Chasing Charming ✔️

7 - Why Don't You Join Us?

I took a deep breath. Okay, Betty, calm down. Be nice and make these people like you.

The conversation got quiet after a few moments, and I asked how they all met.

Owen told me about how he and Taylor moved to New Mexico from Ohio during middle school. It was traumatizing, but at least they had each other.

"Yeah, you are handling a move much better than I did," Taylor scoffed.

Owen laughed, "Isn't that the truth. I made friends with these guys quick, probably because I just thought Eli was dreamy, but little miss chatty over here had trouble making friends of her own and decided to weasel herself into our friend group."

Taylor laughed, "Oh shut up, Owen. Believe me, I made other friends once we made it to high school, but middle school girls just couldn't handle me."

I laughed with her.

"And the three of us have been friends since diapers," said Kyle proudly.

"Jury is still out on if I'm friends with you, though," said Jones. Kyle threw a crust from his pizza at him.

Strangely the rest of the night felt normal. Like I was with a group of friends and not a group of kids that I barely knew. I had been so hopeful that this is what my new life would be like, but after this week, I was also scared this was somehow not real.

When the night started to fizzle out, we paid for our pizza and headed outside. 

Unfortunately, it was then the night got more interesting because we bumped into a group of college students just outside the door. Owen, Taylor and I had been giggling from a stupid joke, and three of us walked right into their group.

"Move." One of them said. It was not polite.

Owen grinned at them and blew them a kiss, "Oh, aren't you just charming."

Both Taylor and I started to giggle. It was funny. Until one of the stupid college guys loudly called Owen a fag. I stood there shocked, but I was more shocked when Eli screamed RUN before punching the guy in the face.

The rest of the group took off, laughing and running down the street, but I only joined them when Eli grabbed my hand and pulled me along. Once we were far enough away, we stopped to catch our breath.

"What the hell was that?!"

Eli laughed, "it's fine. I didn't punch him that hard, but it's always safer to run from a group that size. I'm an asshole, not an idiot." The group of them laugh. Sure, what that guy said was wrong, but you just can't go around punching people.

Taylor and Owner hugged me, and Kyle and Jones waved goodbye, leaving me standing there with Eli. He was still laughing. "Oh, don't be upset, Betty. That guy was a dick."

I nodded. He was, but the fact Eli's first reaction was to punch him unnerved me. The only kids like that at my old school I avoided. What would my parents say?

I looked around, uncomfortable. It was dark out. I didn't mean to stay out this late because now I was going to walk home in the dark.

"Thanks so much for letting me hang out. I guess I will see you around."

I did not think this is going to be a regular thing, but hopefully, I would be able to hang out with Taylor.

He looked at me, confused, "what do you mean?"

I blushed, maybe he doesn't want me around at all.

"I'm driving you home, Betty, you're not walking home alone in the dark! I'm not a monster."