Past The Mistakes

10 | you bring me nervous butterflies

That way that idiot could actually teach me basketball with a real net.

That way I could see his smile; the one that always brightened up both his face and mine.

☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆

"I have no idea how you like that," I expressed, looking over at my grandfather wearily as he ate his old people's cereal while I munched on my delicious cornflakes. "That looks like poo-"

"Oh my god, Layla, let me eat in peace!" he whined as he started to slowly stir his cereal with a glare fixated on me. He couldn't even hide his amusement.

Like most mornings, the sun was still greeting us from the horizon as it made its way up to the top of the sky. The sky was painted a blue colour, still recovering from the night.

My grandfather was sipping on his tea while taking some occasional bites of his 'all-bran cereal'. Despite how healthy it was with tons of fiber and iron, it still looked like nasty, floating brown flakes swimming in his pool of milk in the bowl.

I had tried that cereal before and it wasn't even that bad. But, I still liked to trash talk it and make fun of it and he didn't mind.

"Get better hobbies, Layla," My grandfather scoffed as he peered over his reading glasses. I looked at him feigning an offended expression.

"You heard me, drama queen," He continued to blow me off and I rolled my eyes.

"Today Kayden is starting school," I tell him, ignoring his last sentence. He looks over at me with an intrigued expression.

"Good, good. I'm glad he is getting back on track. Wouldn't want him to get behind, would we?" He says before taking another sip of his tea. I stared at my cup in front of me, realizing that my grandfather had also made me a mug full.

"Yea," I say absentmindedly. I was thinking about my past experiences at school and how traumatizing every day was when I went there.

I was never able to go to a normal high school, I had been pulled out in grade 7, not even being able to graduate properly. I had online schooling for those past 5 years. It was the only way I could avoid their accusing glares and mean taunts. It was the only way I could feel safe; which apparently was only at the comfort of my own house, pathetically.

"Thank you for pulling me out of school, I'm sure high school would have been worse," I said chuckling dryly. My grandfather looked at me with sad eyes.

"Revina and I couldn't bear to see you so sad, Layla. I wanted to pull you out earlier but your grandmother wanted to make sure we were making the right call so that you didn't feel as if we were taking something away from you," He confessed and I nodded.

"If middle school was that bad, I could only imagine how horrible high school would be knowing how angsty everyone was. High school would have been like a dumpster fire," I rolled my eyes and my grandfather laughed loudly before sobering up and looking at me with twinkling eyes.

"If you ever feel like going back, let me know. I know it's your last year and Mrs. Carter wouldn't mind helping you transfer."

I looked at him incredulously. Was he really suggesting I go back?

"With Kayden there, I think you would be safer than you were back then. It's no longer the same. Also, I started going back to the stores, nobody recognized me when I last went. It's getting better, Layla," My grandfather tells me, giddiness hiding in his chocolate-colored eyes, and I looked away.

Was it really?

I couldn't trust the crappy people in this town; one second they felt one way the other second, they've completely changed their minds.