I Should Hate You

Chapter Nine

AN: It's one a.m. and I have a test tomorrow. Just fanfic author thingz ✌️

Teresa was already digging into her McFlurry when Minho walked into the McDonald's. She was sitting in a booth at the very front of the restaurant—as far away as you could get from the kids playset in the back. Minho strode in, the bell on the door giving a satisfying little clink. He sat in the seat across from Teresa. She didn't even look up from her ice cream.

Minho sat there for a moment before finally saying, "So you don't like kids?"

Teresa still had her eyes locked her spoon when she said, "Not even a little bit. That's more Thomas's thing."

"He likes kids?"

Teresa finally looked up. "Loves the little devils. It's strange." She shoved her spoon into the ice cream. "So, what do you need to talk to me about? And if it doesn't involve Newtmas, I'm leaving."

Minho rolled his eyes. "Yes, it's about them. I have a plan."

"Oh, pretty, pretty please Tom?"

"No."

"Oh, come on!" Teresa protested, flopping down onto their couch miserably. "Why not?"

"Because Newt's probably going to be there because it's Minho's pool and he's friends with Minho and this is probably one of your schemes, and I also really don't want to have to deal with that smug little face of his." Thomas sat down on the little sliver of space that wasn't taken up by Teresa's limp form.

She paused. "Why would he be smug?"

Thomas's eyes widened as he realized his mistake. He didn't know when to shut up, did he? "He won," Thomas said, not knowing how to explain the ordeal without describing the whole conversation to her.

Teresa squinted at him. "He won...? What did he win?"

"Just one of our little spats. Nothing huge."

She quirked up an eyebrow. "But didn't you win the one in Social Studies?"

"Yeah, but this one's worse."

"Worse how?"

"Ugh, it's too complicated." Thomas shoved her off the couch and spread across it like a lazy otter.

"Ouch!" Teresa rubbed her back. "Well, if you're not going, then I'm not going. It'll be boring without you there."

Thomas glared up at her. "That's not going to work. If you don't go, that's all on you."

Teresa sighed. "Fine. If you're really not going to go, then at least go to the store with me."

"What do you need to go to the store for?"

"Snacks! I'm almost out."

"Now?"

"Yes, now!" Teresa grabbed him by his legs and yanked him off the cushions.

"OW!" Thomas glared at Teresa while he rubbed his poor, freshly-bruised head. "That hurt!"

Teresa rolled her eyes. "You're fine. And you shoved me off the couch," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but at least I was gentle!"

Teresa tugged him off the ground. "Doesn't matter. Shopping time!"

"Um, Teresa?"

"Hm?"

"You know the store is the other way, right?"