Four Doors Down(22)

We just walked into Sal’s the local pizza joint, and I’m doing my best to not be annoyed at Chris and Charlie who are running twenty minutes late. I wouldn’t usually care and just be happy to see Charlie, since he’s always so busy these days, but I’m so hungry that my stomach feels like it’s eating itself and now I have to wait for them to arrive before I can order.

“Hi,” Sam replies.

Jake nods at a couple of empty spaces across from him. “Take a seat,” he says.

I’m about to protest, but Sam just shrugs and slides into the booth. I follow after a couple of seconds, slumping in and end up across from Ryan.

“Becca? Becca?”

“What?” I ask looking up at Jake.

He starts to laugh. “What’s up with you?”

I shrug and Sam starts to laugh. “She’s starving and the guys are running late, so she has to wait to order till they get here,” she explains.

The waitress comes over and clears away their empty plates. I actually consider grabbing one of Jake’s crusts that he’s left on the plate but think better of it. Another waitress comes over and puts a large pepperoni pizza in front of Ryan.

“Why are you just getting yours?” I ask quickly not taking my eyes away from the pizza. It smells amazing.

“I just got here. Why you want a piece?”

I glance up and he’s looking at me in amusement. “No, it’s fine.”

“You can have a slice,” he offers.

“No, I’m really not that hungry,” I insist, just as my traitorous stomach growls loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear. Ryan’s eyes light up and he raises his eyebrows at me. He slowly nudges his plate toward me.

“Go on, all you have to do is ask nicely.”

My eyes snap to his and he’s grinning at me, eyes sparkling mischievously. He’s enjoying this. All I can smell is the glorious pizza as I try not to look at it.

“Yeah, go on Becca, say please,” Jake teases me, clearly enjoying this too.

“Pepperoni is your favorite,” Sam adds. Traitor. She’s supposed to be on my side. My stomach growls again. Loudly.

I look at the pizza and then back at Ryan, who’s watching me smugly. I know it sounds pathetic, but I’m so hungry. It’s fine, I can be nice. I look at Ryan and open my mouth but then close it again. He raises an eyebrow at me. I sigh heavily and open my mouth again before closing it. He starts to laugh.

“You can’t bring yourself to do it, can you?” he asks. He rolls his eyes and pushes the pizza towards me. “Go on take a slice and put us all out of our misery.”

I’m about to protest, but my stomach rumbles again. This is so embarrassing. I quickly reach forward, grab a piece and wolf it down in no time.

“Thanks,” I smile.

Ryan laughs. “That nearly killed you taking that from me, didn’t it?”

I ignore his comment and sit back and listen to the conversations going on around me. Jessica and a couple of other cheerleaders enter and come over to the booth, Jessica squeezing in next to Ryan and glancing over at Sam and me in disdain. I try not to roll my eyes remembering our conversation in the bathroom at school.

“Forget to shower today, Becca?” she asks.

I glance down at my arms which are covered with the ink I spilled on them in art class, that I couldn’t be bothered to scrub off.

“Oooh burn,” I shoot back sarcastically as Ryan sniggers.

“Play nicely, Becca,” Jake warns me.

I roll my eyes and glance around the restaurant trying to see which booth is free so that Sam and I can move and have a place ready for when Chris and Charlie arrive. I spot an empty booth further down the restaurant and turn to tell her, but I’m distracted when I see her nodding her head, her mouth pressed together while she tries not to laugh at something Bianca Gallagher is saying.

“We did yoga together every day. He was just so beautiful, you know? So deep,” Bianca is saying earnestly to the table, explaining about her latest hook-up. “We shared not just a physical connection but a spiritual connection.”

A burst of laughter escapes from me and I quickly start coughing trying to cover it up while Sam nudges me in the side.

“Sorry,” I mumble, looking down at the table. “Something got stuck in my throat.” I glance up and Ryan is snickering at me, a small smile playing on his lips.

Bianca glares back at me. “Well, like I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, Sven and I just understood each other. He was so kind and got me on a level that nobody else ever has before. He’s incredibly spiritual,” she says, and another burst of laughter escapes from me. I can’t help it. Bianca Gallagher is a complete princess. She drives a Mercedes and is always decked out in designer clothes from head to toe, and she’s making out like she belongs at Woodstock and has the ability to get all deep with a guy who is clearly feeding her a line. He used that spiritual bullshit to get her into bed.

“He’s a really wonderful guy. We didn’t just have sex. We made love.”

I snort with laughter again and clamp my hand over my mouth to shut me up. This girl is crazy. Why is she telling everyone about her sex life anyway?

“Is there a problem?” Bianca demands of me.

I shake my head, pressing my lips together to try and avoid laughing again. But come on, it’s pretty funny. Bianca has gone bright red and is looking at me like she wants to kill me. She opens her mouth to say something else, but Ryan cuts her off.