Girl Meets Ryan Matthews

22.

Ryan knocked on the door. Elena opened it a few seconds after and smiled once she saw Ryan.

"Hey, sweetie, what are you doing here? Do you need to use the window again?" She asked with a knowing smile. Ryan shook his head.

"No, actually, uh I needed your help for something," Ryan smiled sheepishly. Elena nodded and let him inside. Ryan walked in and dropped his backpack by the door.

"My home ec class is doing this cooking cultural project and I wanted to do something on Latino foods," Ryan said, putting his hands in his pocket.

Elena sat on the couch. "And you want me to help you make something?"

"If you could, yeah."

Elena shook her head. "I'm no good at cooking, sweety. It's normally Aidan who makes everything. Whenever I try, I always end up burning something."

Ryan sighs. "Is Aidan here? I really wanted to get this done today."

Elena shook her head. Ryan sat down next to her. "Is there anything you think I could make that doesn't involve cooking? Or at least, very little contact with fire," Ryan asked.

"We could make salsa."

Ryan snapped his fingers and finger gunned at her. "Yes. We totally could."

--

Elena had brought out the ingredients and they got to cooking. It was very easy, until Ryan nearly burned the boiling water.

Yes. He nearly burned the water. Don't ask.

The last step was to blend the ingredients together to make the salsa.

"How many jalapeños do you want me to add?" Ryan asked, everything else already in the blender.

"I normally put one, but my abuelita always said, "As many as my strong Cuban heart could take," Elena said, putting on a Cuban accent and dramatically hitting her chest. "So four."

"That feels like a lot."

Elena nods. "Oh, it is. But it's your salsa, chico." Ryan shrugs and puts four jalapeños in the blender and squints at it. Would he regret this?

Definitely.

He put the top on and turned it on.

--

When Aidan came home from debate practice, the last thing he expected was the see the cute boy from a few days ago.

What was even weirder was seeing him red faced chugging a bottle of water while his tía laughed at him.

"What's happening?" Aidan asked warily as he dropped his bag on the couch. Ryan finished the bottle and put his head on the counter.

"I made a mistake," He gasped out. Elena pointed out to a bowl with salsa in it.

"He put four jalapeños in the salsa!"

Aidan rolled his eyes as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He walked over to them and dipped a chip in the salsa.

"This isn't that bad."

Ryan brought his face up, which was red from embarrassment and heat, and sighed, exasperated.

"To be fair, the spiciest thing I've ever had is hot cheetos, so."

Ryan grabbed another water bottle and started chugging it. He slowly put it down when he saw Elena and Aidan staring at him.

"What?"

Elena hugged him to her chest and started fake sobbing.

"Oh, you poor white boy."

"What."

"That is a horrible frame of reference, man," Aidan laughed as he ate the salsa.

"How can you guys eat that stuff?" Ryan asked, gesturing to the salsa once Elena let him go.

Elena and Aidan both looked up at him from where they were leaning over the bowl.

"We're Cuban."

Ryan rolled his eyes.