The Choices We Make

Chapter 9 - Mother-in-Law

The chiming of the bell as Matt opens the door to his parents' restaurant fills me with nostalgia. So many memories were made here. Like the time I lost a tooth biting into a Chalupa, or the time Matt, Isla and I got caught dipping our fingers in a pot of salsa and were placed on dish duty for a week.

Aitana's, my home away from home. The place I've spent most of my childhood days while my parents worked their late shifts. The place I haven't visited for the past two months.

Everything still looks the same. Red and gray brick walls, a multicolored sarape and red sombrero hung next to a cluster of family portraits. Blue and yellow wooden chairs, square dining tables. And from the aroma of spice, herbs and fried meat, it still smells the same too. Not that I expected much to change in such a short period of time.

"So, you and Daniel, huh?" Isla suggestively wiggles her eyebrows from her seat across from me.

Heat spreads across my cheeks. "No, there's nothing going on between us."

"Oh please," she rolls her golden eyes at me. "I could smell the sexual tension sizzling between you two before I even reached the bleachers."

I shuffle in my seat, uncomfortable with our current topic of conversation, and from the sour expression on Matt's face I can tell he isn't quite fond of it either.

"I don't think he's my type."

"Okay then, so what's your type? A high school 'burnout' who spends his time snorting crack behind the school? Because if you ask me, smoking hot boy who flirts with you and eats your cookies should be in your top three."

"I'm going to go get the drinks," Matt grumbles, a deep frown on his face as he storms off towards the kitchen.

"There's more to it than just looks, Isla."

"Well please enlighten me, O wise one," she teases, resting her chin in her hand.

"I want a real, healthy relationship. I don't want to feel insecure or pressure myself into doing things that I'm not ready to do just so I wouldn't get dumped for the next girl that's waiting in line. I can't do meaningless flings. And to be honest, I don't think any of the boys at our school are mature enough for anything pass that."

"I get that," Isla nods her head, all traces of playfulness gone. "Daniel seems like a nice enough guy though. He might surprise you once you get to know him."

"Yeah," I say halfheartedly, my eyes darting towards the kitchen door Matt just passed through. "He just might."

I'm just not sure if I'm willing to let him.

"Enough about me and my non-existent love life. What about you and Matt? How did that happen?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Isla chuckles, nervously picking at her nails.

I narrow my eyes at her vague answer. Maybe she was doing me a favor by sparing the details, but as the true masochist that I am, I probe on.

"When did you start having feelings for him?" Maybe I missed something. Maybe the signs were there from the start, but I was just too caught up in my own Matt bubble to notice.

She lets out a long breath before she begins. "Sophomore year. You were out sick for a week. Matt and I didn't hang out much. Sometimes we'd sit together at lunch, but that was it. I guess we didn't see the point of it since you weren't there. But this one time, I was on my way to our lunch table and this jerk grabbed my butt and said something stupid about wanting to taste dark chocolate for the first time. Matt saw the whole thing and blew up. She pauses, shaking her head. I didn't ask him for help, nor did I need him to. I was fully capable of handling the situation myself. He knew that, but he still helped; he made sure that I was okay. And I appreciated it. She tucks her bottom lips into her mouth, eyebrows furrowed in thought. I guess overtime appreciation turned into something more.