Across the Pond

Chapter 42

If someone were to ask me how awkward dinner is on a scale from a 1-10, I would tell that person it's impossible because 10 isn't high enough. Where we're seated isn't helping, either. It's mom and Grandma Ruby at the two heads of the table, Danny and I next to each other, and then Nico directly across from me.

Obviously I didn't intend for tonight to go the way that it's going, but Danny is being a great sport about it. Nico, on the other hand, is not. Every time Danny says something, Nico chuckles condescendingly. Every time Danny looks at me, Nico asks him a question to distract him. It's annoying, but I'm trying not to give it any attention because that's what Nico wants. Sometimes I question if it's me Nico really cares about or the fact that I've been in love with him since I was little. With a new guy in the picture, it threatens that, and in turn, Nico feels threatened by that.

The majority of dinner is spent with Grandma Ruby and mom asking Danny questions as a way to get to know him better. They were pretty impressed with his answers.

When it's time for dessert, Grandma Ruby suggests that we take it outside. We sit at the table, and Grandma Ruby serves the apple tart and mint tea in the china that she only whips out every so often.

"So...Danny. Tell us more about working at Sweets. Wendy's the best, isn't she?"

"She is. I've been working there for a year - since sophomore year of high school - and I love it. I've really learnt a lot."

"Oh, so you're a year younger than Nico?"

"I am, but we went to different high schools."

"You go to Sherman?"

"Yes, ma'am." I catch Nico roll his eyes at Danny when he calls Grandma Ruby 'ma'am'.

"Danny over here was the guy who knocked Brooks to the ground in game 6," Nico interrupts. I remember Grandma Ruby calling mom to tell her about that night. Brooks suffered a really bad injury during the semi-championship football game between Miller Prep and Sherman High. I also remember Nico telling me about it.

Grandma Ruby presses her palm to her chest. "That was you?"

"Nico...," I shake my head at him, warning him to drop this little act of his.

"What? I'm just stating facts, BC."

"I didn't mean for that to happen," Danny states embarrassingly, and I rub his knee in an effort to comfort him.

"Sure you didn't," Nico mocks. "Brooks was lucky he didn't need surgery."

"Nico...stop," I assert again, shaking my head.

He finally listens, and there's a moment of awkward silence. "Well," Grandma Ruby says, "like Danny said, he obviously didn't mean for that to happen, so why don't we drop this topic?"

I smirk at Danny, but frown at Nico. I know what he was trying to do, and I'm not about it.

The next hour goes by slowly, and that's simply due to the fact that I was on edge the whole time waiting for Nico to say something else that was disrespectful to Danny. Fortunately, he refrained.

"Well," mom gets up and says, "it's getting late. And mom, it's past your bedtime. We should probably call it a night. But boys, feel free to stay as long as you'd like."

"My home is your home. Help yourselves to anything," Grandma Ruby adds before following mom inside.

"Thanks, Ruby," Nico smiles.

"Thank you," Danny says. "And thank you again for dinner. Everything was delicious."

"Kiss-ass," I hear Nico mumble under his breath, which causes me to glare at him once more.