NEON

16. Cibbles and Kibbles

Kaplan.

Booker walks through the door as my dad talks to me about how nice his hotel is. Booker nods to me and I walk towards them.

"Cyrus you wanna talk to dad?" I ask my dad and Cyrus both. My dad laughs and Cyrus jumps off the stool to grab the phone from my hand. "Oh you don't wanna talk to her? Okay. Sorry Cibbles." I haven't used her nickname in hella long.

"Kaplan! Gimme the phone!" She starts to try and grab it. I hold it over her head and laugh when she tries to jump up to get it. Booker laughs but doesn't intervene.

"Oh dad is about to hang up." I run away from her and she chases after me. My dad laughs and tells me to give her the phone.

"KIBBLES!" Oh hell no. I stop running and look at her with a playful glare. "Whoops." See what happens when I call her by her nickname? She calls me by mine.

I chase her around. She runs in front of the couch and I push her down. She falls on her back and tries to run away but I straddle her. I hold both of her arms down and put the phone to her ear.

"Hi daddy." She says out of breath. I roll my eyes and get off of her. I walk back into the kitchen. Booker tries to hide his laughter but it bubbles out through his hand that covers his mouth.

"Yeah whatever." I roll my eyes and lightly push him. "So . . . do you want lunch?" I ask opening the fridge.

"I was actually thinking I could take you and Cyrus out." He smiles and leans against the counter. I raise an eyebrow at him and he puts his head down, chuckling lightly.

"Umm okay." I shut the fridge door. "I know a really nice place. Well not nice but good enough for you." I tell him, rolling my eyes again at him being a snobby rich kid.

"Well okay then." I walk into the living room and see Cyrus on her back still on the phone. "Cyrus," I get her attention. "You wanna go to Marcel's with us?" Booker walks out and she nods her head.

"Well I gotta go. Bye daddy, I love you." She hands me back the phone and I put the phone to my ear.

"I will see you on Sunday?" I take the keys out of my pocket. Music starts playing so Booker grabs Cyrus and twirls her around.

"Yes." He says. "I love you Kaplan." He is always doing this.

"You too." Booker dances Cyrus all the way out of the house and to my car. "See ya dad." I hang up and put my phone on the counter. My stomach fills up with butterflies while I lock the door.

I walk to my car and start it when everyone gets buckled. I drove down the street to Marcel's and parked out front. Booker rushed to the front door and opened it for Cyrus. I stared at him before I entered.

"What?" He shrugged. I laughed quietly and walked inside. He walked in after and walked with me to Cyrus, who was sitting at our regular table.

"Cheap Cyrus." I tell her again. She nods in that 'I know' way and I became so proud.

"Wait no." Booker says when we sit down. "I'm paying. Get anything you want Cyrus." He smiles at her. I narrow my eyes at him.

"You're not paying." I simply state while looking at a menu. He doesn't respond when Kelly comes over to ask us what we want to drink, and I know I win.

"I am paying." I groan when she walks away with our drink orders. "I am the man here and I invited you to come. It's polite." I scoff and lean back in the booth.

"You are barely a man." He rolls his eyes for a change. "Since when are you polite?" I challenge. Cyrus looks at us with humor.

"I am always polite." He leans forward. "I opened the door for you several times." I lean foward as well.

"Oo. Because it's so hard to pull a handle then walk away." I mock him in a weird man voice. "Big whoop." I hold a small smirk while he full on smiles at me.

"Then you can do it next to time." He smirks and I shake my head at how stupid he is. "But you won't pay. Ever." He looks down at the menu. "Dear." He looks up at me with a big sloppy grin.

Kelly puts the cups on the table and holds out her notepad to take our order. Cyrus begins to get her mozzarella sticks but Booker opens his giant mouth.

"You can get an actual meal if you want." He tells her with a soft smile.

"Cyrus can get her mozzarella sticks if she wants." I glare at him. From the corner of my eye, I can tell Kelly is entertained by us.

"She can also get a burger or something." Now he was starting to get annoyed.

"I'm paying!" I stated.

"No!" His eyebrows furrow in frustration.

"Can we please just order!" Cyrus yells interrupting the strong glares Booker and I were giving each other.

"I will have mozzarella sticks with ranch dressing please." I smile at Kelly. She laughs and does that weird adult thing where they have to cup your chin with a humored smile.

"I guess I will have mozzarella sticks too please." He sighs in defeat and I hold back my smirk.