Page 14 of Reviving Kendall

It makes me proud as stupid as it sounds. It’s not much, but I’ve never really stood out anywhere except here. I’m still ridiculous smiling as I grab my clothes from the back and Charles locks me out. There’s a whistle that sounds like a bird and I raise my head to find Teagan sitting on the ass end of a brand-new hunter green Jeep Wrangler.

“What are you doing here?” I ask as I make my way to him.

Holding up his phone, he says, “You never messaged back. Just wanted to check and make sure you were ok.”

Oh hell, “Sorry, I got here late and had to rush to change my clothes and everything.” I dig the phone out of my bag and see that it’s got four new little message symbols at the top. When I open the texts, I see that two are replies from Lucas and Teagan and two are from numbers I don’t recognize. There’s no question who they are though. Sure enough, when I open them, I see Maverick and Goose’s name.

“You gave them my number?” I question.

He looks sheepish, “Technically, it wasn’t me. Lucas sent it to them, but only because they threatened to beat him up for it if they didn’t.”

I laugh. Fucking boys.

“Besides,” he adds, “For one, there’s never been any secrets between us. And two, what if they needed to get in touch with you while Lucas and I weren’t around.”

“One of the perks of the temporary pass?” I ask

He nods, “Don’t worry though. If you don’t want to talk to them, just tell them to back off.”

I smile, “Ok.”

There’s a few seconds of silence before he asks, “Want a ride home?”

For the first time today, I’m disappointed that I drove, “I borrowed my Gramps’ car today, so I could go get the phone before work.”

It only takes half a second for me to see that Lucas told them about our conversation, “Wow, there really are no secrets between you guys huh?”

I get an apologetic smile in return, “He didn’t really mean to. Maverick has a way of dragging shit out of people.”

“Oh, and I’m sure that you and Goose had nothing to do with it at all,” I light heartedly accuse.

He places a hand over his heart, “Ouch. Already grouping us together like everyone else does.”

My eyebrow goes up. He laughs, “Ok, fine. We might have had a little to do with it. I can make it up to you though.”

“Yeah?” I ask. “And how’s that?”

He watches my face, “Well, I was going to see if you wanted to come hang out with me for a little while tonight. We have this fucking awesome fire pit out back and I’ll even stop to get stuff for s’mores.”

“Isn’t it a little late, especially since we’ve got school tomorrow?” I ask.

Shrugging, he says, “I’m somewhat of an insomniac, so I’m used to working with little to no sleep.”

“We definitely don’t have that in common then. I turn quite bitchy without sleep,” I say watching disappointment flash in his eyes. I sigh, “But it probably wouldn’t hurt to lose a little tonight.”

“Hell yes,” he says jumping up.

I laugh, “I just need to go check on my Gramps before we go and change my clothes real quick.”

He nods, “We can drop off your car and I’ll drive you home when you’re ready to leave tonight, if you want.”

The thought sounds more appealing than I think it would, “Ok, but I hope you don’t mind that I’m taking the long way home.”

He grins, “Nope.”

I hold up my phone, “Let me just answer them back real quick so they don’t think the worst like you did.”

“Here, let me see it,” he says reaching for it. It only takes him several presses of the buttons before he hands it back, “Just type in your message and hit send. It’ll go to all to of us in a group chat.”

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