CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Logan was grumbling for more than ten minutes, non-stop, and Reagan couldn't even act like she wasn't amused. Her sleepiness faded away at around ten in the morning and whatever sense of chirpiness and optimism she gained, Logan lost.

"What kind of place do you live in?" He asked rhetorically for the fifth time in the past hour as he pushed open the doors of a small bistro that had Carlson's Calhoun Cafe written in light up letter blocks that didn't work anymore.

"It's called Redwood," She said, unmoved by Logan's complaining, "Cold air, lots of trees. Pretty nice."

Logan sent her a passive, unimpressed look.

"Well this pretty nice place doesn't even have a shop that sells keychains, let alone a locksmith."

Reagan let out a laugh, "Figure something out."

He was prepared to say something in return but a voice she recognized quite well cut them off.

"Back again?" A middle aged man with kind eyes piped up, sitting in a barstool wearing the cafe's uniform apron. A gentle smile was on his face, "Third time in a row, boys."

Reagan sent him a bright smile, raising her hand in a small wave, "Hi uncle Marty."

"Wasn't expecting to see you this early, Reagan," He said as he stood up, moving to the other side of the counter to undoubtedly make Reagan's signature order. "Was expecting to see you come past noon."

She shrugged as the rest of the boys crowded into the entrance behind her, "I wasn't planning on it either but they needed wifi."

"I thought as much," He chuckled, bustling behind the counter. He paused for a moment and tacked on,  "Not that I'm complaining. You're the only customers I've had all week."

Logan laughed at that and took a seat at a table just beside the counter.

"I'll take the same burger from yesterday," He said while the rest took seats around the table, most of them already pulling out their phones from their pockets, and Reagan raised an eyebrow.

"You were here yesterday?" She asked and Jonah was the one who nodded. "You walked?"

"From the gravity hill, yes," He answered, "But we hitched a ride from Ronald going there."

She let out a small laugh, "Really couldn't handle being stuck in a small house, huh?"

"There was a free ride and we wanted to explore," Logan shrugged in response as he pulled out his laptop, "And I really needed wifi, so."

"Now more than ever," She quipped back with a raised eyebrow. Logan only sent her a short glare as he looked up 'how to pick a lock tutorial' in youtube and she laughed again.

She turned her attention to Marty, saying, "I'll have mine to go, by the way."

"Sure thing," he responded as he started pouring her iced coffee into a disposable cup.

"You're not staying?" Jack asked from where he sat and she wanted to kick Logan because the moment Jack spoke up, his eyes darted towards hers and he was anything but subtle.

"No," She said, pulling out two dollars and placing it on the countertop while Marty was preoccupied, knowing that he wouldn't accept a tip from her if he had the chance to give back the change, "I'm heading to the shop down the street but I'll come back for lunch."

"You sure you don't wanna stay, Ri?" Logan interrupted their conversation, uninvited, "I'm sure some of us would be happier if you stayed."

God, he was embarrassing.

Reagan rolled her eyes, "I told you to stop calling me Ri. It's tacky."

"What do you prefer me calling you?" Logan asked, an eyebrow raised.

"My name." She blinked, "You know... Reagan."

"Thought you liked my nickname for you better?" Jack piped up, his head lazily resting on his palm as he looked at her, and she instantly froze.

It wouldn't have affected her that much if Logan's knee didn't jerk up to shake the entire table but the table did shake and Logan looked too thrilled to be considered normal.

She honestly wouldn't have minded if the ground swallowed her whole at that moment, especially when Daniel let out a low whistle and sent her an amused grin.

The rest of the group were unfazed and didn't pay much attention but Daniel and Logan were grinning at her as if it was the best thing they've heard all week. Jack asked an innocent question and she has had many urges to attack Logan, but none as intense as the one she felt then.

"You have nicknames?" Logan pressed, "I didn't know you have nicknames, please enlighten me."

She promptly turned around to get the drink Marty placed on the counter because of the chance she was turning a bright color of red and she huffed, "I hardly think calling each other by last names could be considered a nickname."

"That's actually really cute," Daniel cooed, almost condescendingly, and Reagan could tell that his statement nearly caught the attention of the other boys sat around him.

She darted for the door in seconds, calling out, "I'm leaving," on her way through the door to no one in particular, just to avoid them.

She silently cursed herself because the word friend kept reeling on a loop in her head and she knew being teased about  something as simple and platonic as calling each other on last name basis didn't constitue as being friends.

She did want to try to be a good friend to Jack but she realized too late that maybe letting Logan and Daniel--both his friends--know abouther hopeless crush on him wasn't the brightest idea.

She was too busy internally scolding herself that she barely heard the cafe's front door open a few feet behind her, as well the as the sound of footsteps jogging up to her, and she nearly jumped at the sound of Jack's voice.

"Where are you heading?" He asked, eyes trained forward to the road in front of them.

Jack's hair and his clothes were rumpled messily and there were bags under his eyes from the lack of sleep but it took Reagan five beats to compose herself and understand what he was saying.

She let out a long exhale because the word friend was still on a loop in her brain and a friend wasn't supposed to find her friend breathtaking. She scoffed at herself before responding.

"Souvenir shop," She said, pointing to the only souvenir shop in their town that was located a few lots away from where they stood. Jack hummed to show his understanding but continued to walk beside her. She let out a cough before asking, "You gonna come with?"

"I'd love to," He responded with a grin, knowing fully well that she didn't mean it as an invitation, "About time I greet Mrs. Gibson. I promised her I'd visit again before I left."

Reagan paused and turned to glance at him, eyebrows raised, "You know Aunt Maggie?"

Jack's lips turned up in a small, shy smile and it took all of her willpower to stop herself from blushing at the sight of it.

"Remember the first day, when I got Daniel that guitar in a bottle?"

Realization finally dawned on her, remembering how he mentioned the shop. She also remembered what Jack looked like under artificial lamp light but thankfully, someone interrupted before she could dwell on it long enough for it to hurt.

"Reagan? S'that you, sweetheart? Well you're early! And who's—" The old woman who came out of the shop, holding a trashcan filled to the brim, adjusted her glasses with her empty hand and squinted at Jack, "Is that you, Jack?"

"Hi Mrs. Gibson," They greeted at the same time and the woman placed the bin she was holding onto the tarmac, a wide grin growing on her face as she placed her hands on her narrow hips.

"When ya told me you met a beautiful girl in this town, Jack," She started, her voice bathing in amusement, "Why didn't you tell me it was Reagan? Hell I would've called her telephone right away and let you talk here!"

"Mrs. Gibson!" Jack hissed in reply, quickening his steps towards the shop while Reagan was frozen in her spot.

She mulled the words over in her head while Jack started whispering to Mrs. Gibson once he was close enough to be out of Reagan's earshot but she was still mostly frozen.

It was when Mrs. Gibson—Aunt Maggie, let out a loud laugh, one strong enough to make her tip her head back, that Reagan finally came to her senses and walked towards the shop, eyeing Jack curiously the whole way through.

When she reached the shop's front steps, Jack was the one holding the trashcan Maggie was likely planning to throw out before they arrived. He was waiting for Reagan to follow the old woman through the door before he leaned in to whisper, "Ignore her please. She's trying to embarrass me."

Reagan could only nod meekly because for one, she was still confused, and Jack was leaning into her too close for comfort.

"I heard that!" Maggie said through the screen door.

Jack laughed in response, turning away to discard the trash, and Reagan fumbled for the door handle to get inside. She was undoubtedly turning red and the sight of Aunt Maggie's smug, knowing smirk when she entered the room definitely did not help.

i read over this once i'm sorry i'll edit this again in the morning i just really wanted to update before i slept

but side note, here's today's installment on j feels bitchy and is gonna throw some (weak & petty) shade:

if ur gonna rip off basically the entire concept of this story can u please at least try to not make it too obvious thanks :-)

salty as hell is what i am but pls ignore this im just afraid that it'll have a better plot & better writing

ANYWAYS

I STILL HAVENT READ THROUGH ALL THE COMMENTS GUYS. I READ UPDATES FOR ALEX (BY DEARSTILINSKI BUT YALL KNEW THIS ANYWAYS) AND GOT DISTRACTED (AND REALLY AFFECTED) AND NOW MY PHONE IS ACTING UP :(

shannen has a thing called midnight spams with shannen where she basically makes me the happiest person on earth. this child is my pride & joy

i'll try my best to update again tomorrow but i dont have anything written yet tbh :( im shocked by how many people read this now wow thank you for sticking with me and this story  💓💓💓

my author's notes are getting longer each update lmao tolerate me pls