PEACHES [bws]

19. FEELINGS

19.

"It's totally cool if you don't want to go," Brad says as he looks over at Summer from across the table. He sat next to Grayson who had his head down nervously.

"I should be able to go," she nods, glad she had an excuse to leave the house. Grayson was being given work shift after work shift and couldn't find any spare time to see her outside of school, so she was bored laying at the house alone.

"Okay. Well, let me know and I'll take you there," Brad says. He didn't particularly want her to go, just because his friends can be loud and annoying when there's alcohol in their system. But he's glad she is because that means he can tune out his friends and just talk to her instead.

She smiles at him and nods. "I will. Tell Tristan I said thank you for the invite, too."

"Okay, see you later, peaches."

He stands up and walks back to the table his friends are sitting at, his back facing Summer since James stole his usual chair.

"Peaches? That's what he calls you? Why?" Grayson asks once he knows Brad isn't in hearing range.

"Yeah," she shrugs. "I don't know why, but it's a cute nickname."

"Sure, keep on telling yourself that," Grayson teases her and she rolls her eyes. "You better not start ditching me for him, though."

She looks offended as she scrunches her nose up at him. "Don't be stupid, Gray. You're my number one, always."

"Good," he grins before taking a crisp out of his foiled packet and eating it. Summer returns to her food, too, slowly beginning to think about her visit to Tristan's house.

She didn't know if she should change what she was wearing, what she should wear, to bring drinks or food. She didn't know how she'd get home or if she was meant to be staying the night.

Over the course of the next few hours, she was overthinking everything until it comes to the end of the day and she was walking out of the lesson.

Once she is out of the building, her phone begins ringing and she gets it out of her pocket, holding back a smile as she sees it's Brad calling.

"Hey, you okay?" She asks.

"Yeah. Where are you?" Brad replies. "I've been waiting for, like, ten minutes."

"I just got out. Why are you waiting for me?"

"I thought I was meant to be giving you a ride home like normal," Brad says like it's obvious and Summer can't help but grin. "I'm waiting in the car park, come find me."

"Okay, see you in a second."

She ends the call and looks up to the sky, grinning like an idiot before making her way to the car park and finding Brad's car.

She gets into the passenger seat, fastening her seatbelt before Brad hits the gas pedal and they're on their way to Summer's house.

Their conversations varied from tonight's events to favourite types of food and colours. They still had so much to learn about each other, yet they had had sex before.

When they arrive at Summer's house, she turns to Brad with a small smile. "Thank you for the ride, as always."

"It's certainly not a problem," he replies, his eyes meeting hers. "Next time, though, don't be late."

"I didn't realise you were always going to take me home," she says in her defence. "I thought it was just sometimes when you say that you are."

"Well, at least you know for next time," he holds back a small smile. "But I'll let you go in now if you want. I'll pick you up later to take you to Tristan's."