After All, I'm Your Secret Admirer~!!

Ch41 - Pop, Sizzle, Crash

"Are you sure this is okay?" Paige asks as he climbs into the RV and buckles up. The whole Squeeze family is here.

"Of course, Snowy!" Sam singsongs. "You're always more than welcome over. After all, you're no stranger to us, and I'd hope we're no strangers to you!"

"You're not!" Paige assures. "I just feel bad for crashing your Thanksgiving..."

"Hey now!" Dani calls, pulling off. "I'm the one who invited you, ain't I?'

"You are...?"

"Alright then!" Dani stops at a red light and turns back towards Paige, giving him a thumbs up. "Then no feeling bad!"

"Ah..." Paige mumbles, unsure if he should apologize or not.

"Just say you won't anymore," Leaf supplies.

"I won't anymore then!" Paige repeats, putting more into it than Leaf did.

"That's the spirit, Paigey!" Dani cheers, pumping a fist up in the air.

"Paigey...?" Paige echoes with a blink.

"Ma likes making nicknames for others too," OJ explains. "Though, his are a bit... less creative than Mami's."

"Oh, shut up!" Dani laughs.

"Name one person you don't use a shortened version of their name or just add an -y to," OJ challenges with one raised eyebrow and a smirk. "Go on."

"Ummm..." Dani hums. "Uhhmm..."

OJ rolls his eyes and gently ribs Paige, hooking a thumb at his mom. "Get a load of this!" he's saying without words.

Paige giggles and Dani groans. "Oh, what-ever! It just means I got a name for everyone!"

"Sure, Ma. Whatever you say."

Paige laughs a little harder, tickled. The way OJ would talk to his parents was so different from the way he would talk to others. It was so funny! He was so funny!

The rest of the ride passes by in a similar fair until they reach the Squeeze household. Everyone climbs out, but then Sam walks around and gets into the driver's seat.

"Are you going somewhere else, Sam?" Paige asks, tilting his head.

"Yes, my little turtle dove!" Sam smiles wide. "I've got to get a couple more ingredients for tomorrow! I forgot some stuff." She knocks her hand on her head and sticks her tongue out. "My bad!"

"Don't overbuy!" Dani waves. "You can get three little treats and no more!"

"Yes!" Sam cheers. "Alright! Be back soon, darlings!"

+++

Paige, Dani and Orville talk amongst each other while Sam is away, but it feels more like Dani Quiz Time.

He asks Paige all sorts of questions, from how he's been since the last time he was here to his favorite color to... the age he learned to tie his shoes?

"I think we were like four," Leaf supplies for that one.

"Um..." Paige starts, only for OJ to cut him off.

"Ma, honestly?" he laughs. "If you're running out of questions, we could stop your little pop-up game show and actually do something more than just let the TV run in the background."

"Psh," Dani scoffs. "I wasn't runnin' outta anything. But sure, let's do something else."

"Like what?" Paige asks.