Eat For Two

"Yeah, me and my toes don't really see eye to eye..."

            “Yeah,” I reply, huffing as I hurl myself to the floor, “I am at least.”

            “Done!” A voice shouts from the other side of the room, behind the furniture piled in the middle of the room, “Finally! Victory is mine!”

            “Cammy.”

            “Ramona.”

            “Be quiet before you kill your last brain cell.”

            “I don’t like you very much.”

            Scowling, I push myself off the ground, swaying due to my sudden baby-induced acquisition of vertigo. Without justifying Cameron with a response, I pass by an uncontrollably giggling Izzy. Gripping the handrail while my last vestiges of vertigo fade away, I trod down the stairs and straight to the kitchen. I head over to the stove where two plates are wrapped in foil. Cameron is lucky I decide to be the bigger person (not literally considering how he towers over me and could probably carry me in one arm, but I am so not thinking about his muscled and contoured limbs) and not “spill” my lemonade on his plate. As Izzy does not have a microwave, something to do with “radiation” and “cancer” and “evil creation of our corrupted government to control the masses”, I have to eat my paella cold. Playing musical seats at the island, I finally settle with the squishy 80’s style barstool facing the window. Each other chair I sat in forced me to stare at some weird interpretive piece of artwork.

            During the commute of my fork to my mouth for the second time, Izzy and Cameron finally enter the room. Izzy’s face lights up as she sees me chowing down, her smile stretching ear to ear, all vexation gone. Oh boy.

            “I forgot to tell you!” She claps as her voice bursts from her lungs, little giggles bubbling up. “I signed you up for yoga with me!” My jaw drops. Um, how to I tell her I detest physical activity without crushing her entire being? “Doesn’t that sound soo fun? They have it on the beach on every Saturday at six! It’s so we can do yoga as the sunrises. And don’t worry, it’s a gentle flow class. I talked to the instructor lady, and wow, she was so nice! She had the most beautiful red hair. And you should have seen her tattoo! It was ivy that curled around her ear and followed her hairline and stopped above her eye. It’s so delicate! Seriou—oh, where was I? Yeah! It is a gentle class, and Karen said that at your stage in pregnancy, it could actually be beneficial. Isn’t this great?” Iz’s big eyes peer closer and closer to me, as her voice quickens to an almost indistinguishable speed. Cameron comes to sit beside me with his plate of paella, eating as if he has never seen food before, and as if he doesn’t even hear Izzy’s excited squeals.

            “Um, Iz, I have never really done yoga before,” I speak, testing each word before it leaves my lips, “I don’t think I’m uh, erm, exactly…comfo—”

            “The first class is tomorrow!” Her permanently stained hands clasp under her chin, as her lip juts out a degree, and she swivels her piercing stare to an unaware Cameron, “Cam why don’t you come too?”

            Choking, Cameron bangs on his chest a few times, to dislodge the hunk of cod. I debate whether or not I should bang on his back or get him a glass of water. Going with the former, since it is less work for me, I begin to smack me hand directly between his shoulder blades, praying Izzy knows how to do the Heimlich because I don’t think my body will function if I wrap my arms around Cameron, pressing myself flush to him. Thankfully, however, wracking coughs buckle his body and he reaches for my lemonade. Let me repeat MY lemonade. Mine. Yeah, no, I don’t appreciate that, something I try to communicate to him with my death glare.

            “Um, yeah, I have work on Saturday mornings, Iz,” Cam explains in a suspiciously disappointed voice, after of course draining my glass of lemonade. He places his hand on my shoulder as he turns to look in Izzy’s eyes. “Otherwise, you know I would go with you.” Liar, liar, pants on fire, you don’t feel bad. I want to shout, but the firm grip my shoulder is in warns me not too.

            “Silly, I’m sure Manny would let you come in a little later,” Honestly, I’m sure he would, especially since Cameron probably views yoga as a feminine activity and wouldn’t want to risk his “manliness”. Manny would probably force him to join just for a laugh if Iz brings it up to him. “You know what? Since, you want to come, I’ll talk to Manny for you!” Cameron’s fingers dig deeper into me shoulder for a fraction of a second before he releases me, bringing his hand to ruffle his hair. I didn’t want his hand to move.

            “You like him.”

            No, his hand was just keeping my shoulder warm.

            “Yeah, sure.”

Wandering back to reality, and away from the annoying voice in my head, I hear the tail end of Cameron trying to assure Izzy, that “It’s fine!”, “I really need the money.”, and “Uncle doesn’t like me taking off…”, but each time, she shot him down, with a grin telling him not to worry, she will handle it. I can’t help but to snicker into my paella. Ha! If I get stuck doing yoga so does he!

            “So, yoga in the morning! Dress accordingly.” Izzy stands up straight, claps her hands twice, and then points to Cameron and I, “Clean up your plates, ‘cause I’m going to bed.”

            “’Night Iz.” I whisper as she reaches over to give me a hug. It’s still awkward when I lift my arms around her. She kisses my forehead before moving on to give Cameron a hug.

            “Goodnight you two.” She winks, turning on her heel toward her room. “No funny business.” Izzy's laugh tinkles like a windchime.

            “Seeya Izzy,” Cameron’s call floats past my ear and down the hall, when he adds, “Wait! Can I bring Remy out to the store to get new a toothbrush with me?”

            “Go ahead!”

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So this is half the chapter, a bit short, but c'est la vie. I hope you enjoyed, as always please leave some criticism :D.