Pack it up

Laureen ponders for a bit then comes up with her three statements. "Ok, I have a dog named Piper, an uncle born with holes in his heart and survived, and I actually have glasses but don't wear them."

I think as hard as I can for this one. I want to get it right, so what could it be? I might be overthinking it a bit, but I think she wants to trick people into getting it wrong. The uncle with holes in his heart AND surviving are pretty rare, so I don't think that's true. The glasses is probably just another truth cause she could have a dog with a different name.

"Well," Alexis ponders for a bit. "I would have to say your uncle. There's no way he lived."

"I would also have to agree on that one there." Alex confirms his answer.

"Glasses," Mark guesses. "I've never seen or heard of you having a pair."

"Is it the dog?" I question.

"Good job Grace!" she practically sings cheerfully. "My dog's name is actually Pepper."

"What?! I thought it really was Piper!" a frustrated Alexis says.

"Yeah, exactly." Alex defends.

"Wait," Mark realizes. "so your uncle is alive?"

"The one that was born with holes in his heart, yes." Laureen confirms.

"Then which one died?!" A still frustrated Alexis asks.

"The one who got cancer." she simply replies.

"Ohhhhhhhh." The three go in unison.

"Yeah, wrong one. Anyway, let's pack it up guys."

"Already?" Alexis moans.

"Well," I add, "it is getting dark..."

"Fiiiiiine," an unwanting Alexis agrees.

We all grab the chairs and fold them and put them in the trunk. We grab our trash, cause littering is wrong, and get ready to leave. They start heading to the car, but I feel like there's something I still need to do.

"Hey," I grab their attention. "I dropped something, so I'll catch up with you guys."

Laureen hands them her keys and says, "I'll also catch up, it can be sketchy here when it's dark."

They don't say a word and just leave. I wanted to pick up the beer bottles, but Laureen might notice. Doesn't help that I said I dropped something.

Laureen walks up to me and says, "You noticed them too?"

"Noticed what?" I try to act dumb.

"The beer bottles laying near the wood pile."

"Oh yeah, that. That's not why I stayed behind."

Laureen chuckles a bit with that sweet laugh she owns so dearly. "I know you did, but it's fine. Like I said, it's sketchy here when dark."

I'm still holding my McDonald's bag, the one I was going to put the beer bottles in. "Yeah, you caught me," I laugh a bit too. "I was just going to pick them up and throw them away."

"That's good, we gotta save the planet earth. I'll walk with you."

We walk over and put the bottles in the bag. I feel a romantic tension, but we've just met each other. Yet I feel like I've known her for a thousand years.