* X x * x * x * Chapter 16 * x * x * x X*
"Sis!" Kaye exclaimed when she got closer to her sister.
"What now?" Cassie just asked her, showing no interest at all.
"C'mon, it's just dinner. You've got to do this for me, pretty please?" Kaye pleaded with a swirl of her lashes.
"Nope. I don't want to, but you can go," she flatly denied her sister.
"J wants you to come, or he will cancel." She panics as she recalls when J came out of the kitchen when she was covering her face from their embarrassing messages to each other.
**** earlier ****
"I'm afraid we'll have to cancel." J looks at Kaye, who is now sulking.
"Your sister doesn't want to hang out, so, yeah, I've lost my appetite." J said, still pouting.
"Bummer," Z said, laughing at J's reaction.
"Well, I was thinking if you could persuade her, though." J took a seat in one of the chairs.
"C'mon, I gave you today; I didn't play the third wheel on your date," J whispered to Kaye, not allowing Z to hear what he was saying, just that Z knows him and understands what he's saying.
Z smacks his head and says, "You're such a kid. You better stop troubling them, J."
"It wouldn't feel right leaving her out here, though!" J protests.
"Alright, alright. I got it. Let me talk to her. However, no guarantees." Kaye stood up from her chair and proceeded to the kitchen.
"That's all I'm asking for. Thanks! Commencement Plan B." J lights up once more.
"Bruh." Z just rolls her eyes and shakes her head at her friend.
***** flashback concludes *****
"You know I can never say no to you, can I?" Cassie just sighs and rears up.
"Yay!" Kaye jumped with joy and hugged her sister.
"Why'd you decline the invitation, though?" She asked curiously. thinking her sister wouldn't have disagreed after learning that she and Oliver are going.
"That stupid kid just rubs me the wrong way; it's annoying." Cassie shrugs her shoulders as she slips out of her apron.
"Oh my, my kind and understanding sister is annoyed with someone? That's new." She can't believe what she's hearing. ''Nevertheless, let's go."
"Calm your tits down, girl. Don't make it so obvious that you want to spend more time with that tall girl." Cassie quipped at her sister. She'd heard about this tall girl her younger sister had her eye on, but this morning was the first time she saw her up close.
"She has a name, you know. " Kaye sighed at her sister.
"I know. Thinking about it, maybe she got fed up with how long her name is; that's why she just settled on naming herself a letter." Her sister retorted.
"Wait, do you know her full name? I mean—how?!" Her eyes widened as she asked. She doesn't even know her full name, yet her sister does!
"She showed me her card this morning for some reason. She was telling me something like, "She's not a bad person," and then she handed her ID to me. Funny, that girl is." Her sister shook her head and smiled.
"Tell me!" She commanded.
"Ask for her ID yourself." Her sister teased her, then she went out of the kitchen to meet the people waiting outside.
"Are we done cleaning everything?" She asked her brother, who was currently working on the register, and he agreed.
"Very well. Let's call it a day, people. Thank you for today." As she said that, she went to the table where J and Z were waiting.
"Let's go and get this over with. My sister has an interview tomorrow, and I don't want her to miss it because of some stupid kid." She said this as she examined J from head to toe.
"I'm really sorry about my friend. He's just a bit of an extra." Z expressed regret.
"What the fuck, dude? I thought we were friends." J cried to his friend, and they all just laughed—except Cassie.
"I'm done. Let's go!" Oliver appeared from behind the two goddesses. Well, he's pretty good-looking with a lean body but he looked pretty average among the people in front of him.
Cassie proposed that she drive her siblings, but J proposed otherwise.
"Let's take his car." Z seconded his motion, and he shot her looks of appreciation. "I know you're tired, but we can all fit inside with no problems." Z continued while the other two agreed with her.
Everyone agreed, much to J's surprise.
"One of these days, I'm kicking you guys out." Cassie told her brother and sister as they drove to the location. The siblings sat in the backseat while Z took the passenger seat.
"Better yet, you can leave them be and come with me." J shrugged and suggested.
"Very funny. As I heard you earlier, you're just leeching off your friend, and you're asking me to live with you?" Cassie quipped back.
"Oh, so you were paying attention to what I said, huh?" J flashed his heartthrob smile and raised his eyebrows as he eyed her in the rearview mirror.
"I'm not sure about the rest. What was your name again?" Cassie asks her innocently.
The two bickered like some old couple, and the other people inside the car were snickering at their exchange.
"1 point for Cassie." Oliver declared from behind, and everyone laughed.
"Oh, Cassie. What a lovely name. I thought it would take me a month to get that." J went on again.
"Hey, Z, What does Z stand for?" It was Kaye's chance to ask, given the topic.
"Isn't it obvious? It's godZilla." J quickly answered, and Z just giggled.
"Very funny. I'm serious. I wanna know." She sulked.
"It's Zach." Z stated it succinctly.
She guessed it wasn't all of it, and when she wasn't satisfied with the answer, she asked again. "And Zach is a nickname for?"
"Zacharia," Z answered from the passenger side.
They arrived at a family restaurant that the two best friends frequent. They ordered a wide range of food selections and started the impromptu dinner.
The talk usually just came from either J or Oliver. They really are alike. Both are jolly and outspoken. J mostly talked about himself, and all Z did was listen to their stories, casually laughing from time to time.
J proceeds to drive them home after the fun dinner. The best friends got out of the car together with the three siblings. Cassie and Oliver went inside while J left the two for some privacy
"I really appreciate today, Kaye. I haven't had this much fun in years, so, erm, thank you." Z expressed her sincerity.
Their faces are almost at the same level since Kaye was standing on one of the stairs to the shop.
"It was my pleasure. I had fun as well." Kaye beamed at her. "I hope we can do this again some other time." She added, and she just hopes she doesn't jinx herself.
Z pursed her lips as a shy smile played on her lips.
They gazed at each other for what seemed like an eternity until Kaye decided to break the stare.
She supported herself on both sides with Z's shoulder, leaned forward tiptoeing for a moment, and kissed her on the cheek.
Z did not anticipate what was going to happen, so she just stood still the moment Kaye went in for the kiss.
She then abruptly turned around to go inside the comfort of her home, leaving Z stunned as if it were their first kiss. Kaye pulled another punch while she was still reeling from their intoxicating first kiss.
However, she couldn't deny the little disappointment that had surfaced in her chest when the kiss landed just on her cheeks.
"Hey, loverboy, mind coming back now?" J emerged from the window of the driver's seat and called her out of her trance.
She couldn't help but titter, so she went back to the car. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, sorry 'bout that."
"Actually, why didn't you just go? I have my car out here." Z asked while pointing to her baby that was parked just beside J's huge pickup.
"Will you just hurry up and let's get home?" J rolled his eyes at her friend. He actually feels happy for his friend.
It didn't take them too long to arrive at their place.
"You seem really happy," J told her as they went inside the house.
Z eyed her friend and pondered for a moment.
"Is it that obvious?" She asked him.
"Yeah, I mean, I'm not complaining. It's nice to see you this happy for a change."
"Yeah." She gave him a wistful smile.
"I hope it goes well with you and Kaye." J patted her on the back. "Of course, I'd love to give it a shot with Cassie. You're good with that, right?"
"I mean, yeah, I hope so as well, but why wouldn't I be?" Her brows met as she asked.
"Just because." J simply smiled and waved to her. "Goodnight, buddy."
"Goodnight." Z wishes him back.
They both went inside their rooms and retired for the night.