Met Online

Chapter 16

I stop by the grocery store after school and buy a pint of Taylen's favorite ice cream, as a peace offering, before I head over to her house. I'm hoping that the ice cream will buy me a ticket in her front door and hopefully soften her up for my prepared apology.

It's raining as I cross her front yard. I can't recall the last time I've been here. It feels like a lifetime ago, when in all reality it was probably last month.

I hesitate for a second, with my hand hovering in the air over the doorbell, wondering for a short second if this is the right thing to do. Then I shake the thought off of me and ring the bell. I'm relieved to see the door swing open to reveal Taylen behind it. Although I love her family deeply, I don't think I can stand their usual interrogation right this minute.

"Hey," I greet her awkwardly; praying that she wont shut the door in my face. Judging by the way she's been acting lately I wouldn't be surprised if she did.

I shuffle my feet uncomfortably as her eyes rake my body. My shoes are bit muddy from running across her front yard in the rain, my hoodie is black so the rain stains don't show and my jeans are soaked by the rain.

"What are you doing here?"

"I come baring gifts." I offer her a vague smile as I hold up the pint of triple chocolate ice cream I've bought for her at the store. "Please?"

"Okay," she agrees, pushing the door open for me and letting me step inside. I leave my wet shoes on the doormat and hand over the pint of ice cream to Taylen. "But only because you have ice cream." I can't tell if she's joking or not, but I decide to brush it off anyways.

We make a detour to the kitchen, on our way to her bedroom, to retrieve two spoons for the ice cream. The walk is silence and the anticipation builds between us with every heavy step we take through the quiet house.

"I'm sorry," I tell her once we're situated in her room. She's in the middle of removing the plastic from the pint and I'm clutching the two spoons in my hands as if they were lifesavers. "I still don't quite understand what happened, but it's obvious that I've done something to upset you," I continue, wanting to get it over with as soon as possible. Taylen glances at me quickly from her task at freeing the pint of ice cream from plastic. It's brief and guarded and I leaves me with no clue as to what she might be thinking. "It doesn't really matter what happened all that matters is if you're willing to accept my apology." She doesn't answer right away, but takes her time to unwrap the pint and pull off the lid first.

Then she picks up her spoon and points at me with it, as she opens her mouth to speak; "You're willing to apologize to me without knowing why?"

"Correct," I confirm with a nod, picking up my own spoon from the bed and dipping it into the ice cream, scooping up a spoonful of ice cream and popping it into my mouth.

"Hm," Taylen hums as she sticks her spoon into the pint and scoops up a mouthful of her own. She pops the spoon into her mouth and let the ice cream melt on her tongue, the way that she always does, as I wait for her to say something. "Apology accepted," she smiles and I breathe out in relief. "But only if you accept mine too. I've been a bitch to you and I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

"Always."

"Good," she says, before she scoops up another spoonful of ice cream. "'Cause otherwise I would've had to kick you out and keep the ice cream all to myself." "Now that it's solved we can move on to the reason you're really here."

"I just came here to apologize," I mumble, before I pop another mouthful of ice cream into my mouth and chew it. The chocolate explodes in my mouth and for a short time it's hard for me to focus on anything but the delicious taste.