That Summer Feeling [H.S.]

9. Bloodline

"Oi! Angel hair is the greatest!"

"After I eat a bowl of angel hair pasta," Adam begins saying, "I'm just like 'did I even eat?'"

I giggle alongside Bella in the front of the car. The fact that this is a real conversation I'm hearing with my actual ears and participating in is the reason my anger is rapidly slipping away.

"They're so fucking thin, I feel like I'm eating nothing!" Adam continues.

"Angel hair pasta is more elegant than your shit bow ties will ever be. That's all I have to say on the matter."

"You guys are both wrong," Liam stops whatever Adam was going to say next. "Penne pasta is the greatest noodle this earth has to offer."

"It's not as great as fettuccine," Zoey says.

"It's even greater," Liam retorts.

"I feel like 'penne' means penis in another language." Adam snorts.

"Well then, go suck a penne, Adam!"

I swear I'm about to pee myself if they go on any longer. It hurts too much to laugh but I can't stop myself.

"I think," Bella says, "the best noodle is macaroni."

I hear everyone groan at her choice, even myself.

"C'mon, Bells," I say to her.

She looks at us with a shocked and offended look. "What? Macaroni pasta is a damn good contender."

"Are you kidding?" Adam says.

"Bella, macaroni, really?" Zoey says.

"It's a classic!"

"Macaroni is weak and pathetic," Liam says, "maybe even more than angel hair."

"That's right," Niall says. A second later I hear the sound of a high five.

"I'd take macaroni over fettuccine, angel hair, and whatever the fuck Adam's noodle is called."

"Farfulla!"

"Are we even talkin' about the same noodle?" Niall asks, going back to the macaroni debate.

"Bro, every time I eat macaroni, those pieces of shit always get stuck on my fork," Liam says, "vertical instead of horizontal, you know what I mean?"

"Oh, that's so true," I say. "It's so annoying 'cause then you gotta sort of scrape the noodle off with your teeth and then you clash your teeth with the metal and it's the worst thing ever."

They all agree except Bella and literally boo at her for choosing macaroni as her favorite noodle.

"Lacey, what about you? The best noodle in your opinion?" Niall asks.

I don't even have to think about my response. I confidently say, "Rotini."

It's my turn to be yelled at for the next five minutes about my "snobby, uptight choice of noodle."

-

We walk into the huge, dimly lit restaurant with red and brown decor. Gigi was the one to go up to the hostess stand and give her the reservation name. A few seconds later, she grabs menus for all of us and walks us to our table. Gigi is the first to sit down. She takes one end of the long rectangular table. Adam and Niall take the corner seats next to her but before they can get too comfortable, Gigi calls out to Harry.

"Sit next to me! We still have a lot to catch up on."

Adam looks at her then at Niall, shrugging. As soon as he gets up, Harry mumbles something to him that I couldn't hear.