Show Me Love {Dylan O'Brien}

Chapter 7: See You Again

Chapter 7: See You Again

    I pushed open the bathroom door just a crack and peeked out. Dylan was now sitting across from Tyler with his back to where I was hiding. He had no idea I was here yet, but he was about to find out. Tyler just had to give me the signal: scratching his head and then licking his lips.

It was so quiet in the cafe that I could faintly hear their conversation from a few feet away.

"...your friend from middle school? Ah, what's her name again?" Tyler was asking.

"Avery? What about her?"

"Well, you said her birthday was coming up, right?" Tyler asked, glancing over in the direction of the cracked bathroom door.

"Right."

"So, why don't you..." Tyler scratched his neck. "just, you know, fly out there and surprise her?" His tongue flicked out to wet his lips.

    I pushed open the bathroom door as Dylan said, "The hell kind of question was that? We've got filming to do, that's why." and slipped out into the open, quietly walking up behind him. I stopped only inches away, leaned down close to his ear and said, "Then I guess I'll just have to come to you."

Dyl jumped about a foot into the air and landed on his feet, causing me to laugh uncontrollably.

"Avery? But what are you —? How did you —?" he spluttered. "Avery!"

    He reached out, grabbed me and pulled me into a hug. I was still laughing into his chest as I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed him close to me. I really did miss him.

"I don't understand. How did you—"

"Tyler and I set it all up together." I told him as we released each other. "He's very organized, you know."

"Tyler, you did all this?" said Dylan, rounding on his best friend in shock.

"I knew how important it was to you that you got her a good birthday present, and I also knew how much you missed her, so here she is."

"I'll be here for two weeks. I'm all yours." I said, grinning.

"Two weeks?" Dylan asked me, and I nodded. "I can't believe you guys did all this for me. How long have you been planning this?"

"About a week and a half, give or take a couple of days." Tyler answered nonchalantly.

    Dylan pulled me into a hug again, burying his face into my shoulder. This time he seemed to just be checking if I was real more than anything. His hands kept moving across my back, my waist and my hair as if he expected it all to disappear from underneath his fingertips.

"I can't believe you're here." he told me after a while, his voice muffled by my hair. "You're actually here in Atlanta."

"I am."

"I can't believe it." he repeated as he released me.

"I'm glad it took you totally by surprise. I thought you would have found out." Tyler said, smiling as we took our seats.

"Yeah, no, I had no idea." Dylan said, shaking his head. Then he looked up and squinted his eyes suspiciously at Tyler. "What else are you hiding from me? Cute girls? Pool Parties?"

Tyler laughed. "Actually, I know Holland's friend is throwing a party tonight, but Avery's not twenty-one and —"

"That didn't stop me at sixteen!" I cut him off, and Dylan laughed.

"Savage."

"We should go. You know, to kick off 'Avery's Annual Birthday Bash.'" The two boys stared at me. "It's a name I made up for my birthday parties when I was like... thirteen."

"Alright!" Dylan said in a change-the-subject kind of manner. "We can go, but for right now I have to get back to work."

"You literally just got here." I stated, looking up at him as he stood up.

"Yeah, I know, but I didn't expect you to be here or else I would have taken a longer lunch. I'm sorry, but we'll have plenty of time together tonight at the party." Dylan said, trying to make me feel better."

"You're right." I said, smiling. "Okay, have fun."

"Always do." He leaned down and kissed my hair, thanked Tyler with a manly looking handshake and then sped out the door. Maybe he was already running late.