My fingers throbbed as I began to pack my violin and already I could
feel the beginnings of a neck cramp. I sighed and smiled to Annabelle who
was still packing her clarinet. She sighed and gave me a look that clearly
stated, "God, I'm so glad this is the last period." I smiled and nodded,
slipping my messenger bag over my head. She did the same and walked over to
me and we both walked out of the music building to the front courtyard.
"Is mom picking us up?" I said, finally breaking the tired silence. Annabelle shook her head and replied, "No, but dad is." I nodded and sighed.
"Seth told me he could take me home. Since I realized we live across the cul-de-sac from him." I chuckled. Annabelle nodded and we stopped in the middle of the courtyard, silently watching all the students spill out from the various doors. Annabelle began looking for her dad and I spotted him first. I pointed to his car and Annabelle followed my finger.
"There's Will. Just tell him I'll be home soon." I said and Annabelle nodded, jogging off and giving me a small wave. I waved back and turned around, looking for Seth. Soon enough I found him and waved at him as he came over.
"So I have my mom's Range Rover, so let's make out." He said and I furrowed my brow. "Make out?" I questioned, still standing while he began to walk off. Seeing me not at his side, he turned and walked back.
"What's the matter?" Seth asked and I bit my lower lip, my brows still furrowed. "Make out? I've only met you today, Seth." I said and he laughed.
"No, make out like in, 'Let's leave'." He explained and I shrugged, as we both began to walk towards the car. "Whatever." I said and smiled, following him to the car.
... ...
"Thanks for taking me home. Um," I looked around at the boxes littering our living room and turned to Seth at our door. "I'd invite you in but there's like... nothing but boxes." He laughed and gently inclined his head to his house.
"Here, we can hang out at my house. Play some PS2... maybe?" He cocked his head to the side and I nodded enthusiastically.
"I'll kick your Newport ass."
"Oh Bailey... you are talking to the master. Nobody has beaten the master." He said, leading the way out the door and I followed.
"We'll see about that, Newport Boy." I teased as we walked across the cul-de-sac to his house. Or... I walked; Seth got into his car and drove. The gates in front of his house opened and he pulled up, cutting the engine. I walked in towards him and he led me to the door.
"Ryan and my dad are home." Seth said and I snorted lightly. "Is that supposed to stop me from beating you?" Seth laughed and we walked in.
The living room was a sight for my eyes, having not seen one this big and not filled with cardboard boxes since... well, ever. I looked around and Seth led me to the kitchen where, apparently, Seth's dad was making an after-work snack. I came in behind him and smiled to Seth's dad, who looked from Seth to me, confused.
"Dad, this is Bailey. She just moved in across the street the other day and is stuck with me in all my classes." he explained and I laughed. "Except for Orchestra and Art." I added, "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cohen."
He smiled and I shook his hand. "Please, call me Sandy. I save Mr. Cohen for my clients." He replied and I nodded. "Here, I'll get the game set up." I said and nodded firmly. Seth nodded as well and I left to well, get the ninja game set up.
Seth looked to Sandy and Sandy frowned. "What? Dad... what?! " Seth asked, leaning on the island. Sandy shook his head. "What about Summer? And Anna?" He countered and Seth sighed.
"I swear, this girl is just a friend. She's still getting used to Newport. Cut her some slack." he pleaded. Sandy shook his head again. Seth sighed loudly and grabbed 2 cokes from the fridge and left, only to have Sandy shout back, "Does she surf?" Seth laughed and plopped on the couch next to me and I took the coke gratefully.
"Ready for a New Zealand ass kicking, Newport boy?" I smirked, choosing my weapon. Seth laughed and set his coke down. "Bring it on, Island girl."
... ...
It was dark by the time we had given up and declared the tournament a tie. I sighed and threw my controller down, falling back on the couch from my standing position. Seth nodded and let his drop.
"I'm starving," he said, turning to me. I nodded. "Has the take out come yet?" I asked, facing him, referring to the half conversation we had had with his mom, Kirsten. And if triggered by the question, the door swung open and in came Kirsten, holding bags of Thai food. "Dinner's ready!" She shouted, smiling and Seth and I jumped up and ran to the kitchen.
"Seth, will you set the table?" Kirsten asked and he nodded. "Bailey, I need help." He whined and I laughed.
"You're the one who lives here. I have no idea where anything is."
"Silverware is in the drawer on the end and the plates are already out." Seth said, folding the napkins. I sighed loudly and got out 5 forks and knives and I walked over, setting them out. Seth turned them the other way.
"God Bailey, you're so British. That's not how you do it," he teased and I laughed. Kirsten came with most of the food and set it down in the middle of the table. I went to get the rest. Ryan came in and took one look at me then at Seth, just as Sandy had done.
"Not this again." Seth muttered and I laughed again, pulling out a chair and sitting down. The rest of the Cohen family followed.
"Let's eat!" Seth exclaimed and served himself some Satay chicken and peanut sauce.
"Is mom picking us up?" I said, finally breaking the tired silence. Annabelle shook her head and replied, "No, but dad is." I nodded and sighed.
"Seth told me he could take me home. Since I realized we live across the cul-de-sac from him." I chuckled. Annabelle nodded and we stopped in the middle of the courtyard, silently watching all the students spill out from the various doors. Annabelle began looking for her dad and I spotted him first. I pointed to his car and Annabelle followed my finger.
"There's Will. Just tell him I'll be home soon." I said and Annabelle nodded, jogging off and giving me a small wave. I waved back and turned around, looking for Seth. Soon enough I found him and waved at him as he came over.
"So I have my mom's Range Rover, so let's make out." He said and I furrowed my brow. "Make out?" I questioned, still standing while he began to walk off. Seeing me not at his side, he turned and walked back.
"What's the matter?" Seth asked and I bit my lower lip, my brows still furrowed. "Make out? I've only met you today, Seth." I said and he laughed.
"No, make out like in, 'Let's leave'." He explained and I shrugged, as we both began to walk towards the car. "Whatever." I said and smiled, following him to the car.
... ...
"Thanks for taking me home. Um," I looked around at the boxes littering our living room and turned to Seth at our door. "I'd invite you in but there's like... nothing but boxes." He laughed and gently inclined his head to his house.
"Here, we can hang out at my house. Play some PS2... maybe?" He cocked his head to the side and I nodded enthusiastically.
"I'll kick your Newport ass."
"Oh Bailey... you are talking to the master. Nobody has beaten the master." He said, leading the way out the door and I followed.
"We'll see about that, Newport Boy." I teased as we walked across the cul-de-sac to his house. Or... I walked; Seth got into his car and drove. The gates in front of his house opened and he pulled up, cutting the engine. I walked in towards him and he led me to the door.
"Ryan and my dad are home." Seth said and I snorted lightly. "Is that supposed to stop me from beating you?" Seth laughed and we walked in.
The living room was a sight for my eyes, having not seen one this big and not filled with cardboard boxes since... well, ever. I looked around and Seth led me to the kitchen where, apparently, Seth's dad was making an after-work snack. I came in behind him and smiled to Seth's dad, who looked from Seth to me, confused.
"Dad, this is Bailey. She just moved in across the street the other day and is stuck with me in all my classes." he explained and I laughed. "Except for Orchestra and Art." I added, "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cohen."
He smiled and I shook his hand. "Please, call me Sandy. I save Mr. Cohen for my clients." He replied and I nodded. "Here, I'll get the game set up." I said and nodded firmly. Seth nodded as well and I left to well, get the ninja game set up.
Seth looked to Sandy and Sandy frowned. "What? Dad... what?! " Seth asked, leaning on the island. Sandy shook his head. "What about Summer? And Anna?" He countered and Seth sighed.
"I swear, this girl is just a friend. She's still getting used to Newport. Cut her some slack." he pleaded. Sandy shook his head again. Seth sighed loudly and grabbed 2 cokes from the fridge and left, only to have Sandy shout back, "Does she surf?" Seth laughed and plopped on the couch next to me and I took the coke gratefully.
"Ready for a New Zealand ass kicking, Newport boy?" I smirked, choosing my weapon. Seth laughed and set his coke down. "Bring it on, Island girl."
... ...
It was dark by the time we had given up and declared the tournament a tie. I sighed and threw my controller down, falling back on the couch from my standing position. Seth nodded and let his drop.
"I'm starving," he said, turning to me. I nodded. "Has the take out come yet?" I asked, facing him, referring to the half conversation we had had with his mom, Kirsten. And if triggered by the question, the door swung open and in came Kirsten, holding bags of Thai food. "Dinner's ready!" She shouted, smiling and Seth and I jumped up and ran to the kitchen.
"Seth, will you set the table?" Kirsten asked and he nodded. "Bailey, I need help." He whined and I laughed.
"You're the one who lives here. I have no idea where anything is."
"Silverware is in the drawer on the end and the plates are already out." Seth said, folding the napkins. I sighed loudly and got out 5 forks and knives and I walked over, setting them out. Seth turned them the other way.
"God Bailey, you're so British. That's not how you do it," he teased and I laughed. Kirsten came with most of the food and set it down in the middle of the table. I went to get the rest. Ryan came in and took one look at me then at Seth, just as Sandy had done.
"Not this again." Seth muttered and I laughed again, pulling out a chair and sitting down. The rest of the Cohen family followed.
"Let's eat!" Seth exclaimed and served himself some Satay chicken and peanut sauce.