12. Field Trip, Yay!
12
Field Trip, Yay!
Carson
Nobody will ever tell you this, but I love Halloween.
The one day a year where you can expect the unexpected frights and crazy costumes. It’s mostly people in some variation of Ghostface or Michael Myers but still crazy, especially the weekend prior.
Halloweekend.
I’m sitting on the living room couch, watching Halloween (the first one, of course) when Mason and Jake rush down the stairs and towards the front door. Odd, it’s still light out and we haven’t talked about attending any parties.
“Where are you guys going?” I ask. Both boys freeze in their tracks and swivel around.
Mason slaps Jake’s shoulder. “You couldn’t run faster? And quieter?”
“Trying to keep up with black Barry Allen over here?” Jake scolds. “Fuck no, I couldn’t. Maybe you should’ve slowed down for us short folk.”
“Guys!” Their arguing is driving me insane.
Mason and Jake share a glance—or more of a glare, considering how annoyed they both look at each other—and eventually, it’s Mason who responds. “We’re going to Horror Nights with the girls.”
I look at the window, where the sunlight glares at us, and turn back to them. “It’s still day out.”
Jake raises a brow. “Traffic.”
“That would still take twenty minutes,” I point out. “Anyway, why wasn’t I invited?”
Mason lets out a laugh, which is a bit of a rarity. The guy is known for being the stoic, silent type. At least, in comparison to us. “We had this planned for a month now.”
“Still—”
“And the birthday girl still hated your guts at the time so she didn’t invite you,” he finishes, and I freeze.
It’s Diana’s birthday? How did I not know this? Birthdays are always something to talk about in my opinion. For most people, it’s the one day a year where everything is about them. I think back to every tutoring session we’ve had together.
Not a single session has she brought up her birthday.
Jake nods as if this isn’t news to him. Of course, it fucking isn’t. “Yeah, because Diana’s birthday is on a weekday, we agreed to go this weekend. You know, when the park is at its scariest. And I wanted an excuse to visit Bailey while she’s there.”
I would pretend to gag at the mention of my cousin but I’m still surprised that Diana never said anything. Then again, I’ve learned over the past couple of weeks that she prefers to listen and observe than place herself in the spotlight.
“Ryder, can you hear me?” Jake waves a hand in front of my face and I swat it away. “I asked if she invited you.”
“I didn’t even know it was her birthday,” I mumble. Shaking that thought away, I grab my wallet and house keys. “Would it be weird if I did?”
“I don’t see a problem with it.” Jake shrugs. “She doesn’t hate you anymore now, does she?”
There’s a question that I can’t answer. Does she still hate me? At the most, I assume she tolerates me. I am helping her understand the obstacle course which is college calculus.
“Doesn’t he need money for the tickets?” Mason points out so graciously.
“I have an annual pass.” Family trips to Universal Studios are not uncommon for the Ryder family. Every year, during the Christmas season, we spend a week down in LA with my uncle, Bailey’s dad. When Carly and I turned eighteen, he gave each of us individual passes.
It’s crazy to me, but Carly and my cousin are not fazed by it whatsoever.
“Of course, he fucking does,” Mason mutters, which gets a laugh out of me. “In that case, I’m fairly sure that Diana won’t care.”
With that knowledge in mind, I follow Mason and Jake outside to the front yard, where everyone else is congregating. Ronnie and Enzo are animatedly conversing about what to do and where to go.
“Guess who decided to crash the party!” Jake calls out.
“And guess who told me to?” I respond with the same volume, earning me a light shove on the shoulder.
Lucia turns away from the group and smiles when she sees me. “Thank goodness! We’re at even numbers with you here, Carson.”
“What’s going on?” Mason asks as he approaches Lucia, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. I furrow my brows. That’s a new development.
“They’re trying to figure out the carpool situation.”
“I thought it was between me and Ronnie,” Jake says. “We’re the only ones who have cars.”
I step out of the conversation and towards the rest of the group. Emma is on her phone, Adrian is talking to Madi—again, a new development—and then there’s Diana.
How can a girl steal all my attention by doing absolutely nothing? Except, well, fiddle with her thumbs. Diana’s wrist is in a splint yet again. I feel somewhat accomplished that she took my advice and wore it when needed. She doesn’t use it all the time but still…
She does look a little uncomfortable right now as everyone discusses the transportation situation.
I slowly approach her. “Not a single word, birthday girl?”
She turns to face me, almost surprised to see me there. “It’s not crazy. Just a birthday.”
“Just a birthday? Of course, it’s crazy important! It’s not every day someone turns twenty-one.”
“Twenty,” she corrects. “I’m turning twenty.”
Oh. “I thought you were older.”
She furrows her dark brows at me. “Should I take that as a compliment?”
I snort. “You have seen the guys I live with, right? Trust me when I say that it’s the highest of compliments.” Raising a brow, I ask, “So what grade did you skip?”
“No, I just graduated a year early,” she explains.
“Wow. I feel like you should be tutoring me and not the way around.”
“In calculus?” She laughs. “No thank you.”
“Look at you guys getting along,” Lucia chimes. “So which car are you guys going in?”
“I’m going with Jake,” I answer immediately. Mainly because I’m the better driver of us two. Not to brag but it’s true.
Diana shrugs. “What about everyone else?”
“Emma and Enzo are going with Ronnie,” she answers. “To no one’s surprise. Mason’s joining them.”
“So you’re going with Ronnie, then?”
“Do you want me to go with you?” Lucia puts her hand on Diana’s shoulder. “I can tell Mason that—”
“No, it’s fine,” Diana assures her. “Sit with Mason if you want to. Have fun cuddling with the big soft teddy bear.”
The comparison is so absurd it makes me laugh. I press the palm of my hand onto my forehead. “Mason? A teddy bear? That’s too good.”
Lucia stares at me in confusion and it’s then I choose to stop laughing. Okay, so they’re both serious.
I clear my throat, facing Diana. “If Ronnie’s car seats five people, then that means you’re stuck with me and Jake.”
“Fine with me.” Although the tinge of red in her cheeks tells me otherwise.
“Come on.” I gesture for Diana to follow me. We walk towards Jake’s sedan—a dark gray Honda Civic—out by the driveway. Jake, Madi, and Adrian meet us there and Jake circles to the passenger’s side, tossing me the keys.
I catch them in mid-air, thankful I popped a couple of Dramamine earlier today.
This evening just got interesting.