"I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious,
and it's words and stories so damning and brilliant."
~ The Book Thief
***
Mac is sitting on the curb next to McDonald's when I drive up at seven-thirty. Did I debate coming before I left home? Yes. Did I mentally kick myself when I actually told my parents that I was going out and hopped into my car? Hard. Then why did I come? That is still to be determined.
"I'm impressed," Mac says when I get out of my car and slam the door. I walk over to stand above him. "Usually girls take an eternity to get ready for a date and they get here like a half an hour late."
"One, we're not on a date," I confirm. "Two, I'm not like a lot of girls. Two-A, unlike your 'other girls', I actually debated coming here in the first place. Two-B, unlike your 'other girls', I don't enjoy taking forever to get ready for a date. Even though this is not a date."
Mac looks at me with a straight face. I like to think he is pleasantly shocked with me. But then he laughs.
"Well, I didn't know I'd made acquaintances with such a snark," He says. I raise an eyebrow. He looks at me, mimicking my face. "Fine, cynic then."
I roll my eyes. "Better," I grumble. "So where are we going?" I ask him and Mac stands up, towering annoyingly over me.
"I dunno," he says. "What do you want to get?" I look at him like, are you kidding me?
"There's a McDonald's right there." I jab my thumb over my shoulder.
"Yeah but that's just so basic," Mac says in a bored voice.
"And right there." I repeat. Mac looks at me as if I'm the most tiring person he's ever talked to.
"Well if you insist." He says, grabbing ahold of my hand and dragging me along with him to the front doors.
Inside is empty except for a bored and pissy looking girl at the front counter, who's eyebrows raise in an annoyed expression when we walk in.
"Reason one why I was right," Mac says into my ear. "Pissy red-headed bitch running the front counter." I roll my eyes yet again.
"What do you want?" Says the redhead, not losing the pissy attitude for a second. Mac raises both eyebrows at her, unamused.
"I didn't know they still hired bitchy clowns around here." Mac replies. I resist the urge to laugh so it comes out more as a cough. The redhead scowls unattractively at Mac. He smiles at her sweetly and continues, "One Oreo McFlurry and a -"
"Large Dr. Pepper please," I finish.
"Two fifty-two." She sighs I give her my debit card but Mac smacks it out of my hand and hands her a five.
"What the hell?" I say after she's given us our receipt and we go to sit at one of the tables by the window.
"What'd you think I'd actually let you pay for it?" He smirks and I glare at him.
"Actually I did." I reply.
"You have much to learn, my young Padawan."
