Being Bitten

13-Being Bitten

Romeo gulps down some spit. “Of course.”

A grin breaks out onto Max’s face. “Nah, I’m just messin’ with you. Your face looks freaking hilarious, though!” He breaks out into a laugh, trying-and failing-to smother it into his hands.

Romeo’s shoulders sag with relief, “You are one evil man.”

“Hey, I can’t help it. I’m Mr. Awesomely Evil. It’s my middle name.”

“That's not a middle name. It's impossible.”

Max shrugs, biting his grin. “It just is.”

Just then, Astrid comes bolting into the room, taking deep breaths. Her hair is in her signature messy bun, sunglasses sitting on her brown hair. Bags of presents hang around her arms. The two boys give her questioning looks, but she hold her finger up, signaling, one minute.

“Friggin Noah tells me he’s going to pick me up to see Juliette. I’m waiting out there for one fucking hour and he never shows up. I don’t even text him, I just start walking. Half way here, some hippie van pulls up next to me asking if I needed a ride. Who wouldn’t say hell yeah? So me and this hippie dude start rockin’ out to some jams, and in the middle of the song, he crashes. Freaking. Crashes. Into. A. Freaking. Tree. So I totally ditch him, running as fast as my heels can carry me. And then I wind up here, receiving some weird looks from that bitchy lady in the office.”

Romeo and Max blink, look at each other, and like they read each other’s minds, they burst into laughter.

Astrid scowls, putting her bags down and slapping the two boys on the head. “Its not funny. This hippie smelt like hot dogs. What hippie smells like hot dogs? I had to sit in a van with a hippie that smelt like hot dogs. It was gross.”

“Then why did you even agree to get in the van with him?”

“Because I needed a ride,” She shrugs, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Romeo shakes his head in amusement. “You’re something else, Astrid.”

“True that.”

All of a sudden, Noah comes into the room, looking frightened and worried. “Have you guys seen-Astrid!” He rushes over to his girlfriend, attacking her into a hug. Well, as much as a hug you can get when you’re sitting down in a chair. “I was looking everywhere for you!”

“Apparently you didn’t try a hippie’s van.”

His eyebrows dip. “What?”

“It’s a long story.”

He takes a deep breath in, sniffing her hair. “And why do you smell like hot dogs?” That sends Romeo and Max into another fit of laughter.