Nobody Like You

Chapter Nine

After the firework show, we all decide to go out for dinner. Katie's parents are way too tired to make anything themselves. Plus, it's never a bad idea to eat while you're on vacation. You get to eat at places that you normally wouldn't eat at back at home. We drive to a seafood restaurant that has a reputation for having one of the best crab legs in the city, so I am already excited to eat. I feel kind of bad for eating such expensive food, but I have to keep reminding myself that the Santons' offered to pay for it.

The seafood restaurant is pretty packed, so we have at least an hour before we can actually sit down at a table. They hand us a beeper after taking our party's name, and we head back outside to chill and enjoy the rest of the summer night air. There are palm trees aligned on either side of the road. There are fairy lights on the poles outside of the restaurant and there are benches along the sidewalk. There are also benches in front of the restaurant's double doors.

I make my way to sit down at one along the side of the sidewalk. I pull out my phone and send a text message to my mom to let her know what I am up to. I also send her a picture of the beautiful scenery—which I have been doing a lot. While taking my own photos, I notice Luca leaning against one of the light posts on the sidewalk. He has his legs crossed and his phone out—it sort of looks like it is facing me.

Wait a second.

"Dude, what are you doing?" I stand up and put my phone in my back pocket. "Are you taking a picture of me?"

As usual, Katie and Zack are preoccupied. Casey is on her phone and Katie's parents are engaged in a conversation amongst themselves. Everyone is in their own little world, and I am stuck having yet another conversation with Luca Novak. It is like I am having the worst luck. My vacation goes well until Luca decides to do something stupid and creep his way into a conversation. 

"Yes." He nods his head. He clicks the side button on his phone, before sliding it into his back pocket, as well.

"For what?" I stand in front of him with my arms crossed over my chest and a mean look on my face. "Delete it."

"I thought you looked cute." He stated with a serious look on his face. Again, it throws me off. I really don't know if he is genuinely complimenting or trying to mess with my head.

"I don't care what you thought. Delete it. I didn't give you permission to take my picture." I ignore his comment.

"Who were you sending those pictures to?" He raises his eyebrows. "You've been sending a lot of pictures."

"My mom, not that it is any of your business." I roll my eyes. "Don't try to change the subject. Delete it now."

"You should send this one to her." He pulls his phone back out and unlocks it, before showing me the photo.

I mean, he's not totally wrong. I don't look bad at all. In fact, I look very pretty. The street light gives off just enough light and makes the background look ten times better. It also helps that it is an off guard of me actually enjoying myself—it's raw. There is nothing fake about enjoying the moment. I really want to be mad at him, but my anger goes away when I look at the picture.

"Fine. Send it to me." I state.

"What's your number?" He raises his eyebrows.

"We have iPhones, you don't need my phone number to send something to me, you can just AirDrop it to me." I eye him.

He looks straight into my eyes and says, "My AirDrop isn't working."

I really don't have time for his shenanigans. I bet Casey hates having him as a brother; he seems like he likes to mess with you for no complete reason at all—or maybe that's how it is with all siblings. I roll my eyes at him for the millionth time today. I give him my number for him to send the picture to me. I really hope I don't regret this.

"Just sent it." He says. "Hopefully she'll like it. It's pretty."

"Thanks." I look at him oddly.

Luca Novak is definitely a strange guy. I would have never guessed that he would be complimenting me—once again—never in a million years. This has got to be some sort of sick joke. I'm still waiting on the cameramen to hop out of the bushes and say that they have me fooled.

Casey finally decides to make her presence known, when she walks over to where we are standing. She stands next to Luca and looks over at me with sorry eyes.

"Is he bothering you again?" She asks. Luca and I both respond to her quickly and simultaneously.

"Yes." I say.

He says, "no."

"Luca, why can't you be chill for once?" Casey quizzes.

"I am chill. You came over here and bothered me." He shrugs his shoulders.

"Bothering you? You're the one who came and you didn't even have to." She rolls her eyes. "You were complaining to Mom and Dad all night, but left with me this morning. Make it make sense."

A flash of embarrassment crosses his face and then it's like he changes his mood all of a sudden. He is no longer the annoying Luca, but rather the annoyed Luca. His eyes go dark and he just walks away from the both of us. He doesn't say anything to anyone the entire time that we sit down and eat dinner. If I knew that's all it took for him to leave me alone, I would have done that a while ago.