Back home-
Ashton: I'm heading upstairs for a shower.
Leah: Should I make you something?
Ashton: If you want to.
I place my backpack on the couch and head to my room.
Ashton: I can't walk around half naked in front of her.
I pick a long sleeve shirt and some random pair of track pants and head to the bathroom across my room. I touch my ear to remove my ear pin but feel nothing. Crap, did I lose it?! C'mon, it was a limited edition too! I took it off after the shoot but I wore it while were leaving. I don't think I took it off after that. I'll look around the house later. I take a shower and head downstairs to find Leah in the kitchen idly chopping a potato. I peer over her shoulder. Wait, what?
Ashton: You seem distracted.
Leah: What?! Where did you come from?!
She turns her head to face me. Our faces are abnormally close so I make some distance between us.
Ashton: I just came here a second ago but, is something wrong?
Leah: What do you mean?
Ashton: What are you making?
Leah: Spaghetti.
Ashton: And you're going to put potatoes in that?
Not to mention that that potato is unwashed and un- skinned(?)
Leah: Uh, it's... it's a different type of spaghetti.
Ashton:... Let me handle this.
Leah: But...
Ashton: You can freshen up; I kept a spare set of clothes and towels for you in the bathroom.
Leah: But didn't you say that you didn't know how to cook?
Ashton: Well, how do you think I survived 6 years alone before you joined me?
Leah: So you lied?
Ashton: Well, I didn't...? I only said that I didn't like cooking.
Leah: So much for someone who was accusing me of lying.
Ashton: A little lie never hurt anyone, but, a desperate one does.
I AM referring to her and she realizes it.
Leah:... I never lie.
She snorts and leaves. Watch your attitude, girl. I sigh and start clearing up the mess she made. Maybe she was distracted by what happened earlier. I felt that it was a bit weird considering nothing seems to really get to her most of the time. Did I strike a nerve by mistake? After a while, Leah comes downstairs, her hair still wet.
Leah: Mmm, that smells really good!
She practically drools over the food kept on the table.
Ashton: I don't think it's that great and you're going to catch a cold if you don't dry your hair before you go to bed.
She touches her hair.
Leah: Can you blow it dry for me? Like you used to do?
That's right, I used to do that, didn't I? When she was younger she would stay at my place more than Aunt Caroline's; we even gave her a room.
Ashton: You're not a kid anymore, do it your own.
I place a glass of water on the table and sit down.
Leah:... Whatev'a.
Control your tongue, young lady. She sits down across of me and takes a bite of the food. Her face lights up.
Leah: This is so good! You should cook more often!
Is it now? It's just some good ol' spaghetti and some side dishes. I rest my chin on my palm and stare at her. Blue eyes, slender nose and brown hair; just like me, Aunt Caroline and my father for that matter. Nobody would be able to guess at first sight that she wasn't born a Beckett. Sometimes I too, wonder if she really is adopted or my distant blood relative.
Leah:... You're going to embarrass me if you keep looking at me like that. What are you thinking?
Ashton: Do you ever think how much of a coincidence it is that you look just like me or Aunt Caroline?
Leah:..!
She looks down at her plate and falls silent, the happy smile vanishing from her face. Shit, I forgot that she hates talking about all this! Great, I just keep troubling her the entire day.
Ashton: I-I didn't mean to actually say that.
Leah:... Maybe...
Ashton: Huh?
Leah:... Maybe that's why they took me in; I won't stand out.
She looks at me with a sad smile. I can ever guess the amount of pain in her voice; my heart sinks. I should probably change the topic.
Ashton: Didn't you notice? I'm eating salad.
Leah: What? How's that possible?
Her previously saddened eyes widen in surprise.
Ashton: Maybe it's my cooking's magic.
I jokingly smirk and she makes her 'Oh really?' face.
Leah: That's raw salad.
My smile slightly cracks when she says that.
Ashton: Maybe it's the dressing!
Leah:... Pfft, now you're just being lame.
L-Lame... Now I feel ashamed for someone who tutored her for 4 years. I look at her smiling slightly while eating her food and get an uneasy feeling in my chest. Am I really breaking bread with a backstabber? I met her 14 years ago as broken girl who was left alone in the harsh world. To make her adjust to the new surroundings, I spent most of my time with her until I was 18. At that time I started spending more time with Claire, my girlfriend rather than hanging out with her; she wasn't very outgoing so she didn't really have any friends. Did that perhaps create a grudge against us? But then again, all the mishaps took place two years after that. Ugh, my head hurts thinking about this all again and again. I bury all my doubts deep in my mind and resume my dinner...