Finding Lena | ✔️

Chapter Nine

"How about we ditch today?" he suggests, leaning on the lockers beside him.

His face is so persuasively innocent that I have no idea what to say. Caleb grins the lopsided grin I love, and adds, "Come on, do you actually want to be here today?"

"Honestly, I don't want to be here any day," I reply as I begin the short journey to biology.

He grabs my arm gently and eases me back, face pleading. "It's just one day, I have no doubt your perfect GPA can remain perfect, even if you have one day off."

"It's not my GPA I'm worried about, it's yours."

He chuckles. "I can worry about that tomorrow."

I look to the end of the corridor and notice Phoebe staring at us, eyes ablaze.

I turn back to him, and respond slowly, "If we get in trouble for this..."

He smiles, green eyes wild, while the blue tints in them seem to brighten.

Clutching my arm in his hand, he jogs down the corridor with me in tow.

And I can't help but laugh along with him as we race out of the building as quickly as we can. We skid to a stop at his car and hop in.

He twists the key in the ignition and it purrs to life. He reverses from his spot and speeds out the lot, away from the school.

Caleb is still laughing as we race down the road, and I'm still chuckling along with him.

"See, was that fun, or was that fun?" he says, raising his eyebrow with a grin still plastered to his face.

"I'll admit, that was very fun."

"Where to?" Caleb asks, cheerfully.

"Anywhere."

"School?"

I shoot him a look that says, No way.

He chuckles quietly. "I'm kidding. But really, where'd you wanna go?"

"Well, you're new to town, where do you wanna go?"

He deliberates. "What about that diner, just off the highway?"

"I love that place." I smile. "Sure."

He grins and speeds up. When we get there, he splashes through some puddles on the patchwork parking lot, and rolls to a stop in a space near the door.

We both shove our hands in our pockets and fast-walk to the door. A bell sounds overhead when it opens as the warmth of the room hits us in the face.

Caleb leads me to a booth, and we both slide around the table so that we are sat opposite each other.

After we order our food, and a blonde woman brings it over to us, we sit in a comfortable silence. Caleb takes a bite of his burger.

"I like this place," he comments, gazing around him at the 60s-styled diner, with its red leather seats, black and white floor tiles, and neon signs.

"I stopped coming around freshman year, it's kinda popular-kid-central," I explain, remembering the time Phoebe poured banana milkshake down my shirt here. I shudder, recalling the hysteric sounds of laughter.

He stares at me through thoughtful eyes, crossing his arms in front of him. "Well, I'm honoured to have been the reason for you coming back."

"I think it's more about the milkshakes than you, Caleb."

He throws a fry at me, but I duck out the way before it hits me.

I take a slurp of my strawberry shake, relishing its delicious sweetness.

"Maybe I should've invited Phoebe along, she would've appreciated me a bit more than you," he jokes, shrugging his shoulders with mock-helplessness.

Still with a mouth full of smoothie, I projectile spit it out on the table, erupting in a fit of laughter. Caleb stares for a second, thankful it didn't reach him, and then bursts out in a fit of hysterics.

And so we sit there, laughing like two crazy people, while other customers stare at us with condescending looks.