The Middle - Volume Two ✔️

Chapter 62

Jamie

~ December 26th ~

Boxing day, and I'm heading over to Lola and Dave's place with my dad. We're gonna have some drinks with Patrick's family tonight, even though he'll be off on his second date with the girl with the lilac hair. It's cool, though. My dad and me get along really well with Lola and Dave, and I'm hoping Steph will be there too. I may even consider helping her paint her nails tonight. Just maybe.

Erin and Jay have spent the entire day together, seriously, I've barely heard from them. Any expectations I had about going to Jay's parents cabin are officially out the window. I'd say those two will just go themselves, which is totally fine. I'm ecstatic that they've finally gotten their shit together, so if they wanna spend their time alone together for now, that is fine by me.

I haven't heard from Noah today. Which is kinda bugging me. I've barely heard from him at all since he left for the city, so I have no fucking idea what he's been getting up to in New York. But, whatever. He hasn't asked me what I've been up to either, and this shit works both ways. Kinda wish he wanted to talk to me more though...

I put a pin in that as I step into Lola and Dave's with my dad, and I'm surprised to see that Patrick's here. He's sitting in the living room with Dave and Pete, having a beer. Weird. It's after 8pm already. How fucking late has he scheduled his date for?

I raise my eyebrows at him and tap my new watch I got from Erin yesterday when he looks up at me. He smirks at me and shrugs his shoulders, before greeting my dad. Strange.

"Didn't expect to see you here tonight, P." I comment cryptically, sitting down next to him on the couch.

"What, you thought he'd hang out at the apartment alone all night?" Pete says to me.

I don't say anything, because I know better than to bring up the girl with the lilac hair in front of Patrick's family. They'd make such a big deal out of it, which Patrick wouldn't appreciate. But as soon as Dave and my dad are engaged in an in depth conversation about Pete's new car, I take the opportunity to have a whispered word with P.

"Thought you had plans tonight?" I murmur without looking at him.

"I cancelled." Is all he says, not good enough.

"Why?"

"Like I said last night, it's no big deal." He says, and I subtly roll my eyes.

"That's a shit excuse and you know it!" I whisper-shout back at him.

"I wasn't feeling it, okay? Drop it."

"You're so annoying."

He laughs quietly, and he doesn't say anything else. Well, that's that then. He's gonna grow old with a colony of cats. He's never gonna settle down. Why did I think he ever would? Oh well.

"What do you say, kiddo?" My dad's looking at me expectantly. Shit, what did I miss? I should seek further clarification on what he's asking me.

"Um, yeah?" Or, I'll just blindly agree to whatever he's talking about. Awesome. 

"So it's settled, we'll all drive up to Philadelphia Zoo tomorrow." Dave beams at me. Oh? Okay, sounds fun. I haven't been to the zoo in a while.

"Will Joel meet us there!?" An excited Steph rushes into the living room. Clearly, the zoo trip was her idea.

"No, Steph. He's in New York, with his girlfriend." Pete crushes Steph's hopes and dreams with one sentence.

"What's this?" Lola asks, walking into the living room. "You guys are coming to the zoo tomorrow too?"