The Thirty Fifth Guy

Chapter Six

Chapter 6 - Stars & Nicknames

Chris' Point Of View

"You're not from around here, are you?" Callum questioned, as we were sitting in the red and white booth of Chester's.

I shook my head, "Zach and I are staying with our Grandma for the summer."

He nodded, "That sounds fun."

"Yeah," I agreed, "Do you guys live here?"

They all nodded, "Yup. We go to school at the local high school, except Ryan, he's staying with us for the summer only."

"Must be nice to live somewhere warm all the time."

Callum shrugged and Hayden asked me where I lived.

"New York."

"Seriously?" He had an excited expression on his face, like a kid on Christmas, "I've always wanted to go."

"I guess it would be cool, from a tourists perspective."

"Well you're a tourist here," Connor put in.

"I guess," I said.

"Well this summer we're going to make you an official non-tourist." Callum tells me.

I nodded, liking the sound of that, "an official non-tourist, huh?"

He nods his head, "Ryan's already a non-tourist 'cos he comes down every summer. He lives in Boston."

"You talk about me like I'm not here," Ryan says.

Callum rolls his eyes, "you were too busy making lovey eyes with that girl across the room."

Ryan blushes a deep red color, "no way! Our Ryan likes a girl!" Ian shouts.

Some people at the tables around us send us questioning looks, and others glare at us for Ian's outburst.

I elbowed him in the stomach, "Now people think we're weird."

"Well you're sitting with us, so by association they think we're weird."

"Hey!"

He pinches my cheek, "It's okay Chrissy."

A lump forms in my throat, and I snap at Ian, "don't call me that."

He must see the upset look in my eye because he shuts his mouth immediately.

He doesn't know about your dad, I can't help but thinkbut I ignore it.

No ones called me that since my dad left, and I don't plan on those memories resurfacing for the second time in a day.

"Sorry," he mumbles and I turn away, "why didn't you get mad at Ryan when he called you that?"

"When did he call me that?"

"Earlier when he was making fun of you for throwing the football."

I shrug, "I must've not heard him."

He licks his bottom lip, "Why are you upset over the name."

"No reason," I say, turning away once again so that I'm facing Callum.

"Here you are!" The cheery voice of the waitress fills our ears as the smell of food fills our noses.

She puts plates in front of each of us as Hayden says, "yes! I'm starving!"

We all roll our eyes and the waitress leaves.

"What? Not gonna take a picture of your burger for Instagram?" Callum teases.

I take out my phone, "Now I am."

He rolls his eyes as I take the picture and after I lock my phone Ian snatches it out of my hand.

"Ian!" I whine as he tries to guess my password.

"Woah!" He says, his green eyes filled with surprise, "You're password's the same as mine! Twinning!"

I laugh at him as he scrolls through the pages of my apps looking for something.

He goes into my Contacts and I get bored so I decide to start eating my burger.

A couple minutes later Ian places my phone on the table next to my plate, "thanks for my phone back."

He grins, "No problem."

Lunch goes on, the six of us making conversation, accepting me like we were old friends.

After we're all done, we each pay and walk out into the cool evening air.

I take out my iPhone and see that its already seven o'clock.

I say goodbye to all the guys because we're walking separate ways and hug each of them.

"I could give you a ride home," Callum offers as we pull away from the hug.

"Nah, its out of your way, and its only a five minute walk."

He looks at me skeptically before nodding, "fine. We should do this again sometime, it was fun."

"Yeah," I say.

I wave to all of them once more as I start to walk back down the boardwalk towards Gram's house.

I felt someone burning holes into the back of my head from staring, and I didn't turn around because I thought it was Callum.

But if I did turn around, I would've found out that I was wrong.

***

"So how was your group date?" Is the first thing Zach asks me as I walk through the door.

I roll my eyes, taking off my shoes and leaving them in the basket by the door, "it wasn't a date."

"No," he says, "it was a group date."

His blue eyes bore into mine, searching for an answer.

He seems to find it when he throws his hands up in surrender, "fine! I know you don't like the Surfer Dude."

I sigh, happy that my brother finally chose to believe me.

But all those happy feelings fade when he starts running up the stairs, "You like his friend!"

"Ugh!" I scream in frustration as I make my way to my room and lay on the bed.

I decide to go out on the balcony and I close the doors, sitting down against them. I let the bottoms of my feet dangle off the edge through the little spaces in the balcony and I look up at the stars which are becoming more and more prominent as the minutes tick by.

Soon, my phone buzzes.

Yo yo yo its Ian, your bestest, hottest friend (; -Ians The Man (;

I laugh at the contact name he set for himself and quickly respond telling him he must have himself confused for someone else.

My phone vibrates with another couple messages all from unknown numbers.

Hayden's awesome :p -Unknown

Heyyyyy its Connor!! -Unknown

Who knew angels could fly so low? ;) -Unknown

I save all their numbers, and type responses to each of them.

To Hayden: i wouldn't be too sure of that... -C

To Connor: Heyyyyy -C

To Ryan: Dude you can't use a pick-up line on me! What about that girl you like (; (You're probably blushing right now) -C

I turn off my phone after I send them the messages because its about to die, and I look back up at the stars.

I try to look for constellations but I don't know any, so I give up quickly.

I don't know how long I sat there, but eventually the cool breeze lulls me to sleep, an I slide down the door until my head's resting on the concrete balcony, my legs stretched out beside me, and my phone as silent as the stars.