‹ Prequel: Kids in Love
Growing Up
04
“This place is tiny and it’s packed we’ll never get to eat” Brendon whined.
“Can’t we just get it to go and eat at like a park or something?” Ian suggested.
“Alright so get a ton of tacos and,” Claudia pointed at Tori, “umm a Jarritos de mandarina?”
She nodded, “yeah I love that stuff, get me two.”
“Alright, Ry what do you want to drink?”
He shrugged, “do you think they have that drink I like, the cinnamon thing?”
“Horchata, mmm that sounds good I think I’m getting one too. Bren?”
“I thought I was going to help?”
She shrugged, “I assumed Ian was going to help, but it’ll be easier if the three of us carry stuff.”
Ryan watched as the three set off towards the small taco shop. He climbed out of the van and stretched out. Tori got out and leaned against the van.
“Do you ever feel like. . .I don’t know angry at Spencer for leaving?”
Ryan looked at her, she was picking at her nail polish. He wondered what her sudden interest in his feelings, towards spencer, was all about.
“No I mean, I guess I wish he was around but I’m glad he’s doing what he wanted to do.”
“But do you ever think that maybe the distance is going to end your friendship?”
Ryan sighed, he couldn’t really say he’d never given this much thought, “I mean it’s obviously a possibility but I think that as long as we make an effort we can never stop being friends and that goes for all of you not just Spin.”
She smiled. Ryan knelt down and tied his shoe. He smiled at the thought that a year ago he would have killed to be alone with Tori and now it was no big deal. He also thought it was funny that when he thought he was in love with her she seemed so perfect and innocent. It felt like she was too good to be true, but he was just ignoring all her other traits, here and now she seemed real and worried about something.
“Sometimes I can’t decide if I’m afraid of change or if I’m afraid that everyone is changing but me”
She looked up and gave him a small smile, “nothing’s really changed”
“Oh come on Tor you can’t honestly say nothing’s changed. Think about it, Claudia only started hanging out with us because she was dating Jon and when they broke up whose side did we take? Hers, I mean it’s just weird right; that he was so expendable. Also she was always more Spencer’s friend and she and I only got along because we had him around. Now it’s hard to imagine not having her around. When did she and I become friends? When did Jon stop being my friend?”
Tori didn’t respond, but then Ryan hadn’t expected her to, you can’t explain things like this they just happen.
“Don’t tell me you and Brendon didn’t change. That pregnancy scare you guys had changed everything. Brendon finally told his parents he didn’t want to do the whole Mormon thing. He was kicked out of his parents’ house; which I think is probably the best thing that could have happened to him. He’s way more focused on what he wants now; He works hard all day and works on his music every chance he gets. Your grades improved you figured out what you wanted to do and it’s great. You and Brendon are growing up and yet you haven’t grown apart. You guys are so different from where you were a year ago.”
Ryan licked his lips he was probably making Tori uncomfortable but he just wanted to admit all of this to someone. “I don’t know, I mean even Ian has changed. When I first met him he was really shy and could barely even look a girl in the eye. Now I mean he’s not the most outgoing person in the world but he does pretty well for himself. Spencer used to ask me for advice all the time and now I’m the one who needs help from him when did our roles change? It just seems like all my friends are growing up and changing and I’m here stuck in this monotonous hole I can’t climb out of.”
She was playing with a strand of her hair and biting her bottom lip. Finally she met Ryan’s eyes, “you know some people never change. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing.”
Ryan climbed back into the van and lied down on the middle seat. He covered his face with his hands. It almost felt like he was at home on his bed willing his thoughts to cease and let him sleep.
“That line was fucking long, but it must mean the food is good.”
“Yeah I- Ry sweetie what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he uncovered his eyes and sat up, “I’m just tired. Did you get my drink?”
Claudia gave him a skeptical look but handed him his drink anyway. Brendon climbed into the driver’s seat. Ian climbed in and sat in seat furthest back. Tori waited for Claudia to get into the backseat, she then slid the door shut and got into the passenger seat.
“Hey so keep an eye out for a street called Gettysburg, there’s supposed to be a park there.”
The only sound in the van was Tori and Brendon’s hushed conversation.
Ryan finished his drink, but was still thirsty. He turned and stared at Claudia until she noticed.
“What’s wrong?”
“I finished my drink but I’m still thirsty.”
“You can have it if you tell me what’s bothering you”
“Well right now it’s the fact that I want your cinnamon drink and you won’t let me have it.”
She rolled her eyes, “it’s called horchata. You might not want to tell me but trust me sweetie I will find out.”
Ian watched the exchange between the two and focused at Ryan wondering if he would succumb to Claudia’s intense stare. Ryan gave a small head shake as if to say don’t worry about it, shot Ian a wink and held his hand out to Claudia.
She shook her head and laughed before handing him the drink.
Ian smiled but turned his attention to Claudia “So I’ve always wanted to ask you, why do you call everyone sweetie and honey?”
Ryan smiled at Ian’s question it seemed so childish, yet no one had ever asked her this. He sat up a little straighter and took a sip of his drink waiting for her answer.
She furrowed her brows, took Ian’s soda out of his hands and took a sip. She handed it back and a sad smile formed on her face. “When I was a kid we had this neighbor Mrs. Mulligan but she always told me to call her Bea. I liked her ya know she made me feel like an adult instead of an obnoxious neighbor kid. She used to call everyone sweetie, honey, and darlin’ as if everyone were her grandkids. I just thought it was a beautiful thing, you know the way she treated everyone like family”
Ryan looked at Ian; he looked like he felt guilty for making Claudia sad. She let out a sigh, “I guess if you spend enough time with someone their habits start to rub off on you.”
Ian rested his head on her shoulder, “so we’re like family?”
She smiled, “yeah.”
“Can’t we just get it to go and eat at like a park or something?” Ian suggested.
“Alright so get a ton of tacos and,” Claudia pointed at Tori, “umm a Jarritos de mandarina?”
She nodded, “yeah I love that stuff, get me two.”
“Alright, Ry what do you want to drink?”
He shrugged, “do you think they have that drink I like, the cinnamon thing?”
“Horchata, mmm that sounds good I think I’m getting one too. Bren?”
“I thought I was going to help?”
She shrugged, “I assumed Ian was going to help, but it’ll be easier if the three of us carry stuff.”
Ryan watched as the three set off towards the small taco shop. He climbed out of the van and stretched out. Tori got out and leaned against the van.
“Do you ever feel like. . .I don’t know angry at Spencer for leaving?”
Ryan looked at her, she was picking at her nail polish. He wondered what her sudden interest in his feelings, towards spencer, was all about.
“No I mean, I guess I wish he was around but I’m glad he’s doing what he wanted to do.”
“But do you ever think that maybe the distance is going to end your friendship?”
Ryan sighed, he couldn’t really say he’d never given this much thought, “I mean it’s obviously a possibility but I think that as long as we make an effort we can never stop being friends and that goes for all of you not just Spin.”
She smiled. Ryan knelt down and tied his shoe. He smiled at the thought that a year ago he would have killed to be alone with Tori and now it was no big deal. He also thought it was funny that when he thought he was in love with her she seemed so perfect and innocent. It felt like she was too good to be true, but he was just ignoring all her other traits, here and now she seemed real and worried about something.
“Sometimes I can’t decide if I’m afraid of change or if I’m afraid that everyone is changing but me”
She looked up and gave him a small smile, “nothing’s really changed”
“Oh come on Tor you can’t honestly say nothing’s changed. Think about it, Claudia only started hanging out with us because she was dating Jon and when they broke up whose side did we take? Hers, I mean it’s just weird right; that he was so expendable. Also she was always more Spencer’s friend and she and I only got along because we had him around. Now it’s hard to imagine not having her around. When did she and I become friends? When did Jon stop being my friend?”
Tori didn’t respond, but then Ryan hadn’t expected her to, you can’t explain things like this they just happen.
“Don’t tell me you and Brendon didn’t change. That pregnancy scare you guys had changed everything. Brendon finally told his parents he didn’t want to do the whole Mormon thing. He was kicked out of his parents’ house; which I think is probably the best thing that could have happened to him. He’s way more focused on what he wants now; He works hard all day and works on his music every chance he gets. Your grades improved you figured out what you wanted to do and it’s great. You and Brendon are growing up and yet you haven’t grown apart. You guys are so different from where you were a year ago.”
Ryan licked his lips he was probably making Tori uncomfortable but he just wanted to admit all of this to someone. “I don’t know, I mean even Ian has changed. When I first met him he was really shy and could barely even look a girl in the eye. Now I mean he’s not the most outgoing person in the world but he does pretty well for himself. Spencer used to ask me for advice all the time and now I’m the one who needs help from him when did our roles change? It just seems like all my friends are growing up and changing and I’m here stuck in this monotonous hole I can’t climb out of.”
She was playing with a strand of her hair and biting her bottom lip. Finally she met Ryan’s eyes, “you know some people never change. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing.”
Ryan climbed back into the van and lied down on the middle seat. He covered his face with his hands. It almost felt like he was at home on his bed willing his thoughts to cease and let him sleep.
“That line was fucking long, but it must mean the food is good.”
“Yeah I- Ry sweetie what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he uncovered his eyes and sat up, “I’m just tired. Did you get my drink?”
Claudia gave him a skeptical look but handed him his drink anyway. Brendon climbed into the driver’s seat. Ian climbed in and sat in seat furthest back. Tori waited for Claudia to get into the backseat, she then slid the door shut and got into the passenger seat.
“Hey so keep an eye out for a street called Gettysburg, there’s supposed to be a park there.”
The only sound in the van was Tori and Brendon’s hushed conversation.
Ryan finished his drink, but was still thirsty. He turned and stared at Claudia until she noticed.
“What’s wrong?”
“I finished my drink but I’m still thirsty.”
“You can have it if you tell me what’s bothering you”
“Well right now it’s the fact that I want your cinnamon drink and you won’t let me have it.”
She rolled her eyes, “it’s called horchata. You might not want to tell me but trust me sweetie I will find out.”
Ian watched the exchange between the two and focused at Ryan wondering if he would succumb to Claudia’s intense stare. Ryan gave a small head shake as if to say don’t worry about it, shot Ian a wink and held his hand out to Claudia.
She shook her head and laughed before handing him the drink.
Ian smiled but turned his attention to Claudia “So I’ve always wanted to ask you, why do you call everyone sweetie and honey?”
Ryan smiled at Ian’s question it seemed so childish, yet no one had ever asked her this. He sat up a little straighter and took a sip of his drink waiting for her answer.
She furrowed her brows, took Ian’s soda out of his hands and took a sip. She handed it back and a sad smile formed on her face. “When I was a kid we had this neighbor Mrs. Mulligan but she always told me to call her Bea. I liked her ya know she made me feel like an adult instead of an obnoxious neighbor kid. She used to call everyone sweetie, honey, and darlin’ as if everyone were her grandkids. I just thought it was a beautiful thing, you know the way she treated everyone like family”
Ryan looked at Ian; he looked like he felt guilty for making Claudia sad. She let out a sigh, “I guess if you spend enough time with someone their habits start to rub off on you.”
Ian rested his head on her shoulder, “so we’re like family?”
She smiled, “yeah.”