Bad Memories // a.u.

chapter 3: alone

It's been a few days since we got to California and I've finally gotten everything unpacked. I have a few boxes set in the corner with miscellaneous things that I'm not sure why I brought, but everything else is neatly put in my drawers and my bed is made. I smile at the progress and go to check on how Skylar is doing. I knock on her slightly closed door and push it open. She has music blasting: All Time Low.

"How's it going?" I ask. She has clothes tossed all over her bed that's she in the course of putting into her closet. 

"I'm ready to take a break! I've been doing this for way too long. Let's go to the diner and get some lunch."

I collapsed onto the piles of clothes on her bed and groaned because the "diner" was where Keaton worked. I hadn't seen him since that first day except out the window while I was eating breakfast and he was surfing in the ocean. I had watched him contently as I ate my cheerios. He was with his brother and another boy that I didn't recognize, but I guessed was one of their friends.

"You know you want to go there and they did have good food. Not that you would know. You barely ate the other day."

"Fine," I finally agreed and got up. "I bet he's not even working anyway."

Skylar laughed and we walked to the small diner to find that Keaton, of course, was working and we were seated in his section.

"Hey, how have you guys been?" his smile was gone and he seemed worn down. 

 "Good," we replied in unison. We placed our order and Keaton walked off. He came back about ten minutes later with our food and placed it in front of us. "Need anything else?" he asked. When we shook our heads, he said, '"enjoy."

I sighed and sat back in the booth, feeling a bit disappointed. "What's wrong?" Skylar asked, her mouth full with fries already. 

I shrugged. "I don't know. It just felt kind of awkward and he didn't really seem the same." 

"Maybe you should ask him if he wants to hang out or something? I mean he is working or maybe he's just having an off day."

"I know but the other day he was working and he wasn't acting like that." I picked at my food like the last time and wondered why Keaton was acting like this. The next time he came to the table, I asked, "Are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah. It's super busy today, sorry. How was everything?" he set the bill down on the table and I can tell he noticed that I barely ate anything.

"Good, can I get a box?"

He nodded and his smile was back. "Yeah. I'll be right back with that. I was, uh, wondering if you were busy tonight?"

"Me?"

"Both of you," he clarified. "Wes, Drew and I were planning on going to a movie."

"Are you sure you want us to come?"

"How about you think about it and we'll stop by your place tonight before we go and see if you wanna come. How does that sound?" 

"Perfect," Skylar chimed in.

"Great, I'll be right back with that box," he grinned at me and walked off. 

On our walk home, we talked about tonight. "He totally wants to go on a date with you!"

"He does not! If he did, why would he invite you? And his brother and friend are coming too," I threw my head back in frustration. Why were boys so confusing?

"He probably just wants to get to know you better and he seems shy. It will be less intimidating with more people."

"I guess so. You never did tell me about hanging out with Wes the other day."