back playfully. You horse around for a little, swinging fake punches and kicks. Then, thunder begins to rumble. You jump, rushing to him on instinct. He pokes fun at you, but you know it's his way of calming you down. You hug him on impulse, wanting to show your appreciation to him somehow. He stumbles back, awkwardly patting your shoulder.

"You aren't that scared, are you?" He asks.

"No. I just appreciate you."

"Oh. Okay."

And he hugs you back.

You back up a bit, holding him at arm's length. He looks down at you, an unreadable expression on his face. You tilt your head, and he brushes your hair out of your face, and you get a weird sense of deja-vu. But this time, you aren't uncomfortable. Standing on your tiptoes, you peck him right on the lips. He suddenly lets go of you, a shocked expression on his face, joined with something that looks a lot like frustration.

"I'm so sorry," you say quickly, waving your hands around frantically, "That was totally uncalled for, and I should have asked-"

His lips interrupt you. He holds your cheek with one hand while drawing your waist closer to his with the other, and you have to stand on your tiptoes just to reach him. Your eyes widen as he kisses you intensely. You let your eyes slide closed, focusing yourself on him. His hands flow through your hair, and your stomach swells with butterflies as you slide your arms behind his neck. You smile through your kiss, and he withdraws a bit, breathless and flushed. He seems as if he's been waiting to do that for a while.

You begin to speak, but thunder cuts you off. But this time, you don't feel scared. Clay backs away from you, a very smug smile on his lips.

"Oh. My. God."

You both jerk, twisting around, only to meet the eyes of three shocked boys.

"Uh, oh."