Suck It Up (Mike Hanlon x Reader Fanfiction)

Chapter 33 (Accepting)

(A/n)

Haven't been here in a while.

(Y/n)

It's the next day in the afternoon and I'm picking up some milk and eggs at the grocery store for my mother.

I'm sure my dad told her that Mike was in my room, but she hasn't said anything about it. I think she would've by now.

I walk into the grocery store and a gust of cold air blows on me, making me shiver. I walk down the aisles to the back of the store. There's hardly anyone in here expect for the old woman I spotted going into aisle three.

I make a B-line to the milk and grab a half gallon. I turn from the milk to try to find the eggs.

I look over to the cartons of eggs to see Stanley picking one up. I smile slightly and make my way towards him. He hasn't seemed to notice me.

"Stan?" I get his attention as I walk up to him. He jumps slightly and looks at me with a weird look.

He was acting weird yesterday when Mike and I came out to our friends. He made an excuse to leave early.

"My mom wants me to pick up some things for her," I say as I look at the eggs. I pick up one before I look back at him.

Stanley is staring at me with a glassy look in his eyes. "Hello?" I question after waiting for him to say something.

"Oh..uh," he snaps out of it and averts his eyes. "M-me too," he stutters.

I squint my eyes slightly before starting to walk down one of the aisles with him.

"Why did you leave yesterday?" I ask, deciding to bring it up.

Stanley stops for a second to pick out some cereal and sighs softly. "Uh... I had some chores to do."

"Right then?" I ask as we walk to the cash register.

"Sure," he responds and lets me go first.

I set my milk and eggs on the counter and the cashier rings them up. He then puts them in the bag as slowly as possible. The cashier was a teenager with pimples all over his face and seemed to be falling asleep right then and there.

I shove my hand in my pocket and reach for the crumpled up money my mother gave me. I had it to the teenager and grab my bags.

I wait for Stan who seems to be annoyed by the crusty cashier.

We walk out together out of the store in silence.

Stanley sighs softly before speaking. "I think I should say this now, or I'll regret it in the future..." he begins and stops walking on the sidewalk.

I stop also and stare at him with my hands behind my back, waiting for him to continue.

"I don't want this to change anything between us, but I used to like you," he says and his leg starts to shake.

I raise my eyebrow at him and open my mouth to talk, but he interprets, "Well I still kinda do, but I think I've always known that it would never work out."