it's just a crush

chapter 35 - april 2020

"Do you have any thermoses?" Chelsea asked. "I want to bring hot chocolate!"

"Um, yeah," Meg replied, stooping to dig through a cupboard. "Gary's got a bunch."

It was the day of the promised double date with Seb and Nicky, and the girls were busy in the kitchen at Meg's preparing a picnic lunch. Meg had tried to get Chelsea to tell her where they were going, but for a girl who usually couldn't keep her mouth shut, she was doing an excellent job of keeping their destination a secret.

Of course, there were times she was thankful that Chelsea was able to find restraint. Particularly all throughout the previous months as they saw more and more of Bobby, and somehow the knowledge of her crush on him never seemed to reach his ears. Or even Gary's, for that matter.

She chalked it up to the fact that Chelsea had been in the know for almost a decade by that point; no doubt if it was juicy new gossip, the news would have spread faster than a wildfire, but after so much time, it was easier to keep it clamped down.

As long as nobody asked Chelsea directly, it was fine.

They were putting the finishing touches on the meal and packing it into the picnic basket Chelsea had brought when the front door opened and the boys piled in.

"Hi, boys!" Chelsea yelled. There was some brief murmuring from the hall, and then Noah's footsteps could be heard running up the stairs.

"Aw, man, Chelsea's here?" Bobby joked as he walked into the kitchen, taking off his jacket and tossing it over a chair before hopping onto a bar stool. "Don't you have your own place?"

"Har, har," she replied, throwing a cube of cheese at him, which he caught and tossed into his mouth with a grin. "I'll have you know that we're leaving soon."

"Oh, yeah? Where you going?"

Meg cleared her throat. "How's Nan?" she asked, changing the subject. The last thing she wanted to talk about with Bobby was the date she was about to go on, and since the boys had been helping out with some spring maintenance at Nan's, it was the perfect way to redirect the conversation.

"Aye, she's well," he replied with a nod. "Said she won big in bingo last night."

She smiled. "I'm sure she was gloating."

"Oh, yeah. Big time."

"Well," Chelsea interjected, "Meg and I are going—"

"What's all this?" Gary asked as he came into the room. "Ooh, is that— "

"Don't touch!" Chelsea slapped his hand away as he reached for the basket. "That's for our double date!"

"Double date?" Bobby asked.

Meg sighed.

"What date?" Gary moved around the counter to peek inside the basket. "Who am I dating? Nobody told me about a date."

"It's not for you!" Chelsea set her hands on her hips. "It's for me and Meg!"

"What?" Bobby shifted on his stool.

"You guys are going on a date?" Gary scrunched his eyebrows together. "Together?"

"No, silly," Chelsea replied in exasperation, waving her hands in the air. "I mean, yes, together, but we're going out with a couple guys we met!"

"Oh."

Meg lowered her eyes and pretended to be busy with the food preparations as a brush crept up onto her cheeks.

Bobby cleared his throat. "So, um, where are you going? Y'know, in case we have to send out a search party. You just met these guys?"

"Your concern is duly noted, but unnecessary," Chelsea replied. "We know where they live. Or at least, where one of them lives. I think we'll be safe enough."