Strawberry Sweet

.Bad Tastes and Sad Nostalgia.

🍓Chapter Two: Bad Tastes and Sad Nostalgia 🍓

🍓Strawberry Sweet🍓

"So, Ryan, Nichole. You two go to waterridge high?" Drake's father... Nathan, I think it was, asks. We're all sat down at the dinner table. The food spread across the table looking like a feast fit for a king. It's truly astonishing that I can't seem to eat right now. Normally I'd be all over this food, but like I said. I'm socially awkward in new environments.

"Actually Mr... uh" I stop when I realize I have no clue what his last name is. What is his last name? Twenty bucks say it's bridged.

"Chambers," he says with a nod. Well, twenty bucks were wrong...

"Right, Mr. Chambers, We haven't started school yet. We start on Monday, actually" I look over at Ryan who seems more interested in the mashed potatoes on his plate, rather than the conversation currently held. He prods at his potatoes with his fork. A melancholy frown playing across his face.

"You guys will sit next to us at lunch, won't you?" Luke asks looking between Ryan, and I. Probably, who else would we sit with?

"Quit, dude!" Hunter speaks up. "I already called dibs on blondie!" He huffs pointing a finger in my direction with a whine. At least I know that by 'blondie' he means me and not my brother.

"Not if I get to her first" Drake tells his little brother, pinching his cheeks. How cute. Now their both flirting. Drake looks back at me and locks eye contact. I open my mouth to speak but no words come out. The vocabulary ripped straight from my mouth.

His eyes are so... god damn mesmerizing. I regain control of my gaze once more when he winks at me and comments something to his father, striking up a new conversation I could not care to take interest in at the moment.

God damn those eyes.

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The diner was over and the adults had made their way to the living room to reminisce about the past and the rest of us took the opportunity to sneak off upstairs. Originally I was just going to stay downstairs and play on my phone to pass time, but Ryan, Luke, and Drake had clicked easily. They've been acting like they have been friends for years, oppose to hours.

They had insisted that I come to hang out with them, that it would be fun, and that no one wants to hang out with -and I quote- 'the old people'. I had given in to the little devil on my shoulder and followed them up the stairs, Luke dragging me by my hand the whole way to Drake's room.

"Dude, you should definitely join the football team, look at you, you're jacked," Luke tells my brother lifting up his arm for emphasis. Ryan chuckles.

"Actually, I play soccer. Do you guys have a soccer team at waterridge?" My brother asks. And it's true, Ryan kicks ass at soccer. He's probably the best I've ever seen. He is sure to make a career out of it.

"Yeah, we do. But I get it, get kicked in the shin, not tackled" Luke laughs taking a drink of a clear liquid. He makes a disgusted face afterward.

"That's what shin guards are for bro" Drake chuckles. "What about you?" Drake points at me.

"Are you going to join the cheerleading team?" He asks with a raised eyebrow.
I shake my head no. I hadn't planned on it.

"Why not? You've got the perfect body for it" he winks at me. I stare down at my hands and ask "Do you guys play sports?" Trying to hide my blush, while changing the subject.

Luke hands me the water he has in his hand, offering me some. "Actually, Drake is the quarterback, and I'm the running back for our school" he chirps up proudly. I don't know why I decided to take a drink... I didn't crave water right then, but somehow I subconsciously took a sip of Luke's drink.

"Oh my god, what the hell, Luke? I thought that was water!" I sputter out as the burning vodka rolls down my throat.

I let out a cough. Luke just chuckles as Ryan clutches his stomach dying of laughter

"First of all," Drake leans forward and wipes some of the liquid off of my chin. "Quiet down. People in Chicago can hear you." Pfft. Doubtful. "And second of all, live little, Blue eyes."

Before I could retort a voice interrupts me.

"Kids we're leaving!" My father shouts from outside the door. "Come on" he knocks again. I stand up quickly, happy to get out of this place.

Ryan and I give the two boys a reassuring smile before getting up to leave. "I'm counting on seeing you guys Monday" Luke teases. With a smile.

"You got it" I chuckle closing the bedroom door behind Ryan and me.
At least we will know some people here, instead of being completely friendless.

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"Berry! Get up you brat!" My brother jumps up and down shouting on my bed.

"Ugh, leave me alone, Ry!" I groan and roll over. He rips the blankets off of me without warning exposing my legs and arms, with no protection from the cold house's temperature.

"What the hell do you want?" I snap finally sitting up in my bed. My eyes wander to the newly put up pictures and decorations. My old school flags hang on the walls. My cheerleading pompoms put on my chair. I had forgotten I'd finished unpacking my room last night.
Wait... last night? Oh, that means...

"We have to get ready for school!" He shouts and sits down next to me. Yep, it's confirmed, we have school today.

"Dad made a strawberry pie," Ryan tells me with a pitiful smile, letting the cheerful air around us settle into a heavy one.

"He tried to make it like mom did... he doesn't have the recipe so I don't know how good it is but you should try it. He's having a hard time with all of this too, you know" Ryan says in a gentle voice, and for a moment, I feel like crying. Like sobbing to my heart's content. Like feeling horrible all over again as I think of how my mother used to bake a strawberry pie for Ryan and me after his soccer games and my cheerleading practice.

Just for a moment, I wanted to die all over again.

It all started three years ago when I fell in love with that first simple, sweet, strawberry pie...