I look out the large picture window that faces the driveway, the same driveway that will lead to Tyler’s house if I were to walk that way. I’m tempted to get up and start the trek, just to see what he’s doing, maybe even pretend I was just out for a leisurely stroll. He’d know I’m fooling, but that wouldn’t matter, not in my eyes.
I let out a heavy and dramatic sigh only to hear Aunt Sue giggle from the kitchen. I should talk to her, confide in her. I know she won’t tell my mom how I’m feeling or what I’m doing, but she might tell Uncle Bobby and I don’t want him freaking out on Tyler. Uncle Bobby doesn’t need to know that Tyler was in a state of undress with me pressed up against his body alone in his house. I don’t want Tyler to get into trouble for my actions. It wouldn’t be fair.
Aunt Sue appears with a tall glass of sweet tea and a plate of cookies. She sets them down in front of me and pulls out the chair to my right. When she sits, she sighs in a more dramatic fashion than I did a few moments earlier.
I laugh and shake my head before taking a sip of her homemade brew. Uncle Bobby says it’s the best I’m ever going to taste. I’ll have to take his word for it. None of my friends would be caught with ice in their tea.
“What’s on your mind, sugah?”
“Me? I’m not the one who exhaled a year’s worth of breath when I sat down!” I wink at her, letting her know that yes, I’m in a good mood and she won’t get any sass from me.
“Well, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“What is it?” I ask, shutting the screen on my laptop. Out of respect, I’m giving her my undivided attention. Not that the black vertical line blinking at me is going to get any of it.
“I know I’m not your momma and I never pretend to be, but you’re here in our house, livin’ under our roof and we have rules that you’re expected to follow.”
I’m slightly confused by what she means. I’ve done everything she and Uncle Bobby have asked of me and I’ve done my chores without too much complaining. I know I’m a pain and didn’t want to be here, but I’ve adjusted.
“Did I do something wrong, Aunt Sue?” I change the inflection of my voice and throw in the “Aunt Sue” to help diffuse whatever situation is brewing.
“Well, not so much, but I just want to have a woman-to-woman talk. Ya see, Jeremiah was flappin’ his yapper again and said somethin’ about you and Tyler… well you were…” she starts wringing her hands and I can only imagine what Jeremiah came in here and said. It makes me wonder if Tyler knows how much o
f a busy body that boy is. Maybe Jeremiah and I need to have a sit down about his gossiping.
“Just spit it out so I can tell you the truth.”
“Well, gosh darn it, Jeremiah said you and Tyler were humpin’ in the hay.”
If my mouth had been full of sweet tea it would now be all over the table. As it is, I find it hard to form a sentence to counter what she just said. I look away, not because I’m ashamed, but to gain a tiny bit of composure. I have to give Aunt Sue credit. At least she’s not yelling like my mom or throwing breakables at my head.
Folding my hands in front of me, I square my shoulders before answering. “Aunt Sue, Tyler and I weren’t humpin’ in the hay. We were lying there, talking.”
“Is that boy takin’ liberties?”
“No!” I shake my head adamantly. “I like Tyler… a lot. But we weren’t doing anything wrong out there.”
Aunt Sue leans forward and places the palm of her hand against my forehead. I look at her like she’s crazy, but she continues to flip her hand over before doing the same on my cheeks. “Are you sick?”
“What? No,” I answer quickly, moving away from her hand. “Why do you ask?”
“Because not so long ago you stood in my kitchen throwing daggers at the boy with your eyes and shortly after that, you were stompin’ around muttering his name with so much malice that I thought you were going to darn near kill him for something. What’s going on?”
I can’t help smiling and wishing that things were different when I got here. Being forced to do something against your will makes you hard and bitter and I took that out on everyone here. No one deserved it, except for maybe Jeremiah, but still. I was rude and know I have to change things fast before I ruin too much.
“I woke up, Aunt Sue. It was the sun, the air and the birds chirping. Heck it might even be Sundance because every time I go to clean her stall, she gives me a kiss. It was Tyler, being selfless and accommodating to my attitude. It was my mom, reminding me that I’m trouble and that she’s still angry, yet you and Uncle Bobby aren’t treating me like that.”
I take a deep breath and smile. “I don’t want to be angry all the time. I know what I did was wrong, and I apologized, but my mom won’t listen. I’m only here for a few months and should try to make the best of it. Am I excited for Paris? Yes, I am, but that doesn’t mean I need to make my life miserable while I’m here.”
“Well I’ll be darned. You went and fell in love with Tyler, just like your momma said you would.”
My mouth drops ever so slowly. Only to be lifted back into place by her soft fingertips. “It’s okay, sugah, we’ve just been waiting for this day to come.”
I shake my head. “Aunt Sue, I’m not in love with Tyler. Sure, I like him, but love… I don’t even know what that is. I’m too young to be in love and Tyler… he’s definitely not in love with me.”
“Well whatever you young’uns are, you need to be careful. Don’t go lettin’ Bobby catch you with your pants down.”
“Aunt Sue, Tyler and I were fully clothed. Jeremiah is just being a gossip that’s all.”