He didn’t even wait for the girl to relay the order back before shoving the car into gear and bombing it over to the first window. In his haste, he scraped the car along one of the metal bollards, leaving black flecks across it.
Taylor grumbled and drummed his fingers across the steering wheel, leg bouncing uncontrollably next to the gear stick.
“Chill,” Johnny said, hand hovering over his knee. “Do you want me to drive?”
Taylor snarled, anger twisting hot and sharp in his belly. “No, I don’t. I bet you’re finding this fucking hilarious aren’t you, JP? Ha-ha, let’s laugh at Taylor because he’s an uncontrollable alpha-hole that nearly killed a man during a threesome, won’tstop biting his best friend and now can’t even fucking drive straight.”
“Er, do you want sauce with that?” the server said, holding out some napkins.
“No, thank you,” he snapped back, snatching the napkins out of her hand and throwing them at Johnny. “Sorry,” he mumbled over his shoulder at the terrified looking girl.
“Taylor, no one is laughing at you.”
He looked Johnny up and down. “Oh yeah? So why’re you smiling? Why do you look like the cat that got the fucking cream cheese?”
“Cream.”
“Fuck you. It’s cream cheese if I say it’s cream cheese.”
Johnny sighed and shook his head.
“N-next window please,” the server stuttered.
“Oh, I’ll go to the next window alright,” Taylor growled, almost taking out another bollard as he went.
“Tay, will you just pull over and let me drive?”
“I can’t pull over, we’re in a fucking drive-through,” he said, but nevertheless unbuckled his seat belt and launched himself out of the car. Johnny spluttered and did the same, swapping seats just as the food arrived.
“One loaded breakfast wrap, brown sauce, no egg.”
Johnny smiled sheepishly, took the food, and dropped it into Taylor’s lap. “Just take a deep breath. You’re freaking out.”
“Eight hash browns, stack of pancakes, extra syrup.”
“I am not freaking out.”He was absolutely freaking out.“And don’t tell me to take a deep breath. I’m not a child. You aren’t my mum. My mum’s fucked off somewhere and?—”
“Tay!” Johnny barked, suddenly leaning across the gap between the seats and clamping his mouth over Taylor’s.
There was a moment when they just sort of hung there, suspended in time like in Theo’s bedroom. Johnny’s eyes wereopen; so were Taylor’s. He blinked several times, convinced he was having some kind of lucid dream, because kissing your best friend in the dark was one thing, but in the cold light of the drive-through was?—
Johnny pulled away, and Taylor nearly choked on his own spit.
“Um, do you want any extra milk and sugar with that?” The server’s eyes darted between them as she cupped a handful of milk sachets. She wasn’t alone, because it seemed as though McDonald’s entire fucking workforce had gathered behind the window to witness their little squabble.
“Thanks,” Johnny said, leaning through the hatch to take them out of her hands. He shoved them into the centre console before rolling up the window and driving off.
The sun was already pretty high, despite it being so early in the morning, and Johnny said he’d take the long way home so Taylor could eat the food.
“Do you honestly think Theo’s okay?” Taylor said, ripping open the breakfast wrap with his teeth just as they crossed the border between High Enfield and West Newton. He stared intently at Johnny’s face, waiting for any sign of doubt. Instead, he was met by a small, almost non-existent smile.
“Theo is just fine. He texted me earlier and said thanks for the shag.”
Taylor scoffed. “You got his number?”
“Of course I did. You were so hell-bent on us getting laid I thought it’d be rude not to. Plus, he did let us use his shower when in reality he should have just kicked us out.”
Taylor nodded as he chewed on a piece of bacon. “Nice guy. Emily, too. She’s a nerd, but in a cute way. She had this cool tattoo that went up her arm and I guessed it was Elvish. She seemed impressed.”
