50 Things I Hate About You

I Hate That We Have the Same Classes

I would have thoroughly liked to not have to even look at Onyx Hayes if given the chance, but unfortunately I shared two classes with him every day, and he'd fallen right back into his obnoxious ways as soon as his back was too me Tuesday night.

Fortunately, I was so distracted by my date with Ty tonight that I'd spent the last three days doing a decent job avoiding my neighbor. His words had hit me where it hurt, and though the look on his face when he'd said them told me he hadn't meant to hurt me, it still felt like the wind had been knocked out of me anytime I met his eyes.

I was easily able to pretend with Mikey and Angie that I was okay with it all, but deep down was a broken little girl wanting for a second to understand why her father abandoned her. To understand why love stories couldn't play out the way they did in books and movies. Why the guy couldn't just fall for the girl and they live happily ever after. Why there couldn't be a fantastical epilogue with the love story broadening into a dream wedding and two beautiful children running around and warming the protagonist's heart so they never again had to think about the hell they'd walked through to get where they are.

"Mom." I hadn't been able to talk to her since I'd heard her words about Olivia, as I hadn't known how to approach the subject, but given this was technically my first date and she was a hopeless romantic, I knew she needed to be part of the magic. "Do I look okay?"

Mom, sitting on the couch with her laptop, fixed the glasses askew on her nose and looked to me at the entrance of the hallway. She didn't say a word, but I could feel her emotions starting to overwhelm her as she set aside her computer and met me in the hall. It wasn't until she'd brushed my curled hair behind my shoulder that the tears finally entered eyes.

"Oh, Rory." she whispered, "When did you go and grow up on me?"

I started to blink, then fanned myself and shook my head, "Mom, stop. It's a date, not Prom."

I'd spent over two hours on my makeup and it was about to be cried off before my date even saw me.

"You're so beautiful." she hugged me against her, kissing the top of my head. "My beautiful little girl's a gorgeous woman now. God, time sure does fly."

I waited until she'd gotten a better grasp on herself to shift on my feet and mutter, "Mom, what's going on with Olivia?"

There was silence for so long I was sure I'd have to leave before I got an answer, but she eventually said, "She's sick, honey. Really sick."

"But she's going to be okay, right?"

She didn't answer, instead she took my head between her hands and stared into my eyes with her own glistening with tears. "That's not for you to have to worry about right now, sweetheart. Go have a great night. We can talk about this another time."

I wanted to protest but the time on the clock over the mantel was beckoning me toward the front door and I hugged my mom one last time. "She'll be okay, Mom."

"I love you, Rory." Mom called after me as I stepped out on to the patio.

I turned and smiled at her over my shoulder as she tried to clean herself up. "I love you too, Mom."

The minute I shut my front door behind me, I thought I'd see Ty's car already sitting along the curb waiting, but was honestly a bit relieved he wasn't here yet. I needed to be able to clean myself up a bit. As I was dabbing at the corner of my eyes, I heard a car door slam shut and jumped off the bottom step of my porch to find Onyx helping his mother from the passenger seat of his car. They both stopped as I crossed my yard for the curb.