Lost in the Shadows

13

"How'd you know I liked pasta?" I asked Wes as he put the fettuccine on a plate and placed it in front of me on the dinner table.

"Who doesn't like pasta?" He laughed sitting in front of me.

"I guess you have a point," I told him as I shoved my mouth with food. I would have never imagined Wes as a good chef, by first glance he looks like someone who survives solely on frozen meals and meat. Not because he looks sickly or anything, because he looks healthy and fit, really fit. It's just I could never picture Wes in the kitchen getting his hands messy with flour.

We both ate our food over small talk and an actual laugh from Wes that made me smile. It sounded so pure as it bounced off the white tile walls in the kitchen. I wondered why he didn't laugh as much, almost every other time he would let a breathy laugh out to shield himself from an actual laugh. Today was different though.

"So I remember you saying that you missed home but couldn't get a plane ticket," Wes mentioned as we both finished up our delicious meal.

"Yes?" I responded in confusion as I took a sip of my coke, or as Wes calls it pop.

"Well," he said as he reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulling out a thin piece of paper. "I didn't think it was right for you not to see your family for thanksgiving, so I got you a plane ticket to Georgia," he said with a smug grin plastered on his face.

"No way!" I shouted in excitement as I ran around the table to hug him. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much!" I continued jumping up and down and to hug him again. Wes let out a chuckle, but he didn't hug me back, maybe he's too cool for hugs. In all the excitement I realized I probably shouldn't except it, "I don't think I can take this," I told him praying that he would refuse to take it back.

"Oh shut up! Shove your southern hospitality somewhere else, I got that ticket for you and you're going," he laughed before holding up his hand to object my uncontrollable enthusiasm, "I do have one condition though." I nodded for him to go on, because I would guilty do just about anything to see my family, "I want to go to, I want to see Georgia."

Did he just say he wanted to come to Georgia with me? I looked at him with a confused look, "you want to come with me?" I asked trying not to get my hopes up, but I admit that it would be fun to show Wes my hometown.

"I do," he told me with a smile, "I bought one for myself too, I hope that's fine with you."

"Yes, of course!" I told him even more excited than I was. I couldn't believe he actually wanted to go with me.

"Now go tell your parents your coming home on Saturday," he demanded yet still humored by my reactions.

I went into the living room to call my mom, when I told her I was coming home on Saturday I could tell that she was just as happy as I was. I told her I was bringing Wes too, and of course that rose many other questions, but I simply just told her that we're just friends and he wanted to see Georgia. I don't think she bought it though. When she told my step-dad he got defensive saying that he better treat me right and all that dad stuff, but he's all talk. As long as I'm happy, he's happy.

Once I hung up the call I could hear one of the boys talking to Wes, me being the nosey person I am, I tried to waves drop on their conversation. "Dude, you're so whipped," the boy said laughing. Wes didn't reply so I assumed that the boy got flipped off or something thrown at him. "It's nice to see you happy though, for a while there you seemed so down and only focused on work and other things I won't mention, so are you reconsid-,"

The boy was cut off by Wes, "Danielle I know you're listening," when he called me out, I considered just walking out the door, preferably to crawl right under a rock, but that would make things more awkward.