My Next Door Bully

Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 - YOUR OPINION IS NOT ON THE RECIPE

I AM FEELING GIDDY as I get out Ben's passenger door, it's been one day since we reunited—or more detailed, I hit his car and he called to ask me if I was free the following day. He took me on our first date—if it's called a date.

We went to this popular coffee shop and then went to the movie theater. We sat across from each other and drank our coffees as he talked about being senior president and having to attend and plan so many events. I was exhausted just hearing how much he had to do. I explained why I brought my camera (I took multiple pictures of coffee beans, neon lights at the cinema, and even him). We laughed and talked for hours until a new action film started and we walked to the theater. We didn't say much as we watched the movie, but we sat next to each other, and he made every little excuse to touch me, like poking me to explain some weird term or pretend to yawn and put his arm around me.

It was somewhat adorable.

On the ride back we listened to music (surprisingly we have similar taste in it) and when he parked in my driveway I thought it was too early to kiss him so I thanked him for everything and just gave him a peck on his cheek, which made him comfortable as he blushed but smiled widely.

"Mom! I'm home!" I shout. I drop my keys on the little decorative plate I got her last year for Mother's day.

"Oh good! You're here," she yells from what seems to be the kitchen. "We're cooking dinner." I get hung up on the word "we." Is she dating someone? One of her friends? Questions swirl in my brain that I don't realize the last person I thought to be here.

I turn around the corner and notice that she's wearing one of her many aprons that says in my family, crazy doesn't skip a generation. "Hey, hon. I know it's a little messy—"

"I don't know Beth. This cringes me out, If I'm caught wearing this—" Ashton comes out and stops in his tracks when he notices me, we haven't seen each other for a while. "Bell, wow, you look—"

"Beautiful, right?" My mom doesn't even let him finish his sentence, and I can't help but feel curious about the way he was going to end it. She touches my hair, "she just got her hair done, I was so surprised but I love it!"

"Mhm, thanks Mom," I look down at his apron from my mom's collection: All this ... and I can cook! He looks down at it too and shakes his head. "Your mom made me.".

I stifle a laugh and turn to my mom, "Why is he here?" I whisper yell, but it's obvious he heard me.

"He came looking for you, but I told him you were out on a date with that sweet Brad—"

"Ben," I interrupt and mentally slap my forehead at her mention of my date. He was super polite when he came in to meet my mom, but I could read her mind: too polite, bad intentions. She always has something negative to say about who comes near me; it's probably a defense mechanism after my dad, she recalls it as a "valuable lesson that was learned." But I know she pushes any male specimen I talk to because ever since I became friends with Ashton, she thinks we'd make such a great couple and beautiful babies (she actually said "you'd make beautiful babies." Gosh mom I was only thirteen!)

"Yes." she grunts at my interruption, "and I was getting prepped for dinner so he offered to help, just like we always did. You just caught us in the middle; the pasta is cooking, can you make the salad with him?" She moves her eyebrows up and down.

I roll my eyes "sure."

My mom has forever had this thing where she thought if she put Ashton and me in the same room, we would miraculously fall in love. She always thought he was the definition of a "good guy."