Crash Course

Chapter 20

The drive-in was filling up quickly, but it's as if there was a section reserved for the lacrosse boys. Luke parked the car next to Camden and James. I looked around for Kristy and Nate but they were no where to be seen. "I have a surprise." Luke said, reaching into his backseat and pulling out a cooler.

"You really thought of everything, huh?" I said as he handed me snacks.

"I've always wanted to go on a drive-in date." He said sheepishly.

"You mean you've never had a date here before?" My heart swelled at the thought.

"Nope, never." He opened a bottle of soda. "I usually only come here with the guys. They'll dick around, get drunk and smoke, and then go party afterwards." James popped up in the window and I squealed a little in surprise. Luke laughed and rolled it down.

"Taking the top off man?" He asked. Luke rolled his eyes.

"If you promise to stay out of my car. Tonight's about Arabella, not you."

"You still mad at me mom?" He asked with puppy dog eyes.

"A little yeah." I replied honestly. "You were a dick. You owe Kris and Annabeth apologies."

"Okay, then will you forgive me?" He asked. I nodded.

"Are they coming tonight?" Luke asked me. "Annabeth looked all dressed up."

"She has too important of plans to hang out with me and Cam." James said like a sulky little boy.

"She has a date, with Ethan, here." I said, watching annoyance flash in James' eyes.

"Ethan the soccer player?" Luke asked, sounding shocked.

"Yeah, I think he is pretty into her."

"Him and Liam are real close all of a sudden." James said, steering the conversation. I tensed at Liam's name. "How is Liam?" James stared at me.

"Uh, good I suppose." I replied, not wanting to get into it. Luke also looked uncomfortable.

"So not to be a dick but I'm on a date, you should go back to Camden." He said jokingly, but his tone was serious. James rolled his eyes.

"Gotcha big man. Enjoy the movie." He wandered back to Camden's truck.

"Sorry about him." Luke said. I smiled and put on my hand on his thigh.

"Don't be. Your friends aren't used to sharing." My phone buzzed in my lap and I checked it quickly, trying not to show Luke that I was distracted.

Come to the bathrooms, Kristy is having a breakdown.

It was a message from Aimee. I looked at Luke. "I guess Annabeth is here, I'm going to run to the bathroom and say hi before the movie starts. Do you need anything?" I asked, Luke shook his head lightly.

"Tell her I say hi." He said. We both climbed from the Jeep, I headed to the public restrooms while he went up to the other guys.

"B!" Annabeth hissed, sticking her head out from behind the building. "Hurry up!" I quickened my pace to her, as I got closer I heard wailing. Kristy was curled up on the ground, tears streaming down her face.

"What happened?" I asked, frantically looking between her and Aimee. Aimee shook her head.

"I don't know! Ethan and I pulled up and I said hello and then she broke out into tears!" I sat down next to Kris, trying to calm her. After a minute or two she had settled down enough to talk.

"I'm just so sick of never being enough." She huffed.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm never the right girl, I wasn't for James, I can't be happy but the two of you stroll in here and after a few days have men hooked. And now Nate has his boy. What is so wrong with me?" She started crying again. "How is it that she" she pointed to Aimee "can come here, not tell anyone anything about herself, and at the end of the week have a date with Ethan of all people?! What's so special about her?" Kris covered her face and wailed. I stood quickly blocking Aimee from swinging on Kristy.

"Go, find Ethan, tell Luke I'll be back in a minute." I tried to defuse the situation. Aimee was pissed, but did as I asked. "Kristy, there is nothing wrong with you. Sometimes it's just the wrong place and the wrong time! You don't have to be with someone right now! Your perfect man is out there for you when the time is right." Kristy sobbed into my shoulder before becoming quiet.

"I should go back to my house." She said sadly.

"How did you get here?" I asked.

"I came with Nate and Max." She sniffled. "I don't want to ruin their date."

"How about you come hang out with Luke and I? We are here with the guys, no big deal." I lied. I didn't want Kris to go home and sit all alone, in pity and misery.

"It's not a date?" She asked skeptically.

"It's a big group thing. I mean James is there but so is Camden, and my brother and the cheerleaders are around somewhere. It's mostly just lacrosse guys." I said.

"Okay." She said, wiping her under eyes of smeared makeup. Kris was stunning, how she could ever think she wasn't enough was beyond me. "Let's go tell Nate so he doesn't worry." She walked me to Nate's truck. He sat the in bed of it with a beautiful man who I had never seen before. He was tall and tan, and looked like a football player. Nate waved as he saw us approach.

"Bella!" He said, jumping from the truck and hugging me. "This is Max. Max, this is one of my best friends, Arabella." Max reached over the side of the truck and shook my hand. Nate and Max looked thrilled as I explained that I would be taking Kristy off their hands for the night, but Nate calmly faked an "aw" of sadness. "I'll see you both bright and early tomorrow for the cabin?" He asked. I nodded, and we headed back to the Jeep. Luke said on the hood of the car, the guys all messing around together. He smiled when I approached, but his smile faltered a little when he saw Kris with me. He quickly covered it.

"Hey Kris!" He said, the guys all welcomed her in with open arms, even James, although it was a little awkward.