Chapter Fourteen
Tyler
Did I want to block Layla in? Not really. I only meant to tease her a bit while I waited for Jared to hop in. Then Adam had to spoil it by making out with some hot sophomore in front of her which makes me feel like freaking dirt.
Austin’s in the back snapping off play-by-plays like I couldn’t see what was going down perfectly fine in my rearview mirror. Of course, when Jared got in, he smacked Austin and me. “Dude, come on. Stop being a total asswipe.”
When I leave the lot, Austin says, “All right, I’m calling it. I think Adam will somehow win Layla back by winter formal.”
Jared snaps, “Are you high? He’s not getting her back. He totally just had Selena Jenson nailed up against her freaking car.”
“Yeah, to get Layla jealous,” Austin defends.
Austin is my boy but sometimes he can be a little dense. Even though I may be wrong that Layla isn’t Faye, I’ve gotta agree with Jared on this one. “Dude, he’s never getting a shot with her again. I bet any money his car is going to be keyed and tires slashed by tomorrow morning.”
“Fine. Think I have a shot?” Austin asks.
“Aren’t you hooking up with Rachel?” I say.
He shrugs. “She’s been avoiding me. I think that ship has sailed.”
“No. I’m pretty sure girl code is a whole shitload stricter than guy code,” Jared states.
“Nuh uh. Really?” Austin says.
“Uh yeah, bro. They won’t even go near a cousin’s ex or something bat-shit crazy like that.” He may be right. I overheard my sister calling some girl a wran for taking someone’s cousin’s ex to something. I just assume that was girl code meaning don’t date anyone’s exes. Cousins, sisters, friends, friend’s cousins. Whatever.
While I turn onto Brand Boulevard, a gigantic billboard plasters my view. “Looking for love? Call Angela Valentine at 4VALENTINE.”
“Jesus. That woman is everywhere,” I complain.
Austin smacks my right arm. “Almost like your family name.”
“Hardy-har-har. You’re so freaking funny.” Honestly though, he has a point. Half of this town is run by my family including a dentist office, law firm, jewelry store, and three car dealerships. Yeah. My family kind of runs Riverside.
I pull up to Austin’s house first. He eases out of the back seat.
“Thanks for the lift. See you tomorrow.”
“Yep.”
As we pull away, Jared laughs. “Sometimes I have no idea what he’s thinking.”
“Oh, you mean the stunt where he’s thinking about asking Layla Valentine out? That’s hilarious.”
“Yeah. He didn’t think that through.”
“Pretty sure Austin only thinks with his dick. And those choices are very questionable.”
Jared nods. “Dude, do you have to be home right now?”
“Nah. What are you thinking?”
“I want to get some fast food. Mom is trying out these healthy dinners and last night I swear to God she fed me dirt.”
I bust out laughing. “No wonder why your dad was so pissed off at practice.”
“I think my dad is just naturally a bastard.”
I nod. “What are you thinking? Shakin’ Shack, Moe’s Burgers, or Blue?”
“Burgers. They’ve got good shakes too.”
“Yeah they do. All right. Moe’s, here we come.”
The last person I ever thought I’d see at Moe’s is Layla. She does not exactly scream, “I’ll totally eat alone and mack down a huge, fat, greasy burger.” But there she was, sitting in the back by herself, near the jukebox.
“Hello, boys; just the two of you?” a girl probably in her early twenties asks as she rollerblades toward us. Moe’s is like a fifties diner. The wait staff wears rollerblades vinyl records decorate the walls.
“Yes, just the two of us,” I answer.
She leads us to a table not far from where Layla is sitting. She is currently scowling at something in her notebook then she erases, squints at, then scribbles something else down.
“What are you about to do?” Jared asks as he hands me a menu.
“Nothing. Why?”
He raises a brow. “I know you. Haven’t you pissed that girl off enough today?”
“Please. People like Layla need someone in their life ruffling their feathers. Otherwise they’ll think everyone worships them, and they can’t do any wrong.”
He shakes his head. “I have no idea how you come up with this shit.”
I march over to Layla and plop right down in her booth. She looks away from her homework and up at me. “Someone must really hate me.”
“What do you mean?” I smirk.
She glares at me. “What do you want, Tyler? I’m busy.”
“I can see that. What’s the matter don’t like math?”
Her face instantly turns red. “Leave me alone.”
“Not so fast.” I glance down at her paper and shake my head. Everything on it looks jumbled and, well, like a toddler wrote it. Maybe she isn’t the girl I thought she was.
“Wow, you have some shitty handwriting, Valentine.”
She snatches all her papers up, and slaps them in her book. “Go away, Tyler.”
“In a minute.” I clear my throat. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry for pulling a dick move on you and holding you up so you had to catch Adam moving on.”
She narrows her eyes. “Are you finished?”
“Yeah.” A woman sets down Layla’s plate of fries and a big monster burger.
I swipe a fry from her plate and pop it into my mouth. The woman with the nametag Henrietta says, “Oh, I’m sorry, hon; did you need something?”
“No!” Layla screams, and I say calmly, “Nope.”
“He’s not staying,” she says.
“Oh, okay. Well, did you need anything else, dear?” Henrietta asks.
Layla shakes her head. “Thanks.”
The woman takes off and I stand. “Wow, Valentine, I’m actually impressed.”
“About what?”
“You actually have some manners. Who knew?”
She scowls deeply again, and I chuckle as I make my way back to Jared.
“I swear you mess with her because you like her,” Jared says.
I laugh. “Please. Dating her would be like dating a viper.”
“Then why don’t you just ignore her?”
I smile. “Because I find great joy in pissing her off every day.” I glance at her again, watching her type into her phone. Suddenly my phone buzzes.
Faye: Have you ever had a day where absolutely everything went wrong?
Gotcha. Now what to do? Play this out a little longer or just ignore her text? I must be losing my mind.
Me: Yeah. That’s my life mostly from 6 to 10 every day.
Faye: Well, looks like I’m joining the club today.
Me: That sucks.
“Hello, I’m Margret. What can I get you two today?”
I order a milkshake and a cowboy big burger. Jared asks for a shake, and a breakfast bacon burger.
“Who are you texting?” Jared asks.
“Faye. She’s actually kind of cool.” Which texting version Layla is kind of cool.
Jared shakes his head. “I’m telling you, this whole weird thing you have going on is just going to blow up in your face.”
He’s probably right. “No, it isn’t. It’s not like I’m asking her to marry and run away with me, numb nuts. I’m just saying she’s pretty cool through text.”
“Whatever. I still think it’s a mistake.”
I slump back against the booth. It’s just texting. I’m not going to fall for Layla Valentine. Right? Anyway, what the heck would Jared even know? He’s just sulking because the girl he wants just waltzed in with Mark. Ah, shit.