Side Note: I Think I Love You (Side Notes Book 1) - COMPLETE

Chapter 12 - Attie

The weekend with Amy was a blast, if you don't count all the homework we had to do and the times Amy texted Carter in the middle of the night. It got to the point where I had to put a boy ban on the rest of the weekend but it was so worth it.

Unfortunately, the boy ban gets lifted on Sunday, when Jason knocks on my door while Amy and I are still asleep. "Wake up, losers!"

I throw my pillow at him, only to miss his face by a huge margin. "Get lost!" I'm groggy, and it's Sunday. Which is always optimum for catching up on all the hours of sleeping that I missed out on during the school week. It's also the one day a week Jason wakes up early.

"I wish I could," Jason begins with a mischievous smile. "But I don't want to. It's noon, Attie. Besides, Mom made croquetas."

As soon as the word leaves Jason's mouth, I'm immediately awake. Because Mom hasn't made those in so long. Croquetas are these delicious fried treats that are similar to a hybrid of a mozzarella stick and a donut. You could add meat to the filling but my family and I prefer it with just cheese.

"Okay, I'm up." I tap Amy's head next to me. She's on the inflatable air mattress and her hair is such a mess it's kind of funny. Almost cartoonish.

"What?" Amy asks groggily. She rubs her eyes and it takes her a minute to be fully awake. She sees Jason standing in the doorway and narrows her eyes at him. "Do you have any sense of privacy?"

My brother shrugs. "You've seen worse of me. Now hurry up before we eat them all."

My body stiffens up. "Who's we?"

"Me, Dad, Mom, Derek, and Ian. I thought that was obvious enough." Jason's head pops out of the room and I force myself to get up and out of my bed. He's not wrong since I can never finish as much food as the rest of my friends and family.

Wait, did he just say that Derek's here? In the house? And with Ian? I mentally facepalm myself. It's one thing to be in the same room as your crush. But when he thinks you're dating his brother? That's a whole other set of complications. Especially because Derek isn't just Jason's best friend. We basically grew up with both Ian and Derek. Despite Ian being a year older, he and Jason are still close.

"This should be interesting," Amy says as she removes the bandana from her head, despite it having done nothing to protect her curls. "A shame I have to leave soon."

I'm a little sad too because without Amy, I don't know how I am going to handle brunch. Then again, she was only supposed to spend Friday night here and head back home Saturday. I have my amazing persuasion skills to thank. Or, just sheer luck that her dad was in a good mood.

"Do you want me to drop you off?" I ask while rummaging through my drawers for a pair of shorts and t-shirt. Score! My Nirvana t-shirt still resides in my closet, despite the multiple colors of dried paint that surround the smiley face.

"Mary said she'll pick me up. That way, you can have more time with your boyfriend." She says that last sentence in a teasing way. I'm starting to regret telling Amy about the fake relationship when I remember that she has more experience with relationships than I do. I can't ask my brother about this shit!

Amy and I get dressed and make our way downstairs to find the kitchen more packed than usual. Mom's reading on her tablet, Dad's drinking his cup of coffee while chatting with Ian—probably being grilled about me or talking about football. As for Derek? He's on the couch, hovering over Jason's shoulder. Both of their eyes are trained on Jason's phone.

All five of them are eating the delicious-looking croquetas.

Amy looks down at her phone. "Oh! Mary's waiting outside. I wish I could stay but I have to go." She waves at my parents with a smile. "Goodbye, Mr. and Mrs. Ryder. Thanks for having me!"