Suprising (thatcherjoe)

Chapter 6

"So... Your a college student huh?" Joe asks me over a beer. I have a Bloody Mary. "Yeah. Sophomore. You?" "Um in England we have college and then University. I decided that college and university wasn't for me. I did an apprenticeship for roof thatching." So he's from England. I keep this noted in my head. "Roof thatching?" I have some idea what this is but I want to know for sure. "I'm from a really small village in England. So instead of regular roofs like here, we have straw roofs. I go onto the tops of people houses and build it." I laugh a little and he looks at me with a questioning look. I laugh a little more at how I just laughed at nothing. "Sorry. It's just, you go onto peoples houses with material that is usually found on a farm and people pay you. And the type of material you use goes bad. So they have to keep repaying you. Doesn't someone just decide, 'I'm gonna get a material that I don't have to fix three million times'?" he looks at me a little then laughs. "Thank you." He says. Now it's my time to give him a questioning look. "This is exactly what I wanted. Someone who wouldn't just go along with what I said. You challenged what I believe is normal. So thanks."

•••••

Joe dropped me off 2 hours later. I barely drank any (I usually can down 8/9 beers in a night) and I actually had fun. I'm not an alcoholic or anything but it does run in my family. But I'm mature. I'm responsible. I can handle myself. Joe bought. He didn't make it out like it was a date, which I'm now thankful for looking back. A relationship with someone who lives and does very well in England is someone I don't want to get too involved with. He's leaving in 2 days. He invited me to have dinner tomorrow night. The whole YouTube gang is going to dinner as a last goodbye, so he wants me there too. I agreed. I feel a little bad that I'm going to be hanging out with all the Youtubers and I'm not even the one in love with them. i.e. Meghan. But I can't uninvite myself and let Meg go. Sadly it doesn't work like that. I have class at 11 and 3 tomorrow and dinner starts at 6. So I have about 45 minutes to get ready by the time class lets out. I'm scared I won't be ready. But Joe is going to pick me up at the same place we met last time and he will be alone. Then I won't be overly embarrassed if everyone else is late because of me. I pick out my outfit when I get home, so I only have to worry about makeup after class.

•••••

It's 5:17. I walk into the door and change into a maxi dress with a jean crop jacket. I put my hair into a sockbun. I have no idea what to wear for shoes. It's too cold for sandals but any other shoes will look stupid. I settle for vans. Not my favorite choice but they will do. I apply neutral makeup. It looks like I'm not wearing any, just enough to cover spots and blemishes. I grab my bag and glance at the clock. Joe will be picking me up at 5:50. It's 5:46. I hurry out the door before looking at the mirror that is hanging next to it. I look better than I usually do. I rush to the outskirts of the campus and see joe parked right where he was before, in the same rental car, but this time he's not in the car alone.

•••••

"Hi Kelsey!" She says as I sit in the backseat. "Hi Zoe." Luckily I remember her name. It sucks that I have to sit in the back but whatever. I've dealt with way worse. "So luckily I don't need to introduce anyone." Joe says from the drivers seat. I'm wondering how he's driving when he doesn't have an American drivers license. And everything is mirrored. "Yep. How's your friend. Meghan? Right?" "Yep that's her. She's doing great after the other night." I say in a happy tone. Zoe puts me In a fun mood for no reason. "She was so sweet. Oh! Here we are!" She says in her uplifting voice. We pull into the restaurant Olive Garden. Classic for a dinner meetup.