The final bell let's out with a series of cheers from my English class, everyone rushing to gather their things before Mr. Moore can assign any homework for the long-awaited march break.
Stepping out into the hallway is madness; the crowds seemed thicker today, the mood brighter- lit with the rising excitement of the school-free week before us.
It's a fight to cut across the hallway to my locker, and I practically collapse against the metal, relieved to have survived the mob. It takes me three tries to open my lock, seeing as I get bumped from behind several times and mess up the combination.
I meet Beau and Luke at the front, and together we head out into the parking lot, where Nathan waits, standing at our car.
He smiles when he sees us, opening his arms for a hug that I practically run in to.
"Hey Nathan, any family plans for the break?" Luke opens the car door, dropping his bag on the floor under the dashboard on the passenger side.
"N-not re-really. We'll pro-prob-probably g-get to-to-together wi-with m-m-my c-co-cousins o-or s-so-something." He ducks into the backseat, pulling me down with him. "H-how ab-about y-yo-you g-gu-guys?"
"My mom has her week booked with a fashion show in Paris, and my dad has some high-strung case he's working on, so I'll probably just chill."
I reach forward between the seats to squeeze Luke's shoulder, frowning at the thought of his often-absentee parents. Despite living a wealthy lifestyle, I know he'd trade it in a second to have them around more. It's why he's at our house so much, why he's also spent so much time out; anything is better than living in his giantess of a house alone.
"You're still coming over for dinner on Wednesday, right? My mom has a pretty big dinner planned."
"Yeah I'll be there, don't worry." Winking at me in the review mirror, Luke turns to look out the window, his smile still stuck on his face.
"You'll be there too. right?" Reaching for Nathan's hand, I squeeze it to bring him out of his thoughts, making him turn to look at me.
"Y-yeah, o-of co-cou-course." He winks at me teasingly before turning back to the window, tossing the words casually over his shoulder, "but w-w-we ha-have pl-pla-plans o-on th-Thursday."
My mind scrambles, trying to remember what we made plans for, and when I agreed to them. "We do?"
"Mhm."
"What are they?" I try to sound casual about forgetting, but he just smiles, trying not to laugh at my expense.
"It's a-a-a-a su-sur-surprise."
. . . . .
"Ms. Dawn, you're going to make me fat." Luke's groan is accompanied by a repetitive poking to his stomach as he sinks lower in his chair, clearly stuffed from dinner.
"I'm sure you can burn it off, go walk laps around the living room or something." AJ flicks him in the back of the head as he starts gathering everyone's dirty plates, carrying them to the sink to be washed.
"I don't even feel like I can move though, I feel like a balloon." Grumbling, he lifts his shirt, revealing the smooth stretch of skin over his waist.
Luke gasps, immediately pulling down his shirt with widened eyes. "I have a food baby."
His whisper only makes the act that much more comical, and I can't help but laugh along with my mother.
"And apparently I have five actual babies; who's turn is it to wash the dishes?" She glances around the table at us; Luke still concerned with his 'food baby', prodding and poking his stomach in amusement, Beau giving him a disturbed look. Nathan has his arm around the back of my chair, his leg pressed tight to mine beneath the table as AJ reaches for our plates.
YOU ARE READING
Love, Emma
Teen Fiction"E-Emma? It's okay y-you know. I-I'm used to i-i-it." "You shouldn't have to be, some people disgust me, the nerve of them." "I can't blame t-t-th-them, I m-mean l-l-l-look at m-me." He sounds so defeated, even though I can tell he's trying to hide...
