Another Wave of You ✓

39 • Summer Lovin'

    "Jealous, Theo?" Zach said to the open mic, and the crowd went wild.

    "Says the guy who's not getting some," he smirked, and El's cheeks burned so bad she thought she might've exploded into a tomato. 

     Zach touched his heart. "That was cold, bro. But I'm proving you wrong." He turned to the shadowed audience and yelled: "Ladies, gents, who wants some of this?!"

    Multiple girls — and El thought, guys — cheered in response, blowing whistles and mimicking the action of throwing money at him. Daisy threw her head back in laughter and almost doubled over, and Zach turned to her then, grinning at the blonde, like he was proud of it.

     Then the song changed, and El screamed in joy.

    "This is my favourite song!" she let out, gripping Theo's shoulders with pure enthusiasm. He chuckled down at her, his cheeks flushed from all the singing and alcohol. 

    "Summer loving, had me a blast," El and Daisy took centre stage, gripping on only one microphone. "Summer loving, happened so fast!"

    "I met a girl crazy for me," Theo's deadpanned voice blasted through the speakers, and the others shrieked. "Met a boy cute as can be."

     El's belly hurt from laughing too much.

     Zach pulled Theo and the girls to him from both sides, and shouted to the mic, "Summer days drifting away to, oh, oh, the summer nights!"

     It became hard to tell whether they were laughing like crazy because they were having that much fun or because they were getting drunk. Zach's hand was suddenly preoccupied with a martini as they continued their karaoke, appearing to be the popular group of the night. 

     But while Zach and Daisy were getting drunk on their martinis, El was drunk on Theo's sweet taste.

     The boy wasn't at all ashamed to steal kisses in front of a crowd.

     Then Zach tripped and toppled down the stage. The crowd gasped.

     Daisy's audio mic suddenly amplified, the screeching noise enveloping the room for less than three seconds. Someone coughed.

    "Uh," Daisy whispered, staring at their blond friend being still on the ground. "Let's get out of here before they kick us out."

     Theo blinked. "Sounds about right."

     El just hiccuped.

***

     One am cravings were best served with only one restaurant: Amigos.

     A Mexican diner deemed popular by the locals, it was truly a gift from the gods when they met the smell of burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas and other edibles that made El's stomach growl. 

    "This place is sick," Daisy whistled low, looking around the place.

     When El first caught sight of Amigos, she could immediately see its appeal — from the classic red booths to the view they got of the overcrowded District. But it was the little things that stuck to her: the ketchup stain on the window, the brazen writings on the wall. It was obvious the years had worn the diner out; the g in Amigos on the billboard sign was on the verge of falling.

     But she loved it all the same.

    "Eleanor," a familiar voice materialised behind her, and she turned around. "Is that you, little dove?"