Alone Together

05

Rowan Warner

I got a text from Dean after Adam and Graham's guests started showing up. I had been hiding in my room since after my conversation with Graham before anyone had gotten here and planned on staying up here the whole night.

From: Dean
R u home????

To: Dean
yes

From: Dean
Come downstairs then!!!

To: Dean
no

Dean didn't respond, but a few moments later, he was barging into my bedroom while I sat in bed reading a book.

"Come on," he urged, leaning against the door frame. "I told the guys not to ask about your face. Or why you're living here."

I rolled my eyes. "Because that's not going to make them even more curious," I sarcastically replied.

"It's better than having them say something stupid."

"With my plan, they wouldn't even see me and wouldn't have a chance to say something stupid," I argued, closing the book and placing it on my nightstand.

"And what was your plan?" Dean asked. "Hiding up here all night?"

"Pretty much."

"That's lame!" he exclaimed. "Come downstairs. We have food and beer. I even brought those hard ciders you like."

"Who's here?" I asked.

"Just Tim from the shop, their old roommate John, and Aaron," Dean listed them off. Tim worked for my dad and he was around Dean's age. He and Adam were fast friends when he started working there.

"I really don't want to go socialize," I told him.

"At least come down and have something to eat," he said. "I want to hang with you. Before we go down there though, I want to talk to you about something."

"What?"

Dean walked into the room and shut the door behind him. I held back my cringe as he sat on my bed. I hated when people got into my bed with their day clothes on. The only person that it didn't bother me with was my mother.

"So, I'm bringing my girlfriend to Evie's birthday next weekend," Dean started. He had this secret girlfriend that none of us met and our parents didn't even know about yet. They had been together for a while, but he rarely brought her up, and had never brought her to meet the family.

"We finally get to meet her?" I asked.

Dean nodded. "Yeah. I was sorta wondering if you could maybe come out with us one night this week before the weekend so you can meet her. I just want her to have a familiar face she can go talk to in case I'm pulled away or something. So she doesn't feel super awkward."

"Yeah, I'll do that," I told him. "So you two are serious then?"

"Yeah," he replied. "The plan was to bring her to the cookout, but she had to go to some bridal shower. Mom doesn't know she's coming yet."

"You know she'll be excited."

He laughed. "Probably too excited. That's why I want you to meet her first. So if for some reason I'm not there, you can save her from the awkwardness."