Things Could Be Better, but They Could Be a Whole Lot Worse

“John how much longer do we have to stay here?” I hissed under my breath as I turned to look at the table. Pat was currently throwing bits of rolled up napkins at Kennedy, who was trying to bounce them off his head, Garrett was playing a video game on some device, and Jared was just trying to hit on some girls.
This was not what I called entertainment.

“Come on Lo, we can leave now.” John spoke cheekily as I rolled my eyes at him, hating how he dragged me out just so his old tart would have a hissy fit. “I'll take you to Denny’s,” he said slyly as my eyes lit up at the name of my favourite place ever.

“Pancakes?” I asked gleefully as he nodded. I said jumping out of my seat, grabbing his hand, and pulling him up before we were stopped by the other guys.

“Aww, come on John. You can’t go to Denny’s and not take us!” Pat pouted as I mentally smiled at how much he looked like a cute puppy.

“Yeah, John, you can't not take them, after all it is your treat,” I said slyly as he gave me an annoyed look while the boys jumped out their seats and practically sprinted out of the hotel.

“If I am paying for these guys to eat, you are washing my car tomorrow,” he whispered to me with a devilish smile as we headed outside. I just rolled my eyes, he used any excuse possible for free slave labour.

“Fine” I said knowing that even if I didn’t agree with him that I'd still end up doing it.

Somehow, everyone packed into John's car before I had the chance to walk out of the building. Garrett stood by what I assumed to be his car, twirling his keys around his finger. "Guess you're stuck with me, hope that's okay. I'm the only other one who drove."

I shrugged, feeling uncomfortable, but it was worth the pancakes, I reminded myself.

"So, you and John have known each other a while, huh?" He fiddled with the radio, Ryan Adams' voice singing to us quietly as Garrett backed out of the spot.

"Seems like forever, " I said absentmindedly, my mind was with the buildings passing outside the window.

"He's going to the one right down this street, right?"

My eyes focused on the street, "Yeah, that's the one he always takes me to."

"So, are you guys like serious?" He seemed to feel awkward asking, yet said the words anyway.

I shrugged. "What about your date, did you inform her you were leaving her without a ride?"

He laughed, a nice, warm, full sound that made me want to laugh, but I settled for a smile. "I warned her
I'd probably ditch out early; she's riding with Pat's date. His mom won't let him drive; he can't be trusted behind the wheel."

I laughed with him that time, sharing in the joke. "I can imagine he's easily distracted."

"That tends to be a problem, yes." This time he kept a straight face, trying to hide the smile. "Well, here we are, and there's the rest of the guys."

I was out of the car and on my way to them before I even knew what I was doing. "John Cornelius O'Callaghan the fifth, don't you ever do that to me again!" He pulled me into a hug, allowing me to mutter my threat into his ear. "Or I will tell both our mothers you left me alone with strangers."

His eyes widened, my threat was effective. "Looks like someone's not getting any tonight!" Jared spoke loudly, causing them all to laugh amongst themselves.

I stuck my tongue out at them all, heading into Denny's happily, trying not to cringe at Jared’s words, after all John is my cousin. "Six please," I told the hostess, who looked at the mob following me in and sighed lightly. She was probably used to prom groups around this time of year, and the boys looked like troublemakers. Kennedy and Pat still had pieces of napkin in their hair...and Pat had started barking.

“Fine, but try and keep your friends in line, okay?” she said to me as she led us to the table. I wasn't the only one able to hear what she said because Garrett had cleverly placed his hand over Pat’s mouth silencing the barks.

After a while we had finally got our food, and no one was doing something foolish enough to get us kicked out. To be honest, even though I didn’t really know the guys, it was obvious something was going to happen.

“Pour some sugar on me!” Pat sang the Def Leppard song out of tune, extremely loud, jumping up onto his seat, and rubbing his hands up and down his chest, in what I believe was meant to be in a seductive manner. Garrett happily obliging to the command jumped up onto his seat,, opening countless amounts of sugar packets, upturning each onto Pat’s head as he continued his “seductive” chest rub. Before deciding to give us all a special little treat. Turning around, shaking his non-existent butt at us, inching it closer and closer to Jared’s face.

“Make sure you spill nothing on that dress,” John commanded suddenly turning to face me as our food was brought out and I turned to my pancakes ready to drown it in syrup “I did not spend $300 on a dress for it to be covered in syrup!” John hissed under his breath as I rolled my eyes trying not to blush, the boys had turned listening to the conversation.

“Shut up, John. It has still got the tag on so we can return it tomorrow and get your money back, okay?” I said turning more red. The boy’s eyes had widened when they heard how much the dress had cost. “Don’t even bother making it look like I demanded you buy me a $300 dress, you picked it to make your skank cry.” I finished before dropping the conversation, leaving John’s cheeks to turn red, as I turned to my pancakes and went to eat them.

“NO, LO STOP!” Pat screeched as I stopped and averted my eye’s to him, my fork so close to my mouth I could practically taste the pancakes. “We don’t know if they are safe to eat!” he hissed at me as though it was a big top secret; I strained myself to not roll my eyes and instead smiled deciding to play along.

“But...Patcakes, how do we find out if they aren’t poisonous?” I asked as he cocked his head to the side and stroked his chin, I placed my pancake piled fork on my plate waiting for his answer.

“Well I think we should – GARRETT!” he started before shrieking the last word. My head snapped to the left and I saw Garrett’s guilty smile, my fork sticking out of his mouth.

“I was checking they where safe!” he defended, puffing his chest out as though he is a big warrior.

“Okay, well I will just check this bacon’s safe,” I pronounced sarcastically with an innocent smile before quickly swiping a piece of bacon off his plate and stuffed it in my mouth.

“Safe and delicious,” I mumbled through a full mouth as everyone chuckled except John, who started scolding me about manners.

“So Logey, since you’re my best friend and all.” he started jumping up and down in his seat as he got hit in the arm from Garrett “do you want to hang out tomorrow, please?

Pretty please?” he said pouting at me as I smiled and shook my head making him pout more, Garrett pouting next to him mumbling to Pat about how, “I thought I was your best friend!" Pat just rolled his eyes, putting his arm around Garrett’s shoulder telling him he was more than a best friend but a lover, then going to kiss Garrett. I swear I have never ever seen someone move so fast as Garrett jumping out of his seat, causing Pat's face to smack against the seat, Garrett cowering behind me and John whimpering as
Pat just suggestively raised his eyes at him, winking slightly and licking his lips.