Chapter Ten
Kylen
The guys and I are going to meet in the music room later to practice for the band.
It’s Saturday and I’ve been trying to video call my grandparents.
They’re not great with technology, and I tried to show them how it works before I left.
Grandpa seemed to get the hang of it, but Grandma was completely lost. I hope they’ll figure it out because I want to see their faces.
It feels like forever since we’ve seen each other in person.
They basically raised me, since my mom and dad died when I was a baby.
It was a freak car accident that killed them instantly while they were driving home from a friend’s party.
My grandparents were babysitting me that night.
They’ve been with me for the past sixteen years, providing me with everything I need.
Beck and the others left a short while ago, probably to the rec room. Even though Beck’s my best bud and I’m happy we’re roomies, I’m glad I have the room to myself for a bit.
Finally, Grandpa figures out how to press the video call button and I smile when their faces pop up on the screen.
They look good and well. I was worried about leaving them alone—who’d take care of the house repairs and drive them everywhere they need to go?
—but I’m happy to see they’re managing fine.
Grandma beams at me, her gray curls bouncing against her chin. “There’s my handsome grandson!”
“Grandma…”
Grandpa bends close. “Everything going well? Is the school what you expected?”
An understatement. The school, sure. A certain blonde-haired beauty? Not so much. “Yep. All good.”
Now Grandma bends so close she goes off screen. “Something’s bothering you, Kylen, and I want to know what it is.”
Dad was their only child, so I don’t blame them for being overprotective of me. I’m the only family they have and they’re the only ones I have, since Mom’s parents died many years ago.
“Are the kids being nice to you?” Grandpa asks.
Sometimes they treat me like a little kid, but I know they love me like crazy, so it’s cool.
“The kids pretty much ignore me, but that’s fine. I’ve got the guys and I’m good. Beck’s my roommate. We share many classes together, too. You don’t have to worry about me being alone. Everything is fine.”
“So what’s bothering my sweet grandson?” Grandma demands.
I puff out my cheeks. Nothing gets by my grandmother, so it’s not like I can get away with lying to her. “My history teacher assigned us a project. A huge one that counts for thirty percent of our grade.”
“So what’s the problem? Is the school too hard? Do you need a tutor?”
“Grandma, no. That’s not what I mean. I’m talking about my partner.”
Grandma smiles. “Oh, I see. Is she pretty?”
“What?”
“Your partner. I can already tell you have a crush on her. Aw, young love.” She turns to Grandpa. “Do you remember us at that age?”
Grandpa smiles and kisses her cheek. “Sure do. We were twelve and the second I saw your grandma, I knew she’d be my wife one day.”
I smile sadly. I thought the same thing when I met Raven for the first time.
She was on a large piece of stone, crying because she was having a hard time, and something shifted in me.
Like I had this need to spend time with her, to make her happy.
I really thought we were endgame, but that’s silly.
Just because my grandparents and parents had epic love stories, it doesn’t mean I’ll have one, too.
“What’s her name?” Grandpa probes.
I release a heavy breath. “No, it’s not like that. My partner is a girl …”
“I knew it!”
“But she’s not…I mean, it’s Raven.”
They know everything that happened at camp. As much as I wanted to keep it to myself, it was impossible with Grandma.
Her face changes. “Raven? The girl who…?”
I nod, rubbing my hand down my face. I tell them everything that happened since my first day here, how she didn’t want to be friends and pretty much ignored me. “And now we’re partners because no one chose to team up with either of us.”
Grandpa studies my face. “Sorry to hear that, Kylen. Can’t you ask the teacher to switch partners?”
“Not really. The truth is, I don’t really mind working on it with her.
We have a good idea and I know we’ll do well.
It’s all the emotions and backstory and baggage behind it.
Like, if we didn’t know each other, it’d be fine.
” I groan. “Things were so awkward. I don’t know how to be around her as just a regular student. ”
Grandma nods slowly. “Do you still have feelings for her? You know you can be completely honest with us. We won’t tell a soul.”
I’m quiet as I ponder the question. “I’m not sure. I think I still have feelings for Camp Raven. I have no idea who this Raven is. She’s the same, but different, you know? I think her skin crawls whenever I’m close to her. Okay, it’s an exaggeration, but you get what I mean.”
“It’s a tough one for sure,” Grandpa says. “I think the only thing you can do is work on the project like two mature young adults, and then once that’s done, go your separate ways.”
“Be a gentleman,” Grandma reminds me. “Respect her boundaries while doing whatever you need to do to ace the class. Try to keep your emotions out of it.”
I nod as their words enter my head. “I don’t think it’ll be that easy, but I get it.
I’ll have to keep reminding myself that she’s not the girl I had strong feelings for.
She’s changed, I’ve changed. And it’s silly to hold onto a past that doesn’t exist anymore.
Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa. That helps a lot. ”
Grandma smiles sadly. “I wish I could hug you. I miss you so much. I go into your room to talk to you, but then I remember you’re not here.”
“I wish I could give you guys a hug, too. There’s something called Parents’ Day. It’s when families come to HBA to visit. You think you’ll be able to make it?”
We live in Seattle, so it’s very far from New York. They can always take a plane, but my grandfather doesn’t like flying. And they’re getting older, which makes it harder for them to fly.
“We’d love to see you,” Grandma says. “When is this Parents’ Day?”
“Not sure, but I’ll look it up and let you know. So what else has been going on at home? You guys got that leak fixed?”
As they update me on everything, the door opens and Beck bursts in.
He flops down on the bed. “Had to get out of there because Jasper was being a jerk for bragging about beating the high score on every game.” He rolls his eyes.
“And Leo was trying to flirt with a girl who has a boyfriend. I told him she had a boyfriend, but he didn’t believe me.
Then the guy came and nearly punched him.
It was wild, man.” He stops when he takes in my phone. “Who are you chatting to?”
I turn the phone around and he grins. “Grandma and Grandpa Barrett. How’s it going?”
“Hello, Beckham.” Grandma gives him a stern look like she does many times. “Are you boys keeping the place clean or is it a pigsty?”
I glance around at the empty snack wrappers and clothes strewn on the floor on his side of the room. Definitely a pigsty. Though he’s mostly to blame, I’m not completely innocent. There’s a small mess on my side, too, from books, socks, and electronics.
Beck gives her an innocent smile. “We’re being good boys and the room is spotless.”
“Show me.”
Beck’s smile drops. “Um, what?”
“Show me your room.”
Normally, this would embarrass any kid our age. But Beck’s known my grandma all his life and he’s used to her criticizing him.
Sighing, his shoulders droop and he sweeps the phone across the room, showing her how untidy it really is.
“Thought so,” Grandma says, clicking her tongue. “And are your grades improving?”
Now he hangs his head. “I’ll try harder,” he says in a low voice, pretending to actually care. I slug his arm.
“Dude, that hurt!”
“Want your parents to ground you again when they find out you’re just scraping by?”
He waggles his brows. “I’m not scraping by anymore.
Did you see what I got on my economics quiz?
A B! I called my parents yesterday and told them my grades are improving.
Thanks to my awesome buddy here who’s been working day and night to help me with my homework.
” He wraps his arm around me, pulls me close, and beams at my grandparents. “You raised such a gem.”
Grandma nods, like she’s satisfied with the report. “I’m glad your grades are improving, Beckham. I see that sending you to a school where you don’t have many distractions is having a positive effect on you. Hopefully you’ll keep up the good work and get into a good college.”
He snorts. “Meh. Why are we even talking about me? Did you forget I’m not your grandson?”
“We care about your well-being as well,” she says. “And we were worried you kids weren’t adjusting well, but we’re glad to learn you’re doing great. And I can’t wait to see you on Parents’ Day.”
We talk for a bit more, and the last thing Grandma says is to keep up the great work and that she’ll make sure we’re on top of our grades. And of course my grandparents and I tell each other how much we love each other.
“Man, she’s a tough lady,” Beck grumbles as he scoots back on his bed, hitting the wall. “I mean, she’s an awesome grandma, but man. Tough.”
“Unfortunately, your reputation precedes you,” I tell him. “If you weren’t so lazy and actually cared about schoolwork—”
“Oh, I got something for ya.” He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a few crumpled pieces of paper. “They were in my locker, behind some books. Forgot I stashed them there.”
I accept the papers from him and straighten them out. My chem notes. “Dude, respect my stuff or I won’t give them to you.”
“Sorry. Are you going to help me study for the test?”
“Of course I will. You don’t even have to ask.”
“Thanks, man. Really, I appreciate it. This school, man. It’s going to kill me.”
I pat his arm. “Let’s just take one test or quiz at a time. Heck, the fact that you got a B in economics is promising, isn’t it?”
He groans. “Yeah, but we stayed up for hours studying for it. I barely have enough time to eat or sleep.”
I chuckle. “Trust me, sleeping isn’t an issue for you.” I’ve been awake the past few nights and the guy was sleeping like a baby.
He scowls. “Fine. Hey, how did it go with Raven yesterday?”
I shrug. “Was okay, I guess. Every time we were getting, like, friendly, she pulled away. It’s like she built this fence between us.
” I shake my head. “I really don’t want to talk about her.
Let’s go to the music room and start practice.
” Music will definitely help me feel better. “Text Leo and Jasper to meet us there.”
He shoots off the text, then grabs his drumsticks while I sling my guitar case over my back.
As we make our way from our dorm toward the music room, we pass many kids milling about outside on campus, since the weather is much warmer today.
My eyes stupidly roam around for Raven, but I don’t see her anywhere.
Beck watches me glancing around and gets an odd look on his face.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing.”
“Tell me.”
“It’s nothing.”
I give him a look. “Come on, man.”
He rolls his shoulders. “Just noticed something, that’s all.”
“Noticed what?”
He keeps his mouth shut and eyes on the trees in the distance. No matter how much I ask him to tell me, he refuses.
When we walk through the doors to the music room, he stops and says, “You might deny it, bro, but you’re just as in love with her now as you were back then.”
I don’t have a chance to refute him because he dashes into the room and starts talking with the guys about the many high scores Jasper beat.
Pssh. Me, still in love with Raven? He’s out of his mind.