Like To Be You ✓

thirty five

Like To Be You crossed 50K words!!! :")

o-o-o

"I don't look like a twink though, right? 'Cause these muscles aren't just for display."

"You don't look like a twink, Neil."

"What muscles, bitch?"

"Shut the fuck up, Zayne! And thank you Tyler, you're a sweetheart."

"Only because he's telling you what you want to hear, twink."

This is Zayne after four shots of tequila. He becomes snarky, and dare I say I find it very, very entertaining. It can be risky letting him get that far with alcohol sometimes, though, especially after the time he thought that it would be a good idea to provoke a police officer standing at the corner of a street by yelling, Hey, we're underage and drunk and you're too fat to run and catch us, before running all the way home and then puking his guts out.

"Shut up and eat your taquitos, Zayne."

"Well, I can't, because Meera's close to finishing the entire plate!"

"Guys, please don't attack me like that," Meera mumbles in a small voice, curled like a hermit crab in its shell, holding the platter of taquitos close to her body while downing them like she's starved for years.

I reach over and rub her back, offering what I hope is a soothing smile, and she tries returning it.

"Can you order another plate, please?" She asks in a timid voice.

"Sure."

"José!" Zayne waves his hands wildly, trying to catch the attention of the waiter, who's also the great-grandson of Mama Ana, the founder of this little joint.

José, ever-the-sweetheart, grins at Zayne.

"Another order of taquitos?" he says, tucking a pen behind his ear.

Zayne smiles widely. "And some carnitas and tamales, too, please. Make it extra spicy."

"You got it." José gives us his charming smile, then whizzes back into the kitchen.

"Have Tobias and Miranda left the party yet?" Tyler asks me. He slips his hand into mine underneath the table. I squeeze it.

"He said he'd be here a while ago. Miranda wasn't budging from her group of stoners."

"Oh." Tyler wrinkles his nose.

"What?" I say. "Don't like weed?"

"Nope."

"Any reason?"

"It smells bad."

I laugh. "God, you're adorable."

The glass doors open, bringing in a gust of chilly air.

"Hey, guys." Tobias slides into our booth, a grumpy Miranda following after. She perks up at the sight of mozzarella sticks and mini tacos, then pulls the baskets towards herself.

"Man," she sighs, stuffing two cheesy sticks in her mouth, "Fried food tastes so much better when you're high."

Tyler frowns.

"You should try a joint sometime." I suggest. "It's not that bad."

"No, thank you." He gives me a pointed look.

I nudge his shoulder playfully. He cracks a smile.

As the table gets filled with baskets of food, the chatter in our group rises. At one point, we're all gossiping like a bunch of old ladies at a kitty party.