It was Friday morning, and Rowan was lying on his bed, scrolling through the internet:
What do you do when you hang out with friends?
How do you plan a dinner for friends?
What do teenagers like to do for fun?
After they had decided on a Friday after-school hangout, Rowan had spent the night wide awake. He was worried about what his friends would think of him. He was scared that the more they got to know him, the more they would dislike him. A heavy feeling sat in his chest that he couldn’t shake, though he wasn’t sure if it was excitement or anxiety.
At least he’d have Maya. She knew more about him than the others, and she still wanted to be his friend.
His mind drifted to the group chat. He worried that his texts were awkward. The others were so cool and funny with their messages, typing so fast it was like they were pros. Rowan, on the other hand, barely texted anyone, especially kids his age. He had no idea what to say or how to respond quickly.
He pushed those thoughts aside and got out of bed to get ready for school.
I should be excited, he told himself. They chose to come because they wanted to. This will go great. I know it.
“Come in, come in!” Claire exclaimed, throwing open the front door to welcome the group of teens.
Rowan stood next to her, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead. He tugged at his black-and-white sploched sweater and glanced down at his light blue jeans. He suddenly felt overdressed. His friends were in cartoon T-shirts, tank tops, and colorful shorts.
“Hi!” Asher waved as he stepped inside.
Rowan waved back shyly, lowering his gaze.
“Hey!” Maya ran up and gave him a playful slap on the shoulder, making him jump. “I love your outfit! I didn’t know you had this much style.”
Rowan scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks flushing as he smiled.
Kai and Sophie followed, high-fiving him on the way in.
“Cool outfit, dude!” Kai grinned. “Where’d you get that shirt?”
The evening went far better than Rowan expected.
They all sat around the dinner table with Claire and Elliot at the ends, chatting and laughing. Later, they watched a movie, played games, and even went out for ice cream, with Elliot driving them all there. It was the best night Rowan had had in a long time, which made him a little sad when it was time for his friends to leave.
“Wanna take a photo before we all go? So we have a memory of the first time we hung out here,” Maya whispered to him.
Rowan’s heart pounded. The thought of a photo made him nervous, but he didn’t want to miss the chance. He rushed to grab his camera from his backpack.
“Let’s take a photo, guys!” Maya called out, gathering everyone.
Rowan raised the camera, his finger trembling as he pressed the shutter. Click. He let a happy sigh out as he grinned at the photo. He switched the camera to selfie mode and stood between Kai and Maya, snapping another picture.
“Come join in!” Sophie waved over Claire and Elliot.
When his parents joined, Rowan stared at the screen for a long moment. He never thought he’d get to take a picture like this. He knew this moment would become a core memory.
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