Sasha and I got off with a slap on the wrist, and Sasha was to go to the in-school "therapist" until her Dad chose one he thought was best for her.
I don't know why her mom told me that about her father, tbh. I guess she still likes me even though me and Sasha don't get along anymore, Grey texted later that day. I put my phone down on the table as my mom brought a plate of food over to me. She placed it on the table and raised my chin to take another long look at my face.
"You guys got each other good, huh?" she asked.
"I guess," I signed. My mom sighed and sat down across from me.
"I'm glad you defended yourself. If the dean tried to give you any punishment for that girl's actions, I would've done everything I could to prevent that from happening."
"Yeah. I can't believe she took it this far."
"When did this all start happening?" she questioned. "Has she always bullied you?"
"No. It started last year."
"I knew something was happening," my mom said. "You were coming home moody all the time, and every time I questioned you, you said nothing was happening! Why?"
"I didn't want to worry you," I signed. "I wanted to handle it myself."
"Hazel, you're never alone," she said thoughtfully. "I'm here for you. I never want you to deal with any of this by yourself. Do you know how quickly I would've flown in that school last year? You wouldn't have been stressed because I would've ended it fast."
"I know," I signed. "Sorry I didn't tell you."
"It's okay." We ate for a moment before her eyes brightened. "I saw your boyfriend was there for you the whole time."
"Yes," I signed a little shyly.
"So you two are serious about each other?" she asked.
"Yeah," I said.
She pursed her lips in thought. "So we should have him over for dinner, then."
It made me feel queasy and excited all at the same time. "Really?"
"Yeah. I want to get to know more about him. Boys can get dumb after a while. He needs to know your mom loves you very much and will kill him if he breaks your heart in any way."
I knew very confidently that he wouldn't. People probably would think that's a bold statement coming from a high school girl dating a high school boy, but the subconscious was different from our actual world. We felt so close to each other just by sharing the same headspace every night. It was intimate but in an innocent way.
But my mom wouldn't understand that because she didn't know I shared dreams with him. And if I told her, she definitely wouldn't believe me.
***
Once more, I checked my outfit over and over. I had healed from the healed cuts and bruises on my face from the week prior for the most part. I wore an off-white knit sweater with black velvet leggings and cute fluffy socks, which I'd probably take off in the evening.
The minute I heard the door, I practically ran down the stairs to get it. My mom beat me to it, opening the door to see someone I hadn't expected—Jared. Like a dear in the headlights, I watched him give my mom a soft kiss on the lips before announcing, "I brought wine."
"Our favorite one?" she asked.
"Of course," he said. "Silly." He directed his attention to me as he handed her the wine. "Hazel! How are you doing, kiddo?" He took two quick steps toward me and gave me a big hug. Feeling many things at once, mainly hurt that my mom would sneak Jared into our plans without telling me, I gave him a soft hug back. He pulled away as my mom headed into the kitchen.
"I'm happy we're finally getting to spend time together," he said. "Your mom and I have meant to make this happen for a while." I nodded numbly, not even wanting to think about my mom. I was so angry and upset at her for not giving me heads up.
The doorbell rang again, and I rushed past Jared to get it. Grey smiled once he saw me. "Hi! I stopped at the bakery to bring cookies." He held a bag at his side, and before he could hand it to me, I threw myself in his arms, burying my head in his chest. When I didn't let go, he whispered, "Are you okay?"
"Hi, I'm Jared," Jared awkwardly said from behind me. Grey let go of me to shake his hand. "Oh. Nice to meet you. I'm Grey."
"Nice to meet you, Grey," Jared said. "I'll be in the kitchen if you guys need me!" His footsteps receded, and Grey hobbled us into the house while shutting the door behind him.
"You're upset because Jared's here, huh?" he asked. I spoke about Jared very little during our dates, but those moments were enough for Grey to know how opposed I felt to my mom dating him. I also admitted it was selfish, but I couldn't let go of my dad as she could.
I pulled away from him and nodded.
"I'm here, okay?" he said. "We're gonna have fun. And I'll try to talk a lot, so there are no quiet moments." I allowed myself to relax and trust him. I was starting to feel a lot better, and he hadn't even done much to make me feel that way. I felt an intense burst of emotions for him and reached for the top of his coat, roughly bringing him to my lips. They were slightly cold, along with the rest of his face.
"I'm excited to meet your mom. Any pointers?"
"Don't tell her about how we made our in our dreams, and you'll be set."
"Done!"
I helped him take his coat off and hung it up in the closet before I led him to the kitchen.
YOU ARE READING
Little Sweet Dreamer - Wattys Edition
Teen Fiction"Oh," he said, as my back hit the wooden wall. Damn it, of course. With nowhere to go, his arms locked me in between him and the wall. He stared down at me as he said, "So you're trying to piss me off?" His lips were surprisingly close to mine. No g...
