Off the Rails

Chapter Ten

Dakota
"I cannot believe you said that," Drake tossed his head back laughing. "Serves them right,"

I tried to smile, but I did not find the situation funny. The dinner at Liam's house had ended awfully. And I completely ruined any chance of a good impression with his parents. Not that I cared anyway.

I sat with Drake at the diner the next morning. He had texted me after I got home from Liam's and asked if I wanted to get breakfast together. So, he sat across from me at a table for two at Sommer's Diner while I recounted the whole horrific story.

The diner was fairly busy that Saturday morning, but Drake assured me that he had time to take off and talk everything out with me.

His mother walked over and refilled my cup of coffee.

"Thank you, Mrs. Sommers. I'm sorry, I feel like I'm stealing your help." I smiled.

"Don't you worry," she said, kindly. "Drake works in here just about every day of his life. He can take a morning off for breakfast with his friend."

"I'll work the rest of the day," Drake grinned and kissed his mom's cheek. I noticed they had very similar smiles. It was cute.

Mrs. Sommer's just kept smiling and walked off to another table.

"Your mom is so nice," I said, taking a bite of my amazing omelet.

"She's great," Drake grinned and looked at his mom with admiration. "So's my dad. They both work so hard, and I like to think they raised me right. I got lucky."

"Yeah," I said. "They did raise you right. You're a good son, and a good guy, Drake."

I saw a glimmer of something in his eyes before he looked at the ground, trying to keep me from seeing his slight blush. He failed. "Thanks, Brooks. That means a lot."

A moment later, he regained his composure and continued, "So, you told Liam's parents they were full of shit and—"

"I did not do that!" I interrupted.

He chuckled. "You might as well have!"

"I said, 'I call bullshit'. Because it was bullshit, Sommers! They were worrying about me fucking marrying Liam! And apparently they didn't want me to because I want to be something other than a house wife!"

"Oh, I totally agree it was bullshit." He couldn't stop grinning. He found this all so amusing. "I also think it's hilarious— imagining you not having a job and helping your husband run the family business, taking care of the kids, wearing an apron all day." He added playfully.

"Shut up!" I burst out laughing with him. Two minutes later, I was still smiling. "What's so funny about it?"

"Because you can barely sit still in Biology class without raising your hand to answer every question. It's just not you, Brooks! You need to do something that constantly challenges you, that keeps you on edge. And I can't imagine you any other way. So you being a fucking housewife to Liam—"

"Stop it!" I insisted, but I was still grinning. "Don't you dare imagine me as the person the Clarke's want me to be... or as Liam's wife! No way!"

"No way?" Drake raised his eyebrows, suddenly more serious.

"What?"

"You're saying no way to a future with Liam?"

"I'm saying I've only been seeing him for a couple weeks. And I don't handle relationships and long-term stuff well. I get freaked out, alright? Side-effect of my parents hating each other my whole life. That's the only kinda marriage I've ever witnessed on a day to day basis. So, no, I don't think about the future or marrying a guy I've been seeing for a couple weeks. Which is why I don't know why Liam's parents were freaking out so much."