I didn't see the boys for two months after that. They had started their tour and weren't gonna be back in Tulsa for a while. I took that time to sort out what I should do when I saw them again. I knew that I was definitely going to apologize and tell them that this whole fighting things was getting old. I mean, eight years of fighting? What was the point? It wasn't even that we didn't like each other; we hung out more than I did with some of my friends; but we loved to embarass, ridicule, and be openly spiteful with each other. It's kind of refreshing to know you can really yell at a person and know they're not going to take it personally. Until someone goes to far, which I did.
The day that they got back, I was taking a nap in my room. I don't know why I woke up, but when I did, I saw Mr. Hanson carrying a bag inside with Isaac and figured the rest must already be in there. I'd been planning what to do for a really long time. I got out the letter I'd written and waited until they were all inside before I crept out of my room and over to their house. I stuck the letter in their mailbox (which was stuffed full) and began walking back to my house.
"Hey Addy." I heard someone say behind me. I froze and turned around slowly. Whew, it was only Jessica.
"Hey Jessie, what's up?" I asked, smiling at her.
"Oh, nothing, I was just wondering why you were in our lawn." She said to me.
"I um...just came to say hello! I rang the doorbell but I guess it's broken or something." I said, lying through my teeth. I wanted the guys to find the letter on their own time. Jessica furrowed her brow.
"I didn't know it was broken. I'll have to tell dad about that. But you can come in and say hello if you want." She offered.
"Uh...yeah, sure." I said, smiling weakly and following her inside. I walked into their house and instantly began to worry about what was going to happen when I came face to face with the guys, especially Taylor and Isaac. I could see Zac's behind sticking out from behind the 'fridge door and heard him muttering to himself about how the worst part about being home was being home when there wasn't any food. Mrs. Hanson was standing at the counter pouring some juice for Zoe, who was toddling around, looking for her doll.
"Go on, say hi. I'll go find everyone else." Zac slammed the fridge door and straightened up.
"Mom, we don't have anything to eat here. I'm starving. Tell Ike to go to the store or something. Oh, hey Addy, what are you doing here?" He asked suspiciously when he saw me.
"Uh...I just came to say, um, well, welcome back is all." I said. How had I gotten myself into this?
"Hi..." He said, giving me a weird look and brushing past me into the den. I could hear voices coming around the corner.
"Addy's here? Why? Who invited her in?"
"I dunno, Jess just said she was here to see us." Taylor and Isaac rounded the corners and I took in a sharp breath when I saw them.
"Oh...hey guys. I just dropped by to say hello." I said, my brain speeding to find something more to say. "...and to let you know that I'm going to be running to the store for your mom. Is there anything you need?" I have a lying problem, I know.
"Um...some toilet paper might be nice." Isaac said. "Why are you shopping for us?"
"Oh...hehe, I just figured you'd all be tired and I offered. Taylor?"
"Uh, just a coupla toothbrushes. I left mine in the last hotel." He said.
"Ok, well, I'll be going now. Take care. I hope your trip went well." I said before I backed out of their house to go get them their supplies. Great, now I was going to have to spend my own hard earned money to buy them toilet paper and a tooth brush. I hopped into my car sullenly and started off to the store, muttering under my breath. I was finally mature enough to try and become friends with my neighbors of what, ten years? And when they get back and I'm trying to make ammends, they send me off to the store to pick up a tooth brush?! I mean, I kinda offered, but they should have declined at least, or given me the money to get it. Oh well, if this is what they wanted, I guess I could do it for them. I mean, what's five buck to me? Well, besides twelve packs of Wint-O-Green mints. I pulled into the store and picked up the goods and was in my car again in a matter of seconds. I drove back to their house and was about to let myself in when I saw Taylor in his back yard. I walked around his house and handed him the bag of toothbrushes and toilet paper.
"Here you go, Tay." I said, putting them to his outstretched hand.
"Thanks, my whole family will appreciate my having a tooth brush again. I lost mine five days ago." He said sheepishly.
"Please tell me you're joking." I said, involuntarily taking a step away from him. He smiled ruefully and shook his head. I couldn't believe it.
"That is so gross." I stated, deciding that apologizing for being a jerk for ten years was a good idea since we seemed to be getting along pretty well at the time. "Um, do you wanna sit down or anything?" I asked nervously.
"Uh, sure." He said unsurely, taking a seat on the steps. I sat down next to him and folded my hands in my lap.
"I just wanted to apologize for being such a jerk for so long. I know that it hasn't been only me doing stuff, but I think I kinda went a little too far the last time we saw each other and I feel really bad about it, and I know we don't all really hate each other, we just love being mean since we're usually such nice people all the time. I mean, I'm not mean to anyone like I'm mean to you guys. And I'm pretty sure you're not either. It's just fun to be able to go off on people and know they won't take it too personally, but I think I ruined that interesting relationship. I've done a lot of thinking over the past few months since you guys left and I realized that even though I love making fun of you guys and being like an obnoxious seven year old when I'm around you, I think I'd rather be friends, or at least on ok terms. I'm tired of fighting all the time, and I want to be friends." Whew! That was a lot of talking!
"Um...ok..." He said slowly, shaking his head slightly. I instantly bristled.
"What's that supposed to mean?! I just like, poured my heart out to you and all you can say is, 'Um,ok'! That day after you yelled at me, I went home and cried! I've been worrying about this since you left, trying to make this right. I even wrote a freakin' letter and put it in your mailbox this morning!" I said, my voice raising with every word. He looked at me, aghast.
"Can you please shut up so I can talk? I thought you were joking. I mean, now I know you aren't, but I thought you were, just because I never ever thought we'd be friends, and I thought you were trying to get me back for yelling at you." He explained.
"No, I'm serious!" I wailed.
"I know that now." He replied witheringly. I waited for him to say something about my whole schpeil, but he clamped his mouth shut and started messing with his sneaker.
"Well, what do you think about what I said?" I asked after a few silent moments.
"I dunno, I mean, it's worth a try. And it's getting old, this whole 'hating each other' thing. I'm not talking about doing a total 360 and hanging out with each other all the time, but-"
"180." I interrupted.
"Huh?" He asked, shooting me a confused look.
"360 would be a full circle, so we'd be back in the same spot. 180 would be completely different." I explained.
"Do you want me to finish?" He asked, a hint of annoyance apparant in his voice.
"Sorry, go on."
"Anyway...I'm not talking about doing a 180 and hanging out with each other all the time, but maybe we could be nice and you know, do things with each other and the rest of the family and stuff." He suggested. I let out a sigh of relief.
"Yeah, yeah, that sounds really good." I said, starting to laugh. He smiled at me and stood up, stretching his arms behind his back.
"Well, I know we're all really tired and stuff, so I'm gonna go on inside and take a nap. I'll tell Ike and Zac what we talked about. Maybe you can come over later tonight or something." He offered.
"Ok. I'll see ya later then." I said, standing and heading over to my house.
"Don't skip or anything!" He called after me with a smile on his lips. I laughed and ran the rest of the way inside.