WE SHOULD STOP NOW

PART 6 - THE DINER

JOANIE

Caleb throws his head back laughing, a full on belly laugh that leaves me grinning at him. I find his laugh to be seriously infectious, but looking around at the miserable diners I might be the only one that thinks this. We've been thrown so many dirty looks and glares since we got here, but to be fair we're ruining everyones quiet meal with being so loud. Caleb pulled off his tie and rolled up his sleeves as soon as we sat down, whilst giving me his suit jacket to wear as my dress is a little much for a place like this. Not going to lie, having Caleb's aftershave and general scent surrounding me felt pretty damn good!

"I'm just saying I didn't get it," I giggle back whilst I take a big slurp of my drink with my straw . "I mean I love my sister I really do and I know she's seriously talented and all. But come on, do a painting of a forest or a beach or something. Don't just put our old playhouse on a stage with some lights on it and shit and call it art!" I shrug my shoulders and Caleb has actual tears running down his face from laughing so hard. " I just didn't get it," I mutter into my drink.

"You can't say that! Come on Joanie! Everyone loved it!" He says trying to keep a straight face but totally failing.

In my sister Mia's final year of high school she took part in an Exhibition where she did an art installation of our old treehouse...it seemed to have blown everyone away at the time...apart from me...and maybe Caleb if I can get him to admit it!

I squeal with laughter and point a finger at him, "Oh-my-god, you hated it as well! You didn't get it either! Admit it!" I bark at him before I burst out laughing.

Caleb holds his hands up as if he's surrendering with a wide smile on his face, "I did not say that! Don't be putting words in my mouth J," he chuckles whilst those light blue eyes of his sparkle mischievously. "I mean it had to be good right?... she got an art scholarship from that show." He tries to reason with me but i'm not falling for it so I raise my eye brows at him and cross my arms and he breaks.

"OK...I fucking hated it too, I didn't get either!" he groans and covers his face with his large hands as if that confessions was painful to admit but now it's my turn to throw my head back and laugh which makes him look through his fingers and smirk at me. I accidentally snort and throw my hand across my mouth in embarrassment.

"Did you just snort like a pig?" Caleb chuckles.

"Nope, you didn't hear anything," I joke back.

"You fucking did!" Caleb smiles. "Fuck, I forgot how funny you can be." He says more to himself than to me.

I wrinkle my nose at his comment, no knowing if I should take that as a compliment or not but I decide to just shake it off.

"Well that's cause you were always too busy following my sister around like a lost puppy." I say as I eat one of the last few french fries off my plate with a playful tone.

Caleb leans forward on the table, "Or maybe I never saw much of your funny side cause she were always too busy stalking my brother," he wiggles his eye brows before stealing my last french fry and eating it with a triumphant smug look on his face like he just won that round.

I fold my arms and lean back in my chair pretending to be offended and he mirrors my action making us both snicker and laugh at each other. I shake my head with amusement as I give up the pretence that i'm cross and take another slurp of my drink. This should be a really awkward conversation, neither of us came out looking great after the whole Mia - Ethan fiasco of when they first got together and we both lost out on who we had crushes on...but it's not awkward...in fact it's kind of fun and easy. Caleb's fun and easy.