Fried Burrito

t w E N t y - t h R e e

It's been two weeks since Dad has declared he needed "space" but it felt like a year. My family drifted farther apart from each other as the days went on and it felt weird. I knew everything that happened wasn't directly my fault but I knew I had some part in it. I picked up a lot of hobbies to pass the time because I was still too confused to talk to Jace and I didn't want to drag Lena and Daphne into my family drama.

So instead of moping and whining, I watched a billion movies with happy endings, folded a dozen paper cranes, wrote a couple mediocre entries, became fluent in Spanish (again), and of course, ate a bunch of cookies of every shape and size. Oh, I also went to work too because yeah, that was still a thing.

My mother and I weren't on the best speaking terms ever since she ambushed me in the car with her accusations and words but, it didn't bother me too much. It was the same way with my brothers as well but, it wasn't my fault things happened the way they did.  Things would return to normal when they were ready to, who was I to rush anything?

I'd been feeling more mellow than usual. The reason? I wasn't really sure about it. I didn't stop to think about it though, I just let it go.

I walked into work and set myself up to start my shift. I folded a couple messed up jeans before I turned around to attend to something else, only to be face to torso to the boy I missed dearly. He didn't do anything except look at me, probably waiting for me to apologize to him or to tell him how I feel. 

"I just saw we got a shipment of size 26 flex fit jeans in the back... I could go grab you a couple pairs."

Jace chuckled at my reference to the first time he came in the store to bother me. He shook his head at me and stepped closer. I took this opportunity to wrap my fingers around his.

"Jace... I'm so sorry. I've been the worst girl to you. Can I explain myself over lunch or dinner?"
"At the end of your shift, come over to mine and we'll go from there." he replied seconds before he kissed my hand and walked away. 

Even when I've caused him a ton of cliche teenage trauma he still kisses my hand goodbye. 

That boy was too good to me.

________ 

Like we agreed, I drove to Jace's house after I got off of work. I felt my nerves creep up my body as I knocked on his door. The door opened softly and I took it as an invitation to come in. The house was weirdly quiet and I felt weird being in there without anyone in it. 

"Jace? Are you in here?" I asked but no one answered. I was ready to walk back outside to wait for him when I noticed his figure through the back door. He was running away from his little brother with a hose as the rest of his family laughed at him. He fell a few seconds later and got covered by every ounce of water that flowed through the hose. 

He turned his head to the side as he blocked the stream from his face, and in turn, he ended up seeing me standing there like a creep in the middle of his house watching him. He motioned for me to come out and I listened. 

His family cheered my name once they saw me, it made me feel happier than I'd been feeling lately. 

"My beautiful Caden! Hello, hello, hello!" his mom greeted as she pulled me down to wrap me in her little arms. "I was starting to think that Jace scared you off."
"He could never do that," I smiled at her once she let go.

"Are you sure? My boy can be a little scary. Did he tell you about the time he covered himself in mud and sat outside our house trying to scare anyone that came to our door?" a man who I assumed to be his Dad piped in with a hearty chuckle.

"Alright Dad," Jace said from behind me. "She doesn't need to hear any of your stories."

"Oh stop being such a sensitive Sally, J! He's only joking," his mom explained.

"Well it's not funny." Jace replied more hostile than I have ever heard him. 

I looked between the two to see a collection of unsaid and unresolved tension stuck in the air. 

"Ah Caden, would you like to stay for dinner? Everyone missed you." his Mom said awkwardly. 
"Of course," I smiled softly. 

"This time we'll cook a regular meal for you, no surprises!" 

"I can't wait. Excuse us," I said before I wrapped my fingers around Jace's hand and pulled him to the side. "Are you okay? Things seemed a little tense back there."
"I'm fine."
"Jace," I paused to put my hand on his arm. "Talk to me."
He sighed, nodded towards the door and started moving faster than I could follow him past his family's wall of memories to the place where he spent his time whenever he was at home. 

"Wait here, I have to change." he ordered before disappeared. 

I sat down on his bed and became accustomed of his homely scent. I noticed that his room was extremely neat that his cleanliness almost put mine to shame. He had a couple of pictures on his wall, solely family and a couple friends. I felt my heart flutter when I spotted myself sleeping next to smiling Jace on his wall. The picture was clearly taken in the dark but it was bright in all the right ways. He'd taken it the first time I came over his house after dinner. We'd been watching movies on his couch and I remember allowing myself to fall asleep soundly after he'd told me he wanted to be with me.

I ran my fingers over the picture, feeling nostalgic. Who knew that I would've fell in love with him after all?

"You okay?" 

I turned to see Jace standing in his doorway, giving me a look of concern. 
"Yeah," I sighed. "Are you?"

He shook his head. 

"Come here," I said with open arms. For once, I was the one comforting instead of the one being comforted.