Hidden Life (on hold)

Chapter 29:

I wonder how much I can get away with answering before he is able to use his brain and piece it all together. He leans forward again and his eyes bore straight into my own, the smile no longer stretched over his face. "How did you come to know this information about the gang? Because from what I know, they are extremely secretive and even most of their gang doesn't know everything that goes on."

My eyes stare straight back into his and we both hold the connection, nobody wanting to look away. But I crack a smile and lean back in my chair, lifting my arms into the air beside me. "How would I know anything that you think I do? I am 'just a nerd', remember?" My smile turns into a smirk as he continues to stare back at me. "If this gang is so secretive, how would I even find out the answers to most of the questions you want me to answer?"

"He slowly shakes his head at me, lips pursing in distaste and what I suspect is a low level of suppressed rage. "I-"
"Cookies!" His grandmother charges into the room with a plate of chocolate chip cookies in hands covered by oven mitts. "I made a recipe I found which only took 10 minutes to bake! Just for you, sweetie!" She gives Ryan a sloppy kiss on the cheek and he suppresses his cringe of embarrassment with a tight lipped smile, looking at me with slightly wide eyes.
"Uhh... thanks gran. I was just getting peckish" He turns his gaze to her while they give each other a genuine smile and I don't know if I should 'awe' from the cuteness, or gag out of jealousy- why does he get a sweet grandma when I don't?.

She ruins the moment when she turns to me. "Are you to dating?"

Ryan, it seems, has lost the ability to form coherent words and keep a neutral face, as his ears go red. "I always wanted my darling grandson to find a lovely girl and start to settle his ways. I want grandchildren within the next ten years, you know." She smiles at me with one of the sweetest smiles I have seen in a long time and I wonder to myself what went wrong with Ryan- who is still trying to form an answer to his gran.

"Ah, no miss. I apologise, but we are not dating."

"Oh", she says. "So your just friends?"

I give her a small but genuine chuckle. "Sorry again ma'am, but I must say that even friends is a stretch."

She gives Ryan a smack on the back of the head. "Why aren't you friends with this lovely girl? You are always hanging out with the wrong group" she 'tuts' to herself and walks out of the room, leaving Ryan and myself to pick up our conversation from before.

"I have to go soon, you know. I've got somewhere to be."

"Yeah, so do I, he says". "I am going to go and find out more about the gang tonight. You can leave now, but stay away from me at school, your still just the nerd".

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere near you or your entourage who cornered me and bullied me into answering questions this afternoon. Hope I don't see you 'round". I get up off the chair and walk out of the door into the shop. As it swings shut behind me, I hear Ryan's gran.

"Bullied her? Your an idiot, that's not how you treat a girl you like!"

He doesn't answer.

⚫️ Later that night ⚫️

Walking into the almost empty warehouse, I scan the large, open, room. There are two rows of chairs set up in the middle of the room, about 10 chairs wide (20 in total). In front of them is a mini stage made up of empty wooden crates. I see Jayden walk in from the back door holding the last crate to complete the square shape of the makeshift stage and walk from my position at the front door to meet him there.