I laugh as I try to push him off me but the fucker isn’t budging. “You’re so fucking lucky I’m in a good mood, Noahsaurus.”
“Do you really have to call me that?” he grunts, pulling his head up.
“Considering you just thought your date with Monica was with me, you’re lucky that’s all I’m calling you.”
“She’s got a point, man,” Rivers laughs. “Quit while you’re behind.”
“Fine,” he groans. “You can call me anything you want.”
“Damn fucking straight, I can.”
Noah rolls his eyes as Tully comes striding out of the house with a slice of last night’s pizza before stopping mid step, taking in Alyssa standing beside Rivers. “What the fuck is this?” she demands, pizza completely forgotten.
As if forgetting Alyssa standing right beside him, Rivers’ eyes trail down her body, taking in the tight black dress and heels. “Where the hell do you think you’re going dressed like that?” Rivers sputters making Alyssa stand a little taller, though I don’t know if that’s because she’s trying to make herself seen or if she finally sees the threat from Tully.
Tully narrows her eyes on him while somehow managing to appear as though their very presence doesn’t affect her. “It’s Friday night,” she reminds him. “I have my date with Rocko tonight.”
“Rocko Stevenson?” Alyssa says, sucking in a breath as though she’s impressed with Tully’s efforts. She instantly gets ignored.
Noah scrambles off me as Rivers steps forward. “No fucking way.”
Noah cuts him off. “I thought we sorted this shit already.”
“Wait,” Alyssa cuts in, making all eyes turn her way. “If you’re going on a date with Rocko, why are you eating now?”
Rivers’ eyes slice to Tully with the smallest seed of hope that she isn’t going on a date after all, but Tully has been talking about this date for days. She’s not about to back out of it, especially now that she’s seen Rivers with Alyssa. Besides, isn’t it a well known fact that girls eat before their date so they don’t look like the slob that they actually are in front of a new guy?
“No, we didn’t sort this” Tully says slowly, turning back to her brother and completely disregarding anything that comes from Alyssa’s mouth. “You guys spoke at me while I failed to listen. You see, what you guys fail to do is realize that I no longer give a shit. I’m a grown ass woman and I can make my own decisions about who I date, so,” she adds, pointedly looking at Rivers, “unless you have a better idea of who should be taking me out tonight, then I subtly suggest you both mind your own fucking business. Besides,” she adds, “it looks as though you already have someone else you should be focusing on tonight.”
Rivers grinds his teeth as Noah scowls. “I don’t like it.”
“I never asked you too.”
“Tullz,” Rivers sighs. “Come on. Don’t go out with him. Date someone else if you have to, just not him.”
“You’re too late, Rivers. I’m going whether you like it or not,” she tells him before turning on her heel and heading back inside.
Both the boys look to me. “What?” I grunt, holding up both hands. “There’s nothing I can do about it. I’ve already tried. Besides, she’s right. She’s eighteen and more than capable of making her own decisions. If she wants to go on a date with the guy, then so be it. She’ll probably come home tonight and realize what a turd he is and never go on one again.”
“I can still hear you,” Tully yells from inside.
“I don’t care,” I say, getting back to my rant. “Point is that she needs to come to the decision on her own, not have two overbaring assholes in her face demanding she not go. Besides,” I say, turning solely on Rivers before waving my hand over Alyssa, not giving a shit if I’m about to offend her. “You’re making it fucking worse. There might have been a chance that Tully changed her mind on her own, but not now.”
With that, I turn and make my way inside as Alyssa gapes behind me.
“Shit,” Rivers murmurs as I make my way back towards the house.
“Fuck, man,” Noah grumbles. “Why’d you have to bring her here?”
“What’s the fucking problem?” Rivers snaps. “I used to bring chicks here all the time. She never had a problem with it before.”
“Yeah, but…things are different now.”
I don’t hear Rivers’ response as I disappear inside.
The second I step over the threshold and the door is firmly sealed shut behind me, Tully instantly starts fuming while repeatedly trying to insert her earrings, only her anger makes it impossible. “Can you fucking believe him?” she seethes. “How dare he bring that tramp here?”
I cringe. This isn’t exactly a conversation I want to be involved in. She should be screaming at Rivers, not me, but I guess that’s the role I take on as her best friend. “I, well, maybe he was too excited about the car and didn’t think about what he was doing,” I suggest, hoping that’s somewhat helpful.