Around in a Circle

Chapter 2

Leah Cranston

"We've got so much stuff to pack." Chloe says to me as I drive.

"I know right?"

"And I've got some really cute outfits for Austin O'dwyer." She says his last name as trying to test it on her tongue. "Even his last name is so sexy. Don't you think? Austin O'dwyer. O'dwyer. Chloe O'dwyer. Oh my god! It sounds so good! Don't you think?"

"Yeah.... Sure Chlo. I'm really happy for you."

"I'm happy for me too." She pauses and I roll my eyes. "Oh my god. Do I sound obsessed over him?"

"Yeah, you kinda do."

"Okay I'll shut up. I don't wanna sound obsessed over him. I'm just so excited! Are you?"

"Yeah of course I am!"

"You're all good with Maddox coming with us right?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" I say as I stop at a traffic light.

"You know what I mean Leah." Chloe says and I look at her.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. But I told you, I'm over him and the whole situation."

"Okay. Well I feel like it's my fault if you're not gonna get enjoy the trip as much as you would if Maddox wasn't there."

"Don't worry about it, Chloe. It's fine. I still talk to him. It's fine. Besides, he's a fun guy to hang around with, and I would've told you that I wouldn't want him to come when we decided to invite the guys." I say as I start to drive again.

We soon get to my house and I pull up in the driveway. We both hop out and get all of the bags of shopping from today and walk into my house. I go straight upstairs to my room with Chloe following close behind. Chloe lives a few streets over from me, which is good that we're not that far away from each other. Chloe's parents and my parents are business partners, and because they met up for a lot of meetings, Chloe and I just naturally became friends, and for a long time at that. We like a lot of similar things, we're basically sisters. Unlike me, Chloe has a older sister that is five years older than her, but she doesn't live with them anymore.

"Ugh, I need like ten suitcases." I say as I dump all of my shopping bags next to my bed.

"Me too. But I wanna save some space so I can buy new clothes too." Chloe says as she dumps her stuff on the ground and lays on my bed. She's come to my house so much she treats it like her own house. I do the same to her, so it's not a negative comment.

"True." I say as I get my chair and sit on it, crossing one leg over the other, as I get out my phone. "Has Austin messaged you?"

"Yeah. He just said that he was excited to go. Nothing else, really." She says as she gets her own phone out. "Has he messaged you?"

"Um," I pause, debating whether or not I should tell her saying that he messaged me basically the same thing. I know this is only a little thing, but she really likes him, and I really hope this works out for her. "No..... We don't really message each other a lot.."

"Oh yeah." She smiles. "Should I make a group chat?"

"Sure, if you want to." I say. "Anyway, we should get packing."

"Yeah. I guess so. We don't have long to go! I am so excited."

"Me too." I say.

***

"Hey." I turn my head towards the source.

"Hey Maddox." I say as I hold the handle of my suitcase tight.