Coming to Terms ✔️

3: Hibachi

I'd been brainstorming all day and couldn't think of anything.

Nothing seemed up to par with getting sweet, sweet revenge on Xavier that was equivalent to outing me to the west side of town. I tried to think deep, personal, a low blow. But nothing was coming close to what had been done to me.

Since Inconfronted him physically earlier I had thrown pencils at his window until I got his attention, only to shoot him a middle finger and then close my curtain quickly. That was all I got. Dakota had come up and hung out for a little bit to watch the newest episode of our favorite show. I asked her if she could think on it as well and she said she would try.

I went to sleep and decided I could think better after some rest. When I awoke, I was still drawing a blank.

There were the silly pranks I could do, paint embarrassing words on his car windows, show up at his work and give him hell, catfish him online. Nothing seemed to be enough.

Later that night, I was getting off work at my family's deli and closing up with my coworker Julian, joking about and whatnot. My mom was counting the register when she spoke up, gaining our attention.

"You remember that we are going to dinner with the de Leóns tomorrow night, right?"

I shot a glare at her. "No, Mom. And I don't plan on going," I spat, venom in my voice. Julian raised an eyebrow.

"I told them both of my children would attend, so don't embarrass me. You're living in my house rent free, you can put your little feud aside for one free dinner. Did I mention you're a freeloader?" she joked, but I could tell there was sincerity behind her words. "Julian, you can come, too, honey. We're going to a hibachi grill. Restaurant's closed for the night."

"Ooh, I'll be there," Julian hummed, eyes lighting up.

I knew he was just agreeing because Dakota would be there. I pretended I didn't know about whatever the hell was going on between them, but I was well aware. The other night Julian had gone home with me after work to hang out, but I was positive he had other motives, so I set it up so that Julian could sleep in the guest room. That gave him the freedom to hang out with my sister in what they thought was private.

I huffed, sweeping into the dustpan all the crumbs I'd gathered. "I'm assuming Xavier will be there," I muttered.

Mom just nodded, not dwelling on the conversation to avoid anymore arguing. We finished up closing and headed out. I offered to smoke Julian out before we went, so we hopped into my Jeep.

Julian fiddled with a Rubik's cube he found on the passengers seat while I pulled out my stash from under the backseat. We made small talk while my fingers were occupied with rolling a blunt.

"You got beef with that Xavier dude?"

A groan left my lips. "He's a tool."

"Every Xavier I've met has been a tool, so I can't say I'm not surprised," Julian laughed, cheering when he made three of the same color tile in a row.

"I don't even know why, but we just fucking hate each other, man. It started in sixth grade when I was dating Sarah Roland and she broke up with me for him, and then it happened again in seventh grade with Cassie French."

Julian eyed me sideways. "Was this before you turned gay?"

I laughed out loud. "Yeah, before I turned gay. I was so pissed that I threw an orange at him at lunch and so he tossed the bone from his fried chicken at me," I snorted humorlessly. "I'm obviously over that but him and I . . . If you leave us alone for too long, one of us will surely end up dead."