It was earlier Friday evening when Lilith and the girls came into the kitchen. Lilith usually gets home after five in the evening since she's focusing on upgrading her GPA for someone whose so obsessive with astronomy. I'm sure she must be astute, for it's definitely not easy to have both social life and also a good GPA.
"So I thought we could hang out at my place Sunday, and y'all could help me do what they do to herbal plant in the garden, my mom's running out of organics." Suri pleads, pulling a chair by the worktop. She dumps her bag on the counter. "I'm so exhausted."
"Yes, we could do that and definitely look like potato sacks at Tyron's." With an intense evil grin, Embry shoots back at Suri, whose mood suddenly drops.
Lilith warmly caresses Suri's shoulders. "We will squeeze time for your garden." She politely tells Suri.
With me standing by the fridge scooping Blue Bell Creameries, I don't think anyone cares about my present until Quinn walks over to me with a smile that I'm now familiar with and snatches my ice cream away. "You don't get to eat alone. I need this after a long practice." With a bite, Quinn moan, succumbing to my new favourite ice cream flavour before she hands it back to me. Without a reply, I reach for the built-in side-by-side fridge and store back what was left in the package.
"I need to go home now. I have to help my dad with random stuff throughout tomorrow, so paradise it is before the party," Embry announces to everyone as she purposely flips her red hair to one side, exposing her slim neck.
I could tell her to chill, Leigh's not here, but I heard his voice echoing around the house. Since I'm by the corner, I don't get the full view of the lobby, but I'm guessing that's where Leigh is for all the girls are beginning to turn strawberry red and goosebumps, except for Lilith.
"Why can't we go to Summerlin? Why fashion show?" Lilith groans.
"Do you want to look like her?" Embry dart at me, and I promptly stiffen in my baggy shirt. She mouthed it very low that I'm sure Leigh didn't hear.
"What is wrong with her?" Lilith immediately fires back. And at that moment, I feel more than grateful to have her. Having someone who will defend you when you don't have a comeback, or you're afraid to speak up for yourself.
The girls' eyes were all on me, scanning me from head to toe that I felt totally uncomfortable and slightly ugly, I've never claimed to be pretty, but at least I expect a little curtsy, not such rude disrespect throw over my face. With a heavy sigh, Embry rolls her eyes. "All I am saying is we are lucky getting to attend seniors party. We shouldn't blow it." She says breathier, like she's struggling to calm herself down.
"We're going to be invited. Either way, we are the life of the school anyway." Quinn from beside me says.
"Well, if you blow this one? we could be losers of the school." Embry snap. "So Sunday, at noon." She concludes with a tight smile.
"Ava's coming with us," Lilith suggest.
"But she's a sophomore." Embry appears slightly worried as she looks my way.
"I don't think the law of 'seniors only' is mandated to girls. Just be cool, and that's all." Suri smiles at me.
"Okay. Hoe, be cool, and that's all." Embry repeated to me. With that, she calls on the girls leaving Lilith and me as we stand in our position. Lilith's eyes follow her group of friends while my ears follow the girls until I hear Embry little murmurs from the lobby before the door finally closes.
With a shrug, Lilith faces me. "Don't mind, Embry. She wasn't like that before. Now she's getting more..."
"Obsessed," I say, and she smiles.
"Kinda." She walks over to me and stands beside me. we fix our four eyes on the oven. "We should bake something." She recommended after seconds, and I couldn't agree more.
I help bring out ingredients, and Lilith provides the cutleries and mixer from the store, which she claims is more steady, that even my mom uses it often. In less than fifteen minutes, the kitchen is messy and smells like chocolate chips. In the process of mixing and baking, we've ambush each other and painted ourselves with cooking flour. I'm sure mom and Christian won't like the idea of having us in the kitchen. If they see this—which luckily they wouldn't for they went on a dinner date or whatever people call it, they left a note saying they will bring back our dinner so we shouldn't attempt to cook anything, but we violate the rules. I'm sure they're afraid of something like this.
"What In the world of craziness are you doing?" Leigh's voice is filled with shock when he walks into the kitchen. His eyes were out of their sockets.
Laughing, Lilith raises her hands in defence. "Ava, spilled the syrups. I told her no syrups in cookies."
Leigh's eyes begin to shrink back as they narrow at me. "She did the flour." I quick point her out.
He only shakes his head, trying to comprehend our insanity. "Make sure the kitchen is the way it was before Susan and dad gets home." He begins to smile devilishly. "And make sure I have a share in whatever smells delicious in that oven, or I will tell on you."
"You're cookie blackmailing us?" Lilith yells at her brother as he walks out of the kitchen.
"I thought we're making biscuits?" I confusedly ask Lilith. Leigh halted and stared at me the same way Lilith was with narrow eyes, completely mystified. "What?" I snap.
"Nothing. Your mom also refers to the cookie as a biscuit."
Lilith giggles, shaking her head.
"That's what it is," I mutter, slightly annoyed.
"I'm waiting for my cookies," Leigh say from afar.
Lilith rolls her eyes, and we begin to clean up as the cookies spend their peaceful time in the oven.
The past days had been better. Leigh is spending more time at home as Lilith claim to be his authentic self. He's made a habit of following me to class with a flask of tea and leaving a text message of his whereabouts after school closes. Our rides home is usually entertained by Sawyer and me, babbling about our day. I'm now getting used to the preoccupied smile; I consistently earn from Leigh as I detail out everything about my day to my cousin. The kids In school had already forgotten about my first famous name, 'mother superior', and I even received some friendship requests with ticking boxes at my locker. As the girl who rides in Bugatti with Leigh Boyce. People had already heard about our relationship and that we're nothing but soon to be step-siblings, so I don't quite have rivals, only admires. I like to believe. However, Embry and Quinn continue to refer to me as How. I'm trying to get used to it because that's how they address themselves, but I'm still not adequate enough.
When the biscuits were done, we took some shares for ourselves, and Lilith annoyingly left some for Leigh on a plate.
"We could've gotten six-six, but he went and had to be all 'or I will tell on you.'" With a huff, she hands me the dish. "Take it to him and get me back the plate so I can clean it with the baking tray after I'm done eating." She commands while she pours milk for herself.
Before I can stop myself, I grab the glass cup from her and ask her to pour another one for herself.
She was completely surprised by my 'milk burglary,' as she calls it; I had to lie to her, it's for myself and stalks away to find the living room empty. I follow the staircase and stand by the door that I've never gone through.
With both hands occupied. I say. "Can you help me with the door, please?" It was silent for a while, and I began to realise maybe Leigh didn't understand I was talking to him, so I called his name quietly, and before three seconds, the door was opening.
He was wearing only a pair of jeans trousers as he stood by the door with a broad smile, the one that shows his front teeth, the one that makes his green eyes brighten up and narrowed their size. The one I'm now familiar too. I do all I can to avoid looking down at his shirtless figure. So I keep my eyes on his face or over his shoulder. He must have noticed my uneasiness because he released the door open and allowed me access as he walked over to his bed. Possibly purposedly providing me with a full view of his lean, tight muscular back. He sure workout for his age. I slobber over not only his back but his perfect shoulders, his neck and messy hair that I immediately feel the urge to run my hands through.
These weird feelings had been occurring to me throughout this week anytime I encountered Leigh presence. I sometimes feel thankful for having Sawyer's company when riding beside Leigh after school.
He turns around and nods at my populous hands, and that's when I remember to hand it over to him. "Here, but drink the milk fast because I lied to Lilith that it was mine." I apprise slowly as I bite my bottom lip harder to avoid looking at his torso.
Smiling, he quietly observes my reaction before he nods and sips the milk. I stand before him as he sits on his big size bed while he drinks the milk accompanied with the biscuits. I use the silent moment to scan his bedroom, which is more significant than mine and Lilith. The room has an exclusive private balcony which neither Lilith and I have. Everything in the room was mostly a shade of grey or white. Beside him is an old guitar that I wouldn't take my eyes off.
"Is that yours?" I ask him.
His eyes followed mine and rested on the instrument. "My grandfather's, but my mom gave it to me."
Instantly I regret asking. My cheeks became hot. "Oh." That was all I could bring myself to say.
He smiles small at me with parted lips before he twitches them like he was finding it hard to say what was in his mind, which I desperately want to know. "It's old fashioned anyway." He finally mutters. I know that wasn't what he intended to say, but I didn't pressure him if he didn't feel like sharing it with me.
"You play?" I ask him.
"Not so good, but yeah." He nods the same time I hear Lilith yelling my name from downstairs.
I tilt my head to the doorway to listen to her, and when I lean back in my former direction, hoping to find Leigh where I thought he'd be sitting. I was greeted by his pecs inch away from me, very close that I could inhale the decent scent of his masculine body, the taste of his cologne combine with the warm earthy flavour as if from a booming garden. I freeze to the closeness.
At that moment, I swear my breathing stops for seconds until I feel his hand grab mine and hands me the plate. I lifted my eyes to him, and I could see the soulful smile on his face as his finger gently slid a strand of hair behind my ear. His glistening green eyes were ardent while he locked his gaze with me. His fingers linger on my cheek, stroking gently.
I keep telling myself mentally, 'Ava focus on breathing' 'Ava focus on breathing' as I stand before Leigh Boyce with a thumping heartbeat, my mother's fiancé's son, until Lilith broke through our ears again and startled me.
Thoroughly flushed, I step back a little with our eyes never breaking. "I think I didn't take much of the milk," I mutter. Leigh smiles at me and stuffs his hands in his front pockets.
"I guess you didn't take much of the milk." He says very low and very seductive.