I almost choked on my cake. My grandmother sipped her tea as I got over my short coughing fit.
“That’s not nice, Grandma!” I was trying to be serious, but I was also chuckling a little because it was funny. “You don’t have to say Tyler is ugly just to make myself feel better.”
“I’m not just saying it to make you feel better!” my grandmother defended herself. “He may have been hot stuff back then, but the ugliness he held inside has started to bubble to the surface.”
I wondered what she meant by that. Tyler was always looked at as the best-looking guy in school. It was no surprise when he and Chloe, my high school crush, started dating.
“And anyway, I mean, he’s ugly on the inside. He is not a nice man.”
I couldn’t disagree there.
“He’s always chasing after Chloe. Like he wants to recapture what he had in high school. I don’t think he’s changed at all….” My grandmother shook her head as she took another sip of her tea.
The mention of Chloe’s name made my heart skip a beat. There was also a twinge of jealousy attached. It was silly. I hadn’t seen Chloe in ten years. How could I still have a crush on her? Was I any better than Tyler, stuck in my high school mentality? Chloe and I had never been more than friends, and I was using the word friends generously. We only really hung out when I was tutoring her in chemistry and math. She never made any effort to include me in her social life otherwise. Sure, it was high school, but it still kind of sucked to think about.
I needed to push these thoughts away. All they were going to do was upset me.
“Do you have any plans for today?” I asked.
“Just taking care of the garden. Do you want to help?” My grandmother looked at me, waiting for my response.
I should have probably gone to my room to rest. I had just driven for hours, and I had eaten so much, my stomach felt like it was twice as big. But if I was alone in my room, I knew I’d just end up focusing on Tyler and Chloe and how I felt like a loser, so I said, “Yep.”
My grandmother was happy to have the help. We cleaned up before heading outside to pull out weeds, snip dead leaves, and water what needed watering. Thankfully, my grandmother kept me busy until dinnertime. By then, I was ready to eat a little bit. We exchanged a little more small talk. I went more into how my business was doing.
I had planned on hanging out with my grandmother for the rest of the night, but she convinced me to go for a drive and check out Sewanee. So, I left her to her own devices while I looked around to see what had changed. The population had expanded by about a thousand, and because of this, there were new subdivisions and businesses. It was interesting seeing the juxtaposition of the old and new.
I drove longer than I expected and soon reached the outskirts of town where most of the new subdivisions had sprung up. Unfortunately, my check engine light came on, and I started to turn around. Yet, I didn’t get very far before I heard a clattering sound. Finally, I was able to pull to the side before my car completely stopped moving.
“Shit…” I went to take out my phone, but as I reached into my pocket, I realized that I had left it at grandma’s.
“God dammit…”
I was trying to figure out what to do. Without a phone, I’d have to get back to my grandmother’s, so I could call someone. Maybe there was a diner open, but Sewanee was the kind of place that closed early. And I felt weird knocking on people’s doors…
The only solution I could think of was walking back. I hated that thought because, while I had never felt unsafe walking the Sewanee streets at night, it was still an uncomfortable prospect.
As I tried to figure out what to do, a small sedan pulled up. Their headlights were still on, so I couldn’t quite see who stepped out.
“Hey! Do you need help?”
Chapter Two – Chloe
I was on my way home when I saw someone who seemed to be stranded on the side of the road. When I pulled over, the first thing I noticed was how sleek and sexy the car was. After that, I felt a bit embarrassed by my rundown sedan.
I stepped out and asked if he needed any help. As I approached, completely ignoring all the past advice that told me never to talk to a stranger on the side of the road, I noticed how handsome he was.
“Um, yeah, my car stopped running, and I left my phone at home….” He seemed embarrassed, which was cute. I had been pretty lonely the past few years. I thought that maybe this side-of-the-road meeting could lead to something interesting.