Dear August

|Twenty-one|

"Riley, you have to be home by ten," mom tells me from my doorway. I ignore her and continue to brush my hair. "Do you hear me Riley?"

I set down the brush and look up at her.

"Yes mom. I'll be home by then."

"Thank you." She exits my doorway and I continue to brush my hair. My phone buzzes from next to me on my desk.

August💗
Hey
I miss you

I try to fight the warm blush that starts to rise on my cheeks.

Riley🦋
I miss you too

I put my phone into my back pocket and walk into the kitchen.

"So what's this thing again?" Mom asks, mouth full of pasta.

I lean against the counter and steal a noodle from her plate.

"I'm pretty sure it's some anniversary thing for the skate place."

She nods and finishes off the pasta in her mouth.

"So what it's like a date?" She wiggles her brows and takes another bite.

"No. Not at all," I answer immediately.

"I don't know I like Luca. Maybe you should consider dating him."

"No. He's just a friend."

"What happened to that other guy you went on a date with. You never told me his name by the way."

I pause a second. Should I tell her?

"Yeah..." I hesitate. "I'm still seeing him. Dating kind of."

She raises her brows at me and sets down her fork.

"And what's his name?"

I bite my bottom lip. I open my mouth to answer but then my phone starts ringing from my back pocket. Thank god, saved by the bell.

"I'm outside!" Lucas voice shouts from my phone.

"Okay I'll be there in a second."

Mom shoots me a look.

"Yeah. I know I'll be home by 10."

"Your mom let you go out?" He asks as I get into the car.

"Yeah. I told her I'd be home by ten and we both know she'll be waiting up for me. So have me home by ten," I pat his shoulder as he reverses the car and exits the lot.

We pull into a lot for a building that looks like it time traveled from the 80's. I look over at Luca and raise my brows.

"Hey," he puts the car into park. "It's a cool place. It gives you a real retro vibe."

"If the pizza is gross we're leaving," I grab my bag and open the car door.

"Oh trust me the pizza is deee-sgusting," he shoots me a small smirk and hops out of the car.

"Welcome to Wavy Roller World, can I set you two up with a table and some skates?" A monotone bored looking girl asks us at the door.

The poor girl had to wear a sparkly jump suit with flared pants and a blowout hairstyle. I shoot her a sympathetic look.

Luca leans against the host stand and smiles at her.

"You're looking great today Jane," he greets her enthusiastically.

"That's what you say every time, Luca," she answers in the same monotone voice.

"A table and some skates would be fantastic," he sits back up as she walks to the back.