The next morning, I was sleeping peacefully in my bed when I felt a sudden tug on my blanket, and before I could react, I was dragged out of the bed and landed on the hard floor with a thud.
"Ouch." I groaned, looking up to see who had just dared to disturb my precious sleep.
It was Zain, he was holding my blanket in his hand, and behind him stood Zara, who was smiling innocently.
"Prepare breakfast for us, please," Zain said, tossing my blanket aside and walking towards the door. I couldn't help glaring at him, then turned my gaze to the clock on the wall - it was 6 o'clock in the morning.
"No," I said firmly, as I got up from the floor and retrieved my blanket. I wrapped it around me and returned to my bed, hoping they would leave me alone. It was far too early to make breakfast.
"Come on, wake up," Zara said, following me to the bed and sitting on the edge. She looked at me with her big, doe eyes, trying to persuade me. "You make the best dish in the world, and if we wait too long, the chefs will come into the kitchen and won't let you cook."
She was lucky she was so cute, otherwise I would have kicked her out of the room. I sighed and got up from the bed, yawning and rubbing my eyes.
"Fine, fine, I'll make you some a breakfast. But only because you asked nicely," I said, grabbing a towel and heading for the bathroom. "Just give me time to take a shower and change my clothes."
I locked the door behind me and took some water. I hoped they would leave me alone for a few minutes, but I was wrong. I had barely had time to start showering when I heard their voices outside the door.
"Are you finished, because we're hungry," Zain shouted very loudly, which irritated me a little.
"No, I've only just started," I shouted back, then continued showering without being interrupted. I washed my hair and body quickly, then dried myself with the towel. I brushed my teeth and combed my hair, then opened the door and came out of the bathroom with the towel wrapped around me.
Zain had left the room, probably to give me some privacy, but Zara was still there, her eyes lit up with stars. She had laid out some clothes on the bed, which she had apparently chosen for me. They consisted of a mini skirt and a crop top, both in bright pink.
"I've chosen what you're going to wear," she said excitedly, pointing to the clothes.
"They're from my closet, and they'll look great on you."
"Um… Zara, I don't think I'm going to wear this," I said, as I picked up the clothes and threw them out of the window. I saw them flutter in the wind and land on a nearby tree.
I hoped no one would see them and think they were mine. I chose my maid's uniform from the closet. I put it on and buttoned it up, then looked at Zara, who was looking a bit disappointed.
"I wanted you to seduce my brother," she said and I finished dressing.
"Come on now, stop trying to fix me up with your brother," I said as I pushed her out of my room.
A few minutes later we were breaking in the kitchen.
"Are you sure you can do this?" I asked him, as he inserted the hairpin into the keyhole and twisted it gently.
"Of course I can. I've done this many times before," he said confidently, as he jiggled the hairpin some more. "It's easy, once you know how."
I rolled my eyes, doubting his skills.
"Come on, hurry up," Zara said impatiently, as she tapped her foot on the floor. She was hungry, and so was I.
"I'm trying, I'm trying," Zain said, as he fiddled with the hairpin some more. He was sweating, and his face was tense. He looked like he was about to give up.
"Maybe you should let me try," I suggested, as I reached for the hairpin. I had some experience with picking locks, since I had to do when I locked myself out of my room so many times before. It was not something I was proud of, but it came in handy sometimes.
"No, no, I've got this," Zain said, as he pulled the hairpin away from me. He gave me a determined look, and then pushed the hairpin harder into the keyhole. There was a loud click, and the door swung open.
"Ha! I did it!" Zain exclaimed, as he pumped his fist in the air. He looked triumphant, as if he had just won a medal or something.
"Good job, Zain," Zara said, as she clapped her hands and hugged him. She was proud of her brother, and so was I, even though I didn't show it.
"Let's go in, before someone sees us," I said, as I grabbed their hands and pulled them into the kitchen. I closed the door behind us, and locked it again. We had to be discreet, and not leave any traces of our presence.
I quickly scanned the kitchen, looking for what I needed to make pancakes. I found some flour, eggs, milk, sugar, baking powder, and salt in one of the cabinets. I also found some butter, maple syrup, and chocolate chips in the fridge.
"Okay, I've got everything I need," I said, as I grabbed a large mixing bowl and a whisk.
"You two can sit down and relax, I'll make you some pancakes."
"Can we help you?" Zara asked, as she followed me to the counter.
"Sure, you can help me crack the eggs and measure the milk," I said, as I handed her an egg and a measuring cup. She smiled and nodded, as she took them from me.
"What about me?" Zain asked, as he also followed me to the counter. He looked bored and restless, as if he didn't want to sit down and wait.
"You can help me by staying out of the way," I said, as I gave him a playful shove. He pouted and crossed his arms, as he leaned against the wall.
"Fine, I'll just watch you then," he said, as he stared at me with his piercing blue eyes.
I ignored him, and focused on making the pancake batter. I poured the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into the bowl, and whisked them together. Zara cracked the eggs and measured the milk, and added them to the bowl. I whisked them again, until the batter was smooth and lump-free.
"Can I add some chocolate chips?" Zara asked, as she held the bag of chocolate chips in her hand.
"Sure, why not?" I said, as I smiled at her. She opened the bag and sprinkled some chocolate chips into the batter. She stirred them gently, making sure they were evenly distributed.
"Can I taste it?" Zain asked, as he reached for the bowl. He looked like he wanted to dip his finger into the batter and lick it.
"No, you can't," I said, as I pulled the bowl away from him. He frowned and pouted, as he withdrew his hand.
"Why not?" he asked, as he looked at me with a puppy-dog expression.
"Because it's raw, and it might make you sick," I said, as I explained the obvious. He rolled his eyes, as if he didn't care.
"I'm not a baby, I can handle it," he said, as he tried to reach for the bowl again.
"Stop it, Zain, you're being annoying," I said, as I pushed him away.
"Fine, I'll wait for the cooked ones," he said, as he backed off. He licked his lips, as if he was anticipating the pancakes.
I turned on the stove, and placed a large skillet on it. I added some butter, and let it melt. I scooped some batter with a ladle, and poured it onto the skillet. I waited for a few seconds, until bubbles formed on the surface of the pancake. I flipped it over with a spatula, and cooked the other side. I repeated the process, until I had a stack of fluffy, golden, chocolate chip pancakes.
I placed the pancakes on a large plate, and drizzled some maple syrup over them. I also added some more butter, and some whipped cream. I carried the plate to the table, where Zain and Zara were waiting eagerly.
"Here you go, enjoy your breakfast," I said, as I put the plate in front of them. They looked at the pancakes with delight, and thanked me.
"Wow, these look amazing," Zain said, as he picked up a fork and knife. He cut a piece of pancake, and put it in his mouth. He chewed and swallowed, then closed his eyes and moaned.
"Mmm, these are delicious," he said, as he opened his eyes and looked at me.
"Thank you, Leora, you're the best," Zara said, as she also took a bite of her pancake. She smiled and nodded.
"You're welcome, Zara, you're very sweet," I said, as I smiled back at her.
We ate our pancakes in silence, enjoying the taste and the warmth. We forgot about the time, and the fact that we were not supposed to be in the kitchen. We were just happy, and satisfied.
We finished our breakfast, and cleaned up the mess. We made sure everything was in order, and nothing was out of place.
We unlocked the door, and sneaked out of the kitchen. We looked around, and saw no one. We had gotten away with it, and no one had noticed us.
We high-fived each other, and laughed. We had just had the best breakfast ever.