Landry in Like

by Krysten Lindsay Hager

  Grandma mixed the cheese and the sauce with the pasta and then put it in a casserole dish.

  “Okay, it says add cracker crumbs on top and bake for twenty minutes. Oh, it said olives optional. Do you want them or not?” she asked.

  Ashanti shook her head. “My mom never liked them in it.”

  Grandma and I began cleaning up the kitchen, and I watched Ashanti rinse out the bowl and her hands were shaking. Then the timer dinged.

  As soon as Grandma opened the oven door to take it out, Ashanti’s whole face changed. Her eyes closed and she took a big breath in.

  “I never thought I’d smell that again,” she said.

  “Let’s hope we got the taste down, too,” Grandma said. She scooped out some macaroni onto a plate and handed it to Ashanti who took a deep breath before putting the fork to her mouth. She chewed and then burst into tears.

  “Oh dear,” Grandma said.

  And then Ashanti threw her arms around my grandmother, sobbing.

  “It’s okay, honey. Now you have it, and you can make it in her memory whenever you want to feel close to her,” Grandma said, smoothing Ashanti’s hair.

  Even my mom was choked up. “Ashanti, do you want to see if your parents want to come over and have some with us?” she asked.

  Ashanti nodded and called her mom and dad. They arrived and her mom cried after taking the first bite. Even her dad teared up.

  “Oh, I never thought I’d have this again. It’s that extra something — that sauce and the cheese. How did you figure it out?” Mr. Russell asked.

  “I used to go to the same diner where they made that sauce. Frankly, I’m shocked anybody else remembered it. Your mother must have done the same thing I did — tried to figure out the ingredients on our own,” Grandma said. Then she shot a sly look at my mother. “It’s nice to see some people appreciate culinary efforts.”

  Mom laughed. “Yeah, yeah.”

  “Honey, I think I hear a phone,” Grandpa said to me.

  I got up and went into my room. It said, “Missed call: Vladi.”

  Ashanti followed me in, and I lifted up the phone to show her.

  “This could be the call I’ve been hoping for, or he could be calling to say, ‘I have a new girlfriend now and I don’t think we should be friends anymore,’” I said. “Vladi’s the type of guy who would never talk to an ex behind his girlfriend’s back, and I’m not sure if he and I could go back to just being friends.”

  “You know what I think?” she asked taking the phone from me. “You’re overthinking it. Call him and see what he says.”

  “But if I don’t, then I can cling to the ‘what if’ thing just a little bit longer.”

  “Yeah, but what if he still is ‘in like’ with you? Call. Oh, whoops, my finger slipped and I just dialed him back,” she said tossing the phone at me. “I’ll be listening outside the door if you need me.”

  “Hello?”

  I almost dropped my phone when I heard Vladi’s voice.

  “Oh, hi. It’s Landry. I saw you called,” I said.

  “Yeah, I felt I needed to after yesterday’s weirdness,” he said. “That whole thing was messed up.”

  “Right, well I just wanted to make sure you knew I was telling the truth about everything with Kyle.”

  “Like his arm around you — twice.”

  “That was nothing. I promise.”

  “Yup, but that one chick — I think her name is Halle or Hayley something? She came up to me after you left and told me Yasmin was blowing everything out of proportion. And then she swore me to secrecy and said I could never let Yasmin know she said that,” he said. “It just got weird.”

  “Well, that was decent of her,” I said.

  “That wasn’t the weirdness I was talking about. I meant when the girl I was with came over.”

  The perfect girl you’re about to tell me you’re pre-engaged to and just counting down the days until you’re both eighteen and can be united in wedded bliss and would I like to be invited to the wedding? That girl?

  “Oh, her?”

  “Yeah, we’ve been seeing each other,” he said.

  “Oh?”

  “So I didn’t think it was cool to just walk away to talk to you last night when I was out with her.”

  So noble. It was hard to hate him when he was just being a nice guy.

  “I hate hurting people’s feelings, you know. Especially people I care about, but sometimes you have to put things in the past and move on when it’s not right. I wish I didn’t have to hurt someone, but I don’t know what else to do. It just feels like when someone’s always been there for you, that maybe they’re the one you’re supposed to be with,” he said.

  Tears were rolling down my face now. “I understand,” I said, my voice cracking. “I have to go.”

  I hung up and burst into tears. Ashanti rushed into the room.

  “Oh honey, I’m so sorry. I thought for sure he was calling to get you back. Never in a million years would I have dialed his number if I thought this was going to happen,” she said hugging me. “Is there anything I can do?”

  “Can you buy me some time?” I said. “Just go distract them in the kitchen so I can kind of get it together. I don’t get to see my grandparents that often, and I don’t want this to ruin their visit. I’m hurting so bad right now, but I—”

  “Don’t want to have any regrets. I get it,” she said squeezing my hand. “I’ll tell them a friend called with a homework problem.”

  I went to the bathroom and washed my face. The tissue box was gone, so I had to dry my face with toilet paper. My eyes were so red and I wanted to crawl into bed and cry for hours, but I also wanted to hear all about Grandma’s painting class. Then I remembered the deep breathing exercises Dad told me about. I started doing them when Mom knocked on the door.

  “Hon, Vladi’s here to see you,” Mom said.

  What? He felt the need to dump me to my face? In front of my family? I wanted to tell her to say I wasn’t home, but obviously it was too late for that. Plus, she’d ask me why and I’d have to admit what a loser dumpee’ I was. Ugh. Why couldn’t the earth just swallow me up right now? I walked out and Vladi was standing there looking nervous in the living room while Grandma and Grandpa, the Russells, and my mother were all smiling at him. Meanwhile, Ashanti shot him a death glare.

  “Um, hey,” Vladi said to me. “I tried calling you back, but you didn’t pick up.”

  Grandma gave me a little smile. “Do you two want some privacy? We can all go into the kitchen.”

  Except for the fact the kitchen was right next to the living room and they’d hear every single word.

  “We can go outside,” I said. “Come on.”

  Vladi followed me outside. “I didn’t know you had company — like, a lot of company — or I wouldn’t have come over.”

  “Well, you’re here now,” I said, refusing to look at him.

  “Why did you hang up on me?” he asked.

  Vladi always told me he liked me because I was myself and didn’t pretend to be someone else, so I told him what I was feeling.

  “You said what you had to say and I—I accept it, but I don’t like it.”

  “You don’t?” he asked.

  “You told me you weren’t going anywhere—” I said as my voice broke. I pretended to cough to cover it.

  “And you told me I could count on you and then I heard all this mess about you with another guy and saw that picture,” he said.

  “And you believed a stranger over my word,” I said.

  “Because hearing that was my worst fear.”

  It hit me that same thing had happened with me and Peyton a few months ago when she worried I had betrayed her, too. As upset as I was with Vladi, I understood where he was coming from.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you,” he said.

  Even though my heart was breaking, I knew I had to forgive him. He had reacted out of fear.

  “I forgive you,” I said.

>   “It hurt me a lot when you hung up on me. You’ve always told me I could tell you anything. Then I shared something that was hard for me to say and you just cut me off,” he said.

  “It was pretty hard for me to hear it. You said I could tell you anything, too, right?”

  He nodded.

  “Well, then I’m going to be honest with you,” I said. “I still like you so much and it hurts to hear you’ve moved on and, even worse, that you found the one you feel like you’re supposed to be with. I mean—” Tears began rolling down my cheeks.

  “Landry, I was talking about you.”

  “What?” I hiccupped and then slapped my hand over my mouth.

  “I was trying to tell you that I called the other girl and told her I felt bad, but we couldn’t see each other anymore. You’re the one I was talking about,” he said.

  “Me?”

  “Yeah, and seeing that I think you’re even cute when you hiccup like that kinda proves that I like you. Plus, you have what appears to be a noodle in your hair. I’m not even sure how that happened.”

  He reached up and pulled a piece of elbow macaroni out of my hair.

  “So you’re not running off with some other girl?”

  “Well, I’m fifteen and she’s sixteen, and I’m pretty sure there are some laws against that,” he said. “Plus, there’s this other girl I like.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah, she looks cute with noodles in her hair and what appears to be cheese sauce on the front of her shirt.”

  I stared down and saw the stain on my top. “I’m so gross.”

  “Nah, just a messy eater.”

  “You still like me?”

  “Yeah, and I’d hug you, but I can see your entire family and Ashanti’s family peeking out of the kitchen window. Are they aware glass is transparent?” he asked laughing.

  I hiccupped again. “I missed you.”

  “Me, too.”

  And then I hugged him. He smelled amazing — just like I remembered.

  “Vladi?” I asked.

  “Yeah?”

  “I just realized I probably got the cheese on you now and as soon as we move apart, you’ll see I ruined what looks like an expensive sweatshirt,” I said.

  “Don’t care,” he said as I stepped back. “Just tell me we’re back together and everything is okay.”

  I nodded.

  “Good news, your grandma seems to like me. When you hugged me she did this thing where she put her hand up by her mouth, just like you do when you’re happy. You two look a lot alike.”

  “Yeah, we are a lot alike,” I said. “Do you want to come in for some mac ‘n cheese?”

  “Are you sure? I feel like I barged into some big family thing. I walked in and there was a grown man crying into a plate of noodles and another man consoling him, and Ashanti was glaring at me like she wanted to rip my head off. I didn’t get welcoming vibes.”

  I giggled. “It’s fine. I’d like you to meet my grandparents. Oh, is that weird? Like too soon or too serious?”

  He laughed. “No, it’s perfect.”

  We walked in, and everybody started talking over each other as if they had been chatting this whole time and not over at the window watching us. Ashanti mouthed, “Okay?” at me and I nodded.

  “Everybody, I want you to meet Vladi, my… um…”

  Vladi stepped forward and held out his hand to Grandpa. “I’m Landry’s boyfriend,” he said.

  Grandpa Bernie shook his hand, and I saw Grandma looking over at my mother, who refused to make eye contact.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Grandma said, coming over to shake his hand. “Would you like me to fix you a plate?”

  “I don’t want to interrupt.”

  “Of course, please join us.” She pulled out the chair next to Mrs. Russell. “Lane, come help me in the kitchen.”

  Mom gave me a look that said, “Save me,” but I just gave her a smile. After all, she could have warned me about the macaroni in my hair or at least kept the entire group from spying at the window.

  “Here you go,” Grandma said, placing a plate in front of Vladi. “This is Ashanti’s grandmother’s special recipe. The girls and I worked on it together — even Lane helped.”

  Mom sighed and laughed. “Thanks, Ma.”

  “Anytime, dear,” Grandma said. “I haven’t given you your picture yet.”

  Grandma went into the other room and came back with another picture. This one was of lilies in a milk jar. Mom took it and her mouth dropped open.

  “I thought it would look nice in your office maybe. Or if it’s not corporate enough for you—”

  “Just like Grandma’s house,” Mom said in a whisper.

  “Yes, she always put those lilies in the vase for you when you spent the night there. I thought you’d like it.”

  Mom teared up then and Mrs. Russell started sniffing again, and that’s when I realized where the bathroom tissue box went. The Russells had the box in front of them, and Ashanti’s mother passed it to Mom.

  “Well, this has been an emotional day,” Mr. Russell said. “We should probably let you guys get back to your visit.”

  He got up and hugged my grandmother, and Ashanti’s parents thanked her for taking the time to figure out the recipe. While she was writing it down for them, Ashanti went to get her things.

  “Grandpa, can we show Vladi what you made me?” I asked.

  We went into my room and then it hit me. Vladi was in my bedroom. He was standing in the exact spot where I got dressed every day and where I once threw up when I had the nervous pukies. Then I saw Ashanti’s foot reach out and kick something under the bed.

  “This is amazing,” Vladi said, squatting down to look at the bookcase better. “You made this?”

  Grandpa started going into detail and Ashanti whispered in my ear, “You left your gym class granny panties on the floor. Good news, I don’t think he saw.”

  “Some days it’s like I wear cool repellant,” I said.

  “Call me later,” she said hugging me.

  The Russells left, and Grandma suggested we all sit down in the living room.

  “I don’t want to intrude on your visit,” Vladi said. “It was nice meeting you all.”

  As I walked him to the door, my grandmother said, in what I guess she thought was a hushed tone, “Oh, he’s darling.”

  Vladi smirked. “I am darling,” he said.

  I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help smiling.

  “That is so sweet you and your grandma helped Ashanti figure her grandmother’s recipe out. I can’t get over how much you and your grandma are alike. She stands like you, too, but she kept the macaroni out of her hair,” he said winking at me. He glanced over my shoulder and then moved me past the door frame.

  “Well, try not to flirt with her,” I said. “After all, she does resemble my mother, too.”

  He laughed. “Nice one. I’ll call you later, okay?”

  I nodded and he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. As I watched him leave, I felt better than I had in a long time. I had assumed the worst, with Ashanti moving on to cooler pastures without me and Vladi falling for the new girl. All because I didn’t have the confidence to think I was worth sticking around for and because I was too afraid to come out and talk to them about it. Maybe I wouldn’t have had to go through all those insecure emotions if only I had just come out and talked to them about what I was feeling.

  “Landry, come join us. We want to hear all about what you’ve been up to lately,” Grandma Lily said. “And about this new boyfriend. Speaking of new boyfriends, did you know your other grandmother has been seeing someone?”

  “What do you know about him?” Mom asked.

  “Grandpa and I set them up, but that’s all I’m saying for now because I want to hear all about my granddaughter’s new boyfriend.”

  I sat down and Grandma put her arm around me. “We have missed you so much,” she said. “Your father and Grandma Anne have been talking about rent
ing a place on the lake this summer and all of us getting together. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

  “That would be great,” I said.

  Grandpa started talking about my eighth grade graduation coming up and how the whole family was planning to take the train from Chicago to be here for it.

  Getting to spend time with my family and knowing things were back to normal with Ashanti and Vladi was the best feeling ever. Now if only the summer would go on forever and I could avoid starting the ninth grade in the fall. But for now, I wouldn’t worry about that. I’d just focus on the good stuff. Just then my phone got a text. It was from Vladi, and it was a yellow heart and a smooching smiley face. I started to smile as I texted back a yellow heart. Life was good.

  About the Author

  Krysten Lindsay Hager is the author of the Landry’s True Colors Series, a clean reads young adult series. Krysten writes about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, middle school and high school, frenemies, modeling, crushes, values, and self-image in True Colors and Best Friends…Forever? as well as her standalone YA novel, Next Door to a Star.

  * * *

  Krysten is a book addict who has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and writes middle grade, YA, humor essays, and adult fiction. She is originally from Michigan and has lived in Portugal, South Dakota, and currently resides in Southern Ohio where you can find her reading and writing when she’s not catching up on her favorite shows. She received her master’s degree from the University of Michigan-Flint.

  Krysten loves to hear from her readers!

  @KrystenLindsay

  KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor

  www.krystenlindsay.com/

  krystenlindsay@gmail.com