INTUITIVE, austin butler

16

"Wait," Lana readjusts the way she's sitting as we talk in our living room, "You mean you're hanging out with someone else?" She asks with a tinge of disgust.

"Yes, I'm branching out." I shrug and stir the water sitting in my lap. It's the second Tuesday of the month which means it's the designated pizza and gossip night for Lana and I. We have kept the second Tuesday of every month reserved for each other for over a year now—a night reserved to gossip, basically. "My hair lady's daughter is visiting, and I promised I'd take her around L.A."

"So, what?" Lana sits back against the chair, being her typical self. "You gonna take her on a date or something?"

"C'mon, L," I laugh at her jealous antics and take a bite of the pizza in my hand, "She doesn't even live here. You know nobody could ever be you." I mutter as I try to eat and talk.

"Where are you going to take her?" She continues her overprotective behavior.

"I don't know," I wipe my mouth and put my pizza slice back into the box sitting on our coffee table, "Probably a club, or something."

"So, your world tour's first stop is a club?" She scoffs and takes a sip of wine, "You're not even drinking with me tonight! This girl is already ruining everything!" I laugh at the way she sounds completely  like a boyfriend right now.

"I promise it's not Ava's fault I'm not drinking," I rub her shoulder reassuringly, and adjust the way I'm sitting.

"She has a name!" Lana widens her eyes and expands her arm like she's presenting some gift.

"Yes, just like everybody else." I point out and she squints her eyes at me, not finding my banter amusing.

"If she isn't the reason you're not drinking on this fine Tuesday night," Lana takes the last sip of her wine, finishing off her second glass now, "What is? You never say no to drinking." She bends down, grabbing the wine and begins pouring herself another glass.

I pick up my hair, quickly tying it up into a bun to get it out of my face, "I'm scared to drink in the living room now."

Lana takes a swig of her drink, downing a gulp of red wine with no problem, "Why?" She asks sourly.

I take a deep breathe, and release it out, "Well, when Austin was here, he spilled some wine on the old rug." I look down at the new rug below the couch, which is nearly identical to the old one, but just not the same.

"You were drinking here with Austin?" She says excitedly, nearly spitting her drink out. "When?"

"Of course that's what you hear..." I laugh and take another bite of my pizza. "A few weeks ago—the night I kicked you out."

"Was he pushing you into a wall and knocked over the glass or what?" She raises her eyebrow, being all suggestive like she is.

"No," I shake my head as I try not to laugh at her, "I was pulling him off the couch-"

"What was he doing on the couch?" She leans closer to me like people do in movies when they're trying to be nosy.

"Sitting, Lana!" I say a little bit louder than I need to.

"Someone's sexually frustrated." She huffs and leans back into her corner of the couch.

"No, no, no," I point my finger at her, "I had sex yesterday. Now you're the sexually frustrated one."

Lana laughs and takes a sip of her wine, "So you're assuming I didn't have sex today?" She raises both eyebrows at me, and I genuinely can't believe what just came out of her mouth. Mainly because I know that it is very likely that she had sex today. It's her second nature. Not in a shaming way, it's just what makes her and I a lot different, which in the end, helps our friendship.