It's been almost two weeks since we got back from vacation and I've done nothing but hang out with Remi, Lena, and the boys. Our group has gotten extremely big. It was just me and my brothers before we moved here. Now it's me, Remi, Lena, my brothers, Will, and the other five boys and summer when she gets back. She won't come back until the week before school starts. It's been a crazy summer and I couldn't be happier.
Will picked me up for some "snowflake time" as he called it. He said he wanted to just hang out with me.
"So a week until your birthday, are you excited to be seventeen?" He asked as we drove in his truck. We were in our way to get ice cream floats from Riley's. The sky was cloudy and looked like it would rain soon. I didn't mind because I loved the smell of rain.
I shrugged. "It's just a birthday. I don't want much."
"Snowflake, it's your birthday. A day to celebrate you and only you, aren't you just a tad bit excited? What do you normally do for your birthday?"
I shrugged. "We never did much. The boys tried their best to make my birthday special. They make me chocolate chip pancakes and give me presents and we hang out all day. My mom was never around for our birthdays, even before my parents were divorced. They try to make it feel special, but when the one person you've wanted there your entire life never shows up, you don't feel very special" I looked down at my hands in my lap.
"Hey" he said softly as he put a hand on mine. "It's okay. I know you have had a hard time with your mom and I know you say you're over it, but you can come talk to me anytime."
I looked at him with tears in my eyes. "Thank you" I whispered and kissed his cheek softly.
A car honk brought back to reality. We were at a light that had been red and turned green. We both laughed and will drive off. I wiped my tear filled eyes.
We pulled into Riley's parking lot. It was really empty, probably due to the weather. The sun wasn't out but it was glorious outside. I took a deep breath of the rain air.
Will held the door open for me as we walked into Riley's.
"Two of your best Root beer floats please" Will asked the cashier.
"That'll be $4.20." She said with a bored look on her face. "It'll be ready shortly." She said.
Will nodded and put the extra eighty cents in the tip jar. We went to find a place to sit. The place was empty besides the few employees that are working right now. It's the first time I've seen this place without any customers. We sat at a table with a couple chairs.
"It looks gloomy in here" I pointed out to Will.
"How can that be you're in here?" He joked slightly. A red tint brushed across my face.
"I'm serious Will" I whined but a smile found its way on my face.
He just laughed in response.
"Two root beer floats" the cashier said in the same bored tone.
Will got up to grab them from the pick up area. He handed me mine and we dug in happily. We started saying dad jokes and it just kept going.
"Why do bees have sticky hair?" He asked.
"Why?" I asked already regretting it.
"Because they use honey combs" he laughs.
I laughed despite the fact that that was one of the worst dad jokes I've heard.
"Okay okay. This is one of my dad's favorites. A three legged dog walked into a bar and said I'm looking for the man who shot my paw" I laughed.
My dad always told us that one. Will laughed and nodded his head at me.
"Did you know Bruce Lee has a vegan brother? His name is Broco Lee" he said nonchalantly, which made me die even more.
"If you think your microwave is collecting data and your tv is spying on you is bad enough. The vacuum cleaner has be gathering dirt on you for years" I said.
He laughed so hard his face turned a shade of red.
"Whoever invited the the knock knock joke should get a prize?" I started again.
"What kind of prize?" Will cocked his eyebrow, unsure of where this joke was going.
"The no bell prize." I answered as the corner of my mouth twitched up.
Will laughed. He put his hands up in a mock defense. "Okay okay I think you won that one. We should get going. You need to get home before dinner, I promised your dad you would" He stood up and I followed suite.
We looked out the window and it was pouring rain. Will looked at me before turning back to his car. "I'll be right back, stay here"
Her ran to his truck and opened the door. I assumed he was bringing it over here so I didn't have to go far in the rain, which I wouldn't mind if I did it would only be for a few seconds
He turned on the truck and turned up his music all the way up and hopped back out in the rain.
"Will, what are you doing?" I asked.
"Dance with me?" He asked. He was already soaking wet and I knew the second I got out there for too long I would be too.
I shook my head and scooted back even more. "We're going to get sick" I called out to him.
"So what? Come on, snowflake, dance with me"
Just when I was about to refuse again Will came over to me and threw me over his shoulder. "No Will please stop" I squealed and hit his back with a laugh. He set me down but kept his hands firmly around my waist so I didn't run away.
"Please dance with me, snowflake?" He asked softly. Our bodies were pushed against each other. I had to lean my head back to look at him.
"Will we're going to get sick" I protested at a whisper due to our close proximity.
"If I get to dance with you, it's worth it."
My favorite song to dance to came over the radio and I couldn't help but crack a smile and dance with him. We danced together and screamed the lyrics to every song that came over the radio. He spun me around and dipped me at some points. The smile never came off our faces. We were stuck in our own little reality.
The radio host said something about a request for a slow song. All of me came over the radio and Will pulled me closer to him.
"Can I have this dance?" He leaned down and whispered in my ear.
I nodded silently. We swayed to the rhythm of the music. I sang softly under me breath. Will spun me out on the chorus and spun me back in. I giggled under my breath when I hit his body on accident. He spun me a couple times before the song was coming to an end.
Just as the last words were sung he dipped me. Our faces were so close I thought we were about to kiss.
"I should probably get you home" He whispered but didn't move from the position we were in.
"Yeah probably" I whispered.
Neither one of us made a move to leave. We sat there as the rain poured on us and looked into each others eyes. His amber eyes looked so beautiful and his dimples showed as his lips curved into a soft smile, it was perfect. The next song came on the radio, but we didn't pay attention.
After what felt like hours, in the best way, Will stood up and brought me with him.
"Let's go" he coughed awkwardly and scratched behind his head.
We both awkwardly got in the car. The awkwardness died down as we reached my house. The rain had let up but it was still drizzling.
"Thank you for this, I had a good time." I turned and smiled at him.
"No problem snowflake" He smiled at me. "I like hanging out with you"
Something bubbled in my stomach at his words. I haven't felt like this before and I don't know what it is.
I kissed his cheek before going into the house. It was useless to cover my head I was already soaking wet.
"What happened to you?" Dad asked from the kitchen.
"Will and I were caught in the rain." I explained. "I'm going to take a shower and change clothes" I pointed at the stairs, gesturing to my room and bathroom.
"Okay sweetie"
"You were with Will?" Carter asked as I got upstairs.
I looked at him questioningly. "Yeah why? Do you have a problem with that?" I asked.
"Yes last time I checked, he was my best friend not yours."
I rolled my eyes at him. "Do not pull this elementary shit on me Carter Maverick" I warned. "Because last time I checked we are both teenagers and can have the same friends. You're seventeen start acting like it. Now move out of my way so I can take a shower" I pushed past him when he didn't move.
I went to my room and got clothes and stuff ready for when I got out of the shower. I went to my bathroom and stripped myself of my soaking wet clothes. I felt warm as I stepped into the hot water of my shower.
After my shower, I went to my room and got dressed in one of Connor's old hoodies and a pair of running shorts.
I face-timed Remi to pass time before dinner.
"Hey girl what's up?" she asked at she answered the call.
"I just back from hanging out with Will" I sighed happily as I remembered what happened.
"Oh tell me everything" she perked up and clapped.
I told her about how we danced in the rain and screamed to songs that came over the radio.
"And when a slow song came on we slow danced in the rain. He spun me softly and at the end he dipped me. The song ended but we both just stayed there staring into each other's eyes."
The same feeling bubbled inside of me that did when I was talking to Will in his car. I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks.
"After that, he drove me home" I smiled, at the memory from not even an hour earlier.
"Oh you got it bad" Remi's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
I looked at her with wide eyes. "What do you mean I got it bad? I don't have anything" I asked.
"Cor, you like Will and from what I heard he likes you too." She said slowly.
"Pffffh" I waved her off. "You're joking. Will and I are just friends." I laughed nervously.
I don't like him like that. I can't like him like that. He's my brother's best friend and Carter just got mad at me for hanging out with Will. Imagine what he'd think if I liked him. It doesn't matter because I don't like him.
"I don't like him like that. We're just friends." I said defiantly.
"Do you get nervous around him or turn into a blushing mess when he compliments you? Do you get butterflies in your stomach when you're around him or even when you think about him?"
I thought for a second and she was completely right. "Oh my god. I like him. I like Will." I groaned and fell back on my bed.
Remi's laughter could be heard from my phone.
"Shut up" I groaned but a smile made its way to my face. "That doesn't mean he likes me though."
"Does he ever hold the door open for you? Or call you beautiful?" Remi smirked.
"Well yeah but that's how he was raised." I shrugged her questions off.
"Do you ever catch him looking at you when you weren't looking? Does he ever blush when you say something?"
"That doesn't mean he likes me"
"He really cares about you. He introduced you to his grandma before the boys. You've heard from several people that he talks about you to his family. When we hang out as a group, he stays with you when he could be with his best friends."
All these things she's pointing out about him could be just us being friends. I'm sure will doesn't think of me as anything other than his best friend's sister and coach's daughter. I'm probably not even one of his best friends. Yeah we're friends but he probably pities me.
I got called down for dinner and I had to leave Remi.
There are two things I know for sure after that phone call. One, I have a crush on William Erickson. Two, he can never find out I have a crush on him.