Coffee & Cigarettes

Part 27

~

"We are the ones who don't look back." 

― Elana K. Arnold

~

With every step forward it somehow always felt like all I ever moved was two steps back.

Both Ashley and Emma were avoiding me.

Three weeks had passed since that mess of a morning and neither girl seemed any closer to letting what happened go.

Though there was still hope for me. When I wished Emma a happy birthday she had at least smiled and said thank you before walking away.

Ashley had skillfully managed to avoid me so well that I haven't even gotten a chance to greet her let alone a chance to ask her about the night of her party.

Things at home had been tense for a while but after an at-home drug test and a long talk, I convinced my mom I wasn't using again.

I obviously didn't tell her what actually happened that night, I couldn't even if I wanted to. Instead, I lied that I had spent the night drinking alone at a nearby park.

I could tell she doubted my story but she didn't call me out on it either. She was just grateful that I made it home alright.

"You are such a shitty driver," Michael complained as he got out of the passenger side of my car.

"You can complain when you can drive." I sassed as I got out following his action.

"I can drive. I just chose not to." Michael muttered as he walked into the restaurant.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," I laughed walking behind him.

As soon as we stepped into the retro-styled diner, Fish & Chips, we spotted the rest of the guys already seated waiting for us.

Devon, Levi, and strangely Elliot sat in a corner booth laughing loudly about something.

Why Elliot was with them I didn't know. I definitely hadn't invited him along this time. Michael turned to give me a questioning look as he noticed Elliot too.

With the girls in my life ignoring me, I started hanging out with the guys again. It was nice. Though Elliot joining us was a new development. One I wasn't sure how I felt about.

He could deny it all he wanted, but I didn't trust his so-called friendship with Emma for a second. Maybe I was a hypocrite, but anytime I saw them together I couldn't help but feel a sick bubbling jealousy in my gut.

"What's so funny?" Michael asked, sitting down next to Levi in the cherry-red leather booth. The glow of the neon sign over the table made his blond hair have a faint pink shine to it.

"What took you guys so long to get here? We've been waiting for ages." Devon complained as I sat down next to him.

"Daniel drives like a granny." Michael rolled his eyes as he took the menu from Levi's hands before pretending to look at it. Levi shot him a weird look before snatching it back.

"Would you rather I hit curbs again?" I challenged, thinking back to when I first started driving and managed to hit something I wasn't supposed to each time I drove. I eventually figured out that when driving the goal was to not hit anything at all.

"No," Levi, Michael, and Devon replied all at once before looking at each other and laughing.

Our waitress, an older woman named Joan, eventually came to take our order and give us drinks before walking away again.