Maybe I Hate You

2 - Grilled Cheese

The next day of school was a short day thankfully, Friday. Classes were slow still, just introductions. Students were still whispering and giggling, presumably about me. When class finally let out I was starving and couldn't wait to go home. I was walking quickly to my car when one of the other popular guys shouted; "Hey McKenna, you gonna keep me up tonight?"
I just rolled my eyes and ignored the laughter as I made it to my car. I started it and waited for Scott to arrive. I took a few deep breaths in the cooling air. Then, I heard tapping on the window. I looked over and saw none other than Tyler Matthews. I couldn't help but roll my eyes as I rolled down the window.
"Can I fucking help you?" I sternly asked. I really wasn't in the mood for his ass.
"Um, I, uh, just wanted to uh, apologize for the post," I had never seen Tyler look awkward before.
I didn't respond. I just looked at him expectantly. That really can't be all he had planned to say.
"Uh, I didn't think it would become this big of a deal. The guys dared me to do it when we were drunk and you were just the first name I thought of. Sorry."
And then he hurried away.
I scoffed as I rolled up my window. I guess some sort of apology is better than nothing.
I sighed and pulled out my phone to check the time. Right as I did, Scott finally tapped on the window. I unlocked the door and he slid into the passenger seat.
"Did I just see Tyler running away?" He looked at me puzzled.
"Yes, yes you did." I put the car into reverse and started backing out of the spot I was in.
"What the hell did he want?"
"Believe it or not, he apologized."
Scott scoffed. "Seriously?"
"Yeah. He even seemed awkward. Have you ever seen Tyler Matthews awkward?" I questioned as I drove out of the lot.
"I didn't even know he knew what awkward was."
I shook my head, wanting to dismiss the topic altogether. "Do you wanna have a horror movie marathon?"
"Is your dad gone this weekend?"
"Is that even really a question?" I laughed.
"You're right. We'll stop by my house and then I'll just stay the night at your house."
"Another non-surprising thing." I teased.

Scott's house was basically on the way to my house. It wasn't as big as my house, but I always liked it better because it had that homey feeling that I missed. I used to stay over here a lot when we were kids and pretend I was a part of the family. I hadn't been here in a while and it was nice to be back. The house sat on about half an acre of land, a perfect 3 bedroom 2 bath. The outside was a beautiful dark shade of blue with white trim. It wasn't a basic shape either, it had its own uniqueness.
As I made our way up the drive, I could notice his mother's beloved flowers were starting to dwindle away with the cold weather. They had a basic white lattice fence around the yard and a separate section for the vegetable garden. There was a wooden deck that filled a missing corner in what would otherwise be an L-shaped house, it had an iron table with an umbrella and an above-ground hot tub to the side.
His mom ran out to greet us as I put the car in park. Scott got out first and ran to hug his mom. I sat in the car for a moment, enjoying the scene in front of me. His mom was getting older, but her eyes let you know her soul was as youthful as ever. She had on one of the floral sundresses she always wore with an apron over. Her hair was short and getting lighter with the days. It matched her son with his blonde hair and blue eyes. It must feel good to have your mom be so happy to see you.

"Jane! Are you going to come give me a hug or not?" Debbie pulled away from her son and came rushing to my door.
"Of course!" I shouted as I got up from my seat. I shut my door before I embraced her in a hug. As much as I loved her hugs they did always make me a tad emotional.
"Oh, it's so lovely to see you, dear."
"You too, Debbie."
She pulled away from me. "Are you guys hungry? I'm sure Scott is..."
"I'm starved." I laughed.
"Well come on in, I'll make you guys a snack."
I looked at Scott and smiled. We both knew a snack meant more like a full-course meal. We trailed in behind her through the small mud room that was lit by the windows on the left wall. We took our shoes off habitually and set them under the bench seat. We walked into the kitchen and sat down at the stools under the island counter.
The living room and kitchen was open-concept. There was a small dining table lined up in front of the fireplace in the middle of the wall that separated the living room and kitchen. There was one bedroom with a separate bathroom before the staircase that belonged to his parents. They always said it was because they hated stairs but we always thought it was to make it harder to sneak out.
"What kind of snack do y'all want?" Debbie asked opening the fridge.
"I would love a grilled cheese, Mom." Scott said.
Debbie looked at me for approval.
"That sounds amazing." I smiled.
"Okay, I'll work on making it."
"Hey, Mom, Jane's dad is out of town this weekend again so I'm going to stay the night tonight."
"Okay sweetheart, but you better be home for that barbecue your father is having tomorrow evening. You know how much he loves those things."
I could instantly feel the shift in Scott's energy. "Yes, momma."
Debbie handed us both cold water from the fridge which I gladly accepted. I took a drink of it and enjoyed how it cooled my throat.
Scott hopped off his stool. "I'm gonna go throw some clothes in a bag and whatnot. I'll be back. Maybe you should tell her about Tyler."
Debbie stopped and looked at me with a lifted brow.
I sighed and explained the situation briefly as she sliced cheese.
"Well honey, it sounds like he's just a troubled kid. Forgive and forget is always best for you." Debbie plopped a piece of bread down on the pan and it began to sizzle.
"I know, just easier said than done. And like I said, why me?"
"I mean there had to be a reason you came across his mind in the first place. Maybe you walked past him or he was already thinking of you for another reason. Maybe you'll never know."
"I hate not knowing," I said quietly.
"I know, honey, but it's just something we have to learn to accept."
"You're right."
Scott finally came back down the stairs just as the second sandwich was being pulled off the pan. He slid onto the stool next to me and plopped his bag on the floor next to him.

"It smells amazing, Mom." he propped his elbows up on the counter.

Debbie slid both of us our own plates with a sandwich and a small cup of tomato soup on the side. Scott took one bite and instantly demanded another sandwich. I laughed but nodded in agreement. Her sandwiches are one of my favorite things I can remember from my childhood. That, and the pasta my nanny always made.

Once we made it back to my house I instantly ran upstairs to change into sweats and a looser t-shirt. Scott headed to the living room to unpack his duffel bag which had more horror movie DVDs than anything else. After changing I headed into the kitchen and opened the fridge and realized how horribly low on snacks we were. I groaned out loud.

"What now?" Scott called from the couch.
"We don't have any munchies."
"We just had grilled cheese!"
"And? What's a movie marathon without snacks?"
He sighed. "Fine, you're right."
I grabbed my bag and my keys off the counter and Scott stood up and walked over lazily as possible.
"Come on, slow poke." I threw on some slides I had by the door and headed to my car. I plopped into my seat and looked over at Scott. "Will you be happier if I let you play music?"
His face instantly lit up. "Why yes, yes it would."
I laughed and started the car. I didn't mind the short drive to the store. The area we lived in had plenty of dark green trees and a river that winded through the city. Once we parked at the store and started to walk in I regretted not grabbing a sweatshirt. The sun was showing signs of setting and fall was almost here.
Scott grabbed the cart like he normally did, following me around and catching whatever I tossed into the cart. Sometimes also taking things out of the cart. I instantly headed for the candy aisle and got our fix of chocolate and sour candies. We also grabbed some popcorn and chips before heading over to grab some drinks. As we walked toward the drink aisle, I saw the exact person I really didn't want to see.
"So much for not running into Matthews today," I said quietly to Scott as I pushed on the front of the cart, making us turn a few aisles too soon. We ended up in the cereal aisle, which was a good thing because it allowed me to remember we need more of that too. I know my dad's assistant usually does the shopping but she typically gets the healthier foods. My dad gives me plenty of money anyways, it's supposed to like makeup for his lack of being present or something.
Just as I turned to leave the aisle I literally ran into someone.
"Oh, shit, sorry." I instantly said before realizing the person I ran into was none other than Tyler.
"Nah, it's my bad." He said before quickly walking away.

Once we got everything into the car and ourselves, Scott opened his mouth.
"So, he totally likes you."
I scoffed. "What? No, he doesn't."
"He does though."
"He said like two words, how are you supposed to tell if someone likes someone off two words?" I put the car into drive and pulled out of the lot.
"It wasn't the words, it was the look he had."
"He didn't have a look," I argued.
"Well, maybe you didn't see it cause you had one too."
I scoffed. "I think I would know if I had a look on my face."
I didn't have to look at him to feel him lifting his brow at me.
"Okay, so maybe he's kinda cute but that doesn't mean anything," I admitted.
"Ha! I knew it."
I could feel the heat coming to my face. "Just because I might find him attractive does not mean either of us like the other."
"Whatever you say, dear," Scott said sarcastically.
I threw my phone at him. "Just shut up and play music, will you?"
And so he did.

Within 15 minutes we were pulling into my drive. I admired the way the golden light hit our log house with its dark green surroundings. I parked in my usual place and we grabbed the bags out of the car. I stood for a minute and enjoyed the sun for a moment before it was hidden behind the trees. I took a deep breath and headed into the house where Scott had left the door open for me.
"I'm not gonna lie, looking at all these snacks kinda made me hungry," Scott said unpacking everything onto the counter.
I chuckled and grabbed cups with ice for our drinks. I also popped a bag of popcorn in the microwave while Scott set up the first movie of the night.
We brought everything to the coffee table and set it out for easy munching. I got comfy under my blanket and Scott pressed play on Children of the Corn. A perfect night.