Brandon. He's not looking at me, thankfully, but talking to some twenty-something dudes who look equally shady. He throws his head back, laughing, his yellow-stained teeth showing. I try not to remember the last time we met. I have to get away before he sees me.

Aiden is busy talking to a friend he met a second ago, but I have no time to waste. Who knows what will happen if Brandon actually spots me. Wouldn't that be a good thing, though? He will realise I'm actually dating someone, and leave me alone once and for all. But if he denied us dating the last time, he will do it this time as well. But then again, its not like he would do anything to me in public with Aiden beside me. Right? I don't want to wait around to find out, so I tug at the sleeve of Aiden's t-shirt as a signal for us to leave. He stops talking to his friend, and looks at me questioningly. "Can we... leave?" I ask, unable to keep the nerves out of my voice. "Why, is something wrong?" "No, its just that..." Should I tell him? But considering the last time I told Aiden something like this, we ended up fighting. So its probably a bad idea. "I'm like- hella hungry." "Fine. Lets go." He scoffs.

As we walk, I can't help but keep stealing glances over my shoulder, paranoid that Brandon may have seen me and is following us. I try to act casual, but my nerves are frayed. I know I should have told Aiden about Brandon, but the memory of our previous argument stops me from speaking up.

"So... where do you wanna go?" He asks, breaking the tense silence. "How about the diner near our street?" "M'kay." ----- We walk a little more because neither of us can drive nor are eligible to. It sucks to suck, I guess. I check the time on my phone absentmindedly. Its almost been an hour and a half since Aiden picked me up from my house, and I'm surprised I spent that much time with him willingly. "Its literally called 'The Diner'. Who the hell names a diner The Diner?!" Aiden scoffs, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Well, at least the food is good." I reply, chuckling. 'The Diner' is a small but cosy place. Inside, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, with checkered tablecloths on each table and framed photos of vintage cars adorning the walls. The air is filled with the smell of freshly made food, the sound of clinking silverware, and hushed conversations. Waitresses dressed in black and white uniforms move quickly between tables, serving steaming plates of food and refilling coffee cups. Patrons sit in booths or along the counter, chatting with one another or reading the newspaper.

We make our way to an empty table, and I scan the menu card. I already know what I'm going to order, though.