The Girl Next Door

19. Game Changer

After the movie ended, we all stretched out on the couch, our energy fading. The Flash had been great, but the weight of tomorrow's football game was creeping in. Blaine yawned, and Geoff mumbled something about needing sleep to "crush the other team." We all agreed it was time to call it a night.

Matt grabbed his keys and offered us a ride home, which we gratefully accepted. The air outside was crisp, and we piled into his car, the quiet hum of the engine filling the silence.

The ride home was mostly quiet, except for Geoff cracking a joke about Blaine snoring on the couch earlier. Blaine just grunted in response, half-asleep already. Matt dropped Blaine off first, with a quick wave as Blaine trudged inside.

Next was Geoff, who got out with his usual grin, wishing us good luck for tomorrow before disappearing into his house. That left just me and Astrid in the backseat.

Matt pulled up to our street and stopped in front of my house first. "You guys good?" he asked, glancing at us in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah, thanks for the ride," I said, hopping out with Astrid following.

Matt waved and drove off, leaving the two of us standing there under the glow of the streetlights. The night was quiet, the kind of peaceful silence that makes you want to linger.

Astrid looked toward her house, but I cleared my throat, catching her attention. "Hey, um..." I started, trying to sound casual, even though my heart was pounding. "Can I get your number? You know, in case I need to contact you or something?"

Her eyebrows lifted slightly, and for a moment, I thought I'd blown it. But then she smiled, pulling out her phone. "Sure. Makes sense, since we're neighbors and all."

We exchanged numbers, and I tried not to overthink the small smile she gave me as she saved mine in her contacts.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" she said, tucking her phone into her pocket.

"Yeah," I said, my voice a little too eager. "Goodnight, Astrid."

"Goodnight, Alex," she said softly, turning toward her house.

I watched her walk up the steps and disappear inside before heading into my own house. It was just a simple exchange, nothing dramatic, but it felt like something shifted. And as I headed upstairs, I couldn't help but smile to myself, already looking forward to tomorrow.

*****

The morning after the movie night felt like a blur. I barely had enough time to process everything from the night before before I found myself in the kitchen, staring at the bowl of cereal mom had placed in front of me.

Mom was sitting across from me, her usual calm expression more thoughtful than usual. "So, Alex," she started, her tone light but steady, "I heard you weren't at school yesterday. I didn't think you'd be the type to cut classes."

I froze for a second, spoon halfway to my mouth. It wasn't like I'd done it on a whim. It wasn't something I made a habit of. But I knew she wasn't mad, just curious.

"Yeah, we... kind of decided to take a break," I said, trying to keep it casual. "Matt suggested it, and I thought it wouldn't hurt. We went to a drive-in and hung out for a while."

She raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but not upset. "A drive-in?"

I nodded, hoping she wouldn't press further. "Yeah, it was fun. We didn't cause any trouble or anything. Just relaxed and talked."

Mom studied me for a moment, her gaze soft. She wasn't angry, more like... concerned. "Where exactly did you go? What did you do?"

I didn't want to lie, especially with her so open and calm, so I just told her the truth. "We went to this old drive-in outside town. Just talked and, you know, hung out. Nothing crazy."