𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐄 ⋆. 𐙚 ˚

──── chapter five; dinner

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐑𝐎𝐄'𝐒 dinner table was set with the usual care naomi and nathans mom took whenever she cooked. soft white plates, mismatched but always perfectly arranged silverware, and crystal glasses that gleamed under the warm glow of the kitchen lights. it was a routine, familiar, and yet tonight, something about it felt different. naomi tried to ignore the quiet knot of unease that curled in her stomach, but it was hard to avoid. walker, sitting across from her, was the reason.

her mom had invited him, and while it wasn't strange for nathan to bring a friend over, something about walker's presence lingered in the air like the scent of fresh-baked bread—comforting, yet subtly overwhelming.

"naomi, honey, could you pass the rolls?" her mom's voice was soft, but naomi could tell the question was more of a request to pull her out of her spiraling thoughts. naomi nodded absentmindedly and reached for the basket, her hand brushing against walker's on the way. it was brief, but the contact made her pulse quicken. she quickly pulled her hand away, passing the basket to her mom, who gave her a small, knowing smile before turning back to walker.

"so, walker," her mom began, her tone polite and warm, "how are you adjusting to ridgewood so far? i know nathan's been showing you around, but is there anything else you need help with? we're happy to make you feel at home."

naomi's gaze flickered to walker, who was sitting slightly hunched forward, his fingers nervously picking at the edge of his napkin. he seemed a little more at ease tonight, which naomi appreciated, but there was still something distant about the way he was sitting. as if he didn't quite belong here, even though he was trying.

"i'm settling in, i guess," walker said with a small shrug. "ridgewood's a lot smaller than new york, but it's... nice, i guess. it's just gonna take a while to get used to everything. you know, the pace. the people. that kind of stuff."

nathan, who had been quietly eating his food, looked up. "yeah, it's pretty slow-paced here. which is good if you like that sort of thing, i guess. but if you're used to the rush of the city, i bet it's a bit of a shock."

naomi had heard this same conversation countless times. nathan always took it upon himself to remind her about how "slow" and "boring" ridgewood could feel. it was almost like a little game to him—to make everything seem like it was as far from exciting as possible.

"yeah, well..." walker trailed off, glancing around the table, his eyes landing on naomi for a brief moment. he gave her a small, almost imperceptible smile, which was enough to send a flutter through her chest. naomi quickly looked away, pretending to focus on the salad in front of her, as if she had no idea what that smile meant.

her mom, sensing the awkwardness, took it upon herself to steer the conversation in a different direction. "so, naomi, honey, how's school going? have you been keeping up with all your cheerleading stuff? ivy mentioned that the next game's coming up soon."

naomi's throat tightened at the mention of ivy. and, naturally, trey. it was hard to think about anything that was supposed to be routine when there were so many thoughts swirling in her mind.

"yeah," naomi replied, her voice not as confident as it usually was. "it's good. cheerleading's going great. we've been practicing a lot. everyone's working really hard."

"that's great," her mom said with a smile. "you always put so much effort into it. it shows. i'm sure the whole team appreciates it."

naomi nodded, but the words felt like they were coming from someone else. all she could think about was how different everything felt lately. the thrill of cheering didn't feel the same. the excitement she usually felt before games was now tangled up with... something else. something she couldn't quite name yet. maybe it was because of trey, maybe it was because of her confused feelings toward walker, but whatever it was, it was taking away from the one thing she had always relied on for a sense of stability.

"so, how do you like ridgewood so far, walker?" naomi's mom asked, glancing toward him. "i hear it's quite a change from new york."

walker cleared his throat, his gaze momentarily darting around before he found the right words. "it's different, for sure," he said. "but i guess it's kind of nice. people here are... friendly, i guess. nathan's been showing me around, so that helps a lot."

"that's good to hear," naomi's mom said warmly, reaching for the wine glass in front of her. "we try to be a friendly place. we have a lot of history here, but we're open to new people. and i know nathan likes having you around."

"yeah," nathan chimed in, his voice suddenly animated. "we've been playing a lot of games. walker's, like, a pro at everything."

walker let out a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "i wouldn't go that far. i just play for fun."

"i think he's being modest," nathan teased, flashing a grin at walker. "but seriously, he's really good. it's been fun having him over."

naomi couldn't help but watch the way they interacted. it was clear nathan had taken to walker quickly, and something about it felt... odd. she couldn't put her finger on it, but there was a familiarity in the way they joked and teased each other. it felt too natural, like they had known each other for longer than just a few weeks. and that made naomi feel like she was the outsider.

after a few moments of quiet, naomi's mom spoke up again. "i'm glad you two are getting along. it's nice to see nathan having a friend like you."

there was a heavy silence that lingered after naomi's mom spoke, and naomi was grateful when nathan broke it.

"hey, walker," he said, shifting in his seat. "we're planning to go to the arcade after the game tomorrow. you should come with us."

walker raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued. "yeah? sounds fun. when?"

"after the game," nathan said with a shrug. "its kind of a tradition, cheerleaders and football players after the game."

naomi's stomach flipped. the idea of spending more time with walker... it wasn't that she didn't want to. but the thought of trey possibly showing up, or even ivy making a scene about it, made her nervous. there was a quiet, uneasy tension that had started to form in her chest—a feeling that something was changing, but she wasn't sure if she was ready for it.

"yeah, that'd be cool," walker said with a smile. he seemed to be more at ease now, his shoulders relaxed, and his eyes sparkled with a little more enthusiasm. "i haven't been to an arcade in ages."

"it'll be fun," nathan said, clearly excited about the idea. "i'm just hoping the cheerleaders don't steal all the fun." he grinned at naomi, teasing her playfully.

naomi rolled her eyes. "yeah, well, the cheerleaders gotta stay sharp. we can't be distracted by arcade games."

"right," nathan said with a chuckle. "as if football players need any more distractions."

walker's lips quirked up into a half-smile as he glanced between them, clearly amused by the back-and-forth. "it'll be cool to hang out after the game, though. i haven't really done much of that stuff here yet."

"you'll have fun," naomi said quietly, not sure what else to add. she tried not to think about how her stomach twisted when she considered what might happen if trey showed up, if ivy showed up, if things got awkward.

"just don't let nathan beat you too bad," naomi teased, trying to lighten the mood. "he's got some skill. jussssttttt a tad."

"i can take him," walker said, grinning at nathan. "but no promises."

they all shared a laugh, and for a moment, the tension seemed to lift. but naomi couldn't shake the feeling that everything was about to change—and she wasn't sure if she was ready for it.