twenty seven ;

The moment Dieter Park spotted Logan and Louise in the diner, her tore away from his friends and they watched him as he walked over to them. He greeted the two of them with a big smile and a lot of enthusiasm. "Hey Louise!" He grinned, greeting her first. Then he turned to Logan with the same smile and nodded a greeting towards him as well. "Hey man. How ya doing?"

Logan only nodded with a hint of disdain, forcing the slightest hint of a smile onto his face just to be polite. That was another thing he disliked about this boy. He was so nice to everyone that he was completely oblivious to the fact that Logan didn't seem to like him. He wasn't going to be mean to him or mistreat him, he was merely going to be cordial and not put in any extra effort around him. Louise on the other hand had a complete transformation. She was grinning from ear to ear and giggling like a school girl to everything he was saying. 

"Hey Dieter." She greeted back, batting her eyelashes at him like a cartoon character. It was not Louise at all, and Logan had to admit watching that interaction made his stomach churn.

Pointing to the group of teenagers that had entered the restaurant with him, he explained to them. "Those are my friends from school. I think you guys met them at the carnival. We come out here to Granny's once a week after classes. You guys are welcome to join us if you'd like."

As Logan was just getting ready to refuse the offer, Louise shot up from her seat at the booth with excitement. She thought she'd be crazy to refuse something like that. "We'd love to join you, Dieter." Then looking to the twenty five year old sitting across from her, she said, "Come on, Logan."

The blonde rolled his eyes and got up as though this were the biggest burden in the world for him. Logan, a twenty five year old chemistry teacher at an all girl's private high school, sitting down and having burgers with a bunch of teenagers. When he thought about his future back then, he never thought this would be where he would end up. But Louise was just so excited that he had to follow her. Also, he knew better than anyone that if he didn't follow her, she would still go with them and he would end up eating alone. 

They sat at a big round booth at the end of the restaurant, which barely accommodated all of them, since there were nine of them now. Before Logan and Louise sat down, Dieter, who was still standing as well, gave a quick little reminder of his friends' names. Pointing at them one by one, he said. "So this is Johnny, Rohan, Finn, Moira, Yamilla, and Clarisse." They each waved back at them one by one, except two of the three girls there. They both looked similar, with dark blonde hair, brown eyes, and ivory colored skin. They were most likely sisters, Louise thought to herself, and neither them seemed all that pleased to meet her. The last girl, Clarisse, had jet black hair in soft waves, ivory skin, and hazel eyes. She gave Louise a warm smile. The boys had been pretty friendly with them as well. 

The three sat down and Dieter continued talking. "We're missing three people. Yami's boyfriend Jai had a meeting at school about his soccer uniform for the upcoming semester. Ally and Ralph are at their after school youth group meeting at their church."

"They're the biggest sinners of all." Rohan joked and the others around the table burst out laughing.

After everyone calmed down, Yami immediately started questioning Louise. "So...Louise." She smacked her lips together in clear distaste for the girl who had just joined them at the table. "Where do you go to school? I'm pretty sure you don't go to the same high school as us, since I don't think I've ever seen you there."

Louise wasn't sure she wanted them to know where she went to school. It was enough for her that Dieter knew. She thought his friends would immediately tease her or judge her for going to the private academy. She sat there for a moment, trying to think up a good but vague lie, or hoping someone would just change the subject. But Dieter spoke up, giving Yami her answer. "She goes to St. Mary's. That private school for girls in the middle of no where." Everyone around the table widened their eyes in surprise.

"Must be a rich and snobby daddy's girl then." Yami said with a roll of her eyes, her words spewing venom.

Louise felt her fist tighten at her side. She wanted nothing more than to reach over and yank all of that girl's straight blonde hair out strand by strand. But she thought she should control herself if she wanted to make a good impression on Dieter. So she swallowed the comeback that had popped into her head and only shot her a fake smile. She really didn't care what this girl thought about her. As long as Dieter liked her, she was okay.

"Hey, can you be a little nicer?" Dieter intervened, eyebrows furrowing in annoyance. He wasn't sure what was getting into her. She was normally a bit mean, but she was usually only teasing. With Louise, it sounded like she was genuinely being mean to her. 

But Louise placed her hand on top of his, a forced and fake smile playing on her lips. "Its fine, Dieter. I honestly don't take offense to her words. Its not like she's wrong anyway." And that seemed to make the blonde girl even angrier. According to Dieter, this girl had a boyfriend who was part of their group of friends. Yet, she was sitting there, clearly being mean to Louise because of Dieter. The way she looked at them sitting next to each other, it was clear that it bothered her. 

Logan had been quiet the entire time and Yami turned her attention to him next. "And who are you?" She asked, looking him up and down with equal amounts of disdain. But Logan didn't even want to be there either.

"Her sister is my girlfriend, and I'm baby sitting her for the weekend." He repeated his lie with boredom. 

Soon the food arrived and everyone started eating. The other boys at the table started talking about the latest video game they were playing at the moment. The two sisters were having a conversation with the other girl who was sitting with them. Logan was sitting alone and quietly having his meal while Louise and Dieter had animated conversations about how their week had gone since they last saw each other. 

Their conversation was soon interrupted when Dieter went to get drinks for himself and Louise, excusing himself from the table for a moment. He asked her what she wanted to drink and she asked for fruit punch. He came back with a Coca Cola for himself and some fruit punch for Louise, sitting back down by her side. Moira took one look at the cup of soda in front of Dieter and started making a comment that Louise thought she really hadn't put much thought into. She was probably only saying it to piss off Louise and mess with the two of them. 

"Dieter's drinking Coke and that's Yami's favorite drink. They have so much in common. They should like actually date." As her words left her mouth, Louise was definitely sure that Moira was probably the least intelligent of the sisters. At the same time, Logan stifled a laugh from next to Louise and he earned himself a glare from both Moira and Yami. 

Clarisse looked at her friend with confusion, as did Dieter and Louise because the comment had been so ridiculous that it caused everyone at the table to pull away from their own conversations to look at her. But Louise and Dieter said nothing to her. It was one of the other boys instead who said something. It was Johnny. "So according to your logic, Moira, Dieter and Yami should date because they're both drinking Coca Cola. What about you? What about Finn and I? Should we also date her because we're also drinking Coke? That doesn't make any sense." As he said that, he burst out laughing, simultaneously bursting her bubble, and making Moira go red in the face.

"Yeah, Moira." Clarisse agreed a bit quietly. "That makes no sense. Plus, Yami has a boyfriend. I don't think Jai would be okay with you saying things like that."

Louise could only smile in amusement. She had intended to give those two sisters a piece of her mind, but they were doing just fine making themselves look stupid. They were so bad that their own friends were calling them out. 

"I was just saying because Yami's the prettiest girl in school and I've noticed the way Dieter looks at her." Moira made another one of her comments. This time, she gave a falsely innocent shrug of her shoulders. She was acting like she knew something, but Louise felt as though these two were like Danielle and her cronies. They had just decided they didn't like her and were doing everything in their power to chase her away. 

Now it was Dieter who shot her down. He was sounding more and more irritated with them by the second. Not only was he irritated, but he didn't understand what their motive for stirring all this unecessary drama was. "That's not even true. Watch what you say, Moira. Jai and I have been best friends since primary school and I don't want him thinking I'm out here trying to get at his girl."

But she's trying to get at you, Louise thought to herself.

Everyone went back to their conversations and the sisters ate quietly after those comments. Logan was bored, since he didn't have anyone to talk to. When their meal finished, it had suddenly started raining outside. The group walked outside to the parking lot where their cars were parked. Dieter had gone there with Clarisse, Finn, and Johnny. The two sisters had gone there with Rohan, since he was their cousin. By some coincidence, it turned out Dieter had parked right next to Logan's car. 

He stopped Louise before she got in. Logan was already inside and the engine was running. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. For one, it was raining. And another thing, he now felt like his afternoon was ruined. 

"We're all going to catch a movie. Do you want to come?" He asked her, his red hair now wet from the rain and sticking to his forehead.

Louise took one look in the car, where Logan was sitting and watching them in an attempt to be subtle. She bit down on her lip, but decided to refuse. She knew she and Logan weren't exactly friends. But she also knew that they were starting to get along now and he had made an effort to tolerate being at the diner with Dieter and his friends. The least she could do was go back to his house with him and they could have a movie night together. She gave a small shake of her head and came up with a little lie. "Maybe we can hang out a little more tomorrow. I have a lot of homework I want to get started on."

He nodded in understanding and said he would text her. Louise got in the car and Logan immediately pulled out of the restaurant parking lot. As Dieter was about to turn to get in his own car, he saw the small figure of Yami standing behind him. Her arms were crossed over her chest and on her face was a scowl.

But it was Dieter who spoke first. "How come you were so mean to Louise? You just met her."

"Because I can tell when someone is a snake, and she's a snake." Yami hissed, her scowl never leaving her face. It had always been the three of them--Jai, Dieter, and Yami since primary school. Moira was a year older than them and went to the community college in town. But she didn't hang out with them back then as much as she did now, and Liesl was a year younger and had friends of her own as well. But occasionally hung out with Dieter and his friends. Both friends had a crush on Yami and competed for her affection all through middle school. It wasn't until the last year of middle school that Yami chose Jai and Dieter was left to be the third wheel in their friendship. She was just so used to having both of their attention that seeing him give it to someone else made her seethe with jealousy.

Dieter couldn't help but roll his eyes at her words. "That's exactly what you said when Clarisse started hanging out with us freshman year and you started bringing Moira along to antagonize the poor girl. And it turned out Clarisse is a sweetheart. So I don't think I can actually trust your judgement." With a tired sigh, he told her. "You and Jai have been together nearly four years and it hurt me to see you guys together at first. Now I'm over it and I'm happy for you. Let me be happy too."

Yami watched him with annoyance, knowing she had no come back for that. She stomped her foot down on the ground and marched back into Rohan's car where Moira and her cousin were waiting for her. 

Dieter thought how funny things were sometimes. Yami wanted him alone so that she could continue messing with his feelings, and he had been there for her as her friend for all those years. But now he had found someone that he liked, his feelings for his childhood crush were gone. He wasn't going to let Yami continue mistreating Louise like she was doing at the diner. 

-

another chapter for you guys. i know this one is mostly about dieter. but i thought i would throw in some drama. this whole diner scene is actually a real life experience of mine. i have a group of friends and there's nine of us. and i like one of the boys. like we always sit together when we all go places like the movies or to eat.

but there's this one girl in our group who treats me like shit and constantly hits on my crush, even though she has a boyfriend. and her sister is constantly hyping her up.

its just sickening.

but anyway, without giving too much details. the whole soda thing happened in real life. my real life dieter was drinking coca cola and real life moira (these are fake names btw) was saying that dieter and yami should date bc they both like coca cola. first of all wtf? and second, she has a boyfriend. you don't say those things when someone has a boyfriend. but whatever.

thank you for reading!

-clary