Conveniently Inspired

Chapter Nine

It was 6:58. Skylar was pacing around the freezer aisle of the convenience store, an intentional location, as the AC helped with her heat flashes. A sickness was churning in her gut, as it usually did whenever she made plans. She wished she was the type of person who got excited to meet up with friends. Who had the good kind of butterflies in their stomach, not the kind that made you wanna throw up.

He said he'd pick her up at 7. They were going to dinner and a movie. Which meant that she had to eat her last meal of the day at 4, in order to leave room for digestion while still ensuring that she'd have an appetite by the time seven o'clock rolled around.

She finished her homework by 5:30. Picked out her outfit by 6. Got her makeup done at 6:30, which gave her the spare half hour that was needed for bathroom runs (she hated the anxiety shits). And now here she was, at 6:59, waiting for a car to pull up. She wished she asked Kaden what kind of vehicle he owned (knowing what car to expect eased her worries) but was scared he'd think she was weird, so she refrained.

Her mother had enlisted in helping Skylar pick out an outfit. When she told her a friend who also happened to be of the opposite sex was taking her out, Ms. Lin's eyes lit up like Christmas day. After arguing back and forth for a good fifteen minutes, with several outfit switches in between, they decided on a yellow sundress with a denim jacket on top, complete with white converse. "Mom, it's almost 25 degrees out!" Skylar whined.

"It's cold in the theaters!" Ms. Lin snapped. She knew there was no point in arguing. There could be a heat wave in Toronto, and Ms. Lin would still make you carry a sweater.

When the clock ticked to seven, po-po asked why he was late. "He's not late" Skylar reassured them all, "it's normal for teenagers to say they'll be here at seven but then not show up until ten minutes later-"

The bell jingled and opened. Skylar froze. She didn't expect Kaden to actually show up at seven on the dot. Nor did she think he'd take the time to walk inside. She was expecting a loud honk, followed by an "I'm here" text. Considering the amount of romance books she read and rom-coms she watched, her expectations should be raised several heights.

"Hey, you" Kaden winked in her direction. When he caught sight of her mother, he immediately stuck out his hand. "Hi, Ms. Lin. I'm Kaden. Skylar's boyfri-"

"Friend!" Skylar yelped. "Boy. Friend. Boy whose a friend." She threw him a warning look, although, to be fair, she knew she should've warned him about it first.

"Right. We're just friends. Nothing more. Nothing less." They shook hands, and when Kaden went to do the same with her grandmother, po-po merely grinned and patted his hand.

"He's very handsome" po-po said in Cantonese, glancing at Skylar's direction. "Are you sure you two are not together? Your children would be very beautiful."

"Po-po" Skylar hissed. Oh yeah. Her cheeks were definitely crimson red.

"Do not bring her home any later than eleven" Ms. Lin warned, pointing a delicate finger his way.

"Yes, m'am."

"Good."

Kaden reached his hand in Skylar's direction, but faltered at the last minute before changing course and smoothing down her jacket. "Movie starts at 7:15. I already pre-bought the tickets. We should probably hurry."

"Right. Okay. Bye, mom. Bye, po-po." Skylar kissed both of them on the cheeks and then they were gone.

Kaden had this whole 'fake boyfriend' thing down pat, which surprised Skylar before she remembered that he was at one point an actual boyfriend. How long had he been dating Summer? At least a year or two. It really showed too: in the way he held open the door, the way let her pick the radio station (she ended up plugging in her AUX and playing a true crime podcast), the way he paid for her popcorn and drinks, and how he held her purse as she used the restroom. Even the movie he picked was perfect: some romantic comedy featuring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.