The table is set specifically so the adults would be on one end and we on the other.
I’m sitting between Alls and Lindsey, with Jake in front of me, Riden in front of Allison, and Alana in front of Lindsey.
The food is already sitting in front of us. Chops and rice. One of my favorite meals. I know it may appear simple, but it’s mouth-watering. When I’m served, I start to eat. The others are starting to eat when I get some more food.
“Mads!” Alisson whispers-yells.
“Wot?” I whisper back with my mouth full.
“Stop eating like a savage.”
I stare at her, frowning.
She eyes the boys and Alana, and I roll my eyes.
Riden and Jake are both staring, the first almost with his mouth wide open, surely not expecting this behavior from any human being — even though he practically lives in Jake’s house, he hasn’t seen me eating a lot — and the second sporting a pig smile — this one sees meevery time.I swallow the enormous amount of food in my mouth and say to the boys, rolling my eyes, “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”
They seemed surprised that I made a sarcastic comment instead of showing embarrassment.
Jake smirks.
“How charming, continuing to eat like an animal.” He says. “You’d expect she would have learned to fix it in over ten years.” He sighs, knowing how mad he’s driving me right now.
“I can be very charming, and you would know it if you really knew me, but you never bothered.”
We go a long way. From him using me as his prank guinea pig to always taunting me until exhaustion. But what I said is true, from all the dinners and times we’ve been together, we never really got interested in really knowing each other.
“I always tried!” He may be smirking, but his mouth is not showing what his eyes are. There’s a glint of hope and truth in his eyes.Those… Hazel eyes.
“I believe the sentence isTake a picture, it’ll last longer…” Allison quotes me.
“Staring are we? I mean, I know you dream about me daily.”
“Don’t flatter yourself. I zoned out, and by chance, my gaze landed on you. And also, I only dream of you when you decide to come haunt my nightmares.”
“Ah, I see.”
I place another piece of meat and then add a bit of rice to my fork and put it in my mouth. Then, after chewing for a bit, turn to him.
“So why did you come early this summer?”
“My grandma was always complaining that we didn’t visit her enough, so I thought we could come earlier to spend more time with her. "
I smile. That’s actually really sweet.
“Has the world gone wild? Did I just see Madelaine Brown smiling? A genuine smile?” Jake mocks. “Caused byme?Oh, willdefinitelytake a picture…”
“No, you won’t!”
I try to take it off his hands, and he dangles it in my face but out of reach, ready to snatch a photo.
“Jacob, no phones at the dinner table!” Emily raises her voice above our mess, and I smile triumphantly at him.
“Yeah, Jacob,no phones at the dinner table…” I whisper in front of his face now that the parents are distracted and talking again.
“Viper.”
“Pig.”
