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❝ smiling for a whole 'nother reason

It's all smiles through all four seasons❞

- Beyonce & Jay-Z, Shining.

"God, Tanner, it's a quick drive. Just take me already," I groaned as I rounded the kitchen table, walked to the high stool and got seated.

"Eat your breakfast," the super annoying side of my big brother said to me.

I'd been begging him for the past thirty minutes to take me to the mall. School break would be over in two days and I needed new clothes for school. I never started the new term wearing old clothes. It was just something I was used to.

"See, this is why I need a car of my own," I muttered, rolling my eyes as I pushed my glass of orange juice to my lips.

He looked at me blankly before bursting into laughter, "You don't even know where the gear box is."

I bit my tongue at his success in reminding me that I couldn't drive.

"Well, that's why I need to learn to drive," I finally said, moving in the stool and taking a sip of my juice.

"I guess you could learn to drive," he looked at me, nodding slowly and I squealed in excitement, throwing my fists in the air, but was immediately shut down when Tanner said, "But not with any of my babies."

"Oh, please," I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure Kaleb would let me use his to learn."

"No. Never. Nope. Not happening," my best friend walked, in hands in his hoodie as he gave Tanner a fist bump, both of then laughing maniacally. I wondered what was so funny so I rolled my eyes— something I did a lot around them, pulled my pancakes closer to me and squirted an unhealthy amount of syrup on them, leaving the idiots to laugh at what wasn't amusing.

But the truth was, I would never trade the idiots for anything, because they were my idiots.

I lived with Tanner in a house he had purchased months before graduating from the university. He hadn't had the best relationship with our parents growing up, but somehow that was changed along the way. He was 26 and fully independent and by the time he was leaving the university, I'd had the chance to choose who I wanted to live with but I chose him.

Why not?

He had taken care of me since I was a kid when our parents were never there for us. He could understand me more than they did. He had a stable job and was able to provide what we needed. After spending four years in university studying film, he worked as a videographer in Sony Pictures. Generally, he was my mother hen.

Kaleb on the hand, was the Gordo to my Lizzie. The Jack to my Jack. My best friend. My diary. My counselor. My pest. My side kick, and I wouldn't want anyone else to go on adventures with. We'd met in middle school while he was trying to steal my lunch. He'd had the most adorable brown eyes I'd ever seen. Eyes which went with his dirty blonde hair. Apparently, he had been dared to steal my lunch, and no, I couldn't even get angry with him. That day, we became friends and a little after that day, we would go to each other's houses, spend holidays together, eat off the same fork or spoon, fall asleep on each other when seeing a movie and even complete each other's sentences.

"Oh, look at that syrupy goodness," Kaleb rubbed his hands together before reaching to take one of my pancakes. I slapped his hand away, pushing a pancake into my mouth.

"You should eat like a more civilized person," he didn't look at me, but Tanner chuckled as he passed a plate of pancakes to him. The two took delight in teasing me and while most times, I'd roll my eyes at them some other times, I'd have my comeback ready for them.

"Oh please, do you know the way you eat?" I shot, pushing another pancake in my mouth.

"You got burned, Kaleb," Tanner laughed, handing a cup of orange juice to him. "Drink up," he patted Kaleb's back while Kaleb pretended to scowl.

"What's up today, though?" Kaleb got to asking after he had chewed on a piece of his pancake.

"I want to go shopping for clothes!" I groaned, "But Tanner won't take me to the mall," I looked at Kaleb, smiling slyly and batting my eyelashes at him, "Kaleb, will you take me? It doesn't even have to be the mall, just a clothes store?"

"You look ridiculous doing that, but fine, I'll take you," he sighed and I kissed him sloppily on his cheek before I heard him say, "If and only if you pay for the gas."

"What? You've got to be kidding me! I paid for the gas last mon-"

"I drove you from the mall to the salon and from the salon to the mall on different weekends.

I rolled my eyes, "So, what's special about this one? It's just to the clothes store."

"Well, I'm taking Sydney out tonight and I need a refill."

"I would have been glad to pay for the gas if it wasn't that it would be used for Sydney's sake."

"It's for mine, technically."

Sydney was Kaleb's girlfriend, and there was no love lost between us. She didn't like me because she felt threatened by me. She didn't like that I was best friends with her boyfriend but there wasn't anything that could be done about it. Kaleb and I had come a long way and our friendship was not about to be torn by his girlfriend who he'd just meet earlier in the year.

"Fine," I hugged.

"Great," his eyes sparkled. "So, are you ready?" He grinned.

Materialistic douche.

"Give me a little while to finish this baby," I pushed my last pancake in my mouth.

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