So Kiss Me Goodbye

"What is it Lilly?" Gabe asked taking one look at my confused face.

I showed him the napkin with the ten digits scrawled across it.

"Something tells me that's not binary for 'your food will be here shortly'. Ryan said peering over.

"I feel kind of insulted right now." I murmured emotionlessly.

Ryan raised an eyebrow.

"Well I mean for all he knows Gabe could be my boyfriend or my brother, either way it could send him into a world of pain."

"Yeah you've got a point." Shelby nodded.

Just then the waiter walked up with a drink.

"This is from the gentleman at table 12, along with his number." He said, setting down the drink.

"Okay here's a question, who gives a girl their number and buys them a glass of milk at Denny's?"

Gabe peered over my shoulder, rolling his eyes. "You just had to ask."

We all followed his eyes to see none other than Pete Wentz walking over.

"That should give you no excuse not to call when I leave." He said, sliding into our booth.

"And the milk?" I asked.

He grinned. "Helps give you strong bones."

"That's what the milk industry wants you to think." Gabe muttered.

Pete stuck his tongue out at him.

"So, what are we up to today?" He asked casually.

"Distracting me apparently." I replied, slurping my milk.

"I wanna help!" He squealed.

Gabe shook his head in amusement. "Pete that doesn't mean swinging a pocket watch in front of her eyes for a couple hours."

"Well I'm out of ideas." He sighed.

"Which is why were at Denny's, wasting time." Ryan explained.

Pete nodded with an 'oh'.

Just then our food arrived.

For about an hour wehad a mini food fight talked and ate casually.

I was on my third round of eggs and bacon, pretty much eating like a binging cheerleader at a buffet.

"Slow down Lilly, you'll make yourself sick." Shelby warned, pointless since she was doing the same.

"You're one to talk." I shot back playfully.

"Do you eat like this all the time?" Pete asked, wide eyed.

We shrugged. "Sometimes."

"How are you not a four hundred pound lady who owns twenty cats, all of them named Larry after the guy that went on two dates with you but never called, so you started knitting mittens for him when he came back but he never did so all day you watch Golden Girl's re-runs and quote St. Olaf stories." Pete ranted.

Gabe gave him a 'what the fuck look', deciding against replying.

"Well you and Bill will get along great if you eat that much and managed to stay annoyingly skinny." Ryan commented.

"What about you Mr. Walking toothpick?" Shelby teased.

Pete leaned to whisper in my ear. "Twenty bucks says they're in bed by Monday."

"Deal." I replied, shaking his hand knowing even if Shelby liked him, she wasn't that easy to get into bed.

Another hour after that and another round of coffee we were kicked out.

Pete blamed societies need to keep us on edge at all times.

Gabe blamed Pete and the third piece of buttered toast he got stuck to the ceiling.

In the end it didn't really matter, we still had to leave.

"What now?" Ryan asked, hovering unusually close to Shelby.

"I guess we could go back to our place, play videogames." Shelby shrugged.

Pete grinned. "Sounds good."

We had just reached the car when Gabe's phone rang.

He walked out of ear shot as I noted the dark thunderclouds rolling in.

When I looked back down it seemed a little odd that Shelby now had the phone.

"Change in plans." Gabe announced.

He paused while Shelby gave him the phone back.

"We're gonna go over to my place, meet up with the rest of The Academy Is and play videogames."

Somewhat puzzled I went along with them to Gabe's place.

All the while through the car ride as they blasted music and it rained, I waited on edge for tonight.