Loving Under the Influence

Five: "Arcade Music and Tacos."

Dani was actually having a nice time with her new found friends. Kaylee was much more entertaining in her element and around her boyfriend and friend. She smiled across at the girl who was covering her face in embarrassment as she grumbled under her breath. Dani looked back at where Calum and Carl were, both teens arguing over the video game in the restaurant as they waited for the food to come.

They were shoving each other over, trying to make the other lose as they played game, the empty food establishment mostly quiet except for the old school fighting noises and arcade music coming from the Tekken they were playing each other on. Calum shoved Carl to the side with a little too much force, causing the slightly shorter boy to topple over. He immediately laughed, wincing when Carl kicked him before he pushed off the floor to resume the game.

"I swear, they're like this all the time. You won't ever get used to it." Kaylee eventually spoke, twirling her straw in her drink as Dani chuckled.

The other girl smiled, both looking over at the pair of boys when Carl suddenly yelled out. He danced around Calum, the Maori teen rolling his eyes at his obnoxious show of victory. Carl quickly ran over to his girlfriend, forcing her out of her seat to join in his unnecessary dance, though she just let him twirl around her as she shook her head at him. Calum sat beside Dani, the olive skinned girl smiling at him briefly when he did so.

"I know I've just joined this trio but, from what I've seen so far, you suck at Tekken. You cheated and still lost." She teased, making him over dramatically gasped and pressed a hand over his heart.

"I do not suck, new girl. And I didn't cheat. Pushing him over was just an....evasive maneuver to gain a win, which didn't seem to work." He shrugged before perking back up, "But I didn't see you over there doing anything."

"Who do you think Crusty Donut is?"

"Well, now I'm going to assume it's you since you said it in such a condescending tone." He chuckled when she gave a closed mouth smile, leaning up onto her elbows before Kaylee cleared her throat with a cough as Carl draped his arm around her shoulders after they sat down.

"Could you guys stop flirting so much? The foods coming soon and I'd rather not be sick." A fake gag came from her lips as she held her stomach, covering her mouth as if she'd throw up at any moment.

Dani laughed, shaking her head as she leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. Calum looked away, poking the inside of his cheek with his tongue as he sunk down in his chair a bit more at Kaylee's teasing voice and antics. The food came soon after, silence surrounds it the quartet of teens outside of the occasional few sentences between one or the other.

Dani pushed her tray away, leaving the last two tacos on the plate, pulling her phone out when it buzzed to see Rue's name dragging across her screen. She excused herself, standing and going outside of the restaurant to text her cousin. She knew she could've stayed inside but it was chilly out and she'd rather stand in front in the cold.

{From: Rue ;)}
Where are you, CD?

{To: Rue ;)}
You know Kaylee, Carl, and Calum?

{From: Rue ;)}
Yup. Jules is friends with Calum and Kaylee and Carl go to our school.

{To: Rue ;)}
Yeah, well, I'm out with them at some taco place.

{From: Rue ;)}
Oh my god, are you at Taco Joe's? Bring me back food too!

{From: Rue ;)}
Yeah, sure. Tell Aunty I'll be home soon and ready to piss in a cup.

She tucked her phone back into her pocket as Kaylee came out, telling the younger girl that she had to go home soon, prompting Kaylee to order Calum and Carl to stop throwing salt packets at each other so they could leave. Carl took the time to throw a few more before grabbing Kaylee's jacket and bag, quickly moving to stand beside his girlfriend and leaving Calum to pick up their mess.

He did so, grabbing Dani's left behind tacos and passing them to the girl once he was on her side as they walked back to his car. She thanked him, only getting a short nod in response as he went around the other side to unlock the car for everyone. She climbed in with Kaylee, watching as the girl argued lightly with Carl for the aux cord, who whined about how she had it on the drive there. The charcoal haired girl won in the ending, Carl giving in and passing it to his girlfriend when she pouted out her bottom lip childishly.

The pout left as soon as she plugged her phone into the car, music filling up the very short silence with song black. Carl groaned in unison with Calum, Kaylee ignoring them as the car pulled away from the parking lot and the music turned up a little more. Both boys complained about how she needs to find new music and stop playing this song.

"You both better shut up because this song is amazing. Let the record show that Cruisin' by Smokey Robinson is a really, very good song and you two are just haters." She brushed them off, causing the both of them to quiet down once they realized they wouldn't persuade her to change the song as it replayed and she danced in her spot.

She only paused the song to lean out of the window for a goodbye to Dani, who bent down and hugged her through the window as Rue and Gia stood at the threshold of the house, motioning for her to hurry up. She quickly gave a goodbye to Carl and Calum, rushing up to the house and passing Rue her food. Gia took the container instead, Dani looking to rue.

"She's keeping it secret that we have a stowaway in our room. Now, go piss in a cup for my mom before she gets off her call and met me in the room. Don't tell her about Jules." Rue rattled out before rushing back to her room.

Dani listened to her rushed orders, going into the bathroom and taking the cup that was already set up for her test.