The List

Chapter Six

Monday morning comes far too soon. After the Saturday night's drive with Rhett, I slept until three in the afternoon on Sunday and spent the rest of the day doing homework. Liam tried to talk me into going to dinner with everyone, but the pile of homework convinced me otherwise. I spent an hour and a half having to write an introductory essay for creative writing, and describe myself, my friend, and my family. Chemistry is what took the longest, I was thankful to have gotten as much as I did on Saturday done, or else I would've been up much later than when I went to sleep at one in the morning.

I drag myself out of bed when my seven o'clock alarm goes off and manage to get to literature by eight. Lectures drag on and on all day. The week seems like it'll never end when Thursday comes and I'm out to dinner with everyone. We go to a self-serve Mediterranean restaurant to watch football. When we're in line, to put together our bowls, Rhett stands beside me. We haven't made any plans, yet, to cross something new off my list, so I don't ask what he's thinking. He takes forever filling his bowl, to the point where Liam, Nathan, and Grace have already given their bowls to the cooks to prepare.

"So," Rhett says, leaning towards me. "Don't make plans tomorrow night, because we're crossing something off."

"What're we doing?"

He grins smugly. "That I can't tell you."

"What about what I should wear?"

He thinks for a second. "Do you own any leather pants?"

I stare at him blankly for a moment, as we make it to the counter. "No, I don't own any of those."

"Okay." He sighs. "I guess-fuck. I don't know. Dress what you'd wear to go out to a club or something."

"Are we going to a club?" I ask him, as we get closer to the table. "That's number eighty."

He rolls his eyes. "I know, and no, we're not. It's something better."

We finally make it to the table and sit back down.

"What took so long?" Liam asks.

Rhett rolls his eyes. "Your sister took forever picking what sauce she wanted."

I roll my eyes back at him, silently thanking him that he wants this to be as secret as I do. 

Our bowls arrive and silence ensues as we dig in. I've never tasted anything so good before. At first, I was nervous that I wouldn't like it because you put your own seasoning, vegetable, and meat together to be cooked. As I made it, I just remembered what my dad would do when he cooked steaks at home.

"So what's the plan for tomorrow?" Liam asks.

I stop mid-bite and almost look over at Rhett. He continues eating and shrugs his shoulders.

"Whatever you guys have planned. I have things to do." He says.

"Which girl?" Nathan asks.

Rhett just flicks him off and laughs. "No girl, just plans."

"You going to tell us, or just keep us wondering?" Grace asks.

"It's nothing, seriously." He says. "Just driving out of town for the night."

"Okay." Liam sighs, sounding unconvinced. "What about you Care?"

I shrug my shoulders. "What are you guys doing?"

"Another party." Nathan answers.