Lost and Found

Chapter 2

M A X I M I L I A N

S A T U R D A Y

Oh my God. Was it a date? Nah. I didn't mean for it to be a date. Did she think it was a date? She's just a friend I haven't seen since middle school. But she's gonna love where I'm taking her. She's gonna have a heart attack. I hope she still likes them though. What if she doesn't? Then what do I do? It'll be so awkward.

An alarm on my phone goes off.

Shit, I have to go pick her up.

As I put my shoes on I yell to my brother, "MYLES! I'M GOING OUT WITH A FRIEND FOR A LITTLE SO DON'T KILL YOURSELF UNTIL AFTER MOM GETS HOME!"

"WHATEVER YOU SAY, ASSHOLE!" He yells back at me.

"LANGUAGE!" I say right before I shut the front door.

I've only just started the car when I realize I have no idea what Percy's address is, so I open Instagram and type her name into the search bar. She comes up as the first account: @percyaaldrich17 and I follow her. Thank God her account is public, so I can DM her and ask where I should pick her up.

She responds almost immediately with her address, and I thank her before pulling out of my driveway.

When I pull up to her house, she's closing the front door behind her. Her autumn red hair is tied into a loose bun on the back of her head, and she's wearing an oversized Arctic Monkeys t-shirt that covers almost covers her jean shorts.

I honk and she looks up from her phone in surprise. Our eyes meet, and she smiles. As she walks over, I get out of the car to open the door for her, and the front door of her house opens.

A young woman pokes her head out and says, "Not a date, huh?" I'm pretty sure she's her older sister, Rayna.

Percy's face flushes. "Ray, I think it's time for you to shut the fuck up." She yells back as she climbs into my SUV.

I jog around the front and slide into the driver's side before handing my phone, which has Spotify open, to Percy.

She looks at me in confusion.

"Play a song," I say and start the car.

"Okay. You might hate it though,"

"Will I?" I glance over at her with a smirk, which grows into a grin when Low by SZA starts playing. "You like SZA? Didn't peg you as the R&B type,"

She shrugs. "Honestly, me either. Taylor Swift stays as my number one, though,"

I laugh. "You are just like Cat,"

Her face falls for a split second. "Cat... Hernandez? Oh my God, she had like, the biggest crush on you in third grade or something,"

"She'd kill you for telling me that, so thank you for the blackmail. She's my best friend now. Don't worry though, she's totally gay, and I am totally available," I wink at her in the rearview.

She clears her throat, "Anyway... Where are we going?"

"You'll see,"

"Okay, but is it even gonna be interesting?"

"Ouch, Perse. I can't believe you think I'm taking you somewhere boring," I can feel her studying my face like it's the first time she's seen it. The song ends. "Play Remember When by Wallows,"

She gives me a thumbs up before asking, "What's your password? Your phone turned off,"

"3419," I tell her. Truth is, she came up with that password for both of us when we got our first phones after fifth-grade graduation. The numbers all add up to 17, which is her favorite number. I got so used to it that I never changed it.