I say, panicked. "What am I gonna do? If Grams finds out I snuck out I'll never hear the end of it."
"Go back through the window."
I roll my eyes. "Yeah, I haven't quite perfected by wall climbing abilities."
"Wait here."
He disappears behind his house and comes back moments later holding a ladder. He carefully leans it against the house, trying not to make noise.
"Go ahead," he says, pointing to it.
I walk up to it. "You couldn't have offered this to me on the way down?"
He smiles. "It was more fun the other way. Now hurry up. I think I see your grandma's light on."
"What? Are you serious?" I look up toward her window, searching for the light.
"I was kidding. She's asleep. You gotta stop worrying about her. You're an adult. She can't do anything to you."
"You met her. She's a force to be reckoned with."
He chuckles. "Reckoned with. You talk funny."
"I do not. That's a very common phrase."
"For grandmas," he mumbles.
I sigh. "Goodnight."
"See ya, neighbor."
He waits until I'm in my room, then takes the ladder down and back to his house.
In the morning, Grams is knocking on my door at seven. Why does she get up so early? She's retired. She has all day to get things done. Couldn't she at least sleep until eight?
"Faith, are you up?"
"Yes," I say, feeling groggy thanks to Tyler waking me up in the middle of the night. I can't believe he did that, but I have to admit it was kind of fun sneaking out like that.
The door opens and Grams walks in and stands next to my bed. "I thought you said you were up."
"By up, I meant awake." I notice she's dressed for the day with her hair already out of curlers and styled into place. "Have you already started working?"
"Yes. I did some weeding around the house. I wanted to do it while the ground was still damp." She sits beside me on the bed. "While I was out there I saw the strangest thing."
I sit up. "What'd you see?"
"There was food scattered all over the lawn on the side of the house. If we lived in town I'd assume kids did it as a prank, but being way out here in the country I can't explain it. And it was the oddest assortment of items. Marshmallows, raisins, and peanuts. Perhaps the wind blew it there, although we didn't have much of a breeze yesterday."
I'm trying not to laugh, imagining her expression when she saw all that stuff on the grass. I could pretend I know nothing about it but knowing her, she'll call the police, thinking the food might've been from a burglar who got hungry and dropped his snacks. Now I'm laughing as I picture that.
"Faith, this is not funny. There was clearly someone out there last night and it's concerning that he was so close to the house, right under your window."
"Grams, it's okay. It was Tyler. He did it."
She stands up, her hands on her hips. "Why on earth would he do such a thing?" She eyes me. "And how do you know it was him?"
"He came over last night wanting to talk. He didn't want to wake you so he tossed stuff at my window, hoping I'd hear it and come out."
"And why, exactly, did he need to talk to you at such a late hour?"
"He said something earlier that bothered me and he wanted to explain why he did it. He felt bad."
"Faith, surely you can't be that na茂ve. The boy was here to try to win your affections, and most likely more than that. Things happen at night, and he knows that, which is why he was at your window."
"It's not like that. He's not interested in me that way. He doesn't even want to date anyone right now."
"Which will make you want him all the more. People want what they can't have. It's human nature and he's using it to get what he wants."
"Grams, that's not true. You don't know him like I do."
"You've known the boy for a day. That's hardly enough time to know whether his intentions are good."
I don't want to get into this with her, so I change topics. "Did you clean up the food? If not, I'll go out there and do it." I get out of bed and go around her.
"I left it there in case I needed the police to see it."
Just like I thought, she was about to call the police. Walking to the window,