Never Have I Ever
Danny
That Thursday I take Cali to Red Lobster. There’s only one other couple here, and that’s exactly why we chose Thursday. Any of the ‘normal’ days to go out, like Friday through Sunday, would’ve been so packed we’d be waiting for a seat for over an hour.
We were given a booth in the back of the restaurant, as Cali had requested. It’s not as bright as the other parts of the building and a lot quieter. Even though it hadn’t been super packed, it had still been loud due to the family towards the front where the hostess waits for people to seat with nine children.
“Do you think they were all there’s?” Cali asks, sipping on her Pepsi.
I scrunch my lips to the side and shake my head.
“Nah. Did you see the adults at the table? Way to relaxed for them to have been all there’s.”
She clucks her tongue, a habit I noticed she has when she’s wearing lip-gloss. When she’s not, she licks them instead.
“How do you know they weren’t so relaxed because they were all their kids and they’re just totally used to their shit?” she counters.
I tilt my head back in respect.
“Nice guess, but no way it’s true. My friend Breyden has three siblings and his mom is forty and looks eighty. I mean that in the most respectable way possible. Therefore, if all of those had been the offspring of one couple, they would not have looked so young,” I explain.
Cali nods and tucks a curly strand behind her ear.
“Hm, well played Gaskarth. See, I wouldn’t know because I’m an only child.”
I make a face of false pity.
“Aw, no sibling to get into trouble with?”
She laughs and shakes her head.
“Nope. Just me, myself, and I. And my mom.”
I nod and take a drink of my coke.
“Where’s your dad?” I ask.
“Six feet under,” she answers, “He was killed when I was ten. Some guy broke into our house and he dove in front of my mom when he went to shoot her.”
I frown and put my glass back on the table.
“Any idea who, or why?” I ask.
Cali leans forward to rest her elbow on the table and her head in her hand.
“The guy was Lucas Peck. The why though, is anyone’s guess.”
“What’s yours?” I ask.
“We didn’t exactly live in a rich neighborhood. While my dad was deployed, my mom stayed at home to raise me. Something about not feeling my dad’s absence in its entirety, or something. Anyways, my guess is the guy was desperate and figured that was the best way to get some money. He probably figured if he chose a broken down home with a poor family the world didn’t care about it wouldn’t affect him as much.”
I nod and move my hand to squeeze the fingertips of the hand she’s left resting on the table.
“For what it’s worth, I would care.”
She shrugs.
“That’s because you got to know me. My friends and family would care, but to the world my mom, dad, and I were just another unlucky poor family. The world is full of them.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” I mumble.
She gives me a sad smile as she straightens up to turn her attention to our waiter. My face breaks out into a grin.
“Danny boy! Hey, wait, you weren’t our waiter.”
He shakes his head and grins at me, showing off his dimples.
“No, I wasn’t,” he laughs, “Selene’s shift ended just as you guys walked in. Congratulations, you are the customers that made a working class lady’s life harder.”
I roll my eyes and gesture to Cali.
“Danny, this is my English partner, Cali. Cali, this is my asshole of a best friend, Danny.”
They shake hands before Cali turns to give me a look.
“I thought Jack is your best friend?”
“You can have more than one best friend,” I counter.
She shakes her head and smirks at me.
“No, no you can’t. There isn’t more than one ‘best’ when it comes to competitions, there’s first and second place. Therefore, you can only have one best friend.”
Danny grosses his arms and joins in on her cruel game.
“Yeah, Alex, who’s it gonna be, that cunt or this asshole?” he challenges.
I look between them weakly for a few seconds before dropping my head to the table.
“I hate both of you,” I mutter.
They both laugh and Danny rests a hand on my back.
“Lighten up, dude, I know Jack’s your number one. Anyways, what can I get you guys?” he says, pulling out a pen and pad.
Cali says, “Lobster, obviously.”
“Chicken strips,” I say.
Danny shakes his head and writes down our order.
“You still eat like you’re five,” he says.
“Bite me,” I snap.
He’s still laughing when he disappears around the corner. I shake my head and sink down in my seat.
Cali waits until he’s out of ear shot to lean forward until her boobs are resting on the table. Not that I’m looking, or anything.
“He seems nice,” she says, trying to be nonchalant about it but failing miserably.
“I guess,” I say, shrugging.
She bites her lip, pulling some of the pink substance into her mouth.
“He’s cute,” she says.
I roll my eyes.
“How so?”
“Have you seen his eyes?” she asks in a dreamy manner.
“Cali, they’re grey. Your eyes are grey,” I remind her.
She shakes her head.
“Yeah, but there’s something worth seeing in them, there isn’t in mine. Do you think he’d be into me?” she asks, leaning forward and squishing herself to the table even more.
I want to tell her no, that she’s not really his type, but I can’t because she is. She so is. She’s exciting and full of stories and the way she’s nervously got her lower lip clamped between her teeth and the small freckle I’m just now noticing that sits just off of the corner of her right eye can’t be described as anything but adorable.
“Yeah,” I say, letting out a breath I didn’t know I was holding, “yeah, he’d be into you. You should go for it.”
My heart clenches as she squeals in excitement. I’d really thought that bringing her out here and letting her get to know me would shake off her fear of me and maybe she’d give me a chance. Instead, she’s shaken off the fear and I’ve lead her to my best friend.
Good job, Gaskarth.
I decide to brush it off and just enjoy being near her. I drink her laughter and memorize the way her eyes shine when she tells a story about she’d managed to get herself into trouble. I watch as her nervous exterior breaks away and she becomes more confident in what she says. She gestures more when she’s not nervous, I’d noticed.
I give Cali the money to go up and pay before we leave, while I collect our jackets and try to arrange our mess as much as I can. I figure the less work I leave for Danny the less he’ll complain when he sees me next.
I walk to the front of the restaurant, shaking off that weird feeling of being watched and judged by strangers that leaves an uncomfortable sensation settling into my skin. The feeling comes with not knowing what to do with my arms, and feeling extremely awkward about letting them hang at my side.
I manage to get to the front of the building without a panic attack by reminding myself that strangers have better things to do than watch me walk past them.
Once I reach Cali and Danny the carpet has given way to tile. Cali’s leaning over the podium and twirling a piece of hair around her finger. I used to find it unattractive when other girls would use that as a way to flirt, it almost made them seem too desperate, but on her it just works.
Cali skips over to me when she’s done and I fake a tight smile at her as she shoves the piece of paper with Danny’s phone number on it in my face.
“Thank you so much, Alex,” she says, hugging the paper to her chest like her life depends on it.
“For what?” I ask, “I didn’t ask him out for you or anything.”
She shakes her head.
“True, but I wouldn’t have had the courage to do it if you hadn’t have told me to go for it,” she says, placing a hand on my thigh, totally oblivious to the warmth it spreads through my body, “Thank you. You’re a great friend.”
“It’s no problem,” I say, resisting my urge to slam my face into the steering wheel.
She smiles and kisses my cheek as I pull up her driveway.
“Thanks for today. Bye, Alex, I’ll see you tomorrow!”
She’s already hallway up her drive before she finishes the sentence. I give in and slam my face into the steering wheel once before pulling out.
“Ow,” I whine, rubbing my chin.
________
“Dude, you are so in the friend zone and you aren’t ever getting out,” Jack howls later that night.
I roll my eyes and vaguely wish I had told him in person instead of over the phone. I could’ve hit him that way.
“Not cool, man,” I complain, pouting at my ceiling.
“Sorry,” he chuckles, “Are you still going to see Breyden’s band play in the park this Sunday?”
“Yeah,” I say, “I wouldn’t miss it. He’s totally stoked about it; I’d be a terrible friend if I didn’t go. It’s free, right?”
“Yup,” he says, “Sorry to do this when you’re heartbroken and all, but we have school tomorrow and it’s one in the morning. Later, asshole.”
“See you tomorrow, cunt.”
I can practically see him rolling his eyes as the line goes dead. I sigh and plug my cell into its charger before curling onto my side and attempting to fall asleep.
We were given a booth in the back of the restaurant, as Cali had requested. It’s not as bright as the other parts of the building and a lot quieter. Even though it hadn’t been super packed, it had still been loud due to the family towards the front where the hostess waits for people to seat with nine children.
“Do you think they were all there’s?” Cali asks, sipping on her Pepsi.
I scrunch my lips to the side and shake my head.
“Nah. Did you see the adults at the table? Way to relaxed for them to have been all there’s.”
She clucks her tongue, a habit I noticed she has when she’s wearing lip-gloss. When she’s not, she licks them instead.
“How do you know they weren’t so relaxed because they were all their kids and they’re just totally used to their shit?” she counters.
I tilt my head back in respect.
“Nice guess, but no way it’s true. My friend Breyden has three siblings and his mom is forty and looks eighty. I mean that in the most respectable way possible. Therefore, if all of those had been the offspring of one couple, they would not have looked so young,” I explain.
Cali nods and tucks a curly strand behind her ear.
“Hm, well played Gaskarth. See, I wouldn’t know because I’m an only child.”
I make a face of false pity.
“Aw, no sibling to get into trouble with?”
She laughs and shakes her head.
“Nope. Just me, myself, and I. And my mom.”
I nod and take a drink of my coke.
“Where’s your dad?” I ask.
“Six feet under,” she answers, “He was killed when I was ten. Some guy broke into our house and he dove in front of my mom when he went to shoot her.”
I frown and put my glass back on the table.
“Any idea who, or why?” I ask.
Cali leans forward to rest her elbow on the table and her head in her hand.
“The guy was Lucas Peck. The why though, is anyone’s guess.”
“What’s yours?” I ask.
“We didn’t exactly live in a rich neighborhood. While my dad was deployed, my mom stayed at home to raise me. Something about not feeling my dad’s absence in its entirety, or something. Anyways, my guess is the guy was desperate and figured that was the best way to get some money. He probably figured if he chose a broken down home with a poor family the world didn’t care about it wouldn’t affect him as much.”
I nod and move my hand to squeeze the fingertips of the hand she’s left resting on the table.
“For what it’s worth, I would care.”
She shrugs.
“That’s because you got to know me. My friends and family would care, but to the world my mom, dad, and I were just another unlucky poor family. The world is full of them.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” I mumble.
She gives me a sad smile as she straightens up to turn her attention to our waiter. My face breaks out into a grin.
“Danny boy! Hey, wait, you weren’t our waiter.”
He shakes his head and grins at me, showing off his dimples.
“No, I wasn’t,” he laughs, “Selene’s shift ended just as you guys walked in. Congratulations, you are the customers that made a working class lady’s life harder.”
I roll my eyes and gesture to Cali.
“Danny, this is my English partner, Cali. Cali, this is my asshole of a best friend, Danny.”
They shake hands before Cali turns to give me a look.
“I thought Jack is your best friend?”
“You can have more than one best friend,” I counter.
She shakes her head and smirks at me.
“No, no you can’t. There isn’t more than one ‘best’ when it comes to competitions, there’s first and second place. Therefore, you can only have one best friend.”
Danny grosses his arms and joins in on her cruel game.
“Yeah, Alex, who’s it gonna be, that cunt or this asshole?” he challenges.
I look between them weakly for a few seconds before dropping my head to the table.
“I hate both of you,” I mutter.
They both laugh and Danny rests a hand on my back.
“Lighten up, dude, I know Jack’s your number one. Anyways, what can I get you guys?” he says, pulling out a pen and pad.
Cali says, “Lobster, obviously.”
“Chicken strips,” I say.
Danny shakes his head and writes down our order.
“You still eat like you’re five,” he says.
“Bite me,” I snap.
He’s still laughing when he disappears around the corner. I shake my head and sink down in my seat.
Cali waits until he’s out of ear shot to lean forward until her boobs are resting on the table. Not that I’m looking, or anything.
“He seems nice,” she says, trying to be nonchalant about it but failing miserably.
“I guess,” I say, shrugging.
She bites her lip, pulling some of the pink substance into her mouth.
“He’s cute,” she says.
I roll my eyes.
“How so?”
“Have you seen his eyes?” she asks in a dreamy manner.
“Cali, they’re grey. Your eyes are grey,” I remind her.
She shakes her head.
“Yeah, but there’s something worth seeing in them, there isn’t in mine. Do you think he’d be into me?” she asks, leaning forward and squishing herself to the table even more.
I want to tell her no, that she’s not really his type, but I can’t because she is. She so is. She’s exciting and full of stories and the way she’s nervously got her lower lip clamped between her teeth and the small freckle I’m just now noticing that sits just off of the corner of her right eye can’t be described as anything but adorable.
“Yeah,” I say, letting out a breath I didn’t know I was holding, “yeah, he’d be into you. You should go for it.”
My heart clenches as she squeals in excitement. I’d really thought that bringing her out here and letting her get to know me would shake off her fear of me and maybe she’d give me a chance. Instead, she’s shaken off the fear and I’ve lead her to my best friend.
Good job, Gaskarth.
I decide to brush it off and just enjoy being near her. I drink her laughter and memorize the way her eyes shine when she tells a story about she’d managed to get herself into trouble. I watch as her nervous exterior breaks away and she becomes more confident in what she says. She gestures more when she’s not nervous, I’d noticed.
I give Cali the money to go up and pay before we leave, while I collect our jackets and try to arrange our mess as much as I can. I figure the less work I leave for Danny the less he’ll complain when he sees me next.
I walk to the front of the restaurant, shaking off that weird feeling of being watched and judged by strangers that leaves an uncomfortable sensation settling into my skin. The feeling comes with not knowing what to do with my arms, and feeling extremely awkward about letting them hang at my side.
I manage to get to the front of the building without a panic attack by reminding myself that strangers have better things to do than watch me walk past them.
Once I reach Cali and Danny the carpet has given way to tile. Cali’s leaning over the podium and twirling a piece of hair around her finger. I used to find it unattractive when other girls would use that as a way to flirt, it almost made them seem too desperate, but on her it just works.
Cali skips over to me when she’s done and I fake a tight smile at her as she shoves the piece of paper with Danny’s phone number on it in my face.
“Thank you so much, Alex,” she says, hugging the paper to her chest like her life depends on it.
“For what?” I ask, “I didn’t ask him out for you or anything.”
She shakes her head.
“True, but I wouldn’t have had the courage to do it if you hadn’t have told me to go for it,” she says, placing a hand on my thigh, totally oblivious to the warmth it spreads through my body, “Thank you. You’re a great friend.”
“It’s no problem,” I say, resisting my urge to slam my face into the steering wheel.
She smiles and kisses my cheek as I pull up her driveway.
“Thanks for today. Bye, Alex, I’ll see you tomorrow!”
She’s already hallway up her drive before she finishes the sentence. I give in and slam my face into the steering wheel once before pulling out.
“Ow,” I whine, rubbing my chin.
________
“Dude, you are so in the friend zone and you aren’t ever getting out,” Jack howls later that night.
I roll my eyes and vaguely wish I had told him in person instead of over the phone. I could’ve hit him that way.
“Not cool, man,” I complain, pouting at my ceiling.
“Sorry,” he chuckles, “Are you still going to see Breyden’s band play in the park this Sunday?”
“Yeah,” I say, “I wouldn’t miss it. He’s totally stoked about it; I’d be a terrible friend if I didn’t go. It’s free, right?”
“Yup,” he says, “Sorry to do this when you’re heartbroken and all, but we have school tomorrow and it’s one in the morning. Later, asshole.”
“See you tomorrow, cunt.”
I can practically see him rolling his eyes as the line goes dead. I sigh and plug my cell into its charger before curling onto my side and attempting to fall asleep.