Just Kidding | ✔️

Chapter 12: Grandma's Banana Bread

    
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When emerging from the dimly lit halls into the sunny skies outside it's almost as if the longest day of the year has finally come to an end.
     Once I spot Blake who hasn't yet seen me as he's busy flirting with the pretty cheerleader beside him, I can feel my tense muscles relax. Obviously it doesn't take long for the heavens to work against me and I'm pulled to the side, hidden behind the crowds of students. 

     "Get off of me" I writhe in the hands of who I've uncovered is my ex. "I'll scream." I raise my voice when it's clear his fingers won't be removing themselves from around my wrists. "Stop being dramatic." Dawson rolls his eyes, releasing me and continuing his complaint. "That was quite the scene you performed at lunch. You feel better now? Did that heal you at all? Berating me in front of my friends?"

"You're not actually serious right now?" I scoff, all the restraint leaves me entirely until I'm raising my voice to say, "You hurt me! You threw me—"

Suddenly I'm transported back to our past relationship for a moment. Dawson's hand is around my neck as he presses me against the concrete walls of the building. The brick is scorching, almost excruciatingly so and still he hasn't applied too much pressure just yet or maybe I've grown numb to it. "Shut your damn mouth." He warns and before I have the chance to defend myself there's a familiar voice approaching.

"Hey!" Cooper calls out, appearing from behind the pillar, "we've gotta get going dude. The car is running." He approaches the two of us, his hand firmly gripping Dawson's shoulder until I'm released. "Fine. The bitch isn't worth it anyways." While my ex storms away, Cooper lingers for a moment longer. His gaze meets mine and something unfamiliar in those eyes stares back at me but he's storming away before I'm able to detect it.

Once I muster up the courage to head to the car I'm completely deflated and by the time I reach my brother who asks "what happened?" I can only respond with "I just want to go home." I admit and with a nod he opens up the passenger side door for me to slide in.

     "I heard about what went down at lunch." He taps his fingers against the steering wheel, peering between the road and I.
"Where were you?" I ask, defeated.
"Mrs.Crawford's class. I had to finish a test. You can trust me when I say this though," Blake pulls out of the parking lot, cutting in front of a blue Prius and quickly speeding down the street "If I was there I would've strangled him."

"Good to know." I chuckle, staring out the window at the green trees and colorful houses. Soon Blake pulls into to the driveway and we hop out. Since we moved in with my grandmother at the beginning of summer it's been odd adjusting to the quaint and almost colonial style home. Blake and I only ever lived in the suburbs where all houses looked the same. Modern and beige.

     Oh how I miss the home we grew up in. I miss mom and dad. I remember my parents spent days at a time remodeling our house. They believed that a house should never look a day over twenty.

   Now as I lower my eyes upon this vintage building I see nothing. I see no hope, no home, no parents. I'm sure in time I will begin to grow accustomed to it but for the time being it's foreign to me as it sits lonely beneath the California skies.

Approaching the front deck I can already smell what I've memorized as grandmother's cooking. Inside I throw my backpack down in the foyer and am grateful that to my right is the quaint kitchen where my grandma now finishes pulling a pan out of the oven. It's an oven that I'm certain is from the early 1900's.

    "Smells good. What'd you make?" I breathe in the scent of baked goods and my stomach grumbles. I forgot to eat lunch and now I'm starting to regret it.

     "My famous banana bread." Grandma hangs her apron on the hook by the fridge and dusts away the remaining flour left on her button down shirt.

"You're a goddess, thank you." Blake approaches and kisses her on the cheek. Soon she's scattered in wrinkles when she smiles brightly at her grandson.

Grabbing myself a plate as well I take a seat beside Blake. "How did your day go?" Asks my grandmother who now stands between Blake and I as we stuff our faces with the grace of her banana bread.
"As good as it could possibly be." I sigh.
"How about you, Blake?" She asks and my brother shrugs. "Good I guess, nothing interesting." He glances at me briefly before turning away.

     "Well you two are just a pair of gloomy gals this evening aren't ya?" Grandma huffs. This has my brother and I looking up at her scrutinizing expression as she studies us. "What do you two say we watch a movie. It'll be just like old times when you and your parents came over for Sunday dinner?"

     "I thought you'd never ask." I smile, it's the kind of smile I haven't expressed since my parents. It's genuine and comforting. It's home.

     Once I've cleaned up my meal I take my backpack and myself upstairs where I then hop in the shower. The scent of my mango body wash sinking deep into my skin reminds me of the times where I'd drag my mom to the drugstore just so we could get this exact brand. She hated it but still she never said no.

I told myself then that the trips to the store were solely based on the body wash but truthfully it was just to spend more time with my mother. Now I wish I could've told her just how much those moments meant to me but I can't and I never will again.

Hopping out of the shower after what feels like hours later, the mirrors are fogged and the air is humid. I have to open my door immediately just so I don't suffocate on the steam.

Throwing on a pair of ratty old pajama pants and one of Blake's old t-shirts from football camp I head downstairs. My muscles are relaxed and my mind is clear. By the time I've gotten to the living room the lights are off, the blinds are drawn and Ghost is playing on the t.v.

     Snuggling between my grandmother and Blake on the couch It's safe to say that wherever my family is. I'm home.