I'll See You Around

“Come on Demi, every guy I meet isn’t like Matty,” I said aggravated with my friend as I talked to her over the counter at my work. I’ve been trying to get her to meet my new roommate for the pass 3 days.

The woman was being stubborn. She didn’t like men, no she didn’t trust them. I blame her father walking out on her and her past relationships, but I won’t tell you that story, because it’s her story to tell. She hated Matty from the beginning and she’s just protective.

“I’m going to the arcade with Adam tonight,” she said texting on her phone. I glared at her while she made excuses.

“He’s in town? And did you just text him to hang out with you right now?” I said as she gave me a look that said ‘of course not, but I totally did’.

“You did! You jerk!” I said trying to grab her phone over the counter.

She pulled back and said, “so what! I’m busy tonight!”

“Nope, Max and I will tag along,” I said as the door dinged.

I was behind the cashier taking the guys order, “I don’t get why you want me to meet this guy so bad?”

“Medium Carmel latte,” he said as I put in his order.

“3.75, please and name?” I got the cup and a marker.

“Dylan,” he said as I told him it’ll be ready in a bit.

“Maybe, because the only guys you involve in your life are Noah and Adam,” I said mentioning our best friend and her four year old brother. He’s an adorable little boy.

I got started on the drink while Demi says, “soooo.”

“Please do this for me,” I said begging while giving her the puppy dog eyes at the same time.

She crossed her arms, “nope, not gonna work.” I pouted even more and continued to do the puppy eyes. “Fine, you win!”

“Yes!” I fist pumped. “Dylan!” I called out as I finished making the drink.

“Thanks. Here’s a tip,” He said as he gave me some cash to put in the jar. The guy could of done it himself the jar was in front of him. He looked back and smiled at me as he left.

“Someone finds you interesting,” Demi said while watching the little scene that just happened.

“Whatever,” I said looking down at the cash. There was something white popping out. It was a piece of paper that with the name ‘Dylan O’Brien’ written on it. Who the hell is that? There was also a phone number on it.

“What?” Demi asks as I tucked the paper in my pocket and put the cash in the jar.

“That guy just gave me his number,” I told her taking my apron off as I saw Tina walking through the doors.

“Oh my gosh! Was that Dylan O’Brien that walked out?” She said jumping up and down.

“I don’t know,” I said hanging the apron up while I walked out from behind the counter.

“You really need to watch TV more,” Tina told me rolling her eyes.

“And let my mind rot? Yeah, I’ll pass,” I said. “Peace out Tina!” I gave her a peace sign while Demi and I walked out.

“I better head back to my dorm,” She said about to walk off.

“No you don’t, Max is picking me up and you are coming to our place,” I said grabbing her arm. “You can get ready at our place while I tell Adam to meet us at the arcade.”

“Help! Rape!” Demi started yelling.

“Shut up,” I started laughing as she laughed along with me. “Seriously he’s really nice. He’s nervous on meeting you.”

“Why?”

“I told him you were my Father. My mom’s ex lesbian lover,” I said with a straight face.

“Okay, I’m going home,” she said pulling her arm.

“No!” I whined pulling her back. “Well you are like a protective father.”

“You told him that?!” Demi said surprised.

“Yeah, because it’s true.”

“Good. He better fear me, because I’ll chop his arm off like Darth chopping off Luke’s hand,” she said and I just bust out laughing. “But I’ll chop yours off first and then him.

“Meanie!” I saw Max driving up near the coffee shop. I waved and smile.

“You like him~” she teased while nudging me in the side.

“Shut up, just friends,” I told her while we walked to the car and got in. “Max this is Demi. Demi this Max Schneider.”

“Hey,” Max said looking back and smiling. He then looked at me in the passenger seat and smiled while he mouthed a ‘hi’.

I smiled at him and did the same. “So, why’d you ask Jedi here to move in with you when you both barely knew each other?” Demi said getting straight to interrogating Max.

“Demi! Be nice!” I said glaring back at her while Max started to drive.

“Naw it’s okay, she has a point you know,” He said keeping his eyes on the road. “She didn’t know who I was and I need someone to keep me down to earth. She didn’t scream or cry. She gave me a confused look and thought my name was Chris and was thinking of calling me Joey.”

“Hmmm, that’s Lola for you. Well Max, you seem okay, but I’ll keep my eye on you,” Demi said making a peace sign and pointing at her eyes and then at him.

“Alright,” Max said being chill. That’s what I like about him. He’s so optimistic.

The ride to the house was funny. Demi got comfortable enough to start cracking jokes to share with Max. It made me happy to see my new friend and best friend become friends. Wow, that’s a lot of friends.

“You going to the arcade with us, Backstreet Boys?” Demi asked using the nickname she gave him. I was surprised she would even ask him.

“I don’t have any plans, so yeah,” he said and looked to me, “if it is alright with you?”

The two looked at me, “of course,” I said just so they would stop staring. “We’ll go get ready and leave in my car.” I grabbed Demi’s hand and dragged her upstairs to my room. Closing the door behind me Demi started to grin. “What?”

“You like him,” she said smirking as I gave her a shocked face.

“I do not. I’m still getting over Matty,” I told her while she rolled her eyes at me. “Seriously.”

The two of us started to look through my walk in closet for something cute. “To me it looks like you’re over him.”

“Fine yeah, I’m over him thanks to Max, but it doesn’t mean I like him,” I told her taking my Marilyn Monroe Mullet top off the hanger.

“Fine you don’t like him, but I could tell he likes you,” She said. And that made me think. I don’t wanna think about Max liking me. We’re just friends. We’re friends right? “Stop thinking so much about it. Just be casual.”

“How can I when you say he likes me and Kenzie is writing a love story of us?” I said getting frustrated and yanking my black skinny jeans off the hanger.

“Wait? Kenzie is writing a love story of you guys?” Demi said while I walked out of the closet stripping my shirt off.

“Yeah and she made us read it. You know how awkward that is?” I asked removing my jeans.

“I’m gonna text her later to let me read it,” she said walking out the closet with her outfit.

“Not helping,” I said putting on my clothes.

“I don’t want too. I want you to embrace your future husband,” She said joking.

“He has a girlfriend that he loves and who I am friends with,” I said jumping up and down while pulling up my skinny jeans. “I would never get between them.”

“Well only time will tell. Go get your tube and ride the flow,” She said putting on the clothes she picked. “Do what you always do and go with the flow. Whatever happens, happens for a reason.”

I nodded at her advice. I tied my hair up and smirked after I remembered something. “Don’t go all Master Oogway on me. So you and Adam, huh?”

“Oh no you don’t!”

“I heard you two are dating,” I started while I tied my hair up, “You taking a ride on this magic river too, now?”

“Shut up, you’re being stupid.”

“You’re stupid!” I said while I shoved her arm jokingly. She pushed me back and then I tackled her. “Aaaaahhhhhh!!!!” she was pulling my hair.

“Max Lover!” she yelled and I started tickling her.

“I am not a Max Lover, you Adam Lover,” I yelled back while she pinched me. “Owe, you bitch.”

“Jerk!” I said slapping her ass. “Get off!”

“Ummm, are the two of you okay?” I heard Max ask while he opens the door to see the two of us with mess up hair and all tangled up.

“Yeah, just having a sisterly friend hug,” I said smacking her ass one last time and pushing away from her. We got up and fixed ourselves. “Ready.”

The ride to the arcade was awkward, but Demi made it funny some how. We met up with Adam and the two immediately held hands. It was cute and I now think we are the third wheel.

“How are you and Ali?” I asked as we went head to head shooting baskets. I was ahead by 4.

“Arguing again,” he said simply.

“She says you barely spend time with her,” I said as Ali and I became a bit of buddies. He beat me by two.

“Let’s go grab a bite to eat,” he said as we walked behind a couple standing in line. “Well I’ve just been busy.”

I thought about it and I don’t see him being all that busy. He just hangs out with me and works in the studio. What’s going on here? “Oh you should talk to her, she’s kind of freaking out.”

“Yeah, I know. I will eventually,” he said as it became quiet. We looked at the couple cooing each other and it made me feel uncomfortable. That’s how Matty and I use to be a month ago and now he’s with a new girl. I guest it bugged me a bit. Yeah, I fell out of love with him, but I thought he would be hung up on me for a bit. “You wanna get food somewhere else?”

“Uh, no, it’s fine,” I said snapping back to reality. I need to get over our break up. I am not going back to him. He cheated too. I don’t love Matty anymore.

“There’s a shorter line over there.”

“Okay,” I said as he grabbed my hand and led me over to the shorter line. I looked down at our hands. His hand was big and it wrapped around mine perfectly. What am I thinking?

“Sorry,” Max said pulling his hand from mine. I just blushed and didn’t say anything. “I’m buying,” He looked up at the menu and I did the same thing.

“French fries and a chocolate Milk Shake,” I told him.

“One large Chocolate Milk shake and two medium fries please,” he told the lady cashier.

“I don’t think I can finish a large shake on my own,” I crossed my arms as I felt the light chill of the night. He paid for the food while we waited.

“Well we’re gonna share,” he said slipping off his black leather jacket and placing it on me.

“You don’t have too,” I said referring to the jacket.

“I want to, Lola,” he said looking at me while he pulled his jacket on me covering my shoulders. I hate when he does things like this.

“Here’s your food,” she said as Max took it for her. We walked over to a small booth to eat at.

“After this we should try the photo booth,” He said gesturing his thumb towards the booth where Demi and Adam were at.

“That is if they didn’t use all the ink,” I said as he laughed while putting two straws in the shake.

“True, but we should give them a break from it,” he said while I nodded. I dipped my fries in the shake while he did the same.

“Demi’s funny.”

“Yeah, but at least she likes you since she gave you a nickname,” I said while he smiled.

“Why?”

“Well when I was with Matty she either called him Matty or by his last name,” I started as I put a fry covered in shake in my mouth, “she never liked him.”

“Well I’m really glad she likes me, but I hope she comes up with another nick name for me instead of Backstreet Boys,” he said as I laughed. Demi called him that because Max said that they were his favorite when he was younger.

“At least she doesn’t call you Luke Skywalker at times,” I said eating the last of my fries.

“Wait she calls you Luke Skywalker?” He laughed at me as I rolled my eyes at him, “why?”

“She like’s to think of herself as a mother/ father figure to me and we are like Star Wars geeks. She’s Darth Vader and I’m Luke. It’s embarrassing,” I said feeling my self blush again.

“I think it’s cute actually. We might have to have a Star Wars marathon, because I’m a Star Wars geek too,” he said while smiling. I’m in for that. We finished our food and headed for the photo booth that Demi and Adam were taking another picture in. “Let’s jump in,” I nodded.

“Cheese!” we both said surprising the two as it flashed. We took a group picture and did a bunch of funny things.

“It’s our turn to use up all the ink,” I said as it was over.

“What?” Adam said confused.

“Let’s go get something to eat?” Demi said to him as he nodded.

“I thought they would never leave,” Max said as I laughed and got in. I put in three dollars and selected a frame. “Let’s make a funny face.” I did a fish face and he showed his teeth. The next one was cute he leaned on my shoulder while I rested my head on his. The third one we were looking at each other.

We were getting ready for the last one, well I was. When I realized Max was leaning in. “Max,” I said placing a hand on his chest as his head rested on mines. I could hear the machine count down from 2. “I don’t like you like that.”

He pulled away, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking,” He said sitting back while we stayed in the booth to talk.

“No, it’s okay. It’s just I thought it was clear that we were friends,” I said looking down. “I don’t want you making a mistake and ruining your relationship with Ali. She really loves you.”

“Yeah, I don’t know what came over me,” he said sadly.

“You should call your girlfriend,” I said standing up, “I’ll be at Demi’s tonight. See you tomorrow,” I walked out of the booth to leave Max to think.