Lonely hearts

17. passenger princess

The sun was still shining brightly when I left my house to go to McDonald's with Nick, Chris, Matt and Amber. It was a spontaneous decision, and despite my doubts about Amber, I decided to join. It seemed like a good opportunity to have some fun with my friends and forget about the tension of the past few days.

When I arrived, I saw Matt standing by his car with the engine idling. His brothers, Chris and Nick, were already in the backseat. Matt waved enthusiastically at me as I walked toward the car.

"Hey, Olivia! Ready to go?" he asked with a broad smile.

"Yes, absolutely!" I replied, stepping into the car. Matt opened the passenger door, which surprised me a bit. "Do you want to sit in the front? It might be more comfortable."

My heart skipped a beat with joy, and I nodded with a smile. "Yes, that would be great. Thanks!"

I slid into the car and closed the door behind me, while Matt closed his door as well. As we drove away, I noticed Amber looking at me in the rearview mirror. She seemed a bit irritated, but I tried to ignore it.

"I'm glad we're finally going out," Chris said as he turned around. "I've really been craving a good burger." Nick nodded in agreement. "Definitely. And it's always nice to hang out together."

Amber was the last to get in the car and went to the backseat where Nick and Chris were already sitting. She stayed there for a while, with a clearly uncomfortable expression on her face.

During the drive, Matt and I talked about everything and anything. The conversation flowed naturally, and I felt at ease in his company. The atmosphere was relaxed and cheerful, until we reached McDonald's."

"I'm really glad I could sit in the front." I say. Matt smiled back. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Let's head inside."

But just as we were walking in, I heard a faint sound of irritation behind me. Amber's voice was sharp when she said, "It would be nice if you could consider other people a bit more next time."

I turned around and saw Amber's furrowed brows and disgruntled face. "What do you mean?" I asked, surprised by the remark. "Well, it always seems like you get the privilege of sitting in the front," Amber said, her voice full of resentment. "It's not really fair to the rest of us."

Matt looked between Amber and me, visibly uncomfortable. "Amber, it was just a spontaneous decision. It wasn't meant to hurt anyone." Amber sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but it always feels like you get the special treatment." I felt a surge of frustration. "It was just a matter of who got in the car first. I didn't mean anything by it, Amber."

"It's not about who got in first," Amber replied, her tone cutting. "It's about the constant preference for certain people over others."

Chris and Nick tried to defuse the situation by intervening. "Come on, let's just go inside and enjoy our food," Chris said. "We're here to have a good time."

"Yeah, let's not make a big deal out of this," Nick added. "It's really not the end of the world."

But Amber was determined and continued to voice her dissatisfaction. "I just find it annoying that it always seems like my feelings aren't respected."

The atmosphere grew tense, and the rest of the group tried to find a way to lighten the mood. Matt attempted to ease the tension by encouraging Amber to go inside with a less-than-genuine smile. "Come on, Amber," Matt said. "Let's just go in and make the best of it. We can talk it out later."

Amber sighed deeply, her mood clearly still not improved, but she eventually agreed to go inside. The rest of us followed, and we got ready to head into McDonald's.

As we walked in, I tried to hide my frustration and sadness about the situation. The evening was not going as planned, but I hoped we could still have some fun despite the argument.

When we finally placed our orders and sat down at a large table in McDonald's, the atmosphere was far from relaxed. The contrast between the excited mood I had experienced in the car and the tension now hanging in the air was significant. Amber sat on the other side of the table from me, next to Nick and Chris, while Matt and I were on the other side, facing them.

Matt opened his Big Mac and started on his burger with a satisfied smile. "This is exactly what I needed after such a day," he said. "I really love McDonald's."

I nodded and took a bite of my Quarter Pounder. "Yeah, it's always nice to have some tasty fast food. It's like going back to something simple."

Amber leaned forward and started playing with her fries, clearly still not fully relaxed. Her frustration seemed to linger. "Yeah, I get it," she said with a clear undertone of sarcasm. "It's always nice to get special treatment." Chris, trying to ease the tension, spoke with an attempt at friendliness. "Come on, Amber. It was just a misunderstanding. We're here to have a good time. Let's just enjoy the food."

Amber gave him a frown. "Yeah, but it seems like some people always get the privilege while others just have to sit in the back. It's not fun to always feel like you're less important."

I felt my cheeks warm slightly. "Amber, it really wasn't meant to hurt anyone. It was just about who got in the car first. I'm sorry if it came across that way." Amber sighed and took a big bite of her burger, clearly not convinced by my apology. "It's not just that one time. It often feels like I don't really matter."

Matt tried to break the tension by shifting the topic. "Have you guys tried the new limited edition McFlurry? I've heard a lot about it."

"Yeah, that sounds good," Nick said, with a smile that didn't quite hide the lack of genuine enthusiasm he was trying to convey. "Let's try that soon."

"I've already tried it," Amber said with a bitter tone. "And I didn't find it anything special."

The uncomfortable atmosphere lingered even as we continued eating and tried to find distraction in the food and conversation. Nick and Chris attempted to steer the discussion towards recent movies and music, but Amber's attitude affected the whole mood. It was clear that her frustration wasn't going away quickly.

I did my best to stay normal, but it was hard to fully relax with Amber's constant signals of dissatisfaction and resentment. As we ate, I felt the words Amber had said still hanging in the air. Matt and I chatted occasionally, but even our conversations were less lively than usual. Every time I glanced at Amber, I saw her trying to hide her feelings, but it was clear she was still irritated.

When it was time to pay, Amber leaned forward once more. "Look, I know you might not have meant it, Olivia, but it's about how sometimes I just feel forgotten. Maybe it's good to keep that in mind." It felt like her words placed a heavy burden on my shoulders. "I understand, Amber. I'm really sorry if I made you feel less important. That was absolutely not my intention."

We gathered our things and walked outside, but the tension remained. It was clear that the evening had not gone as planned. Amber's frustration had cast a heavy shadow over what was supposed to be a simple outing.

During the drive home, everyone was quiet, except for some awkward attempts at conversation from Matt, who was doing his best to lighten the mood. Despite his efforts, the tension hung in the air. It was an uncomfortable end to an evening that had started out promising.