Hunter glances at Katie again, a wry grin
curling the corner of his mouth. "Hmm... maybe. Wasn't so bad 'til I let
my mind wander places I didn't want to go."
Flopping
onto his back, he puts his hands behind his head and stares up at the
stars. "Life used to be a whole lot less complicated. Then one day you
come to a fork in the road and go right instead of left. And from then
on out, nothing is ever the same and you can't go back no matter how
hard you try."
It
wasn't often he talked about these things with anyone. It wasn't often
he thought about it at all. But ever since that night seeing Kyle, it
had become impossible to ward off thoughts of the past.
Quiet
for a few minutes, Hunter suddenly turns over to prop himself up on his
elbow, facing Katie. "So girls with boyfriends don't usually go off
with another guy late at night for a stroll on the beach." He searches
her with curiosity. He'd gotten the idea from the other night at dinner
that things between her and Jason weren't all that great, but he still
didn't have his head wrapped around that whole thing. And...it changed
the subject from talk of himself.
"You and Jason on the outs?"
Seeing
Stacy enter the room, Eric stands up from the table. Her attractiveness
tonight did not escape his eyes, though he keeps that thought to
himself. She did look very nice... beautiful, in fact. But there was no
proper way to even try saying that. He picks up his hat and fiddles with
the brim. "Well there's plenty of places to choose from. Once we get to
town, I can point a few things out and you gals can decide where to
go."
Dylan
does his best to relax... it isn't easy though. He did feel pretty out
of place. He was friends with Ashlee... he was okay with Eric... he
was... so-so with Stacy... and that was it. But seeing Ashlee's smile,
he's reminded of why he'd said yes.
Eric goes to the door and holds it open for the others while putting on his hat. "Alrighty... all aboard that's goin' aboard."
It
doesn't take long to pile in the car and be on their way. Dylan sits in
back with Ashlee, remaining quiet for the most part, but trying to
engage in conversation when included. He really was trying. He was
just... outside the loop. Or so it felt. But he was doing his best. Eric
sat in the front with Stacy, feeling... much more relaxed than he'd
anticipated. It was easy to talk with her, and laughing with her and
Ashlee made the atmosphere light. He was glad he'd been invited. It made
him feel special to be included in celebrating Ashlee's birthday, and
it was something that he quietly cherished in his heart.
"Okay...
so... what's the birthday girl hungry for?" He turns around to look
back at Ashlee, grinning. They'd be to town in just a few minutes.
"We've got... steak... seafood... hamburgers... Chinese... Mexican...
fast food..."
Seeing
Grace, Jared perks up a little and shuts off the television. He grins
and shakes his head. "I think you do mean torture."
Looking
at the equipment and the wires, for the first time, he's a little
nervous. It did nothing to his determination though. He nods at
everything she says, ready for anything. "Okay. If I scream like a girl,
you'll know it hurt." A new grin surfaces. "But if I do, you can't tell
anybody because then they'd think I was a wuss."
Pulling
himself up a little more wasn't easy, but his shoulders were so sore
from lying in this position for too long. Oh to get up and walk.
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