**Chapter 5: Family BBQ**

The smell of sizzling burgers and hot dogs wafted through the air, mingling with the sound of laughter and chatter. Our family's BBQ was in full swing, and I stood at the periphery, observing the chaos with a mixture of discomfort and fascination. Carter was, as usual, at the center of it all, regaling a group of people with a story that involved a lot of hand gestures and loud laughter. I scanned the crowd, my eyes landing on Adrian, who was standing off to the side, a plate of food in one hand and a cold beer in the other. He caught my eye and smiled, and I felt a flutter in my chest. I quickly looked away, trying to play it cool. Carter ambled over to me, a plate of food in his hand. "Hey, cuz, you hungry?" he asked, his voice loud over the din of the party. I shook my head, feeling a little self-conscious. "I'm good, thanks." Carter raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to eat? What's wrong, you're on a diet or something?" I rolled my eyes. "No, I'm just not hungry, okay?" Carter chuckled and nudged me with his elbow. "You're such a lightweight, kiddo. You need to eat more." I sighed and took a plate of food from him, trying to make small talk. As we stood there, I couldn't help but sneak glances at Adrian, who was laughing and joking with a group of people. He seemed to fit in seamlessly with our loud and boisterous family, and I found myself wondering how he'd ended up here. As the afternoon wore on, the party only got louder and more chaotic. I found myself getting lost in the noise and the commotion, feeling like I was just a small part of a much larger whole. But every time I caught Adrian's eye, I felt a spark of connection, like he was seeing me in a way that no one else was. At one point, Adrian made his way over to our group, a smile on his face. "Hey, Emma," he said, his voice low and smooth. "How's it going?" I shrugged, feeling a little self-conscious. "It's going." Adrian chuckled. "That's a pretty vague answer. You okay?" I nodded, feeling a little more at ease. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just enjoying the party." Adrian smiled and nodded, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I'm glad to hear that. I'm enjoying it too." As we stood there, Carter ambled over, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Hey, Adrian, show Emma your skills," he said, his voice loud and boisterous. Adrian raised an eyebrow, but I could see the hint of a smile playing on his lips. "What skills?" he asked, his voice low and teasing. Carter grinned. "You know, your famous beer pong skills." Adrian chuckled and shook his head. "You want me to embarrass myself in front of Emma?" Carter laughed. "That's the whole point." Adrian sighed and set his beer down, a smile still playing on his lips. "Fine, but if I win, you have to buy me a drink." Carter grinned. "You're on." As they set up the beer pong game, I found myself watching Adrian with a newfound sense of interest. He was confident and charismatic, and I couldn't help but be drawn to him. As we played, he teased me mercilessly, making jokes and cracking wise. I found myself laughing and smiling, feeling more alive than I had in weeks. As the party wound down and people began to say their goodbyes, I felt a pang of disappointment. I didn't want the day to end, not when I'd finally started to feel like I was a part of it. As I walked Adrian to his car, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. Maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something new.