“No, actually. I live in Wisconsin. I just spend my summers here with my sister and my mom,” Lauren replied. There was a moment of awkward silence. “So, uh, do you live here all year round?”
Both of them burst out laughing, even though it wasn’t that funny. “Yeah, I do. No Wisconsin, just boring Seaside, Florida for me.”
“I love it here. It’s so peaceful. Wisconsin is so cold and icky in the winter. I don’t even remember what it’s like in the summer. I’ve spent all my summers here since I was seven.”
“It’s too hot here!” he exclaimed.
As they drove, Greg got Lauren talking more and more, almost to the point where she told him about her father. However, they reached the restaurant before she got to that story. When they pulled into the parking lot, Lauren looked confused.
“What is it?” Greg asked.
“That’s my car right there. Jessica must have taken it. Apparently, my sister is here, too,” Lauren answered.
Greg looked slightly disappointed, but smiled anyway. “Do you want to sit with her?”
“Not particularly. I see her enough at home,” Lauren replied. “But she’ll probably want to sit with me.”
“How old is she? And how old are you, for that matter?”
“I’m nineteen, she’s seventeen. Hey, how old are you?”
“I’m twenty-one.”
Lauren followed her new friend into the restaurant and saw Jessica sitting with Nick. They made eye contact, and Jessica called her over. “What are you doing here?”
Lauren forced an obviously fake smile at Nick and looked back at her sister. “The same thing you are. I’m here to eat with a guy.”
Jessica almost spat out her water. “What? What was that conversation we had earlier about, then?” she exclaimed. Lauren rolled her eyes, but didn’t answer. “Well, come sit with us, then. We have room for two more, don’t we Nick?”
“Absolutely!” Nick answered.
Lauren was surprised that Nick was so friendly after how she had acted before, but she dismissed it and waved Greg over to sit down. “I guess we’re eating with these two tonight. That’s Jessica, that’s Nick, this is Greg,” she introduced everyone quickly as the waitress brought two more menus.
“How was your sunbathing, Lauren?” Nick asked kindly. He was determined to find out what Jessica was talking about before, even if it meant becoming friends with this girl.
“It was very nice after you left, thank you,” Lauren said, not able to resist the urge to be snotty.
Nick didn’t take offense, or at least, it didn’t seem like he did. Instead, he flashed her a friendly smile. What is with this guy? He won’t give up, Lauren thought. It’s so aggravating! Greg kicked her under the table and shot her a confused glance. She mouthed, “I’ll tell you later!”
All through dinner, Lauren flirted with Greg and ignored Nick’s attempts to get through to her. Finally, when the check arrived, Jessica grabbed her wrist. “We’re going to the bathroom. Be right back,” she said through clenched teeth. As soon as they got inside the door of the ladies’ room, Jessica started. “What the hell are you doing?”
“What do you mean?” Lauren asked innocently.
“You’re being a total jerk to poor Nick! He didn’t do anything to you, Lauren!” Jessica exclaimed.
“He’s a guy,” Lauren replied simply.
“So is Greg, but you’re flirting with him! In fact, you’re all over him! What brought that on?”
“I don’t know. He just seemed like a nice guy,” Lauren said, annoyed. “I don’t see what the big deal is!”
“Nick seems like a nice guy, too, and you’re being so mean.”
“Why is he being so nice? He wasn’t as nice this afternoon,” Lauren said. Jessica remained silent. “Oh my God, Jess, you told him, didn’t you?”
“No! No, no, no, I just told him that you have a bad history with guys!” Jessica said uncomfortably.
“I can’t believe you, Jessica. I trust you with something and you go and tell some jerk!” Lauren said. She spun on her heel and left the bathroom. Nick had already paid the check, and Greg was ready to leave.
“I can just get a ride home with them, Greg. You don’t have to go out of your way,” Lauren offered. Actually, she just didn’t want Nick putting his grimy hands on her little sister, which she was sure he was going to do.
“Okay, I guess.” He pulled out a piece of paper. “Can I have your number? Maybe we can do this again sometime.”
“Sure!” Lauren replied. She wrote her number down and said goodbye as Jessica joined them. She was still angry, but managed to hide it. Lauren looked at her. “I’m going home with you guys because Greg lives in town.”
“Oh, great,” Jessica mumbled in a very unconvincing tone. “Bye, Greg. It was nice to meet you.”
Greg said goodbye and went out to his car, leaving the two sisters and Nick. Jessica smirked. “I’m glad you invited yourself along to come home with us, Lauren,” she whispered in her sister’s ear. She didn’t want Nick to be uncomfortably involved in their harsh words, especially since he had unintentionally caused them.
Lauren rolled her eyes. “I just didn’t want Greg to have to make a trip all the way there and then all the way back. He lives a long way from our house, you know.”
“Yeah, right,” Jessica muttered, not caring if Nick was there anymore. “Let’s go. Who’s driving?”
Lauren didn’t volunteer, so Nick raised his hand. “I will, if neither of you want to.”
“I think you better because I don’t know the way back to our house,” Jessica admitted. “I just took your directions getting here. Lauren, you can have the front.” She wanted Nick to get to know Lauren as much as he did.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work that way. Every question Nick asked her, he received a one-word answer or a smart comment. He looked at Jessica, but she glanced back helplessly. Finally, an endless time later, they returned home, and Lauren went inside without even saying goodbye to Nick. She went straight up to her room, buried her face in her pillow, and began to sob.
“What was that all about?” Jessica called angrily from downstairs. She stomped up the stairs and looked through the open door to her sister’s room. Her features softened and her sisterly instinct took over. “Oh, Lauren, I’m sorry,” she said softly, sitting down on the bed and placing her hand on Lauren’s shoulder.
“Why did Dad and Justin ruin it for me?” Lauren wailed. “I see you flirting with Nick, having a good time, and I want it so bad, but I can’t have it. I’m afraid to have it.”
“You were flirting with Greg. Maybe if you just tried to get along with guys like him, open up a little more-” Jessica was interrupted.
“Don’t, Jess. You don’t understand,” she whispered. “Just leave me alone for a while.”
Jessica stood up as tears gathered in her eyes. Her own sister didn’t even want to talk to her. Struggling to be a good friend, she managed to say a few words without crying. “You know, if you need anything, you can talk to me. Just ask, Lauren, and I’ll be here.”
Lauren nodded, appreciative of her sister’s offer, but not wanting to take it. Jessica hadn’t gone through what she had. She didn’t know what most guys were really like. As her thoughts drifted, Greg came to mind. He wasn’t like Justin or Dad. He was a sweet, kind, caring boy. He was so charming, and he had a nice smile. Suddenly, it hit her. That was why she opened up to him. His smile was so bright and cheerful, and it made his eyes, as well as the rest of his face, light up. That was why it was so easy to start a conversation with him. Satisfied that she had figured everything out, she drifted off into a deep sleep.