"Hey, Ryan." She smiled.
"What's up?"
"So what are we doing after school?"
"After school?" My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Yeah. Do you want to go get some ice cream or something? My favorite ice cream is cookies and cream."
I nodded my head.
"So is it a date then?" She smiled.
"Sorry, but I have plans."
Her smile quickly turned into a frown. "Oh. Okay. Maybe next time."
"Maybe."
She nodded and walked away.
I put my things away into my backpack, hung it over my right shoulder, and walked out of the class.
Most of the students had already left the classroom, since the bell had rung already. I had told Roxy to go ahead without me.
I made my way down a few hallways and headed to the outside quad. I looked over to the outdoor lunch lines. The lines died down a bit but I knew nothing good was left in the cafeteria. I headed straight for the guys.
"Hey." I sat down in my seat.
"Why are you so late?" Carter asked.
Everyone was already seated at our table.
"Fiona."
"Dude, she's still trying to get you to ask her out?" Garrett questioned.
"Yup."
"When will she stop?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
"You aren't going to eat?" Finn asked me.
I shook my head. "I walked out too late. Probably nothing good left."
Finn grabbed his backpack, took out an extra sandwich, and handed it to me. Garrett handed me a granola bar. Roxy handed me an apple, and Carter handed me a Gatorade drink. He usually bought two. One for lunch, and one for later.
"Thanks guys," I spoke and started eating.
They all nodded their heads.
"We still going to the library after school?" I asked.
"Yeah," Roxy answered.
####
"Where's Carter?" I asked.
Garrett shrugged his shoulders.
Carter walked out from around a corner.
"Where were you?" I asked.
"I had to ask for some extra credit work for calculus."
"Dude, just last week, you were complaining about how Mr. Merycal was giving you guys a lot of work," I spoke as we walked inside the library.
"I know but I still need extra credit," he spoke, signing into the library sign-in sheet.
I nodded and signed in after him.
"We're sitting at our usual table?" Garrett asked.
"Yup," Roxy spoke, walking in front with Finn.
We made our way to the back of the library and sat at a round table for five.
I sat in between Carter and Garrett. Garrett sat beside Finn, and Finn sat beside Roxy, just like lunch. We all got settled and took out some work to do.
I took out of some of my English work. I needed to write a three-page essay. Might as well get started on it now.
I noticed Roxy stand up and walk away.
We were all working on something. Carter worked on his extra work from Calculus. Garrett was doing a study guide for history. Finn was working on some physics work.
I focused on my work. Half of it was already completed. The other half just remained.
Roxy sat back down and placed two textbooks in front of her.
Garrett finished his work already. He was tapping on the table, creating a small beat. Nothing I recognized but it was good. He stood and walked away, when he grew bored.
I was so close to being done, so I continued to write. In all honestly, I really didn't like writing essays. Who did? But if it needed to be done, then so be it.
One more sentence...
Finally, all my homework was done for the day. I put my work away and stood up.
I roamed the book aisles.
Garrett stood in the middle of an aisle. He was holding a book in his hands, reading the back of it.
"What are you reading?" I asked, walking over to him.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Something about a murder or something." He placed the book back on the shelf.
My phone buzzed from my front pocket, so I answered it.
"Ryan, where are you?"
"At school."
"Are you coming home for dinner?"
"What did you make?"
"Ryan."
"Okay, sorry."
"Invite the guys and Roxy, if you want."
"Alright. I'll be over a bit later."
"Don't get home too late."
"Alright, bye." I hung up, putting the phone in my front pocket.
"Your mom?" Garrett asked.
I nodded. "She's making dinner. You guys are invited."
"Sweet. I'm down. What did she make?"
"Don't know."
We walked back to the table. The guys and Roxy were packing up their things. The books they used were already cleared from the table.
"Everyone's done?" Garrett asked them.
"Yeah," Finn responded.
"My mom invited you guys to dinner, if you guys want to go."
"I'll text my mom." Carter got his phone out of his pocket and texted her.
"Rox?" Finn turned to her.
"Yeah."
"I'm down," Finn said.
"My mom said yeah." Carter turned to me.
"Alright, let's go," I said as Garrett and I put our things away into our backpacks. We pushed our chairs in, made our way out of the library, and over to the parking lot.
Roxy and Finn got in his car. Carter and Garrett got in his car, while I got in my truck.
We drove out of the parking lot and drove to my house.
When we arrived, the guys parked in the street while I parked off to the side of the driveway.
"Mom, I'm home," I said, walking through the door with the guys and Roxy.
"Dinner is ready. Grab yourselves some plates," she called from the kitchen.
"Don't have to tell me twice." Garrett walked past us and went into the kitchen. He already knew where everything was. He was here countless of times before and he ate here countless of times before.
We followed him. He was washing his hands. He quickly dried them and started serving himself on a plate.
The rest of us took turns washing our hands as well, grabbed a plate, and joined him. We served ourselves chicken, potatoes, and vegetables. I looked over at Garrett's plate. He didn't get any vegetables. He wasn't very fond of them. I mentally shook my head.
I slightly nudged Roxy and nodded over to Garrett's plate and pointed at the vegetables on our plates.
"Gare Bear, no vegetables? They're really good. Get some." She picked up a broccoli floret off her plate and took a bite.
Garrett's head whipped over in our direction just as he was about to sit down at the table. We were all staring at him.
"I-uh..."
"Come on they're good for you. Get some, Garrett," I spoke.
"Yeah," Roxy waved over.
Garrett had a pressed smile as he walked over.
The guys couldn't contain their laughter as Garrett served himself some.
"They won't hurt you." Roxy patted Garrett's back.
"Yeah, Garrett. They'll make you grow big and strong," Carter said.
"I'm already big and strong," he mumbled.
The guys laughed again.
We finished serving ourselves and the five of us and my mom sat down at the table to eat.
"Best chicken and potatoes," Garrett said in between bites.
"Glad you enjoy them. Did you like the vegetables?" she asked him.
His face dropped before he took a sliced carrot and ate it.
"They're really good." He nodded after.
I stifled a laugh as I watched him pick up another with his fork and forced himself to eat it.
"Mom, where's dad?"
"Had to stay late at work."
I nodded and drank some of the lemonade I had served myself.
When we finished eating, we cleaned up and helped wash the dishes.
"Mom, we'll be upstairs."
She nodded her head.
Garrett was the first to jump onto my bed. Finn sat in my desk chair. Roxy sat on the edge of my bed near Garrett's legs. Carter sat on the carpet, against the wall, while I sat beside him.
"You guys want to listen to some music?"
"I'll play some." He stood from the bed and walked over to the mini speaker on my bureau. He started connecting the auxiliary cord to his phone.
"Garrett, you better not play any Hannah Montana," Carter threatened.
He laughed. "Can't make any promises."