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Then and Now Chapter 24 AJ sat down on the lawn chair, trying to balance his plate of burgers and his drink on his lap. He glanced over at Krys who was somehow managing to keep everything balanced, eat and hold a conversation all at the same time. Krys looked up from her conversation with Nina to see AJ staring at her. "Bone?" AJ snapped out of his daze. "Yeah hon?" "Your drink's all over your lap." Krys said trying to keep from breaking into a fit of laughter. AJ looked down at the growing stain on his pants. "Damn!" he jumped up and his food went flying on the ground. "I'm gonna go change." he said walking off. Nina laughed and watched AJ walk away. "Now that was priceless." "Wasn't it? And he didn't even notice." Krys shook her head and giggled.Nick opened the gate that led to the back of the cabin and pulled Lis inside the yard. "I smell barbecue. Kevy didn't burn the food this time." "Does Kev always cook?" Lis asked as they made their way to the deck. "He always volunteers for the barbecuing. Its apparently his specialty..." "And yours is calling for pizza." she teased as they walked up the deck steps. Nick made a face. "See if your riding in the Durango now" "You mean I don't have to go camping now?" Lis asked her face lighting up. "No sorry, my girl is joining me on this trip. Remember this is for us to get to know each other." he said seriously. "How can I forget?" she said smiling. She spotted Han going inside the cabin. "I'm gonna see Han, I'll catch up with you later." Nick nodded and headed straight for the table of food. Han walked in the kitchen to get some more ice for the cooler and found Ang sitting at the table munching on a few potato chips. "Hey!" Ang said looking up to see Han walk in. "Hi Ang." Han said, a bit of nervousness in her voice. She was still unsure if Ang hated her or not. "Just gotta grab some ice." Ang turned around in her chair and looked at her best friend's girlfriend. "Brian sent you on the ice run huh?" she asked with a smile. Han nodded as she opened the freezer. "Yep. And there isn't any in here." "I've got my truck, we can go and get some. Store's just down the road, not all that far. Probably need to grab some more drinks too." "Ok..." Han said and sighed. "I'll just tell the guys we're heading out. Meet you by the truck in five?" "Sure." Lis walked in the patio door as Ang was making her way outside. "Hey Han!" she said as she saw her friend leaning against the counter. "Oh hi Lis." "Something up?" "Nah nothing. Just have to run to the store with Ang." Lis grabbed a drink from the counter and leaned on the counter next to her friend. "Han she's over Bri, you know that." "Yeah but I don't think she likes me." Han sighed and closed her eyes. "Relax, she isn't gonna try to kill ya you know." Han opened one eye and gave Lis a dirty look. "That thought never came into my mind. Thanks now I'll be thinking that the whole ride." "I's sorry." Lis saw Ang walk down the path to the gate. "You better go, she's heading to the front." "K, I'll hopefully see you later." Han said slowly walking towards the patio doors. "Han! Stop it all ready, your paranoid." "Sure I am." Han called as she walked out onto the deck. Brian sat down next to Nick at the picnic table and watched his friend devour a hamburger in seconds. "Try to leave some food for the rest of us Frack." Brian teased, opening his drink. Nick nodded. "Don't you worry Rok, there's still a pile of food up there. Plus Kev said he can always start up the old barbecue." "What is his barbecue obsession?" Brian asked, watching his cousin sit down next to Nina and Krys on the grass. "I thought it was a kentucky thing." Nick joked. Brian rolled his eyes. "So your nintendo obsession is a New York thing?" "Hey you play too!" "I know, jeez Frack I'm playing." Brian stood up. "I'm gonna grab another burger before you eat everything, you want one?" "Yeah, grab two." He ignored the look Rok gave him. "One for Lis, she hasn't come out of the house yet." "K two burgers coming up!" Bri said walking away from the picnic table. AJ sat on his bed and looked around. He'd all ready changed his pants, now all he needed was a pair of sunglasses and he'd be set to join everyone downstairs. He spotted them on his dresser and picked them up. From the next room he heard giggling. Thats funny, everyone's outside, he thought to himself as he walked out into the hallway. The giggling filled the hallway. AJ put his shades on and walked down the hall and glanced into D's room where Jenn and Howie were dancing to the radio. AJ watched with a smile and cleared his throat. D looked over. "Oh hey Bone." "Did I miss the barbecue?" AJ asked, smiling at Jenn. Jenn sat on the bed. "No I think its still on. Howie came up to change and I came up to bring him down to the party and we started dancing...and well..." "We haven't been outside yet since we came back." D said sheepishly. AJ laughed. "Its ok man, no need to explain to me. I'm heading outside to grab some food, see ya two later." he turned and walked down the hall. Nick took the plate from Brian and set it beside his on the table and waited for Lis to appear. She'd been in the house for almost half an hour and he couldn't think of anything that would keep her there for that long. "Bri, watch the food will ya?" Nick said, getting up. "Does it do tricks?" Brian said with a grin. "Yeah sure, the burger will turn into Tyke." Nick shook his head and walked inside. He saw Lis sitting in the living room, so he headed over to her. "Hey the party's outside." he said sitting beside her. "I know that, just wanted to sit down for a few." she smiled up at him. "Somehow I'm not buying that excuse Lissy." "Fine I'm tired ok? Long day." Nick wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I might believe that one. Now come on and eat, you need to have energy for tomorrow." he smiled. "Now what do you have planned on this little trip?" she asked, seeing the look on his face. She clearly remembered him having that look on his face nine years before and it had ended up with frogs on her head and in her bed, and her being tossed off the dock and into the cold lake during breakfast. Nick shrugged. "Depends on what I come up with." He stood up and pulled her to her feet. "But for you to find out you have to be there, so come on and we can eat." "Aye aye sir!" she said with a giggle and followed him outside. Next: Chapter 25 |