Not Your Regular

Chapter Eleven

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Linda's POV

Grace and I finished cooking in about an hour. While she did the dishes and cleaned up, I was packing the picnic baskets.

"What about the juice and fruits?", I asked as I putting the last container in the food basket.

"In the fridge, I'll get them", she replied walking across to get the fruits from the fridge. She was done cleaning up. She packed the fruits and juice in a different basket, handing them over to me, she said,
"Wait for me while I change and get the car keys"

"You're with Bryan's car?"

"Yeah", she said entering her room.
She came out about five minutes after, and together, we went to the school garden, the venue of our picnic.

"Hey babe"
I heard Bryan say as we alighted from the car. We met Bryan and Steve at the garden, Grace had told them to meet her there.

"Hey sweetie", Grace greeted him back giving him a hug while he pecked her fore head.

"You didn't tell us Linda was coming", Steve said coming closer to me.

"That's because this is a surprise. Has anyone seen Jason?", Grace answered.

Everyone although not on purpose ignored her last question. Steve and I got talking while Bryan and Grace were doing their own.

"What's the surprise?", Steve asked enveloping me in a hug. I hugged him back.

"Let's wait for Jason.", I said then continued. "You didn't go to your room last night"
I looked into his golden brown eyes as I made that statement, I wanted to catch the emotion behind whatever he was going to say.

"I was going to my room but midway, I didn't feel like going anymore. I would have called you, but I didn't want to disturb you, so l just took a walk."

"Is that all? Nothing is troubling you right? We don't want to go all the way back to square one you know", I said slowly, making sure every sentence sunk in.

"Yes I'm fine", he replied.
Just as soon, Jason showed up.

"Hey people", he shouted as he drew closer to us. "Linda, you didn't tell me it is a large party.", he said giving me a high five.

"Now you see that it is", Grace replied him as she unlocked the car.
Beckoning to me, we both offloaded the baskets from the car. Taking the mats and napkins that we brought.

"Surprise, surprise, we're having a picnic", Grace announced grinning happily.

"Oh babe, that's so sweet of you", Bryan reacted first.

"I should have known it was, seeing the large party", Jason said spreading the mats.

Steve only grinned at both Grace and I, shaking his head. We both smiled in return. Steve and Bryan did the setting of the dishes and food, while Grace and I just sat watching as the boys took over - exactly what would have happened if they knew about the picnic from the start. Those guys always made me wonder where they were from, regular guys didn't just take over everything and let the ladies sit and watch.
Idle, Grace and I started our chitchat.

"Did you ask him where he went?  I sensed you were worried when I told you that he didn't go to his room yesterday.", Grace whispered moving much closer to me.

"He said he went for a walk.", I replied also whispering.

"All alone?"

"Yeah. I know we're all scared he could go back to sulking, but I don't think that's it. I believe he has overcome that. Steve loves to take walks, but most of the times when he take walks, it's to clear his head or when something is really bothering his mind", I quietly replied Grace, stealing glances at the guys making sure they weren't watching us.

I had concluded on that when he told me that he suddenly didn't want to go to his room. If he wanted to sulk, his room would have been the best venue for that but since he went for a walk, something else much have been bothering his mind.

"You think something else is disturbing him? Can you find that out?", she asked. It was obvious she was started to get worried for Steve.

"It might be impossible for me to find out. It's not like Steve tells me everything. He only carefully tells me what he thinks I may be able to help with."
I was as worried as she was, but there was nothing I could do about it if Steve didn't tell me anything.

"Does that mean you'll wait until he feels like sharing it?", Her worry laced voice got me all the more worried.

"Grace, I'm not even a real psychologist yet. I'm only helping Steve and the most I can help with is the most that he reveals.", I replied and turned my head in the direction of the food the guys were setting.

"Are you ladies done gossiping?", Jason snapped at us as though he had been waiting to do that all along. Glad he said it, he started to laugh.

The others also joined him and we joined too. We were all laughing as they sat with us and we started eating.

"Who is going home first?", Jason asked, his words mumbled because of the potato salad in his mouth. That guy never learned not to speak with food in his mouth.

"That will probably be you, you've been screaming 'mama mama' ever since you wrote your last paper.", Steve teased smirking, and we all burst out laughing while Jason just stuffed more food in his mouth, a little offended.

"Talking about home, I don't even know where you guys live", I exclaimed raising my eyelids, suddenly realizing that our discussion never got to the point of where we lived.

Bryan looked at me, his face fully expressing his surprise at what I said.
"Linda, don't tell me you didn't know we lived in the same neighborhood", Bryan said still looking at me with every shade of surprise.

"We live in the same neighborhood?", I echoed in a questioning tone. It was my turn to be surprised.

"She can't know Bryan", Steve talked. "How would she know, with that cliche of hers?", he sounded a little harsh.
"How can she notice unpopular guys like us?", he continues eating, winking at me.

"I don't believe you guys. It's impossible for us to live in the same street and I won't see you", I scoffed.

I wanted to believe they were just messing with me. It was then I remembered the first place I had seen Steve, the coffee shop on my street.

"But it's true Linda. Both Steve and I live in the same street as you at San Antonio in Texas", Bryan replied and that was all the confirmation I needed.

"Wow", was all I could say as I stuffed my mouth with some pineapple not finding the courage to utter any word.

"I live in Texas too, but at the east end. It's far from you guys", Jason spoke breaking the little awkwardness in the mood.

"And I live in Texas too, north end, very close to Oklahoma.", Grace said too.

"Since we all live in Texas, we might as well leave school together. What do you think Grace?", I asked excitedly. Although I couldn't face the guys, I turned to Grace as I spoke.

"I think it's a lovely idea", she replied smiling.

"Me too", Jason agreed.

"Me too", Bryan answered.

"I'm sorry guys, but I don't think I'm going home for the summer break.", Steve said looking away from us to the opposite direction.
That statement threw us all into a confused state, including his best friend, Bryan.

Why isn't he going home?🤔🤔 Thanks so so much for reading.
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