When (he)arts Prevail

22

Near lunch time, their friends started to arrive. Mateo was the first one, greeting Alyssa with a long kiss and a hug that seemed to last for hours. Kaylee, feeling slightly uncomfortable, looked away to give them privacy, but quickly smiled when Mateo reached to say hello.

Brian, still sleepy eyed, got to the beach next. He kissed Kaylee on the cheek as he sat down next to her on the towel.

"You look like you just woke up," Kaylee said with a chortle.

He groaned and lay on his back, not caring that he was getting sand all over his shirt. "It was a long night at the studio."

Mike and Johanna made it almost at the same time and then they decided to head straight to a burgers house nearby. Kaylee wasn't the only one starving, apparently.

Denny would meet them there, since he was running late.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Kaylee asked for a table. The waiter, Fred, whom they already knew from other times going to that place, hissed at the size of the group, yet he managed to gather a few tables so everyone would fit. As usual, Fred's dyed blond Mohawk could not seize to amaze Kaylee. It was so spiked on top of his head. She always felt like touching it. One day she would work up the courage to do so.

"There you go," he said, motioning for them to sit and distributing menus over the table. "Do you want to order anything yet. Drinks maybe?"

Brian whipped his head in Kaylee's direction questioningly. She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. 

"Beer?"

"Two beers, here," Brian told Fred.

Everyone else ordered beer as well, except of course, Johanna, the future Momma, who opted for a fresh juice.

"Alright." Fred left to take care of their drinks. Given the opportunity, Kaylee sat in the middle of the table and Brian took a seat right next to her without hesitation.

When their cold beers were put in front of them, foam rising to the tip, Kaylee immediately took one into her hand. The cup was halfway to her mouth when Brian interrupted her, the abrupt stop almost making Kaylee spill the beer all over herself. "Uh-uh, missy. Cheers first."

She would glare at Brian if his smile wasn't so wide.

"Here's to the best fucking friends in the world," Brian said, raising his cup. Everyone followed and clinked their cups with enthusiasm. Silence fell for a moment while they sipped at their drinks and sounds of satisfaction followed. The day was hot and those cold drinks felt like heaven.

"You started without me, I see?"

It was Denny arriving.

"We have no time to waste," Mike replied.

Kaylee patted the spot at the head of the table, next to Brian. "Come on, Denny boy, we can toast again," she said and Denny sat down with a relieved sigh.

"It's so fucking hot."

Kaylee pushed her beer in his direction and ordered a new one for her.

"You're an angel," Denny thanked her, downing the entire cup, which filled the table with snickering.

A couple of drinks in, Kaylee felt naturally into conversation with Brian, telling him about an incident that had occurred at the supermarket that week with a woman.

"I swear to God, she was getting on my nerves, going off on the employee because she shouldn't be restocking at rush hours and there wasn't enough space for her to pass with her shopping cart. And then—" Kaylee stopped, laughing as the image replayed in her head. "There was a showcase of some new flavored chips, a pile of them. And the woman kept going, she didn't see it, she was looking back—" Brian started laughing lightly, probably already seeing where Kaylee was going with it. She, too, laughed. "She goes and goes, still complaining and whining, until obviously she crashes her shopping cart into the showcase and all the chips — I mean, all — just crumble down." At that Brian let out a wholehearted laugh, his head thrown back. "The woman stays a whole minute with her mouth open, looking at the mess, red with fury and shame," Kaylee continued between chuckles. "Everyone stared, it was hilarious." At the end of the story 

Kaylee was laughing as hard as Brian.

"Are they always like that?" Kaylee heard Mateo between Brian's laughter and hers.

It was Alyssa who replied. "24/7."

Kaylee turned to them and they both wore compromised faces.

"What?" Kaylee asked, trying to stifle her laugh, but failing miserably as Brian's subsiding laughter still rang in her ears.

Alyssa shook her head, pretending it was nothing with her.

When the food arrived, no one talked as they all dug into their plates.

Kaylee looked to her side, watching Brian devour his hamburger, not even pausing to breathe. 

She chuckled at him and stole one of his chips.

He glared and swatted her hand away, mouth full. "You have your own chips," he whined after swallowing.

"Yours taste better," she rebutted.

"They're the same," Brian stated as if Kaylee wasn't making any sense.

"No," she said, smiling, stealing another of his chips and popping it into her mouth. "These are yours."

He shook his head, failing to snatch one of Kaylee's chips as she steered her plate away just in time. They both laughed, swatting each other's hands away a couple more times, until eventually they gave up and continued to eat their burgers.