A/N: Hope you enjoy! Please leave a review if you can!
Loud and crowded as usual, the cafeteria was a bustling hive of activity come lunch. Laughter, jeers, and good natured conversation filled the large hall as JJ made her way to the table already occupied by her friends.
"Meatloaf, potatoes, and milk that probably expired in 1992," Emily was moaning in disgust as she sat down. "You'd think the ambassador could ask her kitchen staff to make me something edible for lunch, but no... man, I'd kill for cheese and crackers"
The others laughed.
"Here," JJ chuckled, pulling her sandwich out of her bag and splitting it in half. Handing one half to Emily, she smiled. "Take it"
"Don't charity feed me," Emily replied.
"No, I'm saving you from... whatever hybrid disease that meatloaf might be carrying," JJ insisted. Emily grinned, nodding her thanks as she took the sandwich half from her friend and pushed her tray aside.
"You gonna share with me?" Will teased, nudging JJ's side.
"You forgot your lunch, Emily has no choice," JJ laughed. "Seriously Will, you'd forget your head if it wasn't screwed on"
"You'd remember it for me," Will said, a handsome grin on his face as he spoke.
"Hmm... probably not," JJ shot back, sticking her tongue out at Will, who responded the exact same way.
"Ok, I know I say this all the time, but can you two just date already?" Penelope cut in with a giggle.
"We'd kill each other if we dated," Will laughed, as JJ nodded in agreement. Penelope pouted.
"At least pretend it could happen, make my heart happy!" she exclaimed.
"Hate to break up this incredibly intelligent discussion you're having," Dave sniggered from further down the table. "But I spoke to my parents about the beach house and we're definitely cool to use it this summer, so who's in?"
"I'm definitely in!" Emily exclaimed, setting down her lunch as JJ nodded enthusiastically.
"Me too!" Penelope said happily.
"Count me in," Will replied.
"If Baby Girl's going, I'm definitely in," Derek said
"Spencer? Aaron?" Dave asked, turning to the remaining two at the table who had been more focused on their food than the discussions.
"Sure. Sounds like it'll be fun," Aaron replied, shrugging as half a smile found its way onto his usually stoic face.
"I'll come," Spencer piped up with a smile; as the quietest and most studious member of the group, he was always grateful to be included in the activities they organised outside of school.
"Can I bring Mark?"
JJ and Penelope simultaneously groaned, making the guys laugh.
"Sure," Dave chuckled, shaking his head at JJ and Penelope. "The more the merrier"
"He's so... why," JJ said dryly as Will laughed again. "Like, honestly, even the sex can't be worth it"
"Thanks JJ," Emily replied, rolling her eyes before she let out a little laugh. "He's not that bad"
"Whatever you say," Penelope said dramatically, making Emily shake her head, unable to fight off the smile at her friends' teasing.
"Em's still dating Mark, and now she's bringing him to the beach house in the summer," JJ groaned as she collapsed onto the couch opposite her mother after dinner. Over dinner, she had filled in her mom on their more concrete plans they had made, and now, she was starting to get excited about the trip. Only two weeks remained until summer break, but it felt like forever to JJ.
"Please be nice to him," Sandy said with a chuckle; she knew how forward JJ could be at times, and she also knew that that trait had gotten her daughter into trouble on several occasions.
"I will, but he's so ugh... pretentious and British... he's such an asshole to her sometimes," JJ complained.
"Why doesn't Emily break up with him if he treats her like crap?" Sandy asked.
"Because, and this is words from her own mouth, she can't be bothered trying to find someone else," JJ said dryly, getting a laugh out of her mother.
"I don't understand Emily, but she makes me laugh, honestly," Sandy chuckled.
"So you're definitely letting me go with them?"
Sandy nodded. "I don't see why you shouldn't go. Just don't do anything stupid"
JJ tipped her head, giving her mom a pointed look. "Me, stupid? Never"
"Yes, because you and Will riding your bikes through the woods in the dark wasn't a stupid idea at all," Sandy said dramatically.
"He was helping me overcome my fear of the woods," JJ said pointedly.
"Until you hit that rock and went over the handlebars," Sandy reminded her. JJ laughed sheepishly.
"Obviously that bit wasn't meant to happen"
Sandy laughed, shaking her head. "You are a worry"
"I promise I'll be careful when we go away. No accidents, incidents, injuries, or anything else like that," JJ said sincerely. "But enough about that, it's still a month away... what did the hot coffee guy have to say today?"
Sandy's face lit up. "I found out his name! It's Corey!"
JJ laughed at the sheer excitement on her mom's face. "Is he a long-lost Hemsworth brother?"
Now it was Sandy's turn to laugh. "You know, funnily enough, I don't think we've known each other long enough for me to make a joke like that"
"Tomorrow you have to find out his last name so I can Facebook stalk him," JJ said, making her mom laugh again. "If he's no good for me, he's certainly got to be better than Mark"