i hate you | l.h

one

i have always believed, and i still believed, in the cliche saying that 'everything happens for a reason'.

life, fate, destiny, whatever you wanted to call it, had a funny way of screwing your life up.

sometimes i wondered if everything could have gone differently for me, if i had not desperately been craving a bag of gummy bears on a lonesome friday night, my senior year of high school could have gone as anticipated.

i could have avoided the mess and the chaos that he brought into my life. but as i said earlier; some things were just destined to be.

even if i had stayed home that night, fate would find it's way to get luke and i to collide.

so, the whole point of this epiphany was that if the universe wanted you to get entangled with the boy you hated, it would happen.

-

i was at target on a mission.

i rounded the corner of an aisle lined with metal shelves that stored boxes of chocolate, sour candies, sweet candies, jelly beans, and every other sort of candy you could ever want but gummy bears.

great. i internally debated with myself whether or not to ask one of the workers and decided that i had nothing to lose.

an employee was working the keyboard of her cell phone with a kind of ferocious intensity as if her life depended on whatever riveting text conversation she was having, the sounds of her nails clacking against the screen. i would give her the employee of the month award if i had the power to do so.

she didn't notice my presence until i spoke up, "hello, i'm sorry but i was wondering if you had any more gummy bears in stock?"

she raised her head from her glowing cell phone screen, and gave her head a little shake as if she couldn't bear having to deal with another idiotic customer like me. "i'm sorry, but the next shipment comes in tomorrow morning." she said, snapping her gum.

"but, there was a boy just here moments ago who got the last package. i don't know if it's the new thing for teenagers to do nothing on their friday nights but you and him have that in common. maybe you can go bargain with him for it." i studied her face for any signs of amusement, but she looked serious.

"you're kidding, right? you're expecting me to go and track somebody down for gummy bears?" i asked incredulously.

i was starting to regret my decision to even get out of my bed, since clearly, the universe had no plan of me getting my gummy bears.

she raised a perfectly arched eyebrow that was filled in with what resembled a brown sharpie. "yeah? i mean, you clearly wanted them enough to come to target around ten pm to buy some so i'm not doubting what you'll do for them."

i bit my lower lip, contemplating whether or not this woman was insane or even an actual employee before she called out, "hey, there he is!"

i followed her gaze as i turned around to see a tall boy walking towards the cashier. "oh, fuck it," i muttered underneath my breath, figuring that i had nothing to lose.

before i got closer to him, his tall figure turned around and i immediately screeched to a stop- as if a glass wall had suddenly been put up in front of me.

i would have recognized him anywhere, at any time, no matter how dark the room or how unexpected the sight of him. "luke?"

the blonde boy turned to face me, wearing a look of complete astonishment. "lydia?" he exclaimed back, looking probably just as in shock as i did. he glanced around, a perplexed furrow between his brows.