Chapter 17

The smell of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast wafted from downstairs as I opened my bedroom door the next morning, and it smelled divine.

Weary-eyed, I made my way down the hallway and descended the staircase, following the scent of absolute deliciousness, all the way into the kitchen.

I had expected to find my mother or father preparing breakfast. Instead, I found Grayson and Mitchell, the duo of idiots.

Grayson was currently scrambling the eggs and simultaneously cooking the bacon, whilst Mitchell was on toast duty.

“Uh, where is mom and dad?” I asked, dumbfounded at them.

“Good morning to you too.” Grayson smiled at me, still dressed in his pjs and acting as if he owned the place.

“They went to the doctors.” Mitchell answered my question, buttering a slice of charred toast.

I headed to the refrigerator to retrieve the orange juice and pour myself a glass. I caught a glimpse of the orange juice upon opening the fridge before Grayson appeared and closed it shut.

“What are you doing?” I groaned.

“You have to wait until breakfast is ready.” He says, his head inclined to the side.

“Yeah, we’re making you breakfast, so take a seat.” Mitchell added, putting another two slices of bread into the toaster and pushing them down.

Did I miss my birthday or something?

“Why?” I asked.

“Just sit down.” Grayson ordered.

Uhh, who the fuck does this guy think he is?

“Breakfast is almost ready.” He gave a smile before returning to his station in front of the stove.

I complied, reluctantly, and took a seat at the table, pulling my phone out of my pocket to see if anyone had texted me.

Hannah:
Can you come with me to see Jake today?

Me:
After school?

Hannah:
I was thinking we could skip and maybe just spend the day with him?

You know, to make sure he’s okay.

Me:
Okay, you should come over to mine for breakfast, then we can head over to his place.

Hannah:
What’s for breakfast?

Me:
Grayson and Mitchell are making scrambled eggs.

Hannah:
In what universe? 🙀

Me:
I know right, I was like wth is going on rn.

Hannah:
Alright, I’m on my way 🏃‍♀️🚪🚗

“Make enough for Hannah.” I tell them as I set my phone screen-first on top of the table and rested comfortably into my chair.

“Why is Hannah coming over?” Mitchell asked a valid question.

“We’re going to see Jake after breakfast, you know, the guy who was suspended because of your dumb friend.”

Mitchell laughed. “Uh, didn’t your bestie Jakey start that fight?”

Grayson nodded his head.

“He had just found out that his girlfriend was cheating on him. I would have done the same thing.”

“You’d have to actually get a girlfriend first.” Grayson laughed, which then caused Mitchell to laugh.

Not to quote Scar from The Lion King, but I’m surrounded by idiots.

“Where’s your girlfriend, Gracie? Did she dump you yet?” I asked.

Grayson scoffed. “I have never been dumped in my life, nor will I ever. I’m the dumper not the dumpee.”

Actually, your a self-absorbed PIECE OF SH—

“Also, Nina and I are strictly non-romantic sexual partners.” He added.

Hearing him say that was the cringiest thing that I had ever heard.

“‘Non-romantic sexual partners?’ Dude, just say fuck buddies.” Mitchell laughed, buttering another pair of charred toast.

I rolled my eyes and waited for Hannah to arrive. She arrived shortly after Grayson and Mitchell had finished making breakfast, taking the seat closest to me and instantly digging in.

What if they poisoned mine? I wondered impulsively.

Ah what the heck, I’ve lived a seemingly long life already.

I take a fork and begin eating. At first, it tasted like regular scrambled eggs, but then it started to taste piquant. I paused, my forked clenched inside of my fist.

My tongue was on fire!?

“Ugh! What the fuck!?” I spat my food back onto the plate before me.

Grayson and Mitchell bursted into laughter.

“Did you seriously put sriracha sauce in my breakfast!?” I groaned, wiping my tongue with a paper towel, but to no avail.

Hannah stifled a laugh, causing me to glare at her.

“This is gold.” Grayson says through his laughter.

My tongue was sticking out of my mouth as my breathing turned into a series of pants. I took the glass of orange juice that was placed beside my plate and began to drink it.

Are you kidding me?

Oh my god!

They put sriracha in the fucking ORANGE JUICE too?!

I spat the orange juice that had been laced with Sriracha in Grayson’s direction before slapping a hand over my mouth and stifling a laugh.

Grayson’s jaw clenched.

This is the part where he punches me.

Or maybe he’s planning how to violently murder me and make it look like an accident.

After a short moment of complete silence, Mitchell laughed, followed by Hannah. My mouth was far too hot for me to laugh at that, despite the overwhelming urge to.

What kind of psychopath puts hot sauce in someone’s orange juice?

I rose abruptly from my seat at the table and raced to the refrigerator to drink whatever remained inside of the milk carton.

“That was hilarious.” Mitchell says, still laughing.

After consuming the entirety of the milk carton, I turned to Grayson and Mitchell, glaring daggers towards them.

“Why would you put hot sauce in my fucking breakfast!?” I seethed at them.

Mitchell, who was still laughing, pointed his fingers towards Grayson, whose jaw was still clenched in silent anger whilst his face remained drenched with backwashed orange juice and hot sauce. “It was his idea.”

Of course it was.

I threw a furious scowl in Grayson’s direction as he walked to the sink where he washed and rinsed his face with water.

“Why do you always have to be an annoying piece of shit?” I groaned frustratedly, asking a perfectly valid question.

“It’s my natural default setting.” He sneered at me.

My insides flared with red hot anger as I let out a stressful GAH through gritted teeth.

After heading upstairs to change, the inside of my mouth still tingling with a burning sensation, Hannah and I headed over to Jake’s house in her car.

Luckily, Mitchell had no idea that Hannah and I weren’t planning on going to school today.

“Why was Grayson Scott at your place, anyways?” Hannah wondered.

“He’s staying there for a few days.” I rolled my eyes.

Why couldn’t he stay at one of his other friend’s place? Or here’s another idea, why didn’t he just stay at his ‘non-sexual partner’ Nina freaking Chen-Evans’ place?

“How can someone look so sexy in teddy bear pajamas?” Hannah turned down Jake’s street.

“I thought you liked Jake?”

“I do, but that still doesn’t mean that I can’t state the obvious: Grayson Scott is extremely hot.”

I scoffed. “Grayson Scott is a pain in the ass.”

Cody:
Where the hell r u?

Me:
Hannah and I are going over to see Jake.

I texted back.

Cody:
Where was my invite? ☹️

Me:
Meet us there?

Cody:
I can’t. But are you coming to school after?

Me:
Idk, maybe?

Cody:
Okay.

Talk to u later, have to go to first period 😩

I laughed.

Me:
Have fun

“Who was that?” Hannah wondered, pulling into Jake’s driveway.

“Cody. He was just asking where I was.” I replied.

“Aw, he misses us.” She pouted before putting the car in park.

We exited the vehicle and knocked on the front door.

“Oh, hello my dears!” Jake’s mother greeted us with a bright smile on her face.

“Hey Mrs Dunne.” Hannah and I say in unison.

“We’re here to see Jake.” Hannah says, awkwardly smiling with teeth.

“Of course, he’s upstairs in his room. Go ahead, I’ll make some snacks for you guys.” Mrs Dunne squealed with excitement.

We headed on upstairs and cautiously entered Jake’s bedroom. He was sprawled across his bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling.

“Hey Jake.” I announce our presence.

“How are you?” Hannah asked him, totally jumping the gun.

Jake let out a groan, which summarised how he was to a T.

I felt uncomfortable. I mean, what do you say to someone who had just found out that their girlfriend was cheating on him?

Hannah and I both took a seat on his bed.

“Shouldn’t you two be at school?” He asked us.

“We wanted to come and hang out with you instead.” Hannah says.

“Why? I am no fun to be around.” He frowned.

Poor guy.

“We’re here for you, whatever you need.” Hannah said.

Jake sat up. “Really?”

“Of course man, we’re here.” Hannah gave him an awkward and playful shove.

“We should get high.” He put forth a suggestion.

Hannah and I laughed, thinking that he was only joking. His face remained serious, which was a clear indication that he was not joking.

“Oh, you were being serious?” Hannah quirked an eyebrow, looking to me.

He nods his head.

Hannah and I share a look before I turned to Jake to say. “Sure, why not?”

“Wait, for real?” Hannah queried.

“Hell yeah, let’s get high!” I threw my hands in the air excitedly as Jake’s bedroom door swung open, revealing Mrs Dunne with a tray of snacks.

Well, this just got awkward.