August Nights

5

"You look nice." Rayne says as we get out the car and start heading towards where we were meeting his friends for lunch.

Oh goodness. 'You look nice' is always a- I need something or I am about to ask you to do something not totally okay.

"What do you want?"

Rayne sniggers and wraps his arm around my shoulders. "Nothing. I was just saying you look nice. I like it when you wear the hair stuff."

I had my hair up half up and half down, a bow ribbon tied around my hair band it wasn't- I just raise an eyebrow at him.

"Okay Rayne."

"So." He says and I laugh then shrugging his arm of my shoulder but I grab his hand instead, letting him know I wasn't mad and well we were going on this fake date.

"William and Amelia are excited to meet you."

I nod. "Ive already met Will." I say, eyeing Rayne. "Like he was in my English the whole of high school."

"Yeah, well properly I guess. He just know you as school Em."

I pout. "And what was wrong with school Em?"

"Nothing." Rayne reassures, squeezing my hand in his. "But you're definitely more fun when your head isn't in a book."

"My head is always in a book anyway." I mumble and Rayne laughs.

"I meant like a schoolbook Em. I am just saying I'm excited to introduce my best friend to my other close friend okay?"

I nod, searching his side profile.

"Your hair looks good too." I mumble.

He grins down at me. He had it all braided. I miss the curls but for the summer I guess it did make more sense.

"I feel badass." He says and I laugh at that, pulling open the glass door to this little restaurant called Turner's and Rayne follows in behind me.

"They're by the window." He says and I shake my head at him and turn to the waitress at the door.

"Hi we have a table for four. The other two people are already here."

"What's the name?" She smiles back at me and I look up at Rayne then.

"Did you book it or did...?"

"Oh Parker." Rayne says.

Rayne and August never got their names changed out of respect for their late parents. Ivy, Jackson and Lottie are all Richardson. I think Rayne would have chaned to be honest, but August wouldn't want to and Rayne didn't want to make August feel even more out of the family unit.

August is close with Ivy, I know that. And he respects Jackson, probably even loves him. But I don't think he sees him as his father. August remembers a lot more from his childhood than Rayne does I think. So he holds on to stuff more.

The waitress, her name is Bella, led us to our table and I couldn't help but compliment her nails.

"Shush I am not allowed to have them." She laughs gently and gives me a small grin. They were acrylics, but they were bright green with flowers and I thought it was super cute.

"Emersyn." Rayne says getting my attention and I look back to the table with a similar smile.

"Em this is Will." He nods to Will, who I do actually know, sort of. William Adams. He went to our school. He looked like the typical Rugby player, big, broad, shorter hair but very blue eyes. I was surprised.