he’ll be more chilled. We can order pizza later.” I glance up at this and Ryan’s grinning at me. “I know you can’t resist pizza,” he teases.
I smile at this. I do love pizza. But I don’t want to hang out with Ryan. I mean, we’re not friends and I seem to be seeing him more and more recently, and I don’t like it. I know I’m being stubborn, but I decided years ago that he wasn’t worth my time, and I plan on sticking to it.
Ryan rolls his eyes at my indecision. “Don’t worry, I won’t think we’re suddenly best friends again or anything.”
I laugh out loud at this since it’s so close to what I was actually thinking.
“Please, please, please, Becca!” Jay calls from further up the driveway.
I shrug and nod. Ryan smiles and opens his mouth to say something but is interrupted by the sound of honking horns. We turn to look and see two cars full of Ryan’s friends pull up at the bottom of the driveway. I hear Ryan mutter something under his breath and I instantly feel my whole demeanor change and become more tense.
“I forgot they were coming over,” he explains. “I can ask them to leave if it makes you uncomfortable?”
I glance up at him in surprise. He’d actually ask his friends to leave just because I don’t like them?
“No, they’re your friends, it’s fine,” I reply as I watch Jay run up to the car and jump straight onto Mason’s back and high five the rest of the guys. Turns out Jay knows these guys better than I do, and I briefly wonder how long my parents have been bringing him over here.
Jake comes over grinning and throws his arm around my shoulder, hugging me into him.
“Hey, Becca, what are you doing here?”
“Long story,” I mutter as Jessica Murphy comes over and wraps her arms around Ryan’s waist and glances over at me with disdain. A couple of the other cheerleaders also make their way over looking at me curiously.
I turn to Ryan. “Right. Well, thanks for your help with Jay but we’d better go.” Ryan just looks back at me, shaking his head slightly. “Come on, Jay,” I call.
“You said we could stay,” he shouts from Mason’s back. Everyone is silent watching us.
“You could still stay?” Ryan asks me, and I’m surprised that he’s saying it so publically. Usually, he’d never be caught dead talking to me, much less socializing with me. He reaches up and detaches Jessica’s arms from around his waist and takes a step closer to me. I shake my head. My face feels warm from having everyone looking at me. I wish I didn’t always blush.
“Just come on,” I snap at Jay as Mason sets him down on the ground.
Jay doesn’t move, just crosses his arms at me defiantly. I sigh in frustration. Great this is all I need, my five-year-old cousin to embarrass me in front of this crowd.
“It’s fine, Becca. He can stay,” Ryan tells me.
Jay whoops in delight and runs into the house. This breaks the tension and everyone else starts making their way inside.
“You mean it?” I ask. He nods. “Thanks. My parents will be back by six so just bring him back to the house. Then you can get on with your night. You guys clearly have plans.”
Ryan nods. “You’re just gonna sit at home on your own?”
I shrug. “I can go see Charlie now since you’ve got Jay.” I know my mom is going to be pissed with me, she’ll definitely see this as me shirking me responsibilities. I know I don’t like most of the crowd that have turned up, but she’s known Ryan since he was born and I know she likes him and it’s only for a couple of hours until they get back. To me, it’s worth dealing with her wrath and leaving Jay with Ryan. The truth is my want to see Charlie outweighs my worry about annoying my mom. For me, Charlie trumps everything.
Ryan nods abruptly at me and I turn and walk away. I don’t know why, but I feel like I’ve been caught doing something wrong, being seen with Ryan in public outside of school. I shrug it off. I get to the bottom of
I smile at this. I do love pizza. But I don’t want to hang out with Ryan. I mean, we’re not friends and I seem to be seeing him more and more recently, and I don’t like it. I know I’m being stubborn, but I decided years ago that he wasn’t worth my time, and I plan on sticking to it.
Ryan rolls his eyes at my indecision. “Don’t worry, I won’t think we’re suddenly best friends again or anything.”
I laugh out loud at this since it’s so close to what I was actually thinking.
“Please, please, please, Becca!” Jay calls from further up the driveway.
I shrug and nod. Ryan smiles and opens his mouth to say something but is interrupted by the sound of honking horns. We turn to look and see two cars full of Ryan’s friends pull up at the bottom of the driveway. I hear Ryan mutter something under his breath and I instantly feel my whole demeanor change and become more tense.
“I forgot they were coming over,” he explains. “I can ask them to leave if it makes you uncomfortable?”
I glance up at him in surprise. He’d actually ask his friends to leave just because I don’t like them?
“No, they’re your friends, it’s fine,” I reply as I watch Jay run up to the car and jump straight onto Mason’s back and high five the rest of the guys. Turns out Jay knows these guys better than I do, and I briefly wonder how long my parents have been bringing him over here.
Jake comes over grinning and throws his arm around my shoulder, hugging me into him.
“Hey, Becca, what are you doing here?”
“Long story,” I mutter as Jessica Murphy comes over and wraps her arms around Ryan’s waist and glances over at me with disdain. A couple of the other cheerleaders also make their way over looking at me curiously.
I turn to Ryan. “Right. Well, thanks for your help with Jay but we’d better go.” Ryan just looks back at me, shaking his head slightly. “Come on, Jay,” I call.
“You said we could stay,” he shouts from Mason’s back. Everyone is silent watching us.
“You could still stay?” Ryan asks me, and I’m surprised that he’s saying it so publically. Usually, he’d never be caught dead talking to me, much less socializing with me. He reaches up and detaches Jessica’s arms from around his waist and takes a step closer to me. I shake my head. My face feels warm from having everyone looking at me. I wish I didn’t always blush.
“Just come on,” I snap at Jay as Mason sets him down on the ground.
Jay doesn’t move, just crosses his arms at me defiantly. I sigh in frustration. Great this is all I need, my five-year-old cousin to embarrass me in front of this crowd.
“It’s fine, Becca. He can stay,” Ryan tells me.
Jay whoops in delight and runs into the house. This breaks the tension and everyone else starts making their way inside.
“You mean it?” I ask. He nods. “Thanks. My parents will be back by six so just bring him back to the house. Then you can get on with your night. You guys clearly have plans.”
Ryan nods. “You’re just gonna sit at home on your own?”
I shrug. “I can go see Charlie now since you’ve got Jay.” I know my mom is going to be pissed with me, she’ll definitely see this as me shirking me responsibilities. I know I don’t like most of the crowd that have turned up, but she’s known Ryan since he was born and I know she likes him and it’s only for a couple of hours until they get back. To me, it’s worth dealing with her wrath and leaving Jay with Ryan. The truth is my want to see Charlie outweighs my worry about annoying my mom. For me, Charlie trumps everything.
Ryan nods abruptly at me and I turn and walk away. I don’t know why, but I feel like I’ve been caught doing something wrong, being seen with Ryan in public outside of school. I shrug it off. I get to the bottom of
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