New York State of Mind *Grand Army*

4

"So will you be trying a new kind of pizza, or the regular?" Luke asked as his hand was interlaced with Ryans. "Do you even know me at all, Luke?" Ryan asked with a chuckle. "Yeah you're right, cheese it is." Luke said, and Ryan laughed.

"Hey guys!" A voice called out. Ryan looked over her shoulder, and saw Tim jogging up to them with his hands in his pockets. "Hey Tim." Ryan smiled, pulling him in for a hug once he'd caught up. Luke looked at the two embrace each other, and cleared his throat.

"Hi Timmy boy." Luke said, throwing a gentle punch at his shoulder. "Wanna join our pizza date?" Ryan asked, and Tim nodded. Luke pulled open the pizza parlor door, and let Tim and Ryan in ahead of him.

"Hello, what can I get for you guys?" The employee asked. "I will have a cheese pizza please." Ryan spoke. "Just a slice?" The woman asked, and Ryan shook her head. "No, no, no. I want the whole pizza." Ryan said. Tim and Luke let out a laugh.

"Okay, and for you guys?" She asked the boys. "Supreme for me." Tim said. "Meat lovers for me." Luke said, and the woman nodded. "Okay, I'll have that ready soon." She said, before she walked into the kitchen.

Luke, Tim, and Ryan all headed to a four person table, sitting in the corner of the parlor. "What were you doing over on this side of town alone?" Luke asked.

"My new job, I just had a follow up interview." Tim said. "Oh cool, how it go?" Ryan asked, and Tim smiled. "I got it." Tim said, and Ryan squealed. "Yay! Congrats Tim." Ryan said, reaching over and patting him on the arm. "Yeah congrats." Luke added.

"Here's your pizza." The woman said, setting down all the pizza's and leaving before Ryan could even mutter a thank you. "What the fuck?" Ryan asked quietly. Luke laughed, "she probably goes to our school." He said.

"Can we just talk about Leila for a second though?" Ryan asked. "She practically forced me to walk her home the other night after I went home with Joey and saw her and George. She was all like 'I mean you only live like a block from me.' Like how does she know where I live?!" Ryan exclaimed.

"George just wants some untouched pussy." Luke said. Ryan cringed at his words, but shook her head. "I kind of feel bad that no ones told her that she's annoying as fuck." Tim said. "Speaking of." Ryan said with her eyes wide.

Tim and Luke looked over at the glass beside the door and saw Leila and Rachel walking towards the pizza place. "Oh fuck no." Luke said, grabbing his crutches and crutching towards the back door.

"Oh come on." Ryan groaned. "Come on Ry." Time laughed, grabbing her arm. Ryan grabbed her tray of pizza, while Tim drug her out of the back door. "Ryan, you actually took the pizza?" Tim laughed.

"Hey, I would like to enjoy it please." Ryan said, picking up a slice and shoving it into her mouth. "I can't with you." Luke chuckled. "Now what?" Tim asked. "My house?" Ryan asked, and the two nodded.

﹋

"Are you parents still not home from Barbados?" Luke asked as he pushed open the front door. Ryan shook her head, and looked down sadly. Her parents had always been a sensitive topic for her. She always wanted the family relationship she saw in movies, or in people all around her.

"Well then you know what that means." Tim said, digging in one of the cupboards in the entertainment center and pulling out three microphones. "Karaoke night!" Luke and Tim yelled in unison. Ryan pushed closed the front door with a laugh, and took off her coat.

"Dude give me the mic." Ryan said, holding her hand out. Tim handed her the microphone, and Ryan clicked on the karaoke machine. The first song to play was Lady Marmalade by Christina Aguilera.