clementine // joshler

35

josh's point of view

it's the first day of thanksgiving break and i'm getting ready to go to a game night thing at hayley's. it's not quite a party. we don't have enough friends to call it that. it's more that school is out and she wants to hang out before it starts again into high-gear since we're nearing the end of the semester.

tyler and i haven't spent as much time together outside of school lately. he's been picking up extra hours to save up some money for christmas. i've been preparing things for midterms and spending more time with hayley to help her study for hers.

however, she invited him to come tonight, and we're riding together. so, i grab my wallet and keys, then go to knock on his door.

he answers with a smile. "hey, j. it's good to see you."

"i see you almost every day." i step back so he can come outside and lock his door.

"noo, you know what i mean." he shoves his keys in his pocket after and follows me to the car.

i open the door for him. "i know. i'm just messing with you."

i get into the car and start it, turning the radio down a bit before i put my seatbelt on and pull out of my parking space.

neither of us mention the conversation we had or the fact that i kissed his hand. i wonder if he still thinks about it, if he wants to bring it up.

i glance over at him and he's looking out the window. i decide to take a risk, keeping one hand on the wheel and then dropping my other one to take his, which was resting on his thigh.

i watch his expression change and worry for a second that i shouldn't have done it. too late now.

"is this okay..?" i ask, weary of his answer.

"yeah, of course." he offers me a small smile and squeezes my hand, just like he did on my couch. it's a piece of reassurance that i find comforting and endearing.

"cool. anyway, just a heads up: hayley is very competitive, so i usually let her win, regardless of what we're playing."

"ahh. well, i have a bit of a competitive streak myself, so we'll see," he says.

i don't think i've ever heard him be that confident or sure of himself about anything, but i can't say i don't like it.

his phone buzzes and her checks the notification with his free hand.

he clears his throat. "apparently the two coworkers of hayley's that were supposed to come can't make it anymore," he says. "one of them felt sick and the other got called into work."

"oh. so... just us?"

"it seems that way."

"oh."

when we get there, i drop his hand to get out of the car. i don't bother knocking, i just open the door and guide tyler inside with my hand gently on his back.

"my favorite boys!" hayley turns to greet us from where she stands over the stove in the kitchen.

taylor is next to her, pulling plates down from the cabinet. "hey, guys." she smiles. "the food is almost done. there's soda and stuff in the fridge if you'd like a drink."

"do you want me to grab you something?" i ask, turning to face tyler.

"just water." he nods. "thank you."

"yes! get a drink and sit down. we'll serve the plates here in a second," hayley says, turning the stove off.

"alright then." i grab us both bottles of water and we sit next to each other at the table, per hayley's direction.