So Two Years Ago
Fourteen
Chapter Fourteen:
The boys took me to a small diner about 20 minutes away from Pete’s house, where we met with Patrick and Joe’s girlfriends and, of course, Ally. I couldn’t say I was thrilled about that, but I was going to be civilized about the situation and try to be nice. She wasn’t going to ruin my good time, at least.
The five of us rode together in Pete’s car, which was a tiny bit cramped, but it seemed to make more sense than taking two cars.
When we arrived and parked, Joe recognized his girlfriend’s car a few spaces down from ours, but, since there was no one inside of it, we figured that the other girls must be waiting for us inside the restaurant.
“Here we go again,” I mumbled to myself as I caught sight of Ally standing just beyond to glass door that the boys and I were approaching.
I thought it was to myself, that is, until Andy said, “Don’t let her bother you.” I half-smiled at him, and, just before we walked through the door, as we let the others go ahead of us, he continued. “And if she does, we’ll just kick her out again.” He finished with a chuckle which I echoed as we followed the rest of the gang inside.
I calmed my giggles as two girls were presented to me by their significant others. Joe introduced his girlfriend, who was maybe an inch taller than I was, with shoulder-length brown hair and a straight fringe that covered her eyebrows and almost hung over her eyes. “Tessa, this is my girlfriend, Sara. Sara, this is Tessa, some random girl we found wandering the city,” he smirked at that last bit, to which I sneered and playfully slapped his arm. Sara laughed him, and I knew right away that I was going to like this girl.
The other girl, who I decided must be Patrick’s girlfriend was pretty short. I’d say barely five feet tall. She was sort of tan and had short dark brown (almost black) hair that had a bit of red running through the side-swept bang that reminded me of a style Pete once wore, only longer, of course. She introduced herself before Patrick could do it for her.
“Hi, Tessa. I’m Meghan, but you can just call me Meg.” We shook hands, and Sara, Meg and I exchanged ‘nice to me you’s.
The girls and I were chatting, and I explained to them how I really met the boys while Pete or Ally or someone told the hostess how many were in our party. I didn’t take that much notice of it, though, and continued with my story about being lost and bumping into Andy in the city and all that. I was interrupted-- quite rudely, I might add-- by someone clearing their throat loudly. “Ahem…!” It was Ally… or Gwen. I still didn’t know what to call her. “Excuse me, but we’re trying to go to our table, if you don’t mind.” She directed her comment toward me with stern eyes and her arms crossed over her chest. I stopped talking and moved along with everyone without protest, though.
We were seated at a long rectangular table, and somehow I ended up sitting across from Ally. Joy of joys. Andy sat to my left, at the end of the table, with Pete across from him, and Sara was to my right, Joe on her other side. Patrick sat besides Ally and Meg was in the remaining seat. The eight of us were awkwardly quiet after Ally’s snappy comment earlier, so, for one reason or another, I decided that I ought to break the ice.
“So, Ally--”
“I go by Gwen, now, remember?” She spat.
I kept my composure, though. “Right, sorry. Gwen, how did you and Pete meet?”
“Well,” she seemed very happy to be talking about herself. “We were in a Starbucks, and he accidentally took my drink instead of his. I let him keep it, though, since he’d already drank out of the cup. So, I drank his coffee, and the two of us just kinda hung out drinking each others coffees.”
“Cute.” It actually was, to be honest. She smiled at my comment and, for a moment, actually resembled the girl I used to know.
Joe, Sara, Meg and Patrick had become involved in their own conversation, so Pete, Gwen, Andy and I continued with our own.
Eventually, the subject of boyfriends/girlfriends came up, directed mostly at me, since the others knew all about each others’ relationship statuses. “Oh, I’m single.”
“Didn’t leave anyone in Philly, huh?” Pete asked, waggling his eyebrows and grinning that goofy grin of his.
“No, Pete. No one’s waiting for me back in Philly.” He chuckled at his own silliness, something that I feel he does often. “And what about you?” I turned toward Andy. “You seem like the only boy without a lady.”
“Eh,” he began with a shrug. “I guess I am.”
“Doesn’t seem to bother you much.”
“Not too much. Only when it’s couples’ night out and I’m the seventh wheel.”
“We can be the lonely singles on the couples’ night out, I suppose.”
The evening went almost well after that. Gwen acted half-human toward me for most of the time with only a few catty comments and sideways glances here or there. All in all, it was a very tolerable, if not pretty enjoyable dinner out.
The boys took me to a small diner about 20 minutes away from Pete’s house, where we met with Patrick and Joe’s girlfriends and, of course, Ally. I couldn’t say I was thrilled about that, but I was going to be civilized about the situation and try to be nice. She wasn’t going to ruin my good time, at least.
The five of us rode together in Pete’s car, which was a tiny bit cramped, but it seemed to make more sense than taking two cars.
When we arrived and parked, Joe recognized his girlfriend’s car a few spaces down from ours, but, since there was no one inside of it, we figured that the other girls must be waiting for us inside the restaurant.
“Here we go again,” I mumbled to myself as I caught sight of Ally standing just beyond to glass door that the boys and I were approaching.
I thought it was to myself, that is, until Andy said, “Don’t let her bother you.” I half-smiled at him, and, just before we walked through the door, as we let the others go ahead of us, he continued. “And if she does, we’ll just kick her out again.” He finished with a chuckle which I echoed as we followed the rest of the gang inside.
I calmed my giggles as two girls were presented to me by their significant others. Joe introduced his girlfriend, who was maybe an inch taller than I was, with shoulder-length brown hair and a straight fringe that covered her eyebrows and almost hung over her eyes. “Tessa, this is my girlfriend, Sara. Sara, this is Tessa, some random girl we found wandering the city,” he smirked at that last bit, to which I sneered and playfully slapped his arm. Sara laughed him, and I knew right away that I was going to like this girl.
The other girl, who I decided must be Patrick’s girlfriend was pretty short. I’d say barely five feet tall. She was sort of tan and had short dark brown (almost black) hair that had a bit of red running through the side-swept bang that reminded me of a style Pete once wore, only longer, of course. She introduced herself before Patrick could do it for her.
“Hi, Tessa. I’m Meghan, but you can just call me Meg.” We shook hands, and Sara, Meg and I exchanged ‘nice to me you’s.
The girls and I were chatting, and I explained to them how I really met the boys while Pete or Ally or someone told the hostess how many were in our party. I didn’t take that much notice of it, though, and continued with my story about being lost and bumping into Andy in the city and all that. I was interrupted-- quite rudely, I might add-- by someone clearing their throat loudly. “Ahem…!” It was Ally… or Gwen. I still didn’t know what to call her. “Excuse me, but we’re trying to go to our table, if you don’t mind.” She directed her comment toward me with stern eyes and her arms crossed over her chest. I stopped talking and moved along with everyone without protest, though.
We were seated at a long rectangular table, and somehow I ended up sitting across from Ally. Joy of joys. Andy sat to my left, at the end of the table, with Pete across from him, and Sara was to my right, Joe on her other side. Patrick sat besides Ally and Meg was in the remaining seat. The eight of us were awkwardly quiet after Ally’s snappy comment earlier, so, for one reason or another, I decided that I ought to break the ice.
“So, Ally--”
“I go by Gwen, now, remember?” She spat.
I kept my composure, though. “Right, sorry. Gwen, how did you and Pete meet?”
“Well,” she seemed very happy to be talking about herself. “We were in a Starbucks, and he accidentally took my drink instead of his. I let him keep it, though, since he’d already drank out of the cup. So, I drank his coffee, and the two of us just kinda hung out drinking each others coffees.”
“Cute.” It actually was, to be honest. She smiled at my comment and, for a moment, actually resembled the girl I used to know.
Joe, Sara, Meg and Patrick had become involved in their own conversation, so Pete, Gwen, Andy and I continued with our own.
Eventually, the subject of boyfriends/girlfriends came up, directed mostly at me, since the others knew all about each others’ relationship statuses. “Oh, I’m single.”
“Didn’t leave anyone in Philly, huh?” Pete asked, waggling his eyebrows and grinning that goofy grin of his.
“No, Pete. No one’s waiting for me back in Philly.” He chuckled at his own silliness, something that I feel he does often. “And what about you?” I turned toward Andy. “You seem like the only boy without a lady.”
“Eh,” he began with a shrug. “I guess I am.”
“Doesn’t seem to bother you much.”
“Not too much. Only when it’s couples’ night out and I’m the seventh wheel.”
“We can be the lonely singles on the couples’ night out, I suppose.”
The evening went almost well after that. Gwen acted half-human toward me for most of the time with only a few catty comments and sideways glances here or there. All in all, it was a very tolerable, if not pretty enjoyable dinner out.