Someone You Love (AMBW)

Chapter Seventeen

No one was up to greet me for a quick breakfast this morning. I went to school feeling the same loneliness I felt when I went to sleep. I couldn't be a baby about it. My dad actually called me a young woman and for the first time, he didn't explain things to me in simple terms with a subtle backstory. He just talked to me. And it was serious.

"Head in the clouds?" Dwane said while circling around me once then taking a seat on the concrete where we met up every morning. He wasn't informed about the spot but now he knows. "I too had a long night of contemplating and overthinking. It's scary as fuck to be in your own mind." He looked at me deeply and for a second I was searching his eyes for some sort of reason that he was suddenly talking to me about anything. "But that's what school is for. Get your mind off things."

Before I could respond, he sat down next to me and pulled out a bag of gummy bears. I just noticed the one he was chewing on the entire time he was talking to me. I took a couple and smiled. "Thanks. Where's Danai?"

"Oh, she'll never do shit like this. I've always been the one to make all the friends and then inform her on it later. If you guys are up to her standards then you'll see her around more. For now, she's probably in the library judging the districts selection in books."

I nodded slowly. "Sounds like me before I met these guys. I've always been alone in school. Even now I don't have anyone I would go see in my hometown unless it's my grandma." We popped a gummy bear in our mouth at the same time then laughed. "You almost missed your mouth."

"No! It's the other way around. You almost missed yours," he jokingly argued back.

"Suck it, Victor! You always find something to say to dad. Just leave the old man alone!" We both turned our heads to Victor, Josie, and Erikkson who were walking towards me with an annoyed expression on all of their faces.

"Guess school doesn't get your mind off of everything." Dwane winced before forcing a smile on his face the moment he came face to face with Victor. "What's up, boy!" Victor looked genuinely happy despite his sister grilling him two seconds ago. "To answer your text from last night, I fucking love hockey. Me and my ex girl used to do that shit all the time!"

Victor and Dwane are on texting terms all of a sudden?

"Is this going to be an every day thing?" Erikkson grumbled in my ear as he took a seat next to me. "Because really, I can't. The guy is God and Victor is his disciple. Josie is fucking next."

I rolled my eyes. "It's okay to feel left out but jealousy is not a good look. Instead of judging him from a rock, get to know him. Dwane is actually really cool. I'm impatiently waiting to get to know his sister."

"Oh, God. Not you too." He pulled his coat closer to his chest while standing to his feet. "I'll be gouging my eyes out while listening to Cory's new podcast obsession in the cafeteria."

I gave him two thumbs up as he slouched away in agony. Josie and the boys came over once their hockey conversation died out. Victor surprisingly took a seat next to me and discreetly placed his hand on the small of my back.

"I have some exciting news for my new friends," Dwane beamed. "It was Danai's idea since she kind of likes you all and kind of thinks you are all overbearing at the same time. In order to truly get to know you guys and give a huge thank you for bringing us in when we were lost, we're inviting you to our lake house in Michigan. Ice skating on the lake and free food."

"No fucking way," Josie gasped. "A fucking lake house? You are pulling shit out of a hat at this point?"

"No, I'm not. Our mom wants us as far away from her for her birthday week and Danai and I don't want to stay in that huge ass place by ourselves like we do almost every winter since the divorce was filed."