Chapter 104
Laura turned to me, curious. "By the way, what about those Marshmello products you mentioned? Can we see them?"
I lit up at her question. "Sure!" I said, already getting up.
"Freddie, come help me," I added, waving him over.
Freddie put down his soda and followed me to the hallway. We returned a minute later, each carrying a large box filled with Marshmello merchandise.
Everyone's eyes widened in anticipation.
I opened one of the boxes and started pulling things out. There were Marshmello-themed hoodies, T-shirts, hats, keychains, plushies, and even some limited-edition sneakers. The designs were colorful and fun, with the iconic Marshmello face everywhere.
"Whoa," Sam said, grabbing a hoodie immediately.
Regina spotted something and her eyes lit up. "I want this one," she said, grabbing a cartoonish Marshmello pillow that had a heart shape and the word 'Friendzone' written across it.
"Wow, there's even a dog collar," Carly said, her voice full of excitement as she was still all over her golden retriever doggy.
Laura picked up a Marshmello plushie, hugged it tightly, then walked over to me with a playful smile. "This one doesn't have a hidden camera, right?" she joked.
I looked at her.
"Sorry, that was out of line," Laura said quickly.
I smiled and gently ran my hand along her arm. "I'll let you pass," I said softly. "You were the victim, after all."
Still, I couldn't help but think—one creepy guy, knowing that Laura loved Marshmello, had given her a plushie before. While we were making jokes about it, Freddie, being curious, noticed something odd.
He examined the plushie more closely and found a small hidden camera installed inside.
Let's just say... I was a little more than angry about it.
Then Sam came over to talk to us. "You guys are talking about that loser?" she asked, already frowning.
"When I found out," Sam said, clearly not having been there when the discovery happened, "I really wanted to break some of his bones."
She paused, then added with a touch of sadness, "But then I discovered there wasn't much bone left to break anymore."
"He tripped," I said neutrally.
"We had an entire group of testimonies to testify it. Even the principal did," I added with a small shrug.
Cher chimed in, wrinkling her nose. "I remember he flirted one time about our surnames being similar. Ewww, ewww, ewww."
"And that creepy sexual talk," Carly added, her face showing a rare expression of pure disgust.
"Okay, let's talk about something better," I said, steering the conversation away.
We all moved to the balcony, admiring the breathtaking view of the ocean as the sun began its slow descent. The breeze was refreshing, and the sound of the waves crashing gently against the shore helped lighten the mood as we shifted to talking about other, happier things.
---
One by one, everyone eventually left, until only Laura and I remained. She stayed close, resting her head gently on my shoulder as we sat together, quietly watching the ocean.
"As this house is really near to yours, I think we need to make out here. As in the car would be too short," I joked, grinning.
Laura joked back, laughing softly, "Knowing you, you would make the car go all the way to Long Beach and then up to Westwood."
"You really know me well, Laura," I said, nodding.
We laughed, then we kissed a little. After a moment, I smiled and said, "By the end of next week, there will be another premiere: My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I happen to know the man who will star in the movie, and I'm also one of the investors." Not a lie, not the entire truth either. "Want to go?" I asked.
Laura lifted her head slightly, smiling at me. "Of course I want to go," she said warmly. "It sounds amazing."
---
Later that day, I had a conversation with my mom.
"Mom, Monica, Rachel, Chandler, Ross, and Phoebe are coming for Joey's movie premiere. I was thinking of telling them they can stay here," I said.
I knew this was my house, and technically I didn't need to ask for permission. But it was just good manners to talk it over first—especially because, like it or not, she was the adult here.
Judith smiled warmly and said, "They were the people who were in the Barbados vacation, right?"
"Yes," I replied. "I was in Ross' wedding... and in another one of his post-wedding."
"Second wedding?" Judith asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Third, to tell the truth," I said, smirking. "But I'll let them explain it. It'll be funnier that way."
Judith chuckled. "You really like them."
"Yeah," I said, smiling. "They're like cool aunts and uncles."
Judith pointed out, "You have uncle and aunt."
I raised an eyebrow. "Uncle Charlie and Aunt Liz? They are the ones I've seen in the past two years..."
Judith's eyes widened and she paused for a moment thinking, then quickly stood up. "Yes, we need to make them feel welcome here. I'll talk to the maids," she said hastily.
I laughed a little and pulled out my phone, dialing Monica's number.
"Hello, Aunt Monica," I said.
"Hi Jake," she replied warmly.
"So, next weekend will be Joey's movie premiere," I said. I could hear the joy from the other side; Monica must have put the phone on speaker.
"So, I'm inviting you all to stay here at my house," I continued.
"Are you sure, Jake?" said Monica, a little conflicted.
"Oh, come on, it will be super fun," I encouraged. "I'm a minor, but I'll call Uncle Charlie and Dad, and there's Mom here too, to accompany with some good wine."
"If any of you find any discomfort, you can go to a hotel, no big deal," I added.
"Fine," said Monica with a smile.
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