Higgins

Derek took me to Higgins after school the next day to make it up to me. Theo could spend his breaks with us. He sat us at a table in the back with all of his textbooks on it. Derek was toying with the pages flipping through.

"Can you leave his things alone?" I snapped.

"What? I'm just looking, calm down Dana. You're not still pissed at me are you?"

"That's a stupid question." I looked away watching the goings-on of the diner.

"Look, I said I was sorry. Can't you forgive me?" he pleaded.

"Not until you can rip Mitch's tongue out." At this point I still refused to look at him.

"I'll get him to shut up. Now, come on, forgive me please. I won't be able to sleep tonight knowing my best friend is mad at me," Derek said.

"No, what you said pissed me off, and now you can deal with it, you drunken idiot."

Derek sighed in defeat. I'd end up forgiving him, eventually.

"Hey guys, just give me one minute, I just have to clear off my last table," Theo explained quickly before going off to do just that. I spotted the box of cigarettes in his apron pocket as he walked away.

"This job must suck," Derek said.

"It's a job," I said.

"I suppose."

Derek took to playing with the cutlery and condiments much to my chagrin. But at least it wasn't Theo's things, he gets stressed out about those kinda things. Things like losing a page, not finding a certain paper, rips in his textbooks, it all bothered him. I assumed it was an AP student thing.

Derek pushed in as Theo came over and sat down in the newly emptied spot.

"I hope my a*s warmed that enough for you, your highness," Derek said.

"Shut up Derek," we said in unison.

"Are you guys going to the lake tonight?" Theo asked him.

"No it'll be too cold, probably freeze over. Why?"

"No reason. Still going to the boulder?"

"If we can find enough stuff to keep a fire in the barrel going."

"Are you coming Theo?" I asked.

"I think so," he said.

"What's all this stuff you got here?" Derek asked flipping a few pages in his textbook.

"Homework, don't touch it," Theo replied and turned back to the correct page.

I rose an eyebrow at Derek, an ‘I told you so’ of sorts.

We made small talk recovering from the awkward moment. Plans were made to walk down to the boulder together and we left it at that. Theo had to get back to work. I accepted his peck on the cheek, his 'I'll see you tonight', before he left me to Derek's company again.

I didn't know I'd see him twice that night.