Page 22 of Just Watch Me

Both my parents’ eyes widened. I never talked back to them, and the apology was on the tip of my tongue, but I bit it back. I was an adult, and they should treat me like one. Mom turned back to the stove, and Dad gave me a stern look.

“How’s work?” I asked, hoping to ease the tension.

He stared at me a moment longer before going to the fridge and pulling out a soda. “Good. Victor is retiring soon.”

“He is? That’s wonderful,” Mom said. “Didn’t Victor’s son move back to town? Maybe you two could get together,” she said to me.

What she didn’t say was how she thought I needed more friends because “it wasn’t healthy to have internet friends I’d never met before” because they might not be who they said they were.

“Yeah, maybe,” I said noncommittally.

“I worry about you spending so much time with those internet strangers.”

Here we go.“They’re not strangers, Mom.”

“Oh? You’ve met them?” she shot back.

“We talk while we’re playing games. It’s like having a pen pal, but I can hear their voice.” The pen pal thing was a pointed jab since I knew she’d had pen pals growing up. I was on a roll.

“Don’t get smart with me, young man.”

“Sorry,” I mumbled.

“It’s not healthy to spend all your time on a computer. I wish you spent time with friends in the real world.”

I opened my mouth to tell her how I’d spent nearly every day for the past two weeks hanging out with a new friend in the real world. But if I told them about Skylar, they would find a way to make me feel bad about it. I didn’t want them tarnishing the one good thing in my life.

“Okay.” I bit my tongue and made it through dinner. I wouldn’t let anything ruin the time I had left with him.

CHAPTER12

“I should’ve asked if you’re lactose intolerant before I suggested we visit a holy site for all things dairy.” I grimaced as we walked through the parking lot at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

Skylar laughed and clapped my shoulder. “Don’t worry. Dairy and I are BFFs, and I’m ready to eat my weight in cheese.” He grinned.

I held the door open for Skylar. “Let the cheese shenanigans commence.”

We decided to start the tour on the second floor.

Skylar pointed to a large cow replica. “Look. You can milk it.”

I took a video of Skylar milking the thing, and my hands shook the entire time from laughing so hard. Having fun with him was as easy as breathing. Usually, I had to remind myself to relax around people, but it came naturally in his company. He was quick to smile and find joy whether he was trying a new restaurant or getting his ass whooped atCall of Dutyor racing me on the treadmill. I couldn’t get enough.

Next, we rubbed our hands over the scratchy cow brush, read about dairy farming technology, and Skylar took photos of me feeding a fake baby calf. The place was much fancier than what I remembered from my grade school field trip.

“Now, I have a new contact icon for you in my phone.” Skylar winked then showed me a photo of me concentrating as I held up a bottle to the faux cow.

We moved through the museum and learned about how milk became cheese then watched people working in the factory below. At the exhibit’s conclusion, we got to the best part—cheese tasting. We gorged on the samples and competed in trying to make the cheese curds squeak the loudest between our teeth.

Skylar moaned when he tasted the aged sharp white cheddar. “That’s incredible.”

“It would be amazing in mac and cheese.”

“Let’s load up on cheese and make some tomorrow,” he suggested.

I practically floated down the stairs as I followed him to the market in the cheese factory. Skylar wanted to hang out tomorrow.We hung out last night, are spending the day at the coast, and he wants to see me tomorrow too?

I should pull back, but I couldn’t. I was in too deep. I knew Skylar wasn’t sticking around long-term, but I was having too much fun with him to save myself the pain. At least I would have memories of our adventures to cheer me up when I missed him.

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