Always Had Your Way

Anais held Max’s little sister, Bridget’s hand as they jumped over puddles on their way into the local restaurant that Anais and the rest of the guys practically grew up going to almost every day. Whather it was for breakfast in the summer with their folks, for lunch on the weekends as a group, or dinner after a show downtown.

Not much had changed. Brighten smiled as they entered the warmth of the restaurant. The owner, Natalie, screamed as she noticed Anais walk in. Natalie had watched all of You Me At Six and Anais grow up as well as Bridget and had missed Anais terribly after she left.

“Anais is that you?” Natalie cried as she ran her way over to Anais taking her into her arms and hugging her closely. Anais took a deep breath taking in the scent she had grown accustomed to smelling when she had worked there. Apples for apple pies, and pot pie; a perfect home to remind her of the things she missed.

“It’s the one and only, Natalie.” Anais gave Natalie a bright smile as she pulled Brighten over to her.

“You look so gorgeous honey, but have you lost some weight? And where have you been? Natalie pulled away from Anais staring at the girl beside her, as well as take in the new look Anais was now supporting. "Oh, hello. Who's this?" Natalie smiled at Brighten as she looked between the two girls that stood in front of her.

Anais rolled her eyes briefly and chose to ignore the first question. “I went to the states. I just needed a change of scenery. But that's where I met Brighten. She's helped me through some things. ” Brighten smiled at Natalie who just quickly pulled her into a hug, taking Brighten by surprise, but gladly hugged Natalie back.

The bell signaled that an order was ready. Natalie handed menu’s over to the group and left them to sit wherever they wished to. Josh lead the way as they made their way over to a table that could sit about ten peopl. Anais watched as Max sat beside Dan, leaving the other side of Dan free which she gladly took only causing him to graimace. She was the last person he wanted to be beside. Brighten was sort of surprised when Anais had sat beside Dan, but just let it go as she sat next to Josh who sat on the other side of Max. Bridget sat beside Anais and Chris who was looking over the menu. Matt looked at Chris’s menu with him not being sure what he wanted though they would all probably end up getting their usual.

“So Dan, about the papers--" Anais started only to have Dan cut her off as she looked from her menu to Dan who just got that unsettling feeling in his stomach causing him to scratch the back of his next while he looked across the table at Brighten.

“So Brighten, how'd you meet Is?” Anais glared over at Dan who just ignored it. He was dead set on ignoring anything that Anais had to ask that had to do with the divorce papers. Brighten looked up from the menu and cleared her throat.

“Um, well she was doing the makeup for one of the movies I was in and we just sort of hit it off.” Brighten answered. Anais smiled with proudness for her best friend. She knew that Brighten was just being modest, she had done many more things but she never really liked bragging, she knew later she was going to have to get Brighten up a little bit.

“Have you kids decided what you would like to eat?” Natalie stood next to Anais as she patted the young girl's shoulder.

“Usual,” Dan, Matt, Max, and Chris said in unison which was always the same thing, a turkey gravy sandwich on French bread, chips extra crispy and ranch on the side, as well as a strawberry shake.

“I’ll take a large order of onion rings and mozzarella sticks Nat, with some honey mustard.” Josh gave Natalie his order as he watched Brighten bite on her thumbnail while still trying to decided what she wanted.

“Um water along with some Pancakes, extra whipping cream, strawberries can I also get an order of sausage?” Anais looked up with a big smile on her face, Natalie just nodded her head. Bridget had ordered smiley face pancakes and a glass of milk. "Oh and an extra stack of pancakes, ya?"

"Yeah, you look like you could use an extra stack of pancakes." Dan muttered in reference to Anais's weight, earning a swift kick in the leg from her. "Ow!" He whispered harshly, glaring at her. "What'd you do that for?"

"Why haven't you signed the damn papers?" Anais retorted just as quietly though her voice still held the menace her facial expression copied.

“What can I get you sweet heart?” Natalie talked over the two to get them to stop. She was looking at Brighten who was nervous. She never really ate out at a restaurant like this. It had been in fact almost three years since she ate out somewhere like this, because Ryan was always taking her out to a fancy restaurant or Anais and her would go to a small deli, on the board walk.

“She’ll take an order of mozzarella sticks with some an order of Pancakes extra butter bit of whipping cream, both strawberries extra blueberries, and most definetly a vanilla shake.” Anais smiled as Natalie quickly jotted it down taking the menus and leaving the group to themselves. Brighten stared wide eyed at her best friend.

“Trust me you could learn to splurge a little. Plus what you don’t eat these jerks will.” The boy’s yelled at Anais for calling them jerks, but she just simply ignored them. Brighten went to pull her napkin to her lap, only causing her silverware to fall to the floor with a loud clink.

Both Brighten and Josh jumped out of the chair and onto the floor under the table looking for the silverware. Josh’s hand brushed smoothly against Brighten as he grabbed the fork causing the two of them to look at each other with small smiles.

“Did you know you’re really pretty?” Brighten bit back a giggle as she blushed, but luckily since it was dark underneath the table, so Josh wouldn’t be able to notice it.

“Really? Well did you know you have a really nice smile?” Josh was now the one smiling under the table. He was thanking the Lord up above for making it so dark so Brighten couldn’t see his smile. His head and gut were semi fighting with each other because they both knew that Brighten was engaged to an actor so there was no way he could ever have a chance at a relationship with her.

As Brighten sat up a little her head hit the table causing everyone at the table to jump a little and look towards the missing friends. Max got a slight smile on lips as he took a sip of his shake that Natalie had brought over while the Josh and Brighten were grabbing silverware.

“Brighten's giving Josh head underneath the table!” Max yelled, causing the entire restuarant to look at them.

Josh quickly pulled out from underneath the table with a deep blush forming on his cheeks. Anais couldn’t help but laugh at her poor brother’s facial expression, but grew worried as her friend still stayed under the table, so deciding it would be a good idea to check on her she leaned down underneath the table.

“Brighten what the hell are you doing down here?” Anais whispered as her friend got deeper under the table holding onto her napkin.

“I lost my silverware, and then I lost an earring.” Brighten was looking for her diamond earring that Ryan had just given her two weeks ago on a trip to Milan, rolling her eyes Anais decided to help her friend out till her best friend Max opened his mouth. “I think Anais and Brighten are making out now.” Both girls glared at each other as Brighten quickly grabbed the diamond earring that just happened to be by Dan’s foot and quickly made her way back up for air, Anais copying her actions.

Both girls were now glaring at the man who was laughing along with Matt and Chris. Anais took her spoon and threw it at Max hitting him square in the head. "Ow." Max giggled.

“What the hell has gotten into you since I've been gone Max?” Max snorted as he started to slurp on his shake with aggression ignoring his best friends comment. Anais snorted as well as she took a sip of her water, as Natalie gave Brigten a new set of silverware.

“Chris says that Max is going through a dry spell that’s why he’s been acting weird lately.” Everyone in the group was now looking at both Bridget and Chris who was chuckling softly while rubbing the back of his neck. Max through his straw wrapper at Chris who just quickly swatted it away sticking his tongue out.

“Anais what's a dry spell?” Anais’s eyes grew big trying to come up with what could she say to Bridget without really telling her what Dry Spell really meant. Taking deep breaths she racked her brain for ideas til Brighten cleared her throat.

“Bridget sweetie, a dry spell is when your skin gets really dry along with your mouth so you get dehydrated and you start to see things that aren’t really there, as well as get really thirsty.” Bridget’s face scrunched up in disgust.

“I never want to go through a dry spell, that’s for sure.” Dan and Anais found themselves laughing at Bridget but that quickly ended for the both them as they glared at each other, because after all they were both mad at one another, one for the other being gone for over a year and the other for not singing the papers.

No one was quite sure how this tour was going to be, but they hoped everyone would get along especially since Anais fiancé Jake’s band Mayday Parade was going to be on tour with them. That’s going to make things a bit awkward don’t you think?