I Probably Hate You

Three

By the time we got home I was holding my head and groaning. "Your grandchildren gave me a headache" I said to grandma, who was preparing lunch in the kitchen. Eleanor rushed passed me heading for the stairs as Mia headed to the living room whispering "drama queen"

I scowled and sat at the kitchen counter. "I can't deal with taking them to school everyday. I just can't"

"If you'd just let me drive that wouldn't be an issue, I have my permit! I'm technically legal" Ed said, following me.

"Me driving isn't the issue, dimwit"

Grandma set a tray of vegetables into the oven "it's only this week until your grandfather's truck is repaired, and Ed, sweetheart, you drive awfully"

"I drive better then at least half the juniors and seniors at school"

Grandma turned to him after she'd closed the door of the oven. She was short and round, with fluffy, shoulder length salt and pepper hair and sharp green eyes. "You're still not driving your sisters to school yet"

Ed groaned

I held my head in my hands, "You should hear how much Mia and Ed keep bickering in the car"

"What about?" A deep voice said as footsteps echoed down the stairs.
Grandpa appeared holding his giant raincoat and a toolbox, tucking his phone in his back pocket.

He was an able-bodied man, towering over six feet tall. He had dark grey cropped hair and a short beard.

"Country music" I replied

He grabbed an apple from a bowl on the counter top and bit into it "what's wrong with country music?"

"Right?!" Mia yelled defiantly from the living room.

"Everything" Ed said, slipping out of the chair and probably heading to his room.

"well the pop music you kids listen to these days certainly isn't any better"

"Whatever." Ed shouted back from upstairs. The sound of his door slamming shut followed.

Grandma shook her head, staring at the staircase. "That kid can be very stubborn sometimes."

Grandpa came up next to her, patting her shoulder "go easy on'im, he's been through a lot"

Grandma sighed, then turned her head like she'd just noticed Grandpa's presence "are you going somewhere, sweetheart?"

"Yes, actually" he said, slipping on his coat. "The Willow's roof has been leakin'. I'd promised I'd go and take a look at it today"

"Alright. Just be back before dinner"

"I will" he said, kissing the top of her head. He ruffled my hair and left.

"Do you need any help?"

She handed me a bowl of potatoes and carrots "peel these"

"So how was your first day?"

"Same as always" I said "except Eleanor being a new addition"

"And did you meet anyone new?"

I laughed dryly at that. "Not exactly, no. But someone has tried to start up a conversation with me for the first time. And that was new"

"Yeah? And who would that be?"

"Gaten Fallbrook"

Grandma frowned "you'd never spoken before? He was at the funeral."

"I didn't speak to anyone at the funeral" I said. The air was getting tense. I needed to change the subject.
"So what was your day like?"

"Our new neighbors woke me up this morning, the Stanleys, they kept asking if we'd seen there daughter's bike. That woman thinks we stole it, I could see it in her eyes"

I snorted

Grandma went on "then I called you to check that you'd packed Mia's lunch. I went to Mia's school. Thank god I got there before lunchtime" She laughed "her face was so red when she saw me. I left and stopped by the supermarket" She went on into detail about the rest of her day up until this point. I listened to the whole thing before excusing myself to go and finish my homework

After we'd had lunch I moved to the living room and flipped through the channels on tv. Mia joined me and I eventually let her take over and put on the tv show she'd wanted to watch.

                         .....................

Gaten unlocked his front door and tossed his backpack somewhere in the hall before searching for his mother, Angela. She was in her room flipping through a novel. She glanced up at the sound of her son knocking and smiled "hey sweetheart."

"Hey mom" he gazed at her book amusedly

She beckoned him over and he went and sat at the edge of her bed.

He kissed his mother's forehead "what'cha got there? It isn't another thriller, is it?"

Angela chuckled and flipped another page, shaking her head "would I read anything else?"

"They might give you ideas"

She kicked him lightly with her foot "how was school?"

"Same old, same old. I spoke with the Melvins. Apparently, three of them go to my high school"

His mother paused midway through flipping a page "yeah? And how were they?"

Her son shrugged again as Angela watched him closely "pretty chill. Diane seemed a little out of it but I fully understand her situation. Besides, it's the first day of school, so I guess that's also a given."

Angela sobered up and put her book down beside her. "Poor, poor children" if Gaten didn't know better he could've sworn his mother's eyes filled with tears.

Gaten stared at his feet. He wasn't good in these types of situations. That didn't matter though, because Angela snapped out of it pretty quickly. She sighed "are you going anywhere today?"

"Yeah actually. Charlie and I are meeting up."

Angela picked up her wallet off her nightstand and handed Gaten a few twenties out of it. "Get something on your way home for dinner. See what your brother wants"

"I'll be back by seven" he said and headed towards his room to shower.