Chapter 7 {burgers}

The weather is scorching hot today. You can physically see the steam radiating off of the ground. A perfect day to be standing around taking photos.

The middle aged lady’s pug dog is dressed up in a neon green tutu with little rose peddles placed sporadically around her pool.

“Isn’t my Lance a natural. He’s going to make it big someday, I just know it.” Carson’s bent down snapping shots with his small phone. He’s had that thing for so long I think it’s an antique at this point.

“How old is he now?” The lady leans back in her chair, adjusting her sun hat. “He’s 11, well, 12 today. You’d think he’d be tired out at this age but my Lance is still filled with the same energy and excitement from when he was a pup.”

“Keeps you on your toes I suppose.”

“Indeed he does.” She makes a weird gesture with her hand to Lance and he twirls.

“Trained too?” Carson snaps a few more photos then feeds Lance a treat.

“Lance has learned a few tricks over the years but I’ve never formally trained him. He’s always been so well behaved, I didn’t see training as a necessity.” I can see the sweat already dripping from Carson’s forehead. He wipes it away with the back of his hand.

“Look how cute he looks in this one.” While both of them are looking over the photos, Lance decides to dart across the pavement over to me.

“Hey buddy.” I bend down to pet him but he runs straight back to the lady. Carson gets done shortly after, the lady kindly but hurriedly escorts us out.

“You two get home safe now!” She waves goodbye to us from her back fence. Carson and I wave back as well. “Take care!”

“Hungry?” Carson throws an arm around me, pulling me into his side.

“Oh my god you have no idea, please, I want burgers, no, fries, no, onion rings!” He takes his ugly orange sunglasses off and places them on my hair.

“Why not all three?”

"Yes please, spoil me Carse.” He pulls me in, planting a kiss on my forehead. “To burger palace!”

“Burger Palace!”

The place is way too overcrowded when we get there. I don’t even think there’s a line, just clumps of people gathering at the front desk. “Carse, can I wait out here?”

“Of course you can, I’ll be back in a minute.” He ruffles my hair before heading inside. My phone chimes. I open it up to see a text from Lina.

                                 Lina.              12:01 

(Hey where are you?)

                   (You suddenly decided to care, wow how kind of you.)

(Mom and dad are coming over this weekend, they’d like to see you.)

                               (Tell them I’m busy)

(Busy with what. You don’t have a job.)

   (Busy with keeping my mental health in tact.)

(Mazz don’t be dramatic, you know they don’t come down here often, the least you could do is come say hi when they do.)

   (As far as I’m concerned they aren’t my parents anymore.)

(Mazz you can’t disown them.)

                                                (Watch me)

I tuck my phone back into my pocket just as Carson comes out with the food. “It smells so good from here.”

“Yeah, I bet it tastes even better. You know I was thinking, since we’re always cooped up in the house, we should eat outside today.”

“You mean so flies and ants can share our food, no thanks.” Carson holds out his lemonade waving it in front of my face. “This could be yours if you agree to eat with me in the park.”

“It’s hot today Carse.” He takes a long sip of the lemonade then turns to smile at me. “Not if you have lemonade hmm?” He continues to wave it in front of my face, this time I swiftly snatch it away.

“Fine whatever, we’ll go to the park.” He bounces around like a lunatic before taking me by the hand, dragging me along with him.

Once we’re finished eating I lay flat across the picnic table like a stuffed cat. I’m too full to move. Carson has his headphones in listening to music or something.

The trees are blocking the sun from my eyes, not that it’s helping much with the heat though. Every gust of wind is hot air through and through.

“Carson it’s hottttt”, I poke at his head purposefully trying to annoy him but he doesn’t seem annoyed in the slightest. “Come on man I’m a melting popsicle over here.”

“Oh no, we wouldn’t want you to melt.” Finally some acknowledgement- he places the cold lemonade cup against my head. “There you go, better?”

“No not better! How are you not dying right now?”

“I have a built in cooling system that runs 23/7.” He’s just showing off his body is way better at regulating temperature than mine. Rude!

“Yeah?” I snatch his phone along with his headphones and slip them into my pants pocket. “Now you’re a cooling system with no entertainment.”

“I don’t need entertainment when you’re right here in front of me.”

“Hmm, and I thought you were the circus attraction, my bad, guess I was wrong.” His mouth hangs open for a second before he narrows his eyes at me. “I said what I said.”

“You are wrong.” He leans over wrapping his sweaty arms around me. “EW CARSON!”

“Payback.”

“UGH GROSS!” I shake him off and he chuckles. His smile looks nice with the backdrop of leaves falling behind him. Almost picture perfect. I make a little camera with my fingers. “Click.”

“Hmmm?” He hums.

“Nothing.” I shake my head. I won’t admit this to him but, I’m glad he hasn’t let us go back yet. I want to bask in this moment for a little while longer.