I have a second of indecision. I know my life is changing, veering into something I scarcely recognize. I also know getting out of the car now wouldn’t stop the changes from coming, maybe delay them, but probably not.
Dante pulls out of the school lot, making a right turn. Oliver reaches over to the radio, tapping the power button. Instinctively I slam my palms over my ears when it blares to life. He fumbles for only a second before the volume drops dramatically.
“Holy loud Batman,” I utter in shock.
Milo, who feels entirely too close to me in the small backseat, chuckles.
“You’ll get used to it. Dante is half deaf.” From the small grin on his face, I think he’s joking about the Dante being deaf part.
Oliver throws his elbow over the front bench seat, turning to face us. He eyes the space between Milo and I before peering at me.
“Hi,” he offers with a sweet smile tipping his lips.
I blush, and I don’t even know why. “Hi Ollie,” my voice is small. It’s the first time I’ve used his nickname, I hadn’t even planned on it. That’s just what came out.
He bites the corner of his mouth and breathes in deep. Milo reaches forward and pushes his arm off the back of the seat, a little too hard, if the look on Ollie’s face tells me anything.
I look down at my lap, feeling like I just got caught. Was I flirting?
Milo leans into my space a few moments later. I tense, expecting him to warn me off his boyfriend, instead he says, “I’m starving, how about you? You hungry?”
I glance at him from the corner of my eye. He doesn’t look angry. I turn my head enough to see him slouched in the seat, his legs spread wide to accommodate the front passenger seat.
I’m actually starving. I didn’t get my lunch today, but I’m not sure eating would be a good idea.
“Maybe a little.” I shrug.
Milo angles forward on the seat and leans to Dante’s side of the car, bringing him even closer to me. I push back into my seat. Feeling like I’m taking up too much space.
“Let’s hit a drive-thru. I’m hungry and I don’t feel like making anything when we get home.”
Dante’s head turns to his friend, then his eyes find me in the backseat through the rearview mirror.
“I’m down,” Ollie replies.
I order a cheeseburger with no mustard and an iced coffee. Hoping the sugar and caffeine will help me get through the next hour. The guys call out several numbers, each ordering more than a single meal.
Before we even pull up to the window, I have five singles flattened out, which I’d retrieved from my bag. I lean forward enough that the cash is over Dante’s shoulder. He looks over at me, then down to the money in my hand. He opens his mouth like he was going to say something, but stops himself.
His right arm bends and he pulls the cash from my hand, his fingers brushing mine. I like the way his skin feel rougher than mine.
“Wait, yours was like two bucks. This is too much.” I shrug. They had a twenty-nine dollar order, five dollars is all I can contribute but I want them to know I can.
“It’s fine.”
His eyes meet mine again in the mirror, but the drive-up window opens at the exact same time.
“Twenty-eight, seventy-seven,” says a boy that looks a little older than us. He barely even glances into the car as Dante hands over a card.
Seconds later the window opens again, and the card pops back out with a practiced, “have a nice day,” as the window snaps closed again.
Dante pulls forward and the girl at the next window is ready with a drink tray loaded with large sodas.
She smiles when Dante leans out with both hands to grab the tray. He shoves it over to Oliver and reaches right back for my iced coffee.
She leans forward on the windowsill, enough so her head peeks out, “It’ll be just a minute. We’re waiting on fries. Can you guys pull up and I’ll run it out as soon as it’s ready?”
“Here you go Laura.” Dante hands me my drink and straw before giving the girl at the window a nod.
Milo leans over me. His hand lands on my thigh just above the knee. “Can we have some ranch please?” He’s looking up at the girl.
I suck in a breath and his head turns to stare at me instead. Our eyes