Chapter 28: ♤Chapter 21♤

“So,” I slapped my phone in my hand, “I need to have my ass home at 10, the least,” I voiced, staring at Chris who was looking at me expectantly, “Have me on my doorstep by 9:57.” I patted his arm as I walked by him.

He laughed, “Why 9:57?”

I turned back to him, “I need time to get up the stairs, duh.” I made a face.

His eyes narrowed at my tone, “I'll poke you in your arm.”

My eyes narrowed back at him, “I dare you. Do it. Find out what these hands do, boy.”

“I know that one,” he pointed at my arm in the sling, “Can't do shit.”

I was quiet after that, staring at him in mock disbelief, “You're going to the darkest part of hell.” I hissed, turning away from him and walking toward where he told me the dining room was.

He laughed loudly behind me, “C'mon Ari, don't be so sensitive.”

I went through the open hallway and stood there for a second, looking side to side cause I didn't know where I was going.

“Left.” He said behind me.

I went left without even acknowledging him and kept walking until the dining room appeared on my right. A pretty big table for only two people honestly.

We walked into the room right when his mom was placing a plate of food in the center of the table more toward the top.

Chris clapped next to me, rubbing his hands together dramatically and walking around the table, “So what are we having?”

She looked up and smiled, stepping back from the table, “Barbecue pork ribs,” she turns to me, “Pasta if you're not a meat eater and a couple sides,” she gestures to the table.

Ima fuck the shit up, sis, don't you worry.

I could feel my mouth watering, staring at the table. The food was obviously fresh out the pot if the steam rising from each dish wasn't a give away. I can only hope it tastes as good as it looks.

“Went to culinary school,” I heard Chris say and turned to see him smiling at me.

I didn't get a chance to get my thoughts together after that, since his mom followed up with, “Have a seat,” catching my attention again when she gestured to a chair.

She sat at the head of the table, me in the second chair to her right and Chris in the first on her left. I didn't want to sit too close and this makes me more comfortable.

I'd had to take my sling off, since I'm a righty. I have to use my right hand. There was a faint ache in my shoulder whenever I held my arm up too high, but it wasn't an unbearable pain. Especially since I still take medication that helps me with the pain, so I'm good, as long as I don't get hit in it.

I took in a deep subtle breath and nearly sighed out loud at the mouthwatering smell of heaven.

“So how's school?” She started and I followed their lead when they started making their plates.

Chris answered her question, seeing as I didn't think the question was directed to me. So I just listen to them converse back and forth for about five minutes.

Apart from the ribs and pasta, there was a bowl of salad, mash potatoes and a plate of breadsticks.

I reached for a breadstick the same time Chris did and jumped when he flicked my hand, pulling it back quickly. I pursed my lips to hold back a smile and squinted my eyes at him.

He smirked in response, giving me a smug look.

“Christian,” his mother said calmly, but it was obviously a warning.

He tried not to smile wider but failed, his eyes still on mine when he said, “Sorry.”

I mouthed, “I'm gonna kill you.”

He grinned and picked up the plate, holding it out for me and I hesitated for a second before reaching up to take a breadstick.

“Thank you,” I said, trying to hold back most of my sarcasm.

He nodded, that smug look still on his face, “You're welcome.”

I rolled my eyes subtly, looking down at my plate and taking up my fork.

“So Ariana,” I almost jumped in my seat, but looked over at her calmly. I didn't get the chance to respond right away, “Right?” She questioned.

I nodded, “Yeah.”

“Are you a senior?” She asked, sharing a good amount of salad on her plate.

I shook my head, “Um, no,” Chris snickered and I flipped him off under the table, “I'm a junior.”

“And how'd you two meet? I've never seen you before and Christian doesn't normally bring friends over.”

“We have Spanish class together and he sits ne-”

“Actually,” Chris cuts me off and I turned to him with a look, wanting to tell him to shut the fuck up. He gave me a teasing grin, probably knowing exactly what I wanted to say to him right now, “She ran into me on the first day of school.”

I stared at him blankly, “Okay, but we met in class officially.”

He shrugged, leaning back and clinking his fork against his plate, “I just thought that was a major detail.”

I blinked lazily, “How?”

“Cause I wouldn't have sat next to you if you hadn't ran into me.” He gave me a ‘duh’ look.

“First of all, I didn't run into you,” I started.

He grinned, leaning forward and setting his elbow on the table, his fist propped under his chin, “Really? What was it then?”

I opened my mouth to reply but there was a loud throat-clearing sound. I swallowed what I was about to say, pursing my lips and Chris looked over at his mom.

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly, sitting up and I held back a laugh.

That's what he gets for being so damn extra.

So after that, dinner went on with casual conversation, including all three of us and Chris and I trying not to start our usual banter in front of his mom again. It was difficult to say the least, seeing as he's so irritating with his side comments and inside jokes.

We talked about school, Chris talked about work and I talked about where I wanted to work once I was fully healed. Even talked about what I wanted to do after school, which I really didn't know but I told her I was really interested in landscaping and aesthetics in general, so I'd probably do something in her field of work. Still not sure about it.

Chris was looking to be an electrician and he was studying it in school right now. He'd told me he was a part of a dual enrollment program they had at our school that gave kids opportunities to attend college courses at a community college not far away from our school. And we have a small tech building that was a part of our school that he went to since freshman year, so he's pretty experienced in the field already. Maybe not professional level yet, but better than most.

I saw him fix a dim light in his room a while ago too. The thing was hardly noticeable, but he spotted it and did something to make it bright again.

“I have an important question for the both of you,” his mother, which I found out her name was Charlotte, started.

Chris and I looked over at her, waiting for her to ask her question. We watched her chew her food slowly, adjusting her fork on her plate. My eyes move to Chris and we both pressed our lips together against a smile cause we looked at each other the same time.

“Are you two sexually active?”

I heard Chris choke and I blinked a couple times.

My attention turned to her, “You mean… together or…” I looked over at Chris who was wiping his mouth with a napkin.

I don't even know why I was asking, it's still no either way.

She nodded.

“Mom, no,” Chris shook his head at her.

Yeah, what he said.

“I'm just making sure,” she said, holding up her hands, “Teenage pregnancies are very hard-”

“Mom,” Chris lets out an awkward laugh, “Ari and I are friends-”

“Barely,” I muttered.

“Ssshh,” he shushed me aggressively, feigning irritation.

I made a face and a weird noise. He imitated me.

“All right, I get it,” his mom said, cutting off our weird noise battle, “But like I said, I'm just making sure. Just promise that if this gets serious between you two that you're sa-”

“Okay, I think it's time for Ari to go home,” Chris cuts her off, getting up from his chair and looking over my head at something.

I held back a laugh when he gave me a look that said, ‘get the hell up’.

I giggled, pushing my chair back, “Wait, do you need help with-”

“No, it's okay. You need to get home,” she said, getting up too, “You two be safe.” she said, obviously there was a double meaning seeing the look she was giving us.

“Oh God,” Chris groaned and I held back a grin.

I wasn't even embarrassed cause I'm not guilty of anything. Not now or anytime soon.