*Had to delete the previously published part. Sorry.*

"Aren't Thursdays just the worst.." Max says. His blonde locks reach the tip of his thin boney shoulders. I turn my head in a swift motion and find myself staring at his figure. He wears a white plaid shirt today, with a beanie barely covering the grease in his hair. He smells of aftershave and beer even though we're underage. With a shrug of my shoulders I groan. "Laura's not here today."

"Perfect!" he says and then smiles ahead. "Looks like you can sit next to me in Latin today."

"Max, I don't even feel like going to class now." So i stop in the middle of the hall where angry teenagers glare at me for blocking there way.

"Dude." he slightly raises both his arms similar to a welcoming gesture, only the opposite. "Why? you never sit with me!" and then he sighs. "Look. i get it. you like Laura whatever. but cant you at least for once just be m y friend! not hers. don't talk about her, don't think about her, and sit with me for a change."

Finally, in the middle of the hall i notice just how annoyed people are with Max and I, blocking their way. My voice bored and tired, I say, "Laura's not at school cause' her dad gave her a day off." and then Max groans and walks ahead.
~
"How was your day?" The smile on Rocky's face is not what tips me off. It is his sudden interest in what goes on at school.

"What are you doing in my room?" i say and narrow my eyes.

"How was your day?" he repeats. And as if it weren't wide enough, his grin spreads.

"Stop smiling before your face sticks like that." i mutter and turn back to my phone. "Its not pretty."

He bends down to push me aside on my bed and lays stomach down next to me.

"Why are you sitting like me?" I ask again this time not looking at him.

"The question is, why am I sitting next to you." he says. I can practically feel his begging me to ask him what's up. He wants me to ask him about his day.

With a roll of my eyes, I turn to lay facing the ceiling and I close my eyes. "Why are you here rocky." it's not even a question really.

"Glad you asked!" he says too perky. "Well!" and then he rolls over and stands up off the bed. "When you were at school," he begins to pace, one arm behind his back, the other under his chin as if he were in thought. "I had a near death experience,"

this catches my attention. I sit up straight and look at him. "What?"

"With pants." he finishes and I fall back onto my bed. "You had a near death experience with... pants." i repeat. Of course he had a near death experience with pants. this is rocky.

"yes." he replies slowly. "i was trying on pants which i thought were mine but turns out they were Rydel's but, when i tried them on, I couldn't get them past my thighs so i kept pulling," he begins to act out the situation bending over to place his hands near the bottom of his thighs and pretending to attempt on pulling up small imaginary Rydel jeans. "The more I pulled the more worried i got. I thought I was fat Ross. Can you believe that?"

"no." i say dully staring up at the ceiling. I bring my hand up to my face and place the back of it on my eyes.

"Yea well, I actually thought I was fat! but you know, I thought if i could just keep pulling, maybe they'd fit and it would help shrink my fat levels you know." I can't help but roll my eyes. "So I keep pulling and then I see my thighs start turning red, and I get this burning sensation all over. Like I'm overheating. I ignore it and I continue to pull. Then, my thighs start turning purple and at this point I cant feel my legs anymore. I'm like a dolphin on land really. I start hopping up and down with my legs stuck together trying to get these pants on and,"

"Is there a point to this story?" i groan, the back of my hand still on my eyes.

" the point is, I hopped up and down trying to get these pants on and when my legs turned purple, they got numb and i couldn't feel them anymore so i ended up falling on the ground on my side. Luckily, Ellington found me, told nom and dad, dad ended up laughing at me while mom kinda just looked at me like i was an idiot. None of them tried to help me until Delly walked in clearly upset about her pants, although i dont see why she was upset. I was the one in pain on the floor! and Riker laughed with dad. I could have died!"

"Rocky I don't think you would have died." i press my lips together trying to get the image of rocky pants-less on the floor out of my mind. "and again, whats the point to this story?"

"The point is Ross," he walks closer towards me and forces my hand off my eyes. He leans in really close to my face and whispers, "I could have died so i have to live my life like I'm going to die tonight!" and then in a normal voice, he leans a good distance away. "So, that means knowing about my little brothers day."

And then I place both my palms over my face and groan.
~
At the dinner table,
Dad has one rule: No cellphones.
It's the one time of the day when we're all together so he uses this as an excuse to get us off our phones. Honestly, even without our phones it's like we're not even together, together. if thats makes sense.
Rydel and Ellington make goofy eyes at each other so they're clearly not at the table. Rocky talks to Mom and dad usually about some dumb thing he did that day, Ryland thinks he's too cool for all of us, and Riker sits there practically eating alone. I, spent today's dinner thinking about Laura.

My eyes constantly shift from the device under the table to the man who raised me above the table. i am just about to hit the button with Laura's name on it when an angry voice says my name.

"Ross Shor Lynch." Dad uses my full name. not a good sign. "What are you doing?"

"Texting laura." i gulp. He stretches his arm out towards me, his palm flat. "Hand it over." he says sternly.

"But dad!"

"You'll get if back at the end of dinner." and then i place it on his palm reluctantly not wanting the punishment to be worse.
~
Text to Laura
ross: Hey laur

After a few minutes she replies.

laur: Hey stranger. what's up?

i cant help but smile. Laying down on my bed while texting Laura, with Ryland on his bed just a few steps away makes me feel safe. Honestly, Rylands the best roommate. He does his own thing, isn't loud, doesn't question me, its awesome.

Ross: Trying to guess what music Ry's listening to. He's laying down on his bed next to me but his headphones are on. looks pretty serious.

Laur: don't bother him ;) remember what happened last time?

and then I chuckle thinking about the time Laura and I bothered him when he had been in the exact position he's in right now only a few months ago.

ross: Oh yea. he scared the crap out of me.. lol! anyway, how was daddy daughter day?

laur: It was amazing! its been so long since i got time with my dad to myself. we went to my favorite bookshop, the one that sells vintage looking books, super old :P and then we went bike riding, had a picnic, Oh! And we even stood on sidewalks singing for money!

ross: Sounds like you had fun :D maybe I could join you next time.

laur: You mean like a date?...

i want to press my thumbs on the three letters that would make me happy.
"y e s" but decide otherwise.

ross: no no! lol laur, i mean with you and your dad. maybe even your mom and sis. Maybe our families could hang out one day, I know delly and riker would love that. Rikers still got a thing for vanessa ;)

laur: LOL! sorry, ya. Of course. I don't know why I thought you meant date. I told you we should be friends. yea, i'd like it if our families could hang out. Vanessa doesnt really come around much so i don't know about her. Dads super busy so theres no chance of it just being me and him again :(

ross: then maybe it could be you + my family (: oh ya, dad took my phone earlier for my attempting to text you at dinner. you owe me

laur: Excuse me? :O I didn't tell you to text me! Ross! it wasn't my fault!

ross: Laura I'm joking Lol!! i love you!

and then my fingers hover over the screen frantic. why did i just do that... frantic to fix things, I find myself typing again.

ross: As friends of course! haha

and then after a few minutes, longer than before, she replies back.

Laur: haha ! love you too!
(as a friend) ;) goodnight Ross.

and i wait a few minutes before texting back "goodnight" because I can't stop staring at her text. "I love you too"
~
this is short but I had to publish something.
vote, comments, share.
thanks ❤️