Dance In The Rain

~1~ Off The Beaten Path

"And if I went anywhere, would I have been in trouble?"

At Holden's silence, Tate nods. ".....That's grounded, Holden. Why am I the one having to explain this?"

Quinn comes out of the kitchen with new fries, and sets them in front of Mick. She silently pats him on the shoulder and walks over to where we are. "There's my favorite people!" She grins.

"HEY!" Nico yells as his face turns into a pout.

Quinn looks over her shoulder and gives him a smile, and then turns back to us. "What's for dinner?"

Tate grins at her, and it makes me smile. He really likes her. Not in a creepy way, but in a way that makes me relax. A way that makes us feel like a family for the first time in my entire life.

"BBQ nachos and a tenderloin," Tate says.

She nods and looks at me. "Crispy Chicken Salad."

"You on a diet or something?" Tate chuckles, and Holden shoots him a look.

"Hush. She can eat whatever she wants to. Go sit at a booth, guys and I'll join you in a few."

"Want me to make the two of us a pizza?" Quinn asks Holden.

"Sounds good, baby," he smiles as he squeezes her hand, making her blush.

"'Baby'...Gag me. Get a room," Tate pretends to hiss in disgust, but I can tell he's kidding. It's nice to see Holden so....Human, I guess. When we first came to live him, he acted like an old man with a six pack.

Now he acts happy.

"Go, tough guy," Holden says with an attitude, obviously not catching that he wasn't being serious. It doesn't phase Tate, though. He thoroughly enjoys annoying our brother.

We grab our favorite booth in the back of the bar, where we can still see and hear everything, and I open my bookbag. Even though I finished all my homework yesterday, I like to read ahead for next week so I'm prepared.

"Overachiever," Tate says with a grin, and I smile back. He's still a butt-muncher, but he's better. He's happy, I think. I think maybe I am too. I'm not unhappy, I guess. Not anymore. I don't spend every day after school alone, with just Cook to keep me company.

Cook

I still get pangs of overwhelming sadness when I think of my very first friend.

"What's wrong, Jules?" Tate asks me.

I shake my head as I grab my favorite purple pen with black ink out of my bag. "Thinking about Cook."

"What about him?"

"Don't you miss him?"

Tate watches me carefully, his hazel eyes boring into me so intensely that it makes me wish I could read his mind.

"I'm sad he's dead, if that's what you're asking me."

"Are you sad dad is dead?"

His eyes tighten, but before he can answer me Holden takes a seat.

"Man today's been insane. I just got a HUGE tip from a group that just left. Now we can get you your soccer cleats, Rex."

"Sweet," Tate grins, his eyes leaving my face and my question unanswered.

"How was your day, Annie?"