My Best Friends Guy - (18+)

Chapter 2: Family Meal Times

The rest of my school day floated by as normal, but I was so ready for the bell to ring at 3pm, and permit me to leave!

I hurried to my locker and dropped off my books that I wouldn't need for revision, and headed out the door towards my bike. I was thankful the weather had taken a turn from the drizzle of this morning and wrapped my cardigan around my waist to fully embrace the now warming breeze. I popped my earbuds into my ears, put on some good old-fashioned pop, then weaved through my fellow students and headed towards home.

******  

My family home wasn't large, but nor was it small. My parents both had great jobs, and an income to envy, but they never flaunted it through belongings. The drive lay down the side of the house, with a double garage at the end. Our house was brick, nothing to fancy! Sash windows, mature trees dotted around with some shrubs and a few flower beds. We have a porch out front with my favourite chain-swing that I had used a few times as a summer reading spot, and a dark wood front door with coloured glass in the frame. I loved our house, and I hated the thought of leaving for college next year.

"Mum? Rick? You guys home?" I stepped through the front door with a fixed destination of the overflowing fridge.

"In here!" I followed my mother's musical reply and found her sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, surrounded by paper files, and staring quite ferociously at her laptop screen.

"You keep staring at the screen like that, and your eyes will turn square!" I sniggered to myself as I popped open the fridge doors and salivated looking at the juicy contents.

"Oh, Sorry honey! This case has me so distracted! You would think when people want to divorce, that they would want a quick settlement! Yet, some people love to drag it out!"

My mum had been a family lawyer for the last 20 years, but through all her complaining, she never once decided to change careers. She clearly loved her job, and from what I had observed over the years, she was bloody good at it. 

"Where's Rick?" Rick was another big shot, which left me feeling quite underachieved within the family. He was an independent management consultant. He would fly around to different places, to some of the biggest business in the world and help directors and business owners reshuffle their working strategies, and essentially, uproot everything! I grab a bottle of water and a cold apple from the fridge and park my arse next to my mother.

"Umm, hello? Earth to mother?"

"Ohh, sorry, sorry! I'll stop for a minute! I need another coffee anyway!" She slams the laptop shut and heads over to the coffee pot.

"So? Rick's location?" I cracked open my water and took a swig. 'Ahhh, so refreshing!'

"He's heading to the gym after work, and then he'll be home. He said he shouldn't be too late tonight."

"Ok, cool! What time are you planning food tonight?"

"Let's say, I'll aim for 8ish?"

"Cool, cool! I'll head upstairs and finish my homework beforehand. No point in trying to relax until it's done!"

"That's my girl!" I dug my teeth into my juicy red apple, and scooped up my bag from the worktop.

"See you in a few!" I responded with a nod and a small wave as I disappeared out of the room towards my sanctuary and seclusion of my personal domain! My boudoir.

******  

Does anyone 'really' understand algebra? I mean, 16+2t = 5t+9? It's like some mathematician decided to use their dyslexia to cause unsuspecting children a small stroke! I may have been a brain box in history, but mathematics is not a friend I like to spend my evenings with! 

I leant back in my small desk chair and looked around at my room. 'I should really try to clear up the mess in here!' No guy is going to wanna roll around in this pig-sty!'

I stared up into the eyes of Liam Hemsworth who hung out, topless, on the wall next to my desk.

"Oh Liam, thank god you like to hang out with me!"

"Claire? You in there?" Rick's muffled voice came calling through my closed bedroom door.

"Yes! Like always!"

"Dinner will be ready in 5!"

"Alrighty then!" How the hell was it 8 o'clock already? I sauntered from my chair across the room, minding not to trip on my clutter and fall to my death, and followed the heavenly smell of my mother's spag bol!

******  

"Mum! You've only gone and done it again!" I shovelled the first fork of my dinner into my mouth and the taste that swam among my tastebuds was heavenly! My hand lazily played with the next slice of garlic bread as it balanced on the side of my plate.

"Thank you, sweetheart! So, anyway, you didn't tell me how school was today?"

Did she really need to know about my day? Or did I want to tell her what she wanted to hear? 'Oh yeah, this new guy started, and I spend the whole morning mind-f*****g him while trying to remember how to walk in a straight line, but as always, turned out my Brianna had gotten there first. Oh, and her ex offered to shag me! He's just such a gentleman!'

"Oh, you know! History. Maths. Smelly teenagers. Same old!" I saw Rick smirk into his dinner. That's one thing I liked about him, he always seemed to understand my humour! He wasn't bad looking either. I daydreamed of what he might have looked like as a teenager, and couldn't imagine him behaving like the boys at school. The way he treated and doted on my mother told me he was kind at heart. Guys like Brent where almost rotten to the core, and there isn't any chance of ripening something that's already turned sour!

Cade was a bit like Rick... Urgh, god sake! Had my tightly wound fantasy of Cade and his wandering hands infiltrated my rational thinking! I was going to have to find some way to scrub this dude from my mind, and I spent some time thinking of all the guys I had in my phonebook who might be up for some canoodling at this late hour. None sprang to mind. My parents continued to talk about their workday, Rick was discussing some law stuff with mum about the company he was currently working with, and mum just listened on, playing with her gorgeous dark brown hair as she stared back at him. They really were a lovely couple, and they loved me so much. I couldn't help but idolise them, sitting there across the table from me. 

"Ohh, Claire, that reminds me! Are you still planning on staying over at Bri's this weekend?" I rolled my eyes and continued twirling my spaghetti around my fork.

"I think so, although it sounds like a pretty flimsy arrangement at the moment. She has a new guy!" My mum's reaction was all but a shallow nod and an 'oh' shape that adorned her lips. She understood Brianna almost as much as I did, and understood what Brianna could be like when it came to boys!

"Ok, well, if not, we can always head to the cinema. There's a new film I wanted to see, but Rick here has no interest in coming with me. We could have a girlie night?" It genuinely sounded like a great idea! My mum and I always got along so well, and spending time with her recently seemed to be few and far between. She was either working, or spending time with Rick, or I was busy with school, or spending time with friends. We just always missed each other with overlapping plans.

"That actually sounds like fun! I will definitely keep you posted!" She smiled widely and turned to Rick. 

"See, my daughter wants to come with me!" She stuck out her tongue at him, and followed it up with a small giggle.

"Why don't you guys go chill by the TV, and I'll wash up!" I stood from my chair, and picked up mine and Rick's empty plates. 

"Oh, that would be great! I feel like I haven't stopped all day!" They slowly filtered out of the kitchen after grabbing a few wine glasses and a bottle of white wine, and disappeared. I finished clearing away in record time, and went back to my room. 

After pulling on a pair of cotton trackies, and a crop top that I found on the floor in my hovel, I jumped onto my bed and flicked on my laptop and typed in a few colleges into the search bar that I had been keeping an eye on to apply too. My parents had never deterred me from any of my options, no matter how far away they were. It, strangely, made me want to stay closer to them, rather than upping and moving across the country to a place their eyes couldn't pry. But they were determined to get me into somewhere that had a great archaeological program, and I was overly excited! To think of all the places I might be able to see, and all the treasures I might uncover! I know I dreamt big, but I couldn't help it! Anything is possible really, if you pour your heart and soul into it!