My Favorite Everything

Chapter Twenty One

The rest of the week unfolded especially well. Although Wilder occasionally fought off headaches, insomnia, and irritability, he was able to return to a healthy state. For him, drugs were out of the question. He and Frankie had walked to school every morning like usual, but after that night, they did not address what had happened. Both boys were too anxious to fully discuss what the kiss had meant. Wilder worried that Frankie had done it out of pity and that the pair was simply destined to be friends, nothing more. The freckled boy was considerably more anxious around Wilder, as he had recognized his true feelings and found it hard to suppress them whenever he was around. They hadn't spent time together outside of school for the remainder of the week, and each conversation they shared was filled with anticipation.

As for Rory, she decided that Wilder clearly had feelings for Frankie. It never occurred to her that they were reciprocated, but she remained supportive. She saw firsthand just how incredibly awkward the pair had seemed at school, and it was obvious that Wilder was longing for something greater than their encounters. There were no bumps in the road throughout the entire week after Rory had successfully dealt with Tammy, whose ex-boyfriend- renown cheater Carter Cowell, hung on her arm a few days later. She made sure to never cross paths with Rory or either boy again. On Friday, Rory was relaxing after school when she decided to text Alex. After messaging for quite a while, he told her that Frankie would be coming over for the night. Although Rory trusted Frankie's judgment, for the most part, she had an uneasy feeling. Because of the news regarding his father, Rory knew that her best friend was still very vulnerable, and judging Alex's illegal tendencies, she figured that something would likely go wrong.

At around ten, she received a call from Alex, who sounded quite mischievous and drunk. Finding it humorous, she talked with him until an idea struck her. Rory asked if she could come over, and Alex hastily agreed. After ending the call, she dialed Wilder's number. Within a few rings, he picked up.

"Hey Ro, what's up?"

"I'm coming to get you. We're going to Alex's," she said, far too determined to let Wilder talk her out of it.

"Oh hell no, we are not. I don't want any part of your gross little fling."

Biting back a smile as she changed into a blue tube top paired with black ripped jeans, she put the phone on speaker. "Frankie is there."

Wilder took a moment to respond. He was always jealous when the two spent time together, but he didn't want Rory to know- although she already did. "Okay. And?"

Stumbling while pulling up her jeans, Rory laughed. "And I'll see you in fifteen minutes. By the way, I think they're drunk. Both of them."

Wilder raised his eyebrows. "Shit. Frankie's gonna be a mess."

"How would you know?" she asked, trying to defend him although she knew he was right.

"Because the idiots never drank a day in his life, and especially after his dad..."

"Yeah, that's why I think we should go to Alex's house. Now, do you see where I'm coming from?"

Wilder huffed. "Fine. But if you make out with him in front of me, I'll never forgive you."

"Shut up. See you soon!" she said, before hanging up. Just as she had promised, nearly fifteen minutes later, a silver truck pulled into Wilder's driveway. Wearing a blue flannel over a black hoodie, Wilder walked out of his house and hurriedly entered her car. Visibly anxious, he fumbled with his seatbelt until it finally clicked. "You alright?" Rory asked him, although she herself was slightly nervous to see the state that the two boys were in. He nodded in silence. As she pulled out onto the main road, Wilder turned to her.