What Other People Say

Chapter 4: This isn't normal

Vanessa woke up to a knock at her door. She groaned as she got up, grabbing her phone off the bedside table.

𝘚𝘪𝘹 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨?!

Putting on her robe, she opened the door finding herself face to face with Bobby.

"Morning! Friendship Day One is here, Nessie!" He looked at her messy hair and robe. "Why aren't you ready?"

"It's six. 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨! This isn't normal."

"Aha! That's where you're wrong! This 𝘪𝘴 normal!" He walked into her room and plopped down on her bed. "New name! We are now, Operation Normal!"

"Operation... ON for short? I hate it." 

"Too bad. Go get dressed."

Vanessa hated morning people. She went to her bathroom, put her hair up and shoved on some basic clothes.

"Ok. I'm ready. What is there to do this early anyway?" 

Bobby smushed her cheeks together with his hands. "Doughnuts."

She slapped him away. "Where are they?"

"We have to make them." He grabbed her hand and led her downstairs. She pouted the whole way, but really, Bobby's excitement was contagious.

Looking up from her paper, Nan waved at them and Vanessa whispered, "Nan, help me."

She just laughed at the two of them. "Have fun!"

It took Vanessa thirty minutes to make one doughnut compared to Bobby's two dozen. She kept getting frustrated and they would either come out too skinny or not round enough. Bobby told her it was just a doughnut and didn't require much thought, but she wouldn't listen. She was covered in flour and sugar as she finally dropped her creation into the fryer. When it was ready she fished it out and put it with the others, proud of herself.

"They all look great! Let's put the glaze on." He showed her how to dip one and she did the rest.

"Can I eat one?"

Bobby nodded. "Of course, but I thought you didn't eat sweets?"

"Is eating doughnuts for breakfast normal?"

"I'd say so."

"Then I'm doing it." She picked hers up and took a huge bite.

"Good?"

"They're amazing. We should make these every day!"

"We do. You just don't wake up until ten and they're already gone." He nudged her.

"Oh."

Gary came in and stopped dead in his tracks seeing Vanessa. "Why are you here so early?"

"I helped make the doughnuts." She smiled at him.

"You... made... what?"

"She helped me because 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 was running late," Bobby smirked at the still yellow haired Gary. "I see the yellow is slowly coming out. Maybe whatever you're using can get the lipstick stain off your collar too."

Gary blushed and went into the walk-in refrigerator to get started on breakfast. Vanessa giggled.

Bobby grinned at her. "Did Vanessa Reed just giggle? Day One is starting out amazing."

_______________

He took it back. Day One was a disaster.

He didn't realize how much people didn't like Vanessa until this morning. They really hated her. He had to give her some credit though; she had made it two hours of being polite and courteous to everyone, until Rihanna walked in.