SHOUT

Gift

|Chapter 12|Asen|

I woke up today in a great mood, I don't usually get this happy to go to school, but lately, things have been getting interesting. Today was Thursday, my day to help Joshiebeans.

I got up and got ready for the day, then went downstairs to eat breakfast, to my surprise Mom was still home.

"Oh, hey mom, you're not gonna open the dance studio today?" I asked opening the fridge to see what food I might find.

"So you say hi now, but hide when you're walking with Joshie?"

I froze.

Shit! She found out!

"Uh, what? Who? Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about..." I lied hoping she'd fall for it, but my mom is not dumb so it didn't work.

"Do you want me to force you to teach the elders at the dance studio every weekend of this month?" She threatened.

"NO! Okay, I'm sorry! It's just that he didn't know who I was so I had to wait for him to find out before I said hi to you—"

"I'm gonna cut you off right there, you lied to Eva's son?! Asen, I have told you a million times y—"

"I know, I'm sorry! I just wanted to have a little fun, I already apologized to him so he's not mad at me anymore, and Mom if I don't leave now, I won't be able to walk him to school so I gotta go," I backed away from her ready to make a run for it.

"Walk him to school? Huh...and here I thought, you grew out of it," she mumbled.

"Out of what?" I asked, puzzled.

"Nothing dear, say hi to your father for me if you see him opening the dance studio," she handed me an apple and rushed me out the door.

God damn it, I at least wanted to get something good to eat.

•••

Joshie opened the door to his house and then immediately closed it when he saw that I was waiting outside for him.

"Hey, that's rude!" I knocked on the door and Ms. Burke opened it, shoved Joshie towards me, then closed it.

Joshie quickly pushed himself away from me and fixed himself since he was thrown out of the house without warning.

"Is your mom mad at you?" I asked worried that he might be in trouble.

He shook his head and took his phone out to text me.

[Joshiebeans]:

She said it was rude to slam the door in someone's face so she tried to force me to open the door and apologize, but I shook my head and she pushed me outside.

I snickered receiving a glare from him.

"Oh! Here, I brought you a gift," I grabbed his hand and placed the apple on it.

He quickly handed it back to me.

"What you don't like apples?" I asked.

He sent me a text.