personal, man.” The tightness in my voice annoyed me. I don’t know why I was still letting Friday night bother me so much. Made me feel a little better that he’d been there and she ignored him, too.
“Anyway, not sure. I’m pretty new in town so just getting the lay of the land, if you know what I mean.” He put his hand in the air and I didn’t leave him hanging even though his words rubbed me the wrong way. It was either give him five or punch him in the gut. Lay of the land? Who talked like that? Me.
“Sebastian! Matt! Back to work, guys. It’s time for the dinner rush.” DJ yelled at us.
The rest of the night, I took my anger out on pizza dough and tried not to think about Matt getting the lay of Aspen’s land.
***
“Sebastian, get in the car.”
I rode my skateboard down the street, ignoring Woodstock driving at my pace beside me.
“I swear, sometimes you’re worse than a child. It’s ten o’clock at night. I know your lazy butt doesn’t want to walk home.”
She was right. I didn’t want to walk. I stank like pizza sauce and all I wanted to do was get home and take a shower. “This doesn’t mean I’m not mad at you.”
“You’re pouting,” she teased after I got in.
“Only real men can pout without losing their masculinity. I have nothing to worry about there.”
She laughed and I couldn’t help but laugh with her. That’s why I avoided her. Even in the dark, all it took was knowing those green eyes were focused on me and I was a goner. My mom had the same power over me. I wondered how she couldn’t know how much power she had. Mom too. Why she let guys trample over her when she had so much strength.
We took the ten minute drive in silence. A few minutes later, she pulled into my driveway. Part of me didn’t want to, but I couldn’t help but talk to her. “Why’d you park here? I can walk.”
Aspen hit the interior light and turned it on. “I figured I’d come in for a minute. I probably have some groveling to do, and I’d much rather do it inside than in my car.” I knew she was trying to make me laugh so I quirked up the left side of my mouth and gave her a half smile. Even though I wasn’t over her ditching me yet, I was willing to talk about it. Like she always could, Aspen read between my lines and got out of the car. We were upstairs in my room a minute later. My mom wasn’t home, but I still pushed the door closed, wanting privacy.
“Have you seen Pris or Jaden?” I asked after she sat down on my bed. I took the beat-up chair at my computer desk.
“Nothing from Jaden. Pris is at some fancy dinner thing with her family.” Before I could reply, she sighed and then started speaking again. “I’m sorry I lied to you. I just, I have my reasons and I know I’m being shady because I can’t tell you why, but I would never have ditched you without a reason. There’s just some stuff going on right now. Not like that makes it okay, because it was still wrong. You’re my best friend, so that should always come first, but honestly, I didn’t think it would be that big a deal. I didn’t know you’d be so mad.”
I stared at her as she picked up my pillow and put it on her lap. One of her feet was tucked beneath her on my bed while the other Nike-covered foot dangled near the floor. I couldn’t stay mad at her even though I wanted to. “So, it’s not just Jaden who says I’m your BFF. You think so, too.” I crossed my arms and leaned back in the chair. It felt good to talk to her again. I couldn’t handle not talking with Aspen, Pris, or Jaden.
“You know you are.” She tossed the pillow at me. “Am I forgiven?” Aspen batted her eyelashes and something flipped in my stomach.
“Whatever.” I threw it back. “See, girls have it so easy. Smile and bat your eyelashes and we’re defenseless.”
Aspen scooted my guitar over on the bed and leaned back further. “Whatever!
“Anyway, not sure. I’m pretty new in town so just getting the lay of the land, if you know what I mean.” He put his hand in the air and I didn’t leave him hanging even though his words rubbed me the wrong way. It was either give him five or punch him in the gut. Lay of the land? Who talked like that? Me.
“Sebastian! Matt! Back to work, guys. It’s time for the dinner rush.” DJ yelled at us.
The rest of the night, I took my anger out on pizza dough and tried not to think about Matt getting the lay of Aspen’s land.
***
“Sebastian, get in the car.”
I rode my skateboard down the street, ignoring Woodstock driving at my pace beside me.
“I swear, sometimes you’re worse than a child. It’s ten o’clock at night. I know your lazy butt doesn’t want to walk home.”
She was right. I didn’t want to walk. I stank like pizza sauce and all I wanted to do was get home and take a shower. “This doesn’t mean I’m not mad at you.”
“You’re pouting,” she teased after I got in.
“Only real men can pout without losing their masculinity. I have nothing to worry about there.”
She laughed and I couldn’t help but laugh with her. That’s why I avoided her. Even in the dark, all it took was knowing those green eyes were focused on me and I was a goner. My mom had the same power over me. I wondered how she couldn’t know how much power she had. Mom too. Why she let guys trample over her when she had so much strength.
We took the ten minute drive in silence. A few minutes later, she pulled into my driveway. Part of me didn’t want to, but I couldn’t help but talk to her. “Why’d you park here? I can walk.”
Aspen hit the interior light and turned it on. “I figured I’d come in for a minute. I probably have some groveling to do, and I’d much rather do it inside than in my car.” I knew she was trying to make me laugh so I quirked up the left side of my mouth and gave her a half smile. Even though I wasn’t over her ditching me yet, I was willing to talk about it. Like she always could, Aspen read between my lines and got out of the car. We were upstairs in my room a minute later. My mom wasn’t home, but I still pushed the door closed, wanting privacy.
“Have you seen Pris or Jaden?” I asked after she sat down on my bed. I took the beat-up chair at my computer desk.
“Nothing from Jaden. Pris is at some fancy dinner thing with her family.” Before I could reply, she sighed and then started speaking again. “I’m sorry I lied to you. I just, I have my reasons and I know I’m being shady because I can’t tell you why, but I would never have ditched you without a reason. There’s just some stuff going on right now. Not like that makes it okay, because it was still wrong. You’re my best friend, so that should always come first, but honestly, I didn’t think it would be that big a deal. I didn’t know you’d be so mad.”
I stared at her as she picked up my pillow and put it on her lap. One of her feet was tucked beneath her on my bed while the other Nike-covered foot dangled near the floor. I couldn’t stay mad at her even though I wanted to. “So, it’s not just Jaden who says I’m your BFF. You think so, too.” I crossed my arms and leaned back in the chair. It felt good to talk to her again. I couldn’t handle not talking with Aspen, Pris, or Jaden.
“You know you are.” She tossed the pillow at me. “Am I forgiven?” Aspen batted her eyelashes and something flipped in my stomach.
“Whatever.” I threw it back. “See, girls have it so easy. Smile and bat your eyelashes and we’re defenseless.”
Aspen scooted my guitar over on the bed and leaned back further. “Whatever!
Similar Books
