I could already feel the excitement building in my chest as I neared the church. I was going to a dinner they were having for free. Church members and anyone else that wanted to come were welcome. As soon as I opened my aunt's car door, I spotted Leo waiting for me next to the grand staircase out front. I could already feel myself smiling as I headed in that direction, his own face lighting up the second he saw me. I was surprised when he embraced me in a warm, comforting hug right away, but I enjoyed every moment of it.
"Hey," he breathed, giving the cutest smile afterwards.
"Hi. I figured you would already be inside."
"Nah, I wanted to wait for you. And Penelope and Tobey aren't even here yet."
I nodded a little as I started checking out the cars that were pulling up. Quite a few were already snagging a spot in the parking lot. It didn't take long before Tobey showed up, and then Penelope arrived about 5 minutes after. We all headed inside, the place busier than I expected as everyone talked near the long tables beyond the kitchen's wall. Eventually the pastor quieted all of the guests down, so that he could say the prayer. Afterwards there was an orderly line formed to where the food would be served by the volunteers and cooks.
"Do you remember what they're having tonight? I can't see up there yet," I admitted.
"Spaghetti with meatballs, breadsticks, and a small salad," Leo answered, straining his own neck to check out the source of the steam. I was getting hungrier as the delicious smells wafted in our direction, but thankfully they still had plenty when we got up there. We were all handed a plate with a decent portion of spaghetti, the meatballs optional in case people preferred it without. We then got to pick up a small bowl of salad, able to pick out our own dressing to pour on it. They had an impressive variety, but I just went with ranch, along with the rest of my group of friends. We found nice seats where it wouldn't be hard to get out if we needed.
"Wow, this is amazing! I didn't think they could top the casserole they had last month," Penelope confessed as she dug right in.
"What kind of casserole was it? I wasn't here for that," I shared.
"It was some kind of cheesy chicken casserole with celery, but it was so good! They also had green bean casserole in case people didn't want the other one."
"I think I would've gone with the green bean casserole. It's one of my favorites," I slightly laughed.
"Yeah, I thought about it, but I didn't regret the one I got."
"I can confirm the green bean casserole was amazing too," Tobey added, causing me to smile.
"So, did you go to that dinner, Leo," I curiously wondered, since he had been quiet.
He nodded as he attempted to speak with his mouth pressed together. "Mhm..." He swallowed hard before taking a decent drink of his lemonade. "Sorry, I had so much food in my mouth." Soft chuckles escaped his lips before he composed himself a little more. "Yeah, the chicken casserole was great."
"What did they have for the sides then," I asked as I took a small bite of my breadstick. I was trying to not make a mess, since I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of Leo.
"Rolls and salad again," Leo confirmed.
"So, do you want to go with us to the public pool tomorrow, McKenna," Penelope brought up. "It shouldn't be too crowded, since it's not going to be nearly as hot. I know we'll probably have another one, but I am so glad to be done with that heatwave."
"Yeah, I'd like to go, and I'm glad it's getting cooler too," I agreed.
"I wonder what they're going to serve for dessert," Tobey pondered as he licked his lips.
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Delayed Reaction || Leonardo DiCaprio
Fanfiction"You were the best thing that I ever had to let go."
