The Elite

Recognized

I fell asleep quickly but was woken up a few hours later by Nathaniel. I blinked my eyes and rubbed them.

"Where's the fire?" I slurred and he laughed.

"No fire but it's time for breakfast."

We were stopped outside of an IHOP and I sighed.

"Dad," I complained. "We don't have time for a sit down restaurant."

"The man wants pancakes," he said and got out.

I sighed and sat up, one of the blankets falling off me. I frowned then went to unbuckled my seatbelt but it was already off. I looked around, confused.

"You looked cold and a little uncomfortable," Nathaniel shrugged as he got out.

I blinked. He had done something nice for me? I got out, yawning and stretching. I hadn't slept at all night before. Competitions always made me nervous and I didn't want to mess this one up. Matt's obsessive behavior had rubbed off on me."

"Four please," my dad said and the hostess happily led us to a booth.

"I am not sitting by him," Matt said when Nathaniel and my father sat across from each other.

"Grow up," Nathaniel snapped but I sat beside him, wanting to keep things civilized.

.... I think.

"Big, fattening breakfast," my father joked and Nathaniel and I laughed.

"Pancakes," I yawned. "Yes, pancakes and coffee," I mumbled, my eyes closing. "Pancakes, coffee, eggs, turkey, Thanksgiving...."

"Oy, wake up," Nathaniel said, shoving me. "Your coffee is here."

My eyes shot open and I looked down.

"Coffee," I said happily. "How'd you know I wanted coffee?"

He rolled his eyes and passed me some creamer.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" my dad asked.

"You know the answer to that question."

He shook his head with a smile on his face. I drank my coffee quickly and refilled the mug, adding more creamer. I browsed through the menu, finally deciding on my usual.

"What can I get ya, folks?" the waiter asked. He was an attractive young man around our age. "How about we start with the pretty lady here?"

I looked at Matt. "You heard the man." He glared at me while the others laughed. I cleared my throat. "I'll have the chocolate chip pancakes with scrambled eggs and sausage, please."

The waiter wrote it down and winked at me. I sighed and closed the menu while everyone else ordered. I handed him my menu and he held my hand in place. I snatched it back.

"Can we go one place where the waiter doesn't try to hit on me?" I grumbled angrily.

My dad laughed. "Your mother had the same problem. Every date we went on where we had a male waiter, he'd flirt. Finally we came up with a fun game. Every time it would happen, we'd stage a loud conversation about her multiple STDs."

Nathaniel and I laughed into our coffees.

"You didn't," I said, grinning.

"We did," he said, grinning also. "It was her idea."

I smiled sadly and leaned forward on my elbows. "Did you propose to her in a restaurant?"

"Nah, I did it in a park where we had our first kiss."

"Aww!" I cooed but Nathaniel and Matt grunted. "Oh, shut up you two. It's romantic."

"Where would you want to be proposed to?" my father asked and I pursed my lips in thought.

My father and I didn't talk about marriage very often. My mother had died before I started my period and that had been hard enough on him. Only recently did he start getting more comfortable talking about love with me.

"Probably somewhere that was special to the man and I," I said. "It doesn't necessarily have to be where we had our first kiss." Our food arrived and I cut up my pancakes. "He would definitely have to have at least one rose, though, or I would be severely disappointed."

My father smiled and Nathaniel made a weird jerking motion. I looked in concern but he was glaring at my father who was smirking.

"You women and romance," Matt spat. "Can we please change the subject?"

"Just get your phone out like you did while we were loading up," Nathaniel snapped.

"Easy," my father interrupted before it could get worse.

I didn't know why Nathaniel didn't like Matt but every time Matt was being an asshole, which was often, he would grip whatever he was holding tightly and step in. It was like he was trying to defend me.

I frowned at my pancakes. No. We wouldn't defend me. He hated me. Didn't he?

"You're Nathaniel Banker!" our waiter said suddenly and Nathaniel sighed wearily.

"Yes, yes I am," he said, turning to his breakfast pointedly.

"Man, I watched you fall. That was bad."

"We're trying to eat in peace," I said, glaring at the waiter.

"Seriously, though," the waiter pressed. "Where did you disappear to?"

"He's the shit scooper at the Turner Ranch," Matt said snidely.

"No he's not," I snapped. "Stop being a dick." I looked at the waiter. "Can you just le us alone, please? I want to enjoy my pancakes."

"But-"

"Can I speak with your manager, please?" my father interrupted in a calm voice.

The waiter turned red. "I don't think that's-"

"Your manager, please."

The waiter sighed and walked off. I glared at Matt but he just smiled and ate a large bite of pancakes. I'm never riding with this asshole again.

The manager was mortified.

"He didn't," he gasped. "I told him to leave you alone." He glared at where the waiter was hovering nearby. "I'm very sorry. I'll waive your bill and will serve you for the remainder of your meal."

"Thank you," my father said happily and went back to his breakfast.

"Thanks," Nathaniel muttered to my dad.

"You're welcome. Eat your eggs before they get cold."

We didn't speak for the rest of the meal. Matt had gotten his phone out again and I tried not to snap at him. It would be three hours when he had to drive and I wasn't looking forward to it. He drove it like a maniac and didn't have much restraint even if the trailer was hitched to the truck. Part of me wanted to offer to drive the twelve hours but that wasn't a bright idea.

We all got back into the truck. Nathaniel was still looked upset about what happened in the restaurant so I passed him my phone. He looked at me, confused.

"Dr. Mack's number is in there," I said with a smile. "Give her a call and check up on Little Bit."

He smiled a little and scrolled through my contact list until he found her.