Boys Will Be Boys

Chapter Thirteen

Author's Note:

I'M BACK! I mean, not really. I'm still in bed and I won't be back at school for another, like, three weeks, but ehh. Here's LUCKY 13. Vote, comment, fan, share, etc...

xoxo,
Q.

“I talked to Lilith today.” Nate says as soon as he sets his tray down.

I choke on my water and Emery hits me on the back.

“I’m sorry, you what?” I manage. Alana and Jess both seem unable to speak, and Katy is just staring at him, dumbfounded. Emery seems to be the only one with a clear head.

“What did you say?” he asks.

Nate sighs. “I asked her how she was doing. I told her how sorry I was. She said I didn’t need to be. I told her I wanted her to know how much I had really loved her. She smiled and said she’d really loved me too and that she was thankful for all I’d done for her. We kissed. I said goodbye.”

“Um…you kissed?” Jess asks. Alana and I share a glance. Somebody’s jealous…

Nate shrugs, taking a sip from his milk carton. “Yeah. Kind of a goodbye kiss, you know? We’ve been through some shit, man, and it was good to get that closure.”

Jess nods, but doesn’t say anymore.

Alana and I raise our eyebrows at each other. Those two really are just avoiding the inevitable. Even their parents know they’re going to end up together. It’s really just a matter of time at this point, and all of us are sick and tired of waiting.

“You know, sometimes I wonder what would’ve happened if our baby girl had made it.” Nate says, quietly.

The awkwardness of the table is palpable. None of us know what to say; or if we should say anything at all.

Nate looks up at him and smiles sheepishly. “Sorry for all the heavy unloading today.”

Emery instantly jumps in. “Hey, don’t apologize. It’s good that you shared. It’s more of that hippie thing Alana was talking about when we were at the hospital that night.”

“You know, peace and love and weed and all that.” Alana says, jokingly, and the mood of the table is suddenly brightened.

“So that’s my drama of the day.” Nate says with a grin. “How about you guys?”

“Nothing too terrible has happened so far.” I say, and immediately regret it because apparently, fate decided to be a bitch to me today.

“Luke.”

I look up to see Gabe standing there.

“Gabe, what’s up?” I ask.

He’s not smiling. “I need your help again.”

My smile disappears and immediately I know what happened. “Toby?” I ask.

He nods. “And Drew.”

I promptly jump up and follow Gabe as he starts running out of the cafeteria. I register vaguely that Emery is right behind me.

Gabe leads us down the hallway and outside, back behind the gym. I feel my heart drop down into my stomach when I see that we’re approaching the dumpster, which, for once, is closed tightly.

“I can’t open it by myself.” Gabe tells us, quietly, and Emery and I jump in to help him.

The three of us pull on the lid of the dumpster as hard as we can, grunting as we do so, and finally it opens.