Poison Ivy

Chapter Twenty-Five: Pop Tarts and Dates

It was two weeks after the ROCK! Bottom incident that Andy came back into my life and made me cry – angrily – over spilt milk.

Late Tuesday morning, and I was in my slouchiest, comfiest old sweat pants, old Red Hot Chili Peppers vest, Vans I should really chuck out, and my hair scraped back in a messy ponytail. So, clearly, looking my finest. And I decided to go grocery shopping, which I'd put off and put off and would probably have put off some more had it not been for the fact I ran out of milk, bread and pop tarts.

I'd chosen a Tuesday and this particular time of morning due to the fact that I knew there would probably be very little people – no whining kids begging their parents to buy them this sweet or that drink, hardly any pushy shoppers slamming and ramming their shopping carts against one another, fighting each other to the death for the best bargains, and certainly no business men and women chattering on their phones about the statistics of the companies they work for whilst they obstruct the aisle walkways, no care for anyone else around them – it was peaceful because at half ten in the morning, most people were preoccupied.

Or so I thought.

As I hooked the basket onto the crook of my elbow and stretched up on my tippy toes, reaching to the top shelf of the milk aisle to grab myself a carton of milk, I felt hands snake down my waist and rest on my hips. My hand retracted jerkily and I dropped the milk carton I had just grabbed, a short gasp of shock escaping my lips before my face contorted into an angry frown as his breath tickled my ear when he spoke, his chin resting on my shoulder.

"Look what you did," he remarked with a hint of sarcasm.

I gritted my teeth, taking a deep breath before replying "you are kidding me."

"Nope, deadly serious." He lifted his head from my shoulder and loosened his grip on my hips, not dropping his hands but slipping them around me so he could turn me to face him. "Have you missed me?" he grinned crookedly and I faltered, not realising how unprepared I actually was for seeing him again before I masked the warm flush of pleasure his sudden and unexpected appearance had given me.

"No," I snapped, "now get your hands off of me."

His face transformed from the mischievous smug look I had grown used to as being his default expression and became one of earnest seriousness. "I said I'm sorry and I'll say it again, I'm sorry, and you need to accept my apology." He said in a low rumble, his tone sending traitorous tingles of decadent desire throughout me. And then he kissed me.

His lips were rough and the kiss was rather angry and, if I didn't know any better, I'd say he was desperate and determined to overwhelm me and for the briefest moment I gave in, betraying myself, returning it. Before, of course, I managed to regain my senses, pushing him away, jutting the basket into his chest as I glared at him, my cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"Firstly, don't tell me to accept your 'apology'; secondly, you were the one ignoring my calls and lastly, why are you kissing me when you could be hanging out with your buddy Tris?" I rolled off angrily, twisting around to look despairingly at the milk carton that had split, leaking the white liquid over the aisle floor before returning my ice cold glower back to him. "Oh, and also fuck you."

I pushed past him, forgetting about my need for milk, tapping an assistant stacking shelves on the shoulder and alerting him of the spillage, before heading over to the confectionary aisle, desperate now more than ever for my sugar rush – all the while, Andy trailing behind me.

"Hold up," Andy grabbed my arm, pulling me back and stopping me from reaching for my beloved cherry filled pop tarts that I was so close to grabbing. "Why would I be hanging out with Tris?" he frowned deeply, his eyes searching my own.

"Don't play dumb, Andy." I spat his name out with as much aggression as I could. "I heard you in the background."

"I wasn't..." he frowned, knitting his brows together. "I haven't seen Tris since the party."

"And I was born yesterday." I rolled my eyes. "Just ... just leave it, Andy, ok? Go. Skidaddle. Or to put it less politely - fuck off. Pretty please."

"No," he shrugged and I cocked my head to the side, my lips pulling down.

"No?" I repeated questioningly, "What do you mean no?" I asked, challenging him.

"I mean no, I'm not going anywhere."

I stared at him, not saying another word for a long minute before shutting my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose and sighing. I opened my eyes, looking him directly in the eyes before replying. "Fine, stay here all day, I don't care, I'm going." I whirled around on my heels and grabbed a pack of pop tarts, slinging them into my basket before swerving around him and walking to the kiosk.

I thought he'd finally listened to my advice and just allowed me to get on with paying for my pop tarts without his annoying face interrupting me but it became apparent that, after a carton of milk appeared beside my box of pop tarts on the kiosk counter and a hand slapped down a $10 bill.

"Let me make it up to you," he told me, shooting me a pleading look before nodding to the cashier. "I've got this."

"Oh, yeah, this sure makes up for it." I roll my eyes, "Your generosity astounds me," I shot him a glare before turning to tell the cashier I'd pay for it myself.

Andy chuckled lightly, shaking his head, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I didn't mean by paying for your milk and pop tarts." He replied. "Ignore her, she's not paying."

"Well what did you mean?" I questioned him sceptically. "And I am paying."

"Let me take you out. On a date."

I looked at him, blinking slowly, taking in the sincerity of his tone of voice and the honesty in his eyes and I cocked my head to the side before replying. "Why?"

He gave a half shrug, a smile gracing his lips. "We haven't been on one yet."

Before I got the chance to reply to him the cashier cleared his throat and I turned back to him. "Sorry," I laughed awkwardly.

He shook his head, smiling then, looking between the two of us, asked "so which of you is paying?"

I looked at Andy, raising a warning brow but he ignored me, pushing the $10 bill he'd put down closer to the cashier. "I'm definitely paying."

I sighed and turned back to the cashier, nodding at his questioning expression. "Yeah, so throw in a pack of gum too." I grinned, grabbing some extra strong peppermint chewing gum from the small display next to me, handing it to the cashier. "Thanks Andy," I smirked and he rolled his eyes, laughing lightly at me.