"So what are you doing for Thanksgiving on Thursday?" Dallas asks, it was two days until our annual Thanksgiving day party. It's nice to actually talk to him, since last weekend he'd been acting kind of weird around me.

We went out to the ice cream shop again. It's become our usual spot. Despite what I told Jordan, I couldn't stop replaying that conversation in my head.

"Eh just our usual party" I tell him. Every year we had a big party with all the kids.

"Wait you guys have a party?" Dallas questions with raised eyebrows

"Yeah..." I shrug "What what does your family do?" I ask. We always had a fun thanksgiving. it was basically just another party with all of our friends but my dad's side of the family came over too. My cousins are all going to be there, so this party could end in a possible explosion, one of us breaking a bone, or one of us falling through a ceiling, all have been done by my cousins. Specifically, Joey, he's done all three in one night.

"Well my pretentious family comes over, we have a dinner where barely anyone talks unless its about politics or school and then everyone leaves" he says "That's how every holiday goes"

"Oh, well if you want, I could ask my dad if you could come over for a bit. Maybe not for dinner, we already have over forty people for dinner, but you can come for dessert" he smirks at me as I say this and I can't help but notice the lack of butterflies in my stomach. Nothing.

"Holy shit, forty people?"

"Well no not really. I think there's more, so there's my family, that's eleven; Then Em's family, thats three, her, her mom and older sister; then Kazers, that's nine; then Jordan and his sister Julia; the Powell's, that's four; and the Addams are coming over too, there's another three; then we have my dad's younger sister, aunt Kat and my Uncle Ken with my cousins Summer and Joey, there's four; then his older sister, aunt Kelly and her husband, Uncle Anthony, their kids-my cousins, Charlie, Cora, Carrie and Carries boyfriend; and then my great aunt and uncle, Joanie and Rich with then my dad's cousin Brit." I ramble off everyone I could think of

"Jesus your family is huge" he says with wide eyes "If I'm being honest your family is scary as hell"

"No we aren't! We're just a lot to handle" I smile proudly at him "Just wait until you meet my cousins, Brittany is basically my cousin too even though she technically my dad's cousin. She closer to our age than she is my dad. My dads dad was the oldest of nine siblings, my great auntie joanie, my grandfather's youngest sister was only five when my dad was born so she isn't even sixty yet. Brittany is two years older than Zach"

"Damn, I'm sorry but y'all are insane" he starts to laugh making me grin

"Yeah that's been known," I shrug before sticking my wallet back into my pocket. We both grabbed our empty cups and disposed of them into the recycling bin before walking out.

"Winter break is so close" he huffs "I just want it to be here already. I can't spend new year's with you" he grins excitedly, bobbling on his feet like a little kid

"Yeah me too" I smile up at him

-------------

"Good you're home!" My dad smiles as I set the truck keys on the counter "You can help me, I just started cooking for thursday"

Thankfully we were on our mini-thanksgiving break. We only have the rest of this week off but I'm still relieved. The bitch squad, more specifically, Bianca, have been obviously trying to piss me off. When she pulled my hair, Caleb and Jordan had to hold my hands the whole way to lunch and the period after to stop me from punching her.

Suprisingly, Lexi has laid off a lot. She still quips with the nasty remarks when Bianca is loudly talking shit about me, but it seems like Bianca has taken over her group kind of. I still think she's a bitch, but thankfully I don't have to constantly have my guard up around her.

"Hey dad I was wondering if Dallas could come over later on Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah he can come over for dessert, we are already having enough people for dinner. Wanna help me make the stuffings?" He questions

"Yeah sure " I smile as I start making the bread balls. We make three different kinds of stuffing for thanksgivung and christmas. They're all homemade recipes from my great grandpa. There's Irish apple, Pork sausage and my least favorite. Cracker dressing. Along with that we have seven pounds of sweetpotatoes that my dad sauteed and then slow cooks in a brown sugar glaze for hours, we also have the homemade cranberry sauce, corn, garlic peppered asparagus, and the usual mashed potatoes. On top of it all we get three fifteen pound turkeys.

"I already got the cranberry sauce made, it's in the freezer, Irish apple we make Thursday morning..." My dad starts talking to himself as he lists off everything

"Oh Adam are you talking to yourself again?" Caleb smirks as he enters our kitchen. Him and my dad were like best friends, it was really funny sometimes, my dad loved him like he was his own son.

"Be careful, I think it's starting early. I don't think he remembers " I mumble playfully as my dad glares at both of us

"OH!" Caleb says with realization "Adam! I-am-Caleb! If you can't remember, I'm your favorite child" He says slowly, teasing my dad

"Okay assholes" My dad rolls his eyes at us "Just for that, you two can run to the store for the pumpkin purée. Here's my card and come right back! No pit stops." my dad orders as he hands me his debit card. I just pout as I take it

"Daaaaaaddddd!" I whine, I just wanted to chill at home and cook. I sure as hell didn't want to go with Caleb, I can practically sense his mischievous mood.

"Let's go princess" Caleb says with a grin as he grabs my hand "Be back in a few" he calls out to my dad

"Don't kill my daughter Kazer..." My dad yells making me laugh as I slip my shoes on "Better yet, Bails no killing Kazer"

"Thank YOU! I am far less dangerous than she is!" My dad laugh is heard from the kitchen as we leave.

"Haven't you hospitalized people?" I look up at him while we walk across the street

"That's a minor detail that your father of all people does not need to know about" he says, booking my nose in the process before hopping in his truck

"Can we get Kanes?" I ask him

"Your dad said no pit stops" he refutes

"Yeah but we have his card and I want food" I grin at him. He tries to keep a straight face but fails miserably as he cracks a wide grin. He can never be serious with me, it's damn near impossible.

"Dude your dad said no" He chuckles chuckles

"Please Kazer" I pout before bringing out the puppy eyes. He shakes his head and looks away from me. So I just lean across the center console the get his attention.

He just looks at me fit a second before rolling his eyes. Those fuckin puppy eyes never fail me.

"Fine" he grumbles as he starts to drop vector the store "You're lucky I love you"

"So I've been told" I grin as sit back in my seat. It works every time

"Wait why do you guys need pumpkin puree anyway?" He questions

"I'm making pumpkin squares"

"What?!" His eyes widen as he takes his eyes off the already dark road to look at me

"Eyes on the road Kazer!" I yell at him while reaching over to steady the steering wheel

"Can you-" he starts to say as he starts to drive normally again. As mentioned before, everyone loved my cooking, Caleb specifically loved the pumpkin squares.

"Make you and extra pan. Yep, already planning on it" I laugh "I always make you your own pan"

"I know I just had to make sure" he smirks at me

"Oh look you just missed that parking spot!"I say as we pass yet another spot

"Well I guess I was distracted" he grins at me while he finally pulls into a spot "You're very distracting you know"

"Oh yeah totally, you know, with my messy ass hair and red face, wearing a ratty old football shirt and running shorts" I say sarcastically as I roll my eyes.

"You know it babe" he smirks as he joins me behind his car "Now let's go so we can get Kanes and get home. The sooner we get home the lesser the chances of me dying"

"My dad loves you, he won't kill you" I scoff "Why? Are you afraid of my dad?"

"Of fucking course! Your dad is scary a hell, every teenage boy would be afraid of that man"

"Eh that's fair" I shrug as I lead him down the aisle for the pumpkin puree. As I scan the shelves, I see our of the corner of my eye Caleb playing with a sauce spreader thingy, the thing you use to put like barbeque sauce on neat when you're grilling. He starts playing this the frilled ends of it making me laugh quietly. He looked kind of adorable playing with that in simple amusement.

I just shake my head before I continue looking, until I find it...On the tip shelf.

"Are you kidding me? The one time I go shopping" I sigh as I try to reach it, but once again my short height betrays me.

I feel someone come up behind me and reach passed my head to grab it before I turn around.

"Here you go tiny" Caleb smiles

"Thank you giant," I grin as he plops two cans into the basket I was holding

"Okay do you need anything else?"

"Cinnamon!" I say loudly

"Wow okay, really enthusiastic about that" he grins while we start walking.

After stopping in the spice isle, I grab a small bottle of cinnamon and Caleb grabs a thing of chewy chips a'hoy before we check out.

"Hey Co" I grin as I grab his phone

"Oh god what are you doing?" He groans while watching me with a small grin. I just smile at his phone screen before clicking on the song I was looking for

"Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want

So tell me what you want, what you really really want

I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want

So tell me what you want, what you really really want

I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really really really wanna zig-a-zig ah" I sing the intro to wannabe as Caleb bangs his head in the steering wheel while driving to Kanes

"Really? The fucking spice girls?" Caleb looks at me with wide eyes

"If you want my future, forget my past

If you wanna get with me, better make it fast

Now don't go wasting my precious time

Get your act together, we could be just fine" I sing the next verse with a wide smile on my lips. Caleb hates he Spice Girls with a burning passion.

"You are trying to kill me aren't you?" He questions

"Aren't I always?"

"Touché princess" he laughs as he turns the volume down "Can you please put something else on"

"Oh fine" I smirk as I click on the playlist he specifically made for me "How about this one"

"You are, my fire"

I laugh as his face drop

"the one, desire

Believe, when I say,

I want it that way" I yell the lyrics to Caleb

"Jesus what is with you and fuckin 90's pop bands today?" Caleb questions

"Oh don't deny it Kazer, I know you love this song" I smirk at him from my seat

"Oh look at that, we're at Kanes" he says before parking the car "Oh well, let's go"

"Hey guys!" Jordan smiles as he looks up from his conversation with Kane

"Hey, Jordy, get Kane"

"What can I get y'all" Kane smiles as we plop down at the bar

"Can I just have an order of fries and pickles" I grin at him, opting out of the burger tonight

"Can I just have an order of pickles, I'll just steal some of her fries" Caleb shrugs with a grin. I just snack his shoulder as I look at him with wide eyes.

"The fuck you will!"

"Yep!"

"Okay it'll be out in a few" he laughs before bringing it back to Jordan. Just as he does so the front door bell rings

"I am so sorry I'm late Kane, Kelsey was having issues" Lexi rambles as she runs in, breathing heavily

"It's totally fine" he shrugs as he watches her "Lex did you run here?" Kane questions

"Jason has the car tonight" is all she mumbles before tying her apron around her waist and walking away to the door where more people started to enter.

"Kane I'm having issues with the grill" Jordan says as he walks out to the bar. Kane just sighs before walking back into kitchen.

"So what are you two up to?" Jordan asks as he sits beside us

"We were being smartasses so Adam sent us to the store to get stuff for thanksgiving" Caleb grins proudly

"Oh speaking of that, what time should Julia and I come over?" He questions "Mom and dad probably aren't going to make it they're both working at the station."

"Oh that's fine, just come over whenever," I smile at him

Out of the corner of my eye I see two guys approach Lexi. They looked slightly older than us, mid twenties at most, and they were dressed as stereotypical douchebag frat guys.

"Hey babe" the blonde one smirks down at her. She tried to walk away from them but the just step in front of her

"Shawn leave." She huffs, looking up at the tall blonde

"Or what?"

"I'll tell Jason" she tries to say strongly but her voice cracks at the end

She tries again to walk away from them but they don't let her. When the dark haired one goes go grab her, I stand up.

"Oh hell no" I say loud enough for Jordan and Caleb to pause from their conversation to trace my line of sight to the scene in the restaurant.

"Excuse me, can we help you?" I snap as I walk over to stand next to Lexi

"Who are you?" The blonde one, presumable Shawn sneers

"Dude who cares she hot" the black haired one

"Don't even think about dickhead" Caleb growls from beside me

"Oh fuck off" Shawn scoffs at him

"Seriously how pathetic do you have to be to go to a girls place of work for attention" Jordan scoffs as he backs up Lexi "Y'all need to get some lives."

"Dude we could kick your asses in an instant" the black haired one says

"Like to see you try" Caleb taunts "All you have on us is age"

"Okay guys, relax, we don't need a 'whose dick is bigger ' competition right now" I roll my eyes as I pull Caleb back next to me

"Unless you two are buying food or drinks, leave" Jordan states "and don't bother Lexi again"

"Whatever dude" the black haired one rolls his eyes before tapping Shawn's shoulder "This is too much trouble, let's just go"

Blondie glares at us one last time before storming out after his friend while we all just smirk as he leaves.

"That was easier that I thought it would be" Jordan grins at us

"Yeah me too" I laughs before turning to Caleb "See, there was no need to fight"

"I like fighting"

"Yeah I fuckin know" I roll my eyes at him

"And for your information, if it was a contest I would've won" he smirks down at me, referring to my previous statement about he 'whose dick is bigger' contest.

"I hate you"

"You guys didn't have to do that" Lexi states

"Yeah we did" Jordan states simply with a grin "I gotta go serve those guys, but you're food will be out in a second" he says before walking over to the bar

Caleb and I go to follow him before Lexi quietly calls me back

"Thanks Belle" she states

"No problem" I nod before walking back to the bar where Caleb is waiting with our bags of food

"That was weird, did we really just stick up for Lexi?" He questions holding the door open

"I think we did" I laugh before walking to his truck and getting in "Okay, time to resume my Backstreet Boys, And I swear to fuck, you need to sing with me"

"And what if I don't princess"

"Um-I- please sing with me!" I try to come up with a comeback but in the end resort to puppy eyes

"I'll sing with you only if u can change the song to a better one," He holds out his hand for the phone "Deal?"

"Fine," I hand the phone over to him, allowing him to scroll through my playlists until he gives up and finally searches the song up, shaking his head at me.

"I cant believe you don't have this one on your playlist, we sang this one all the time growing up how do you not have it on any of your playlists?" He clicks it and I immediately recognize it as the first few notes play.

'Brown Eyed Girl' by Van Morrison plays through the speakers of the truck as he smirks at my growing grin

"Ten times better than the Backstreet Boys," He starts tapping along on the steering wheel to the opening lines.

I just smile and look out the window. He sang me this song when I'd get mad at him when we were kids.

"I know you like this song Kalanski don't even try," He stop singing to tease me, only to then turn the volume up even more.

"And whatever happened

To Tuesday and so slow?" He sings looking at me expectantly for the next verse

"Going down the old mine with a

Transistor radio" I sing to appease him, rolling my eyes as he begins to laugh

"Standing in the sunlight laughing,

Hiding 'hind and rainbows wall," He looks back at me as he drives, his smile growing.

"Slipping and sliding

All along the waterfall with you," I go to smack his arm, he catches it, glancing at my as we roll to a stop.

"My brown-eyed girl," Still holding my wrist he sings "You. My brown-eyed girl"

"You're so dumb," I take my hand back from him, shaking my head

"Mhm," he drops my hand and flicks a strand of my hair into my face "You love that song and you know it, it's practically our song,"

"We don't have a song," I refute

"I can name five right now, this one being at the top of the list," He smirks, making my cheeks heat up. He laughs when he see's the red creeping up my neck into my cheeks.

"Shut up or I'll put my boy bands back on, One Direction is next,"

"Please no," He groans

"Oh c'mon, you love Harry Styles,"

"If by love you mean hate, then yes,"

"It's okay, your secret is safe with me, babe" I toss the nickname right back at him

"Hate you Kalanski!" He grumbles as he turns the music up.

"Love you too Kazer!"

-------------

"Okay ready to face my dad?" I question as we sit in his driveway

We weren't super late, only like half an hour. The Kanes thing took a little longer than expected.

"Yeah let's go" he huffs as he hops out. I soon follow as we hurry a Ross the street and into my house.

"Hey dad"

"You assholes!" He yells from the kitchen

"Nice to see you too!"

"I said store and back" he glares at me as I hand him is debit card back

"Okay to be fair, I'm still on my period and you know how I crave the pickles"

"No you are not pulling the period card on me" he huffs

"We're sorry Adam" Caleb grins at him

"I hate you both" my dad huffs

"Love you too dad" I smile before hugging him "Now we gotta get started, and since you are my partner in crime tonight, you can help" I point at Caleb who's already tying the frilly apron around his waist and neck

"What? I've always wanted to wear one of these" He smiles proudly while playing with ends of it making both my dad and I laugh at his expense

"Let's start baking"