I'm closing up tonight. I don't usually work the late shift at Billy's Pizza Parlour but I need the extra cash in case I don't get the scholarship for Hartville.

Lee is working with me, which instantly makes everything better. Life would be a lot more boring without him around. Plus, I get to rant about Easton's party this weekend because we happen to both be going. At least I can be grateful for the fact that Lee went to school with him. That way I'll know one friendly face at this party from hell.

"I just...it's been five years, you know?"

"Actually, I don't. Cause both my parents are still alive and my best friend didn't just suddenly stop...sorry, did I just overstep?"

When you're friends with Lee, one thing you have to get over is his dry humour. If you don't find it funny, then being friends with him won't be easy.

Even though he might offend people, one thing I love about him is that he always owns up to it and apologizes. I eventually learned that he does not have a filter. Now, I just don't take anything he says to heart.

"It's nothing I'm not used to," I mumble, whipping his arm with a rolled-up tea towel.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, you know I'm already going. He dropped me an invite on Facebook the other week."

"Wait. He invited you through Facebook?"

He frowns, brushing his blonde hair behind his ear. "Um, you didn't get invited that way?"

"No," I whisper, tapping my fingers against the front desk. "I got an actual invite, in the mail."

"Wait, like, an actual–"

"Yes," I sigh, rolling my eyes, "like actual paper from an actual tree. I got a hard copy. Why would I get a hard copy?"

"Maybe he didn't know your Facebook account?"

"Really?" I roll my eyes. "Because searching for Luna– which isn't the most popular name in the world, by the way– and then typing in Lloyd, which would have narrowed the search a lot more, wouldn't have come up with me holding a dog?"

"Holding a dog?"

"Lee, you literally liked my new profile picture yesterday!"

"Oh, right. You're talking about you holding Violet's neighbour's new puppy, which is now your new profile picture?"

"Yes. You liked it last night."

"Anyway, I think we're getting a little off-topic here," he grins, his dimples showing. "Maybe he just didn't want to be friends with you on Facebook again?"

"Then why the hell did he invite me?"

"Look, I don't know, alright?" he says, holding up his hands defensively. "I don't know the inner workings of that idiot's mind."

"Well, at least that's something we can both agree on," I say, pointing a spatula at him.

"Where did that spatula come from?" he frowns.

I look down at my hand, then back at him, shrugging. "Not sure, it just appeared in my hand."

"Okay," he says, taking a customer's order as I wipe the bench down.

We have the strangest friendship, honestly.

"You know what else is really weird? The fact he asked me so last minute," I say, scrubbing the bench harder to wipe away a sauce stain that has dried up.

"Uh-huh," he says, scribbling down the order.

"Like, who does that? What if I wasn't free? No, actually, what if I hadn't planned anything three weeks ago, but then suddenly I had plans, and I couldn't go to his party. Then he would realise that he had left it too late because I could have actually—"

"Can you just please put that spatula down before you take an eye out with your hand movements?"

"I–"

"Luna. Shut up before I make you."

"Threatening me now, are we?"

"As long as I don't have to hear your whining voice, I'll do anything."

"How nice of you," I say, rolling my eyes.

"Shut up and do your job. You've missed a spot," he says, squirting a circle of tomato paste on the bench.

"You asshole! Now it'll take me even longer to stack the chairs!"

"Not if you stop procrastinating," he says, grinning, bringing a margarita pizza out of the oven and placing it in a takeaway box for our latest customer.

"Well, I have a lot on my mind," I huff, wiping up the stupid mess he's left me.

He stifles a laugh as he picks up another pizza and walks out from behind the counter.

"You know what else is really weird?" I say, once he walks back over from the lady in the corner munching on her order.

"No, I don't know. Nor do I give two shits."

"Who says 'nor'?"

"Me, Luna. I say 'nor'."

"Yeah, well, that makes sense," I snicker. He whips me with the tea towel as I punch his arm.

"Anyway," I say, "don't you think it's weird that he didn't just get his mum to text my sister? He must know that they talk all the time about selling the land we own together."

"Look, procrastinating and making me do all the work is not going to solve your problems. All I know is that Easton obviously wants you there and he even went out and made your invitation more special than anyone else's. Maybe you should just be grateful."

"Grateful?" I say. "Why should I be grateful when I wasn't even the one who wanted to stop being friends?"

"Yeah, well, you can't hold onto that grudge forever, you know. I'm not saying I love the guy that much, but maybe you should learn to forgive and forget."

"Easier said than done," I sulk, dropping the dirty cloth in the sink and rinsing my hands.

"Lu, you do know that people make mistakes, right? Easton was a 13-year-old boy when you last saw him. He was a child. He had never felt grief in his whole life before he lost his dad. Give him some credit, alright? He's clearly trying to fix what he ruined."

I don't know what to say and usually, I always have a smart remark when I'm talking to Lee. That is just how our relationship works. We don't usually have serious conversations. Working with Lee is the one place I can forget about everything and whine to him about absolutely anything.

"Maybe," I whisper, rubbing my eye with the back of my hand.

"No, Luna, not maybe. I think you already know that though, don't you?"

"Just shut up and take that guy's order," I say, closing my eyes. I know Lee is right. He's usually right actually, but that isn't something I'd ever admit to his already egotistical face.

"Lu," Lee says, once he's finished taking the order. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just— you should always try and see things from the other person perspective, you know? That's what I believe, anyway."

"You didn't upset me, Lee. You opened my eyes more than anything."

"Hey," he says, placing a gentle hand on my back, "if you're having a shit time, at least I'll be there too. You know I always make your day better."

I scoff, smiling at him. "Whatever you say, asshole."

"You know it's true, babycakes."

"Ew, no, that is not going to happen," I laugh, walking away from the front desk to go and wipe the tables and stack the chairs for the night.

"Oh, lighten up, babycakes!" he shouts at me, turning the heads of the two remaining customers grabbing a late-night bite.

I cover my face, feeling the heat already getting to me. He is such an immature idiot sometimes, but I love him regardless.

For that, I'm grateful he's going to be at Easton's. Otherwise, I'm not sure I'd survive a night with the constant reminder of my lost friendship with Easton Carter. The boy who I once considered the best thing that had ever happened to this world.