forum Orange Juice // CLOSED // 4/4

Started February 19, 2020 by @PaperHats business

tune

Kade felt her mood, which was less than happy, and turned to her. He put his juice down on the counter and pointed to her with both hands, using finger guns. "Okay. What's wrong?"

"It's just," she started, "we're all growing up. I've already sent out a few applications for college." She looked around, the melancholy in her eyes more prominent. "The group," she nodded around the table, "we're going to be split up. Who knows what will happen?"

"We'll still stay friends," he said confidently. "We've been through the entire high school experience together. We'll be friends forever. I know it."

Jackson's eyebrows furrowed slightly at Kade's sentiment, almost as if in doubt. However, he voiced nothing of those thoughts and simply nodded in agreement, taking a sip of the citric liquid in his glass. He removed his lips from the straw once more, his lips curling into a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah," he spoke softly, "probably, anyway." As he finished his sentence, he leaned back in his chair, flicking down his sunglasses from his forehead to cover his eyes. He quietly hummed the tune of "Pumped Up Kicks" as he thought over everything.

Arlo nodded, looking more solemn than normal.
“And I’ve been accepted already…,” he mumbled. “But hey, we have time left.”
He paused, then stood up, hands still resting on the table. The others probably knew— this is when he’d put on a full inspirational production.
“Like Kade said,” he began, nodding to the boy. “We probably will keep in touch forever. Knowing us, it’s because we’re stubborn as hell. But we don’t have to worry about that right now. We have — what— a month left? Three weeks?”
He took a breath, a smile creeping to his face. “We’ll be fine. Let’s make the most of it. How’s that for a cheesy speech, eh?”

Finn hummed. "I don't know about you all, but I will be taking road trips to visit you." They raised an eyebrow, challenging anyone to say that they won't. "And, I'll video call you, and I'll send letters, and I'll send you memes on a daily basis."

"Absolutely. Besides, you have to miss me. I don't know how you all will ever survive not seeing my beautiful face!" Kade shook his head in mock sadness. "Come on, guys. Like Arlo said, we still have three months. We can make the most of those moments." A grin split across his face. "And maybe we can even get some better drink than orange juice!"

Daniella laughed for the first time that day. "Okay, guys," she said, "you got me. But," she said, turning to Kade, "what would we get instead of orange juice? I'm not exactly rolling in money here."

“Lemonade,” Arlo said in a mocking tone, wagging his head at Kade. “But we never would. Why? Because this orange juice is the bomb.”
Sarcasm laced every word that flowed from his mouth, and his grin just complimented it.
“But hey, we could get creative. Blood orange, mandarin….” he paused for a moment. “….orange. I dunno that’s all I got.”

"Maybe blood orange," Daniella mused. "Stay in tradition, you know?"

"Oh, yeah, you guys are hilarious," Kade said, rolling his eyes. "What about adding a splash of alcohol to the drinks one time?" He had done that before, and it actually tasted decent. Or, at least, he had liked it. His sister hadn't though, for some reason.

"Eh, not today though," Daniella said. "Maybe the day of graduation."

"Yeah," he said, sighing and leaning back in his seat. "I don't really have some on hand right now, so I can't do anything."

Jackson laughed slightly. "Nah dude, I'll pass on the alcohol idea. I think that stuff's nasty." He sat back up in his seat and lifted his sunglasses from his eyes. "But I'm sure we'll find something that we'll all like."

“Well, if we really wanted to be adventurous,” Arlo began, twirling his glass while holding the straw between two fingers. “We could try… orange soda.”
He leaned in, whispering the words with fake excitement.

"Only if we made it with real orange juice."

Kade snickered. "Or, even better, blood orange soda."

Daniella cracked a smile.

Arlo gave a fake gasp, reeling his head back and smacking the table.
“See, Kade, this is why you’re part of the team,” he said, bringing his head back down and raising and eyebrow. “Wonderful, wonderful ideas.”

At this, Daniella grinned. "There's a reason I hang out with you knuckleheads," she said, trying not to laugh.

"I know," Kade said, flipping imaginary hair over his shoulder and fanning himself. "Oh, Arlo, thank you so much! I didn't know you thought I was smart! Now I know, thanks to you." He gave a long, dreamy sigh that was broken up by his snickering.

Arlo stifled a laugh, his face twisted up into his usual cheerful grin. His eyes squinted, his chest heaving with laughter.
“Well, I’m glad,” he said through breaths, coughing. “I can be the one to bring creativity from one’s mind.”
He stopped, shook his head, and relaxed his shoulders, looking back over to Daniella and shaking his head.
“What is this sleep-deprived nonsense…”

"Sleep deprived nonsense?" Daniella offered. "I don't know about you guys, but I've spent too many nights up late doing work." She frowned. "I just can't wait for the college workload. But maybe I can convince my dad to do more of the housework," she mused.

"Maybe it's not sleep-deprived nonsense," Kade said, grinning. "What if it's because the orange juice messed with our minds, and now we're permanently brain damaged." He frowned. "Nope, wait. That's just me, never mind."

Jackson laughed slightly at Kade's joke. "It's okay, Kade. We can be brain-damaged together," he offered, quickly putting a finger on his chin as if in thought. He spoke again, a small chuckle releasing from his throat. "Actually, who am I kidding? I don't have a brain to be damaged."