— Wren —
The car ride was...awkward.
In the front sat Jenna and Tyler – Tyler behind the wheel – which left me in the back with Josh. Despite having the entire back seat to ourselves, Josh decided to sit right next to me.
To be honest, I didn't mind at all; Josh was undeniably cute. However, despite his bold move to sit so close, he remained silent, gazing out the window and restlessly bouncing his knee.
"Can you stop that?" I glanced at Josh, and he looked back at me with a blank expression.
"Stop what?"
I placed my hand on his knee to stop the incessant shaking, feeling him instantly tense under my touch. As I met his eyes, his cheeks began to turn pink.
"That," I casually replied, though I couldn't help but notice how much more nervous I had just made him.
"Oh. Uh, I'm sorry... It's just a... it's a nervous habit, I guess."
He glanced up at Tyler, who was giving Josh an amused look through the rearview mirror.
"We're here!" Tyler exclaimed as we pulled up to a Taco Bell.
Josh exited the vehicle and rushed around to my side, holding the car door open for me. Sure, he fumbled with the door handle at first, but it was a thoughtful gesture nonetheless. I smiled a bit and quietly thanked him for doing so.
"So, what are you going to get?" Josh asked as we walked into the restaurant, his hands tucked into his pockets. I glanced at the unfamiliar menu.
"I honestly have no idea... I've never eaten here before," I answered, biting my lip slightly.
"You've never had Taco Bell?" He widened his eyes at me before looking at the other couple, who appeared equally surprised. I shook my head slowly, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Taco Bell and fast food, in general, had never been on my radar.
"Order for me?" I looked up at the taller guy through my lashes. He grinned at me, his eyes squinting with the cutest smile.
"Sure. You've got to try the cheesy gordita crunch. Do you like Doritos?"
I looked at him blankly.
"You haven't had Doritos either?" He raised his eyebrows at me, mouth slightly agape.
"Unbelievable!" Tyler remarked with a dramatic head toss.
The guys ordered our food and soon joined Jenna and me at the table we had found. Though Jenna and I hadn't had much time to chat, we discovered we had a lot in common.
As soon as the guys joined us, Jenna promptly stood up, announcing that she needed to use the restroom. She looked at me, which I realized was my cue to tag along.
"Why do girls always go to the bathroom together?" Tyler looked at Josh with a puzzled expression.
"Dude, we use the bathroom together," Josh pointed out with a chuckle.
Tyler responded with a "Oh, yeah. You're right," between laughs.
Jenna rolled her eyes at the two boys and dragged me to the ladies' room by the hand. She quickly closed the door behind us and looked at me eagerly.
"Josh is so into you," the blonde blurted out excitedly, practically bouncing with anticipation. I chuckled softly, feeling my cheeks flush.
"You like him too, right? You two totally clicked."
"I don't know, Jenna," I began slowly. "I literally just met him this morning."
"But he's hot. Come on, Wren. You should see the way he looks at you! Don't you believe in love at first sight?"
My eyes widened at the "L" word. "Love? Josh is really cool, but I don't love him."
The blonde gave me a smirk.
"You don't love him yet. You just wait," she replied matter-of-factly.
I rolled my eyes at her, but still gave her a small smile in return. She took my hand again, and we walked back to the two boys, who were now sitting next to each other. I noticed they appeared to be engaged in deep conversation. As soon as Tyler saw us approaching, they both fell silent and gave us blank looks.
"Did you steal my boyfriend again, Dun?" Jenna asked as she sat across from them, grabbing her burrito. Josh just chuckled and handed me my...Doritos...cheesy thing...whatever it was called. The three of them sat there, watching me intently as I took my first bite.
"Okay, you can't watch me eat. It freaks me out," I said, addressing their collective gaze.
Tyler looked out the window, Josh at the ceiling, and Jenna at her boyfriend as I continued to eat.
"Oh my God."
The three friends turned their attention back to me upon hearing my exclamation. They all sat and waited for me to say something more.
"So...?" Josh asked impatiently, wearing the expression of a child eager to open Christmas presents.
"This is really good," I said, perhaps a bit too seriously. The three of them burst out laughing and continued to enjoy their meals as well.
***
Today 3:15 pm
Josh : U look cute when you eat
do not watch me eat, you creep : Wren
why are you texting me when you're
literally RIGHT in front of me? : Wren
Josh : u look cute when ur cranky too
Josh : OW why did you kick me??
STOP WATCHING ME EAT : Wren
Josh: ok fine
Josh : OW OKAY ILL STOP FOR REAL NOW
