I Hate You

Part 10

You’re beyond giddy.
No one had ever asked you on a date before.
Which most people wouldn’t believe, considering what everyone seemed to think of you.

You glance at your phone.
You’re trying to ignore it.
You have probably twenty texts from Cassy demanding to know what the hell was going on with the weird Gothic kid you were suddenly hanging around with. You’d seen the first one and had just been ignoring the rest of them, not bothering to look.
Ryan wasn’t Gothic at all.
Sure, maybe the rest of them all dressed a little darkly, but there was nothing wrong with that.
You were wearing black Jeans, that didn’t make you Gothic.
You sigh, leaning back in your car.
You’re dreading homeroom.
You can already imagine the bloodbath it’s going to be when you got in there.
Why did she suddenly care?
You know she was irritated with you because you hadnt joined the team this year, but that shouldn’t make her freak out at you. There was no point in holding a grudge over it.
Yeesh.
You suppose it’s probably Blake.
He just has to always know everyone’s business.
You’d always known he was an asshole but still.
You almost cringe as you hear the bell ring, and reluctantly you crawl out of your car.
You know you look nice today, your mother had even commented how pretty you looked when you’d started to leave. 
You should look good considering you’d gotten up two hours early.
Ryan better appreciate your loss of sleep.
You glance around nervously as you step into the main building, wondering how long you could linger before you had to go to class.
Not long.
You grimace, and then head for homeroom, glad that Devin always sits in a desk by the door. You step in the door just as the bell rings, and you immediately head for Devin, sitting your things on his desk.
Your eyes flick to the teacher, who is more immersed in her iPhone then glancing around the room, and then to the back.
Shit.
Don’t make eye contact!
You hastily look away before you meet Cassys glare.
Okay.
So she was seriously mad about something. 
You’re not sure what.
Maybe you should have checked your messages.
“Why do you look like you’re ready to James Bond out of a window?” Devin asks you, seeing your nervous expression as you pull your phone from your back pocket.
“No reason,” you mumble, looking down at your phone.
You’d probably better check your messages.

Cassy: hey call me I need 2 tlk u
Cassy: hello Oooo
Cassy: (Y/N)!!!!!!
Cassy: this is important! !!!!!!
Cassy: u can stop ignoring me
Cassy: I just want to hear this from u n make sure it’s not just gossip 

Huh?
What was she talking about?
What rumor?
You frown in confusion.
You raise your head, twisting a little to look back at Cassy and the twittering group in the back.
What fucking rumor?
“I’ll be right back,” you mutter to Devin, who frowns at you but doesn’t ask as you hop off his desk and head for the back where your old friends were.
“Well how nice of you to join us,” Sean says when you step up, crossing his arms with a frown.
Why did he always have to have an attitude?
“Cas,” you turn to her, holding your phone in your hand pointedly. 
She frowns at you, looking a little hurt that you’d ignored her, and you can tell she’s literally debating on ignoring you.
Bitch don’t you dare.
“Cas,” you press, crossing your arms, and she huffs as she twists to look at you.
“We need to girl talk,” she says with a frown, her hand latching around yours as she gets up. She practically drags you to her desk, and you sigh as you turn to look at her, glancing around.
This wasn’t a very private place to girl talk.
“So what’s going on?” you sigh. “You sent me like fifty texts.”
“Which you should have answered!” she huffs, rolling her eyes. “But like Cariann overheard some of that Ryan guys friends talking after school the other day saying that you guys, like, slept together.”
“What?” you stare at her, surprised. “Of course not!”
​​"That’s what I thought! Not with someone like him,“ Cassy rolls her eyes. "But that’s what she heard them talking about and now Blake is —.”
“What does it even matter?” you frown. 
“What?”
“What does it matter to anyone who I sleep with? I mean, no way I’m sleeping with anyone, but you know what I mean. It’s not anyone’s business. Especially not Blake’s.”
Of all people.
Cassy frowns at you. “(Y/N) —.”
“I’m not in your business asking you who you’re sleeping with.” You continue, crossing your arms.
“I’m not prying, (Y/N), you don’t have to bitch at me! I’m just telling you the rumor that’s going sound,” she snaps, annoyed. “So at least you know about it! God, what’s your deal lately?”
“I don’t have a deal.”
“You have something! You ignore me like all summer, you ditch me all the time when we try to make plans —.”
“I’m busy, I —.”
“That’s such bullshit; you sit at home all the time, I only live down the block from you, remember? I see your car sitting there. If you don’t wanna hang with me you just have to say so!”
“That’s not it at all, I —.”
“Girls, girls, you don’t have to fight over me.”
Ugh!
You scowl as you look over, Blake and Sean both stepping to your sides, Blake’s arms sliding around both of your shoulders. 
“I’m available for both of your needs, whatever they are,” he continues, sending both of you goofy grins.
Last year, you’d thought Blake was hilarious with his comments and jokes — now you just thought he was an asshole.
You shrug his arm off your shoulders.
Ugh.
“Nows not really the time,” you start, your arms crossing defensively.
“Considering you two besties are fighting in the middle of a classroom, it’s kind of not the time for that either,” Blake tells you smartly, pulling Cassy closer to him, as if showing that you were on your own.
You frown at him.
Blake, Cassy, and Sean all stood together, a little trio, leaving you on the out.
Fine.
If that’s how they want to be, you don’t care.
You glare at Blake.
You hadnt forgotten his stupid party, and your opinion of him had been steadily dropping. You have no idea if your drink was meant to be drugged or not, or if maybe it had been Cassys you’d accidentally drank from, but it didn’t matter.
Blake wasn’t the person you’d thought he was.
He was an asshole.
A bad person.
And nothing could change your mind on that now.
Your arms tighten around yourself.
“Yknow, I can kind of see why that Ryan dude is spreading rumors about the two of you sleeping together,” Sean suddenly comments, and your eyes flick to him. “Especially when you’re dressed like that.”
“If that’s a compliment, it’s a shitty one,” you snap at him, your hands curling to fists. “And I’m not sleeping with him.”
“I figure. He’s weird, him and his little group,” Sean shrugs, tugging on his letterman jacket. “But you can’t blame him for wanting people to think it.”
You doubt Ryan had said a damned word.
You’re Thinking His Stupid Fucking Friends Had Been Talking And That’s What Had Started it.
Someone overhearing them.
Fuckers.
No one could mind their own damn business! 
And you have a date today! You don’t have time for this!
You’re supposed to be excited and —.
Oh wait.
You have a date with Ryan.
Who your friends think you’re sleeping with apparently no matter what they’re saying now.
Your eyes go to Cassy, but she’s more caught up with Blake’s arm around her then you now; it was obvious she was over the moon that he was interested in her, but that didn’t mean she got to act like a bitch to you either.
Not cool.
So much for everlasting friendship. 
“There’s a game tomorrow night, why don’t you come?” Blake suddenly suggests, and you frown. “You haven’t been to one of our games at all yet — no one’s seen you.”
You hadnt felt like it.
All you did was hang with friends, you didn’t really care for the game, you never had.
You shrug.
“I’ll think about it.”
Had someone seen you and Ryan kissing in your car?
Most of the lot had been empty by then.
Why would his friends be spreading rumors about you though? 
You have nothing against them.
You’d actually thought they’d kind of liked you since you’d gone to their practice and everything. 
Except for testicle boy of course.
He had an issue with you and you didn’t know why.
Had he been the one doing it?
Eh…
Should you even bring it up to Ryan? 
It was so stupid.
You sigh as the bell rings, and don’t bother to say a word to your friends as you turn and walk back to Devins desk where you’d left your things.
“You okay?” he asks when you near; and you bob your head.
“Yeah; I gotta hurry today though, so I’ll see you later.”
~~~~
Ryan frowns when he doesn’t see you walking with Devin 
“Where’s —?”
“She had to hurry to class, ” Devin shrugs. “Something about a test.”
Oh.
Ryan nods.
What test?
He glances around the commons area once more before him and Devin start heading for the old gym where their class was held, Devins footsteps reluctant as usual.
Devin hates gym.
He hates people his own age and being around them.
He’s glad he has Ryan with him though. 
It makes it a lot easier to deal with.
Luckily, considering the coach and his wife were divorcing and were constantly bickering on the phone, he was outside the double doors and the class was left to their own devices.
Which was great.
Usually.
But not today.
Ryan and Devin absently toss a ball back and forth, neither of them actually trying.
“So I’ve got like eight hundred saved up,” Ryan sighs, “Another couple months and I’ll have enough.”
“Dude, that’s great! You’re almost there.”
“It’s taking forever! All I freaking do is work!”
“Well, it’s not all you do,” Devin grins, and Ryan rolls his eyes.
“Devin —.”
“Hey, Sitkowski.”
Eh?
Ryan glances over as he catches the ball.
What did that asshole want?
“What?”
“You know (Y/N) don’t you?”
Ryan stiffens, his hands tightening around the ball in his hands as he turns to face the dude.
“Which one?” he asks, just to be a dick. 
After all there was another girl with your first name in their grade.
“We all have fourth block together. You sit beside her.”
“Then obviously I know her, don’t I?” Ryan couldn’t help but be an asshole.
He really didn’t like this guy.
Although he couldn’t remember his name at all.
He just called him asshole guy.
Asshole guy scowls. “Yeah. So me and the guys —,” he waves his hand behind him in a vague gesture, “were wondering something?”
“And what’s that?” What has your tiny brain wondered?
“Well, word is you and her had a thing the other night.”
“A thing?”
Ryans stomach is dropping, and he can feel the sweat building on his palms where he’s holding the ball, Devin nervously stepping closer and closer.
“Yeah. Like you guys hooked up didn’t you?”
The fuck?
Ryan looks at him like he’s lost his mind.
“With her?”
“Yeah! And I gotta say, bro, nice. She’s like frigid normally.”
You?
Frigid? 
​Never.
Ryan snorts. “Don’t I know that.”
Oops.
Did he say that out loud?
Asshole guy grins, leaning back on his heels, two of his buddies stepping closer to listen, Devin hovering right beside Ryan worriedly.
“So, like, you gotta tell us. Is she good? Cuz like Brandon was wanting to ask her out, and —.”
Oh fuck no.
Ryan frowns.
Brandon didn’t have a chance in hell.
You’re taken.
And he didn’t sleep with you.
“Uh, actually, she —.”
“Pair up!”
All the guys jerk, looking over as the coach suddenly comes barreling into the gym, red faced and looking like he’s on the verge of a second heart attack.
“Pair up and get in a line!”
Well shit.
Ryan grimaces as he turns to look at Devin.
Great.
Now they had to do shit.
~~~~
You chew your lip, flicking your makeup mirror down nervously as you stare at your reflection, making sure your makeup was still good.
Okay.
Good.
You’re not sure why you’re nervous.
You were already at O'Charleys, waiting for Ryan to pull up. You’d been so eager to get away from the school you’d told him you’d just meet him there.
And so you were.
And waiting.
And being nervous complete with sweaty palms and stomach churns.
Those definitely weren’t butterflies, whoever the hell came up with that expression was an idiot.
Right. 
Remember to breathe.
You glance over as a car pulls in beside you, and smile when you see Ryan. You quickly reach for your purse and keys, opening your door.
“Hey.”
“Hey. Don’t forget your mirror.”
Hmm?
You glance back, then sigh, closing your mirror quickly.
You probably needed to work on that.
Ryan smiles when you step up on the sidewalk with him, and the both of you head through the busy crowd towards the lady waiting at the podium. Luckily, you’re pretty sure you’ve hit between the crowds so you manage to get seated in a booth pretty quick.
Which is awesome.
“Okay, Italian expert, what’s your recommendation?” Ryan sighs as he flicks through the menu.
“Have you ever eat here?”
“No.”
“What? Then you’ve been deprived! Okay, they have a bunch of good food!” 
Don’t babble.
For the love of pasta don’t start babbling.
“Have you tried everything on the menu here?” Ryan looks at you in amusement.
“Maybe.” you flush.
Truthfully, it was legit your favorite restaurant, and you and your family would come here all time and try different dishes.
So you basically had tried just about everything.
“I’m sure there’s like a burger section or something though if you like,” you say, but he shakes his head.
“Nah. Branch out, right?”
You shrug.
You liked just about all the food.
When the waitress arrives, you both order, Ryan letting you go first… And then ordering the same thing because he has absolutely no idea what he’s going to like.
You grin at him.
“It’s good, as long as you like chicken.”
“Chickens fine.”
You raise your brows at him in amusement before leaning back in the booth.
Well.
Now what? 
What did you say?
What did you even have to talk about?
Should you mention what your friends had been talking about?
What his had apparently been talking about?
Eh.
No…
What if he got mad?
Fuck, what if you got mad?
No point in ruining the date.
“Okay, so like on a scale of one to ten, how much do you like Italian?” you ask the first thing that pops into your head.
“Uh… Three.”
“Three! Ryan,” you sigh, propping your chin on your hand. “If you don’t like it, I said we didn’t have to eat here. There’s like a bajillion different places.”
“Yeah, but I was afraid one of them might have a TV close by you could change to cartoons.”
“Oh my god I’m not that bad —!” You start to laugh. 
“(Y/N)?”
Huh?
You look over in surprise, and then go stiff.
“What are you doing here?” you and the man both say at the same time.
Ryan blinks.
What the hell?
He glances at the man who’d stopped in front of your booth, dressed in a gray suit with a glossy tie; he looked very professional, with short hair the same color as yours and reading glasses tucked in his suit pocket.
He kind of looked like an asshole actually. 
“Who’s your friend?” the man asks, turning dark eyes on Ryan.
Ryan feels like he should maybe crawl under the table now.
Dude had a scary look.
“This is Ryan.” You say after a moment, rigid.
Why the fuck was he here!?
Here of all places!
“Ah. Well, hello, Ryan, I’m (Y/N)’s father,” the man introduces himself, holding his hand out expectantly.
Well.
Shit.
Ryan stares at him a moment, his eyes flicking to you before he reaches to firmly shake your father’s hand.
Ugh.
Daddy issues.
He’d almost forgotten about that.
Your parents were divorced.
“What are you doing here?” you ask, shifting nervously in the booth, staring your father down with the same forceful look he’d given Ryan.
Now Ryan knows where you get it from.
“I was meeting with… I was having dinner here.” your father responds with a frown at your tone.
“Oh, that’s nice. Every time I try to have dinner you give me some excuse.” the words leave your mouth before you can stop them.
“I work for a living, I don’t always have time for you — for unplanned dinners.”
You glare.
You can’t help it.
I don’t always have time for you.
that’s what he’d said.
So fine.
You don’t have time for him either.
“Well, as you can see, I’m busy too,” you huff. “You are too apparently. Thanks for stopping by, Dad.”
Adios.
See ya later.
Get the fuck gone already. 
Your father takes the hint, and after a rather narrow nod at Ryan, he continues walking.
You lean out of your booth, watching as he walks away, seeing him turn the corner out of sight.
Dammit.
You bet he’s with her here.
Ryan frowns.
That had been… Unpleasant. 
So much for a relaxing first date.
You sigh as you lean up, grimacing.
“I’m sorry,” you say immediately, your cheeks heating. “I didn’t know my dad was here.”
“Well, it was an awkward way to meet him,” Ryan rubs the back of his neck. “He seems…”
“Busy.” You mumble.
Always busy.
But whatever.
Riiight.
How does Ryan fix this?
No better way to ruin the mood then to have an unexpected estranged parent stop by for a chat.
“What’s your favorite color?” Ryan suddenly asks.
You frown. “Blue.”
“Mines green.”
“Like your car?”
“Nah. Like emerald green, not rusty green junk.”
“Your cars not junky.”
“You’ve never rode in it.”
True.
And Ryan had driven yours already. 
“Fair enough. How’s the band doing?”
“Terrible.”
“Ryan!”
“We’re terrible and we know it,” he chuckles, shrugging as he crosses his arms along the tabletop. “We’ll get better eventually but we suck right now, no point in sugar coating it. Maybe when we get some better equipment —.”
“Like better guitars?”
“Yeah. Like better guitars.”
“How far away are you until you get it?”
“I just need a few hundred more, I’m really close.”
“What color?”
“Black.”
Of course.
Why did you even ask?
“So what are you gonna do after high school?” you ask, gazing across the table at him. “Just gonna hope the band takes off?”
“Basically. I don’t exactly have any other skills.”
“Oh, I’m sure you do!”
“Nah, not really.what about you? I figure you’re getting ready for colleges.”
You fidget. “Yeah, I’ve applied to some already. But I don’t know what I wanna do yet other then get out of this town.”
“Sounds like a solid plan to me.”
You suppose. 
You look over as the waitress appears, smiling at the two of you as she sets your plates down, easily missing your drinks.
“It’s hot,” she warns the two of you.
As if you couldn’t tell that by the steam rolling off of it.
You grin as Ryan sends the Alfredo a dubious look.
“Just try it! You’ll like it,” you tell him. 
Ahuh.
​​Alfredo always tastes bland as hell.
He grimaces as he reaches for a fork, poking at the plate a moment before gathering the courage to even take a bite, aware you were watching him.
Hot as fuck!
Fucking hot!
He’s pretty sure his tongue just went to hell!
“She said it was hot! You shouldn’t have taken such s big bite!”
“I didn’t think it would scald me alive!”
You roll your eyes.
Big baby.
~~~~~
“Mhmhmm. And so that’s how my mom decided we should get a cat.”
“Really? I didn’t see a cat when I was over.”
“He stays upstairs in her room mostly. Next time when you’re over I’ll try to get him to come out. He’s hateful.”
“Most cats are. What’s his name?”
“Philip.”
“… The cats name is Philip?”
“Yeah, I know, it’s weird.”
Ryan raises his brows at you. “It’s not the weirdest I’ve heard, trust me. And I wouldn’t mind meeting your cat.”
Your cheeks flush.
You bite your lip.
Ryan grins at you.
He knows exactly how he’d said it.
He just hadn’t been able to help himself.
“Here’s the receipt, kids,” the waitress pops back up, laying the receipt down. “Whenever you’re ready!”
They say that, but what she really means is “tip me and get the fuck out.”
Ryan had tried being a waiter once.
He’d gotten fired.
He didn’t take criticism from his peers very well apparently. 
You go to reach for the paper, but Ryan snatches it before you can, moving towards the edge of the booth.
You stare at him. “What are you doing?”
“Paying, obviously.”
“But I can get it —.”
“Hey. I asked you on a date, didn’t I?”
“… Yes.”
“So I’ll pay. You did last time.”
“That was pizza.”
“Food in general. I’ll be right back.”
You watch as Ryan takes the check, heading to the front.
Aww.
He was so fucking… Sweet.
Why had you hated him again?
You glance at your jean clad legs.
Best not to remind yourself lest you decide to punch him out of pent up resentment.
You fumble through your purse, leaving a nice tip for the waitress before getting to your feet. Ryan meets you back at the table with a smile, and he actually takes your hand as the two of you walk for the front.
Had you graduated to hand holding already? 
Awesome.
Next you could get married and really shock everyone.
“So other then the fact my dad awkwardly dropped by, that was nice,” you say, bumping his shoulder slightly as you walk. Ryan chuckles, and slips his arm around your neck, curling you closer to him.
“Your dad doesn’t seem too bad. Just… Dadly.”
Ugh.
More like cheater-y.
Or family abandon-y.
But you’re not going to say that.
You merely shrug, the two of you stepping off the sidewalk and into the lot towards your cars. You click to unlock your car, tossing your purse inside before turning back to Ryan.
So what’s going to happen?
Was he gonna ask you out again?
Or should you ask him?
Maybe Saturday?
You’d sort of made plans for then, but you’re not sure.
Fuck.
Dammit to hell.
Your dad’s gonna say something to your mom about Ryan.
And she doesn’t even know about him.
Maybe you should mention him then?
So she wouldn’t be surprised and feel like you were hiding him from her.
So when you get home it might be best to bring him up.
You sigh internally.
That’ll be interesting. 
“Do you still wanna hang out Saturday?” you ask, leaning back against your car.
“Sure, if you wanna.”
“Yeah. Maybe my place?”
“Sure —.”
“My mom’ll be there, though,” you say quickly, nervously biting your lip. “So, like —.”
“I’ll meet your mom, no big deal.” he shrugs.
He would’ve had too eventually.
He’d already cleared your dad.
Your mom, considering you live with her, would be the big deal.
Should he wear a bow tie?
He chuckles.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothin’. It’ll be after I get off work I can come over.”
“That’s fine.”
“Cool.”
Yeah.
Cool.
You’re so fucked.
Your mom was going to demand major details.
Wait.
What about his parents?
You hadnt met either of them.
“So… When do I get to meet your parents?” you ask, Ryan leaning on his car opposite you.
Ryan hesitates. 
His? 
Probably never.
They were always around through the week, they slept there at night, but come the weekend they generally took off to do their own thing.
“I dunno.” he mumbles, shrugging and hoping you just let it go.
You didn’t want to meet his shitty parents.
They weren’t anything like yours. 
“Okay…” You bite your lip, suddenly uncertain. 
Ryan forces a smile, and then he pushes away from his car, offering his hand to you. You don’t hesitate to twine your fingers through his.
“Don’t worry about them; you know they can’t be too great with their taste in furniture.”
“What’s wrong with the furniture?”
“You slept on the couch, you know.”
You chuckle. “It’s not like I can remember that though.”
You can remember puking, however, and you frown, feeling your cheeks heat.
Yeah you were gonna stick with not remembering. 
Ryan smiles at you, looking at ease as he leans close to you. 
You tilt your face so he can kiss you easily.
If someone had told you last month you’d be voluntarily kissing Ryan Sitkowski, you probably would have throat punched them.
Funny how things change.