Bad Memories

Chapter 8

—Fri. | November 1, 2019—

I was beginning to have second thoughts when I waited for my grandma to answer the phone. At this point, there's was no turning back. If she said yes, I couldn't lie to my friends and say my grandma said no, cause then she'd get suspicious as to why no one showed up. Maybe I could just hang out and say it was a butt dial?

"Hello?" Grandma says from the other side of the line, nearly catching me off guard.

"H-Hi, Grandma. My friends wanted to see the new house. Could they come over and maybe... sleepover or something tonight?"

"Sure! Robbie and Nia are going on a hotel vacation, so you all can stay for the night."

"Oh, should we ask those two first?"

"I'll let them know, but it's our house too now. We can let people come over if we want."

"Okay. I guess I'll see you at home."

"Yes, of course. I'll set up the guest room for all... how many are coming?"

"Four, not including me."

"I'll set up the room for the five of you to sleep in now." She hangs up the phone after a quick goodbye.

I turn back towards the others. "I think you should all go home first. Take a shower, pick up and drop off your stuff. That way, you can ready up and I can too."

"Sounds like a plan," Susie says. She runs off and catches up with her mom, who's already walking towards their van. "I'll see you in a bit."

Tina and Tyler walk away together a few moments later. Lyla turns to me and makes a tiny grin. "This is very... spontaneous of you. You feeling okay?" she asks jokingly.

I shrug, honestly unsure if I was okay. This sleepover decision was a bit out of the blue. "I guess I wanted to try something new."

"I kind of like it." Lyla hugs me, and out of instinct, I almost push her away, since I don't like hugs. But I just let it happen. When she lets go, she strolls away, waving to me, and I wave back.

Finally, I was by myself. It was a bit of a relief to be alone for a bit. After all, I was about to host a sleepover. I needed this quiet time.

—————

I return home with a few large bags of chips I bought at the store. My grandma walks in, holding a stack of blankets. "Oh, Kyle. You're back. I was thinking of ordering a few pizzas for you all later. What toppings are okay?"

"I think cheese and pepperoni will do just fine," I reply as I place the chip bags on the kitchen counter.

"How about you go freshen up right now? I'm almost done fixing up the house."

"Okay. Thanks, Grandma." I walk into my room and grab a new pair of clothes. I take a quick shower, then go about the same routine I would normally do in the mornings, brush my teeth and fix my hair.

The second I walk out of the bathroom, the doorbell rings. I briskly walk towards the door and open it. Susie and Tina greet me from the porch, and then proceed to enter the house.