“Mom!” I whine as soon as we’re out of sight, “but seriously though, what are we having for dinner?”

“Son, you spent countless hours there. I don't understand why you don't just eat there,” Mom says glaring at me.

Mom locks the door behind us after we walk into the house.

“I can't just eat their food,” I tell mom.

“You did that as a kid,” mom says over her shoulder, heading to the couch.

“Well, I'm not a kid anymore and it's rude!” I say heading to the kitchen.

I look around the kitchen and shout, “Mom where's the food!”

“I've told you, feed yourself!” Mom shouts, sinking into the couch.

I sigh, rolling my eyes. “Mom, seriously!”

“It's in the fridge! Man, if I don't cook you act like a chicken with his head cut off,” Mom says, turning on the TV.

I swing open the fridge with excitement, finding beans and rice in a container sitting on the top shelf.

“Thanks, Mom, love you! I’m gonna eat and go study,” I say stuffing rice and beans in my mouth.

“Yeah, yeah. I might just fall asleep on the couch. Work was not pretty today,” Mom says laying down on the couch.

“Work is never pretty for you,” I say walking towards my room.

“Haha, goodnight.” Mom laughs, lowering the volume on the tv.

Mom is a nurse and luckily today she had a morning shift. She usually doesn't cook for me, I tend to try to cook something quick when she has night shifts. But when she has morning shifts it always feels as if we at a buffet.

Opening the door to my room, my phone buzzes as soon as I step inside.

It’s Grace texting me ‘goodnight’.

I sigh walking into my room, placing the container on the bed to text her back.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

A few minutes later, laying on my bed, eating beans and rice, I try to remember when it first started, me falling for her.

‘Mmm. Maybe kindergarten?’ I whisper.

She used to be very feisty and outgoing. She never let anyone push her around. And I was the type of kid who always wanted to test that.

I loved the way I could tease her, and she knew how to get me back, and never failed to fight back. I later grew to just be attached to her. Like a fly hanging around a Venus flytrap. And I did not care how trapped I was, I just loved being around her.

----

“Hey,” Grace texted, “Sorry, I can’t walk to school or home with you, but I’ll make it up later”

“Son, get off your butt and go to school,” Mom says from the other side of the door.

“I hear ya I hear ya. But can’t I skip today?” I say with sadness in my voice.

“What?!” Mom yelling through the door.

“Nothing… I'm getting dress” I quickly get up to get ready.

Mom hates it when I skip school. Like “school is very important, if I hadn't made mistakes back in the day we would be living an easier life. For your future, you need to focus on…..” Blah, blah heard it too many times. Plus, she usually finds me when I do, like she has a GPS on me.

School ends in a lonely silent kind of way. Grace and I are in the same class but instead of hanging out with me. She has been texting and spending her lunchtime with her new boyfriend. It’s like I have been forgotten; what made it even worse was the fact that they were walking in front of me, heading home. I just hope they don’t last long; I don't know how long I can handle this.

…….

Lying in bed imagining every little thing Grace and her new boyfriend are doing right now. My phone buzzes.

“Hey!” a text message shows up.

Ugh! It's Mel she has a thing for me and hates grace. I've told her more than once that I am not into her, but she seems to not get it.

Another message pops up right after “Hey!! Me and the guys are heading to the movies”

“Okay? Have fun” I text back.

“Noooo!!!! Come on! It'll be fun, it's the new Fight Fight O.K.” another message follows “I'll pay for your ticket” Mel texts in all caps.

Minutes pass, I don't answer.

“Free food” “???” Mel text

“Fine… Only for the food” I text back, feeling annoyed

Plus, there isn’t another option since Grace is busy with her new boyfriend. I will message grace before leaving though.

“Hey, I'm heading out to hang with friends. We’re going to watch a movie. Message me if you want to come or if you need anything”

I know it sounds desperate, but I keep myself available for her. Hoping for her to want my company.