Bates & Landon [Wattys2015]

LANDON

I look at Bates and Jonas. They were both watching me, just like Mandy was except she didn't have as much patience as they did. "Mandy," I shout to her."No I'm hanging with them for a little bit. I'll be home for dinner, bye!" I grabbed Bates hand, us all running towards Jonas's car before Mandy can utter another word on anything.

"She's gonna be so pissed," I laugh as we zoom off, the school disappearing from our sight as we keep going forward.

"Was that your mom?" Jonas asks, fumbling with the radio to find a good song for us to listen to.

"No," I shake my head, looking at him from the backseat. "She's my step mom."

"Oh, so what about your real mom?"

Bates snaps his head to look at him, "Jonas!" Bates turns halfway around to look at me, "I'm sorry about him, he doesn't think about other peoples emotions when he bluntly asks them personal questions."

Jonas shrugs innocently, eyes on the road and not us. "Oh, well." He uses one hand to keep it on the steering wheel, the other flipping through radio stations. "Dammit, nothing good is on. Especially when it's on the radio. Ugh," he made a face of disgust when he heard some song, a girl squealing the lyrics loudly, "music these days.."

We finally found a likeable band playing and listened to them until we picked up Emmy and arrived at the diner. The same diner Bates and I had ate breakfast together.

We shared a knowing look when we glanced at one another, beginning to grin. "Ew, stop looking at each other like that," Jonas said, laughing as he wedged his way in between Bates and I to pass us, swaying his hips to make us laugh. Emmy had attached herself by my side, her hand reaching up to hold mine as she giggled at Jonas.

"So why couldn't Jessie come?" Bates asked as the waitress led us to a table. We all sat down, opening the menu to look at all what we could eat. Considering I hadn't really eaten lunch today, I was starving and just looking at all the selections of food I could order made my mouth water and stomach growl.

"He is going to see his cousin, Kyle, today for some cook out." Jonas explained, closing his menu. Emmy was sitting in the booth beside me while Bates and Jonas sat by each other.

Emmy smiled, looking at her brother, "Can I get a chocolate milkshake?"

"Yeah, you can," he said to his little sister. The waitress comes to our table a few moments later. We all ordered burgers, a big plate of fries to share, and all of us some chocolate milkshakes.

"How many siblings do you have, Jonas?" I asked him in a attempt to make conversation.

He looks over at me. "I have two. An older sister and younger brother. Do you have any?"

I shook my head, "I have a step brother, but he's in college."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, he wants to be a lawyer," I informed Jonas about Connor. I never really thought of actually having a little brother or sister, not by blood anyway. And I was okay with not having one, it's fine.

"So how old is Mandy?" Jonas asked, crossing his arms.

"Um, thirty something," I answered, suspicious. "Please don't say you think she's hot."

Jonas laughs. "No, no, no. I mean, she is attractive. But I'm not going to try to hook up with her." I almost shudder at the thought, "Plus, I'm still looking for a girl to date. It's harder when the whole school ignores you."

"And whose fault is that?" Bates asks, looking over at Jonas with an amused look. Bates looked so cute right then. His pink lips forming a half smile as he looked over at Jonas and his eyebrows raised ever so slightly.