Walking into the restaurant, the normal ‘have you ever eaten at Nandos before’ spiel is said before we’re taken to our table, well it’s actually a booth but you know what I mean. I don’t even have to look at the menu; I am a Nandos veteran after all. Chicken wrap with the lemon sauce, peri peri chips and coleslaw. Simple. It doesn’t take my brothers long wither; both of them have half chickens and then dad has a butterflied chicken. Mum, however, can’t decide. It’s chicken for god’s sake! It isn’t hard to decide how you’re going to have it. Honestly woman!
“I really don’t know what to have” She exclaims. “I’ll have what you’re having Rachel. You always seem to rave about food you eat here” I do love my mom. I know I always complain about her but I forget sometimes that she doesn’t go to the same places that I do and she needs direction sometimes, even if she hates to admit it.
“So Ryan, are you excited to go back to uni?” Dad asks as mom goes to order our food
“Yeah, I guess so. I’ve missed all my friends so it’s going to be fun living in the flat this year and I guess I’m looking forward to the second year of my course too” Ryan is studying Film and television studies with philosophy; he wants to be a director which is part of the reason why we went traveling over the summer. He runs a YouTube channel and had some opportunities to do different activities whilst we were in different countries and he wanted to film the whole trip. Currently, he’s in the process of editing it all which is taking a long time because we shot a lot of footage.
“You see Rachel, you need to have a goal like you’re brothers” Here we go, another lecture on how I have no clue what I want to do with my life. I love writing and I love drawing but apparently I should focus on a more academic route. Per-lease, I just want to do a mix of what my brothers are doing. It isn’t my fault that I have no interest in becoming a doctor or anything like that.
“I want to become a writer dad, or a journalist. That’s why I write articles for the local paper and my blog which I write on all the time. I am being proactive about my life choices instead of sitting around” I need to defend myself in some way, I think he thinks I sit in my room doing nothing all day long but I don’t, I really don’t. I write on my blog daily, I’m constantly writing stories and uploading them online and then I’m sending articles off to different papers and magazines all the fricking time. So don’t lecture me on not having a goal. I do.
1:30pm
Food. Finally. I don’t think I’ve ever been so thankful for food in my life.“You’re right Rach, this is amazing” My mom marvels, munching on her chicken wrap.
“It’s good shit, isn’t it”
“Your way with words never fails to astonish me” Jack laughs, carving away at his half chicken.
“For someone who reads the thesaurus for fun, I have to agree with Jack” Ryan chuckles, carving away at the other half of the chicken.
“Sometimes, fancy words aren’t needed” and it’s true. Why use incredibly long words if you can say it just as well with simple ones. It’s way more effective because everyone understands what you’re trying to say much easier.
Our mom starts asking us all questions about our plans for the week ahead when a slight shadow is cast across the table. I assume it’s a waiter to ask how everything is so I don’t look up; that is until I hear the voice and it sends shivers through my whole body.
“Mr and Mrs Linton, Mr Linton, Rachel; what a coincidence seeing you again” Lucas, what the hell is he doing here. We all look at one another before looking at him. Seeing him once in IKEA is a coincidence, seeing him in Nandos which isn’t near to IKEA is called stalking. He must’ve followed us here. Must have. There is no logical explanation and quite frankly, I’m creeped out.
“Lucas, how nice to see you again” My dad says, a fake smile plastered on his face.
“I forgot to tell you Mr Linton, Junior” He laughs slightly at his own joke, which isn’t funny. I can’t help but cringe. “I love The Road. It’s a great book”
“I’m glad you like it Lucas” Jack says, nodding slightly. An awkward silence hangs in the air, none of our family quite sure of what to say.
“Rachel, you look really nice today” He says, a hopeful expression on his face. What the actual fuck. Both Jack and Ryan snigger slightly and I kick them both under the table. Why must the school weirdo have a crush on me? Why couldn’t one of the hot guys who probably don’t know I even exist have a crush on me? I know that I said there isn’t much eye candy at our school but there is one group of boys, four to be exact, who look like they belong in a Nicholas Sparks movie; they’re gorgeous however they don’t really interact with anyone apart from the popular popular people, our groups not quite at that level.
“Er, okay, thanks?” Please leave, just walk out of the door and leave.
“So I see you guys ordered chicken” He says, rolling from the heel to the ball of feet. Really, we’re doing the small talk thing. Ryan is really struggling to keep a straight face so I have to kick him again.
“It is a chicken restaurant” I say sarcastically taking him off guard. He’s unsure what to say and thank god for my mom who cuts in.
“I’m really sorry Lucas but we’re trying to have a farewell dinner for my other son. He’s going back to university tomorrow and we really just want to catch up, if you wouldn’t mind” An emotion I couldn’t read flashes across his eyes before he plasters a huge, creepy, smile across his face.
“Of course Mrs Linton. Enjoy your meal” He bows slightly, weird or what, and leaves. I assumed that he would go to a table with his family but no, he walked straight out the door. He wasn’t even eating here? I’m really confused.
“I think the school weirdo has a crush on you Rach” Ryan laughs hysterically but mom slaps him playfully across his arm, telling him to stop being so cruel.
“I think he followed us here” Jack says, a serious tone in his voice. Thank god I’m not the only one who thought that!
“Don’t be so stupid Jack” My dad says, starting to eat his food again. I share a look with Jack, the ‘you noticed something’s up too’ look. Who would’ve thought that Lucas McCrea would be the thing which brought me and my brother closer together.
10:30pm
Bed, finally. My double bed sits in the far corner of my room, covered in pillows so it looks like a sofa and not a bed. My wardrobe sits in the corner behind the door, practically hidden and my desk sits on the wall opposite my bed, the window above it. My room has pictures everywhere and there are fairy lights around my bed. On the otherside of my door, there’s a giant bookcase filled with so many different types of books. It’s double tiered too…I really need another one, or maybe I should just by a kindle, that would save a lot of space. I can’t help it, every time I go to a charity shop, I always find books I want.I lie on my bed, writing and drawing in my journal. I let my thoughts flow over the page as I draw a little cartoon of my day followed by an internal rant about everything under the sun. It’s very therapeutic.
I can’t get Lucas’ creepy smile out of my head; sly, like he had a complete other reason for being there and it unnerved me. The fact that he followed us there…I’m slightly scared to sleep in case he creeps in through my window and brutally murders me. No, now I’m defiantly being paranoid. I need my best friends’ inputs into the matter; group chat is needed tomorrow. Hopefully they’ll be the more rational part of my brain…
