My Life as a Teenage Rebel

Chapter 46: The Sweet Side of Causing Trouble

Ky Madison

CHAPTER 46 The Sweet Side of Causing Trouble

I call it “Diner Jenga.” Using sugar packs, you stack in the way you might stack Jenga blocks, and then you go as high as you can without the whole thing going KA-PLOOSH! Or…whatever sound dozens of packs of sugar make when they hit the table. Oh and the whole “pull one out without the whole thing falling” thing? Yeah, forget about that; that ain’t gonna happen.

While I play Diner Jenga, Evan sits across from me. We haven’t said all that much since we sat down. He’s been nervous ever since I brought up the whole “hey, let’s practice being a good fake couple by actually being a real one for a couple of hours!” Yeah, mm-hmm, great idea, Ky, great idea; now you’re on a date with a statue!

Things would have gone along fine had I never even brought it up. But he was the one that made up the excuse that we should practice being a couple!

Of course…he only made up that excuse to ensure that I wouldn’t send him on his way again…because he doesn’t want me to be lonely…because he’s really sweet… I sigh internally. I’m a horrible person…here he is, keeping me from feeling alone, and here I am, blaming him for his own apprehension!

My eyes flicker up to him, and I pause, a brow of inquiry rising on its own. He’s fanning himself with his menu, like we’re in the Sahara instead of a breakfast place. I can’t help the grin of amusement that breaks my composure.

Evan clears his throat. “It’s, uh, hot in here.”

“It’s seventy-one degrees,” I tell him, “I checked when we walked in.” He blushes, without a response. “You want me to ask them to get a fan so they can blow it on you specifically?”

“You just think you’re so funny, don’t you?” he mumbles, embarrassed.

“Mm, someone feeling over-sensitive this morning?” I ask good-naturedly. His blush deepens, clearly still nervous.

I could calm him down…but then I wouldn’t be giving him a chance to adjust. I should just let him do it naturally, that way it’ll stick with him for the rest of his life.

Plus I kinda like it when he blushes like that; it gives me a nice feeling and oh my God I’m a sadist. I mentally shake my head at myself. Just focus on the sugar-stacking, Ky, just focus on the sugar-stacking.

“You two ready to order?” our waitress returns. I look up at her, and a smile finds my mouth as I look up into her familiar, gently tanned and slightly wrinkled face. June, she’s been working here ever since Kyle and I could remember. Her and the rest of the people here are the reason we keep on coming. Well, that and the fact that it’s really close to our neighborhood.

June balances a pen easily in between two fingers as I tell her, “I’ll have the usual, June, the works.”

But instead of writing this down, June starts to pull something out of her pocket and says, “No can do, dear, your brother dropped off this note last week telling us that you’re not allowed to have all of your usual toppings.”

“Saywhatnow?!” I leap up to look over the note. No…NOOO!

“Yeah, it says: ‘Due to losing a bet, Ky is only allowed to have a quarter of her typical pancake toppings. Valid until Thanksgiving, thanks for your cooperation.’” June reads. She looks up at me again. “So what would you like to keep on?”

You suck, bro. You suck so bad. I slump into my seat again. “Surprise me,” I mumble almost miserably.

“You’ll live, honey.” Yeah, yeah… Now June turns to Evan, “And what would you like to get, Mr. Tomatohead?” she asks in good humor.