Riley
As I approached the train tracks, Danny was sitting at a bench, flinging his legs childishly. I sneaked behind him and playfully jiggled his shoulders making him shudder.
Before he even made an attempt to turn back, I laughed out loudly. Hearing my voice, he didn't bother turning back, he only pouted. "C'mon scaredy cat, let's go"
"Not funny"
"I'm pretty sure, it was" I leaned forward to laugh at his face. He leaped up and we both stood waiting for the train. It didn't take long before it arrived. Few minutes later, we were seated comfortably as the train wasn't too crowdy. Side to side, talking and gossiping and laughing and joking and a lot of -ings.
The train slowed down, indicating we were almost at our stop. I yearned, stretched and when the train eventually stopped, I got up. With Danny's palm in mine, intwined, we walked out together into the subway Danny as always ran out of my hand and out the station. I didn't bother following him as I knew where he was already heading to. I just sighed and sluggishly stumbled forward.
Right outside the subway, two blocks away, Mr Henry was sitting outside casually drinking, crossing his legs on the table in front of him. Danny was already at the front porch running into the door. I, on the other hand, went to Mr Henry and hugged him slightly before heading to the door.
The first thing that welcomed me was a scent of hot pancakes, the second was Raven's wagging tail, I crouched and ruffled her hair before acknowledging the bitter presence of you-know-who right across the dining table.
"Riley?, is that you?" Sarah's head popped out of the kitchen.
I waved with a weak smile, "hey..." I casually looked around, my eyes searching, "where's gramps?"
"Oh, I'll go get him" Sarah rushed back to the kitchen and came back out rolling gramps in his wheelchair. "He said he wanted to do the judging" she's stiffled a laugh, I couldn't help but giggle too.
"What?, I wanted something as good as Rose's pancakes and that-" he pointed back at the kitchen "that isn't even close"
"Oh yeah, sweetie!" That was all she said and it quickly got a response from Julian who wasn't even paying attention.
"Mom makes the best pancakes!" He screamed, eyes on his phone.
"Hear that" she made a smile of victory and stopped by the dinning.
"Thanks Sarah, we should get going"
"Already?" Sarah added solemnly.
"of course, we are staying" gramps cuts in.
"Gramps!"
"Riley, are we going so soon" Danny muttered.
"No honey, we're having pancakes" Sarah answered with a smile.
"yay!!, pancakes!!"
A quick glance at Jul who lightly shook his head, indicating that I shouldn't stay. Nobody noticed except me.
"Dinner time!, Rile, you staying?" Mr Henry juts in from nowhere.
"Well..."
Danny smiled and boldly answered, "Riley and I are staying for dinner"
"Jul, come help me set the table". Julian obeyed his mother and left but not before giving me one last glare.
●●●
"So how was school?"
"Great" I answered. Having dinner with my parents friends wasn't the problem, it was sitting in the same table with Julian that was. He was constantly shooting arrows at me with his eyes. I glued my eyes to the pancakes and regreted instantly, I shouldn't have stayed.
