#phonebay

BAY

Bay hung up with Rachel and called his mom, explaining that he had a friend that wasn't feeling well and her parents weren't home to make her any soup, and before he could even ask, she was making a fuss over the situation and asking what kind of soup his friend wanted and he could hear the stock pot being placed on the stove. He told her what kind and that he was bring Rachel over and hung up when she yelled at him after dropping her phone because of holding too much produce. He pulled up into Rachel's driveway for the second time that night, still feeling guilty for what had happened just a little earlier. Texting her that he was there again, he got out of the car, waiting for her so that he could open the passenger door for her.

RACHEL

Rachel isn't sure if she should be regretting her choice in agreeing to go to Bay's, especially with the way things ended earlier in the evening. She felt like she could breathe again though and was able to talk normally with Bay on the phone, despite her first response being to not answer. He deserved an explanation, though she's not sure how much of one she can actually give. When she sees his text, she makes her way outside. "Hey again." She says softly, letting him open the door for her, which she makes sure to thank him for. "I'm sorry about before."

BAY

Bay made sure to open the car door the whole way and stand clear so that Rachel could get in. He didn't want to upset her again. Sliding into the driver's seat, he glanced over. "Nah," he said, attempting to just brush it off. "It's no big deal. It's whatever. I hope you're feeling better." He backed out of her driveway and drove the few minutes to his house. "Hey I wanna warn you. My mother is a little eccentric sometimes. But she means well, I swear," he said, nodding and giving Rachel the most honest look he could.

RACHEL

Rachel doesn't know if she can believe him, but doesn't want to question it, because it would put her in the spotlight that she doesn't want to be under. "I don't have a lot of experience with mom's but I'll take your word for it. I'm sure she's just fine." She manages a small smile and lets herself out of the car and waits for him. "Did she really go out of her way to make me soup?"

BAY

Bay smiled a little, remembering that Rachel had two dads instead of a mom and a dad. He thought it was kind of cool, honestly. "I mean, it wasn't really out of her way. The kitchen isn't that far from the living room, and listen, she loves to cook and coddle people so it's fine. She'll probably like you more than she likes my sister," he said, joking to lighten the air even more. His mother was very much the ultimate mother in the way she cared for people, usually through food. He wasn't going to complain. Her meatballs were literally the best thing on the planet.

RACHEL

"That isn't what I meant." She laughs, liking how she felt with him, even after she'd freaked out on him and made him go home. "I like to be coddled sometimes and I like to eat." She scrunches her nose at the comment about his sister. "I'm sure she loves your sister a lot and you. You seem like a good son. She's probably very lucky to have the both of you." She shrugs, being lead into the house. "I hope it's okay that I'm in my lounge clothes."

BAY

Bay shook his head a little. "Nah, still, she was only watching Jeopardy and probably playing Candy Crush or something," he said, shrugging as he turned onto his street. "I'm an okay son. I do mow the lawn." The truth was, he mowed the lawn for his parents and for ther people too for cash, but out of necessity, he helped his dad with the family business. He wasn't bringing that up though. "You're good. It's cute." He pulled up to the curb and shut the car off, getting out and running around the side to open Rachel's door for her. If his mother looked out the window and saw her get out on her own, she'd be smacking Bay upside the head in front of her. Walking her as gentlemanly as he could up to the front door, he opened it and let her inside.

RACHEL

"Your mom sounds cute." She grins, not being able to imagine her own parents sitting to do something like that, but it might have a lot to do with the fact they weren't home a lot. "Mowing the lawn is no fun. You get all sweaty and itchy because the grass creeps up on your legs if you're wearing shorts." She scrunches up her nose. "I've only done that one time and I hope to never have to do it again." She's almost overwhelmed with how good the house smelled when they got inside. "Does is always smell so nice?" Rachel looks to him, slipping her boots off. "It smells like a real home!"

BAY

"I mean, usually. It smells better when she makes meatballs- they're my favorite thing in the world," he said, almost gushing a little. He left his shoes on like the heathen he was, and turned to face the other end of the entrance hallway they stood in. "Ma! We're here!" he called out, hearing her mother call back from the kitchen that they should join her. "Oh, uh, that's the living room," he said, pointing to the left and ignoring the door on the other side of that room. "There's my mom's office over here- we just call it that, it's a room full of junk. Hall bathroom here and then the kitchen and dining room back here," he added, walking back behind a staircase leading to the second floor to find an open dining room and an eat-in kitchen, and Bay's mother tasting from a large boiling pot. "Oh, sweetheart," she cooed, her Jersey accent a hundred time thicker than Bay's. "You're not feeling well, I'm so sorry!" She put her spoon down and rushed out from behind the island counter and felt Rachel's forehead. "I think you have a fever," she said, looking over to Bay. "I think she has a fever. You waited too long to bring her here, and now she has a fever. Come on, honey, sit down here," she said, turning her attention back to Rachel and directing her to the kitchen table. "Your girlfriend is very pretty," she whispered, too loudly, at Bay as soon as she turned around.

RACHEL

Rachel just takes it all in, being lead on the tour of his house- the downstairs at least. "I can't eat meatballs." Rachel whispers, feeling a little sad since he seemed so in love with them. "I'm a vegan." She adds quickly so he doesn't think anything weird, like she's allergic to meat or something. Rachel can already tell his moms accent is thick and she loves it. She loved accents and it really gave people flavor and attitude and she was a little envious to those who had one.  She doesn't except the hand on her forehead and she steps back a little, though it does feel nice to be pawed at in such a loving and genuine way. "It isn't Bay's fault. I promise. He did what he could and he came and got me." Rachel defends with an instant blush when she calls her his girlfriend. That would never happen, even if right now she sort of wished it could, if it meant /this/ all the time. "That's really sweet. You've very pretty too!"  She adds before taking a seat like she'd been instructed.

BAY

Bay rolled his eyes at his mom. "She's not my girlfriend," he said, almost annoyed, then turning to Rachel and sitting down next to her. "Sorry," he added, whispered to where he knew his mom wouldn't hear. His mother chimed in again. "You're such a sweetheart to say that, Bay isn't she a sweetheart!? I like her. I'm gonna get this soup finished up for you so you can feel better," she said, hustling back behind the stove and stirring the pot. Bay leaned a little closer to Rachel with a smile on his face. "See? I told you she was crazy. But seriously, are you feeling okay yet?" he asked, actual concern in his eyes.

RACHEL

Rachel actually has faith in the soup making her feel better, though she does wonder if she’s actually running a fever, or if it’s just stress tricking her body into being sick. “I’m...I’m not sure when I’ll be okay.” She admits quietly. “But I do feel a lot better. Better then before I mean. I’m sorry.” She sighs a bit. “And I don’t think she’s crazy. She’s really lovely. You’re so lucky.”July 2, 2018

BAY

Bay smiled a little at Rachel, weirdly satisfied that she said she was feeling a little better. And he /liked/ hearing her talk so positively about his mom like that, and how she called him lucky to have her. It was definitely different to think about someone like that, and Bay hadn't fully processed the feeling when his mom put a bowl of hearty soup in front of Rachel and then another in front of Bay. "Eat you two. They don't feed you enough at that school," she said, gripping Bay by the chin and squishing his cheeks before patting his head and starting the cleanup process.

RACHEL

Rachel starts eating the soup but her eyes are on Bay and his mom. It’s weird for her to see such a happy relationship between a parent and a child and she feels like she’s intruding a bit. “The soup is lovely. Thank you for taking care of me.” She says softly, “And you’re right about school not feeding us enough but there is a lot wrong with McKinley besides that.”

BAY

Bay's mom put things in the sink and vegetables back in the fridge as she listened to what Rachel was saying. It was obvious that she liked being complimented on the food she made for others too, but she attempted to brush it off with a wave of her hand. "What else is wrong with McKinley?" he asked, glancing up. Bay was hoping that this wasn't going to turn out to be akin to a political rally.

RACHEL

“Oh, just the normal stuff I guess. Not feeling our voices are heard, low funding.” Rachel giggles, “This soup really is a cure all, wow.”

BAY

Bay's mom spouted off in a long winded rant about how they needed funding for school and it was ridiculous how little they fed teenagers who were growing and needed more than four chicken nuggets at lunch. Bay was obviously hungry and had his soup gone in no time. He smiled when Rachel brought it up, glad that she was feeling better. "Yeah? Glad we could help," he said, ignoring his mom chattering on and on.

RACHEL

“You’ve always been so helpful to me.” Rachel whispers. “Thank you.” Unable to help herself, she kisses his cheek before grabbing their empty bowls. “Can I help clean up?”

BAY

Bay felt heat rise to his cheeks as Rachel planted a kiss on one of them. That was new. "Uh," he muttered, looking at his mom, who immediately shook her head no and moved to usher the two high schoolers out of the kitchen. "I guess not," he said with a small laugh. "You wanna like watch a movie or something?"

RACHEL

Rachel’s back to giggling, feeling bad his mom won’t let her help, but that seemed her type. She was most definitely a doer. “It’s too late for a movie I think. Do you watch any shows? We could watch an episode or something? I should probably get home so my brother doesn’t get too worried that I’m out late.”

BAY

Bay thought for a minute. He didn't watch a lot of tv- he was much more of a movie person, and even more so a video game person. "I dunno, what do you like to watch?" he asked, suddenly remembering how Rachel's brother had told him to stay away from her. "Your brother doesn't like me," he blurted, covering himself then with "It's funny."

RACHEL

“I watch musicals.” Rachel responds easily, “sometimes I watch documentaries and um, cop shows?” She shrugs. A blush comes to her cheeks when Bay mentions Micah. “I don’t know what his problem is. I find you lovely. Maybe I should head home though, in case it turns into an ordeal?”

BAY

Bay found himself a little disappointed that Rachel suggested she leave, but also a little relieved because there was something different, something weird that he couldn't quite put his finger on. "Yeah, sure, I can take you home," he said, turning toward the front hall and motioning for her to come with him. He almost didn't want her to leave, but he really needed to figure out what was going on with the weird unsettling feeling in his chest.

RACHEL

Rachel thanks him politely before calling out to his mom, complimenting her again on the soup and for the warm hospitality. “Thank you for being patient with me.” Rachel adds as they head out the door once their shoes are on.

BAY

Bay opened the car door for Rachel, just as he had before, and then got into the driver's side and started the car, pulling away from the curb. He made a face. "Oh, pft. I was concerned. I did what a decent person would do. Don't thank me," he insisted. He didn't know why he was being like this. The whole situation was weird.

RACHEL

“Okay. Well I can’t really make anything worth eating but if you’re never not feeling well I bet I could play a decent nurse. I am an actress after all.” She grins. When they pull into her drive way, Rachel unbuckles But turns to look at him, a bit shyly.

BAY

Bay laughed at Rachel's comment about being an actress if he needed a nurse. There was something comforting about her offering to tend to him when he was sick. He put the car in park and when she turned to him, he turned to face her as well. "Well, if you need anything else, you know you can call me," he suggested, raising his eyebrows.

RACHEL

“You too.” She whispers, before leaning in to kiss him, hand cupping his face as she deepens it. “Friday, I’ll really have a treat for you.” She offers, not completely pulling away from him.

BAY

Bay wasn't expecting Rachel to kiss him, but he wasn't going to turn it away. It wasn't because he wanted to make out, which he always did, but this time it was because it was Rachel. "What'd I do to deserve that?" he asked, not really thinking about the evening they had just shared as he smiled at her.

RACHEL

“Well, you helped take care of me and I never got to show you what I was wearing.” She pouts a little but she sees him smile and it makes her smile just as wide. “I would just like to thank you for everything.”

BAY

"I'm not gonna say no," Bay replied, reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I hope someday I /can/ see what you were wearing though." He couldn't help himself. Now that she'd brought it up, he was thinking about it.

RACHEL

“I promise you will.” She presses her lips to his again before she opens the car door. “I’ll see you Friday?”

BAY

Bay kissed Rachel in return and watched her open the car door for herself, not even thinking about how he was supposed to be chivalrous. He was almost hanging on the moment. "Yeah, Friday. I'll see you then," he said, feeling dazed.

RACHEL