Staying Grand For You ~ICONic Boyz~

Chapter Five

Vinny Castronovo

"Candace?" Mrs. Alamia walked in the room, a dish towel in her hands. "Can you help me bake, please?"

  "Yes, of course." Candace stood up from the couch and politely followed her into the kitchen. We all watched her leave, Mikey especially. He sighed quietly and stared at his hands as soon as she left our view.

  "She didn't technically reject you," Jason said after a moment of silence. He received a few glares and quickly backtracked. "Well, I mean it's just that rejection is like when you ask someone out and they turn you down. You didn't ask her out, and she didn't say no."

  "You're right, Jason, I just tried to kiss her and she straight up said she didn't like me." Mikey said bitterly.

  Jason sighed. "I'm sorry Mikey. I shouldn't have said anything."

"I'm sorry too," Mikey said quietly. I started to say something but got cut off by shouting from the kitchen.

  "Ow! Holy shi-"

 "Candace! Watch your language!"

 "Sorry!"

  "It's okay, just- ow!"

 "I told you!"

  "Put it down, put it down!"

"But the thing!"

 "HOW THE HELL DOES THAT CATCH ON FIRE?!" Mrs. Alamia cried. We all exchanged looks and took off to see what was wrong.

  "Mrs. Alamia! Watch your language!" Candace mocked as she grabbed a fire extinguisher. Yes, somehow, Candace and Mrs. A had caught like three towels on fire.

"I'm sorry!" Mrs. A said.

 "I don't know how to work this freaking thing!" Candace said frustrated, banging the fire extinguisher on the granite counter top.

 I chuckled and stepped in. I don't know what made me do it, but I lay my hands over hers from behind and guided them to the correct positions, then helped her use it. We had the fire out soon.

  So there I was, with my arms over Candace's, in the middle of the kitchen, my cheek resting on hers, with Madison's mom in the room, with Mikey in the room, and I still didn't move away.

  I had lost my mind.

 All eyes were on me. I could feel Mikey's glare burning into my face. Candace was still.

  "Um, what happened?" Madison asked. I moved then, too, and put the extinguisher up.  

 "Oh, well, Candace burnt her hand on the oven and then her exclamation made me drop the towels and... Thank you, Vincent," Mrs. A panted, wiping her forehead.

 "You guys okay?" Jason asked.

 "I'm fine, sweetie, thank you. But Candace, how's your hand?" Mrs. A turned to Candace, concerned.

 "It's nothing.'' She said quickly, moving her hand behind her back. I could tell by her expression that it wasn't just nothing.

  "Candace," Jason said sternly, raising his eyebrows.

 "I'm fine." She laughed lightly, fakely.

  "Let me see." Mrs. Alamia moved toward her. She backed away.

 "All it needs is a band-aid or something." Candace was at the doorway now, turning to walk away.

Mikey was a good guy. He really risked everything he had with Candace just to make sure she wasn't hurt.

  He caught her around the waist and pulled her back to the counter.

 "Please, Candace, you aren't okay." He murmured, taking her injured hand and laying it flat on the granite.

  Gasps escaped from multiple mouths around the room, even from me. A red scorch mark slashed across her palm, already blistering. It looked horrible, painful.

  "That's at least a second degree burn." Jason looked at it, examining it.

 "You're such a nerd, Jase," Candace managed to smile at him. Mrs. Alamia had left in search for burn cream, leaving us alone.

  "Can I touch it?" Louis asked.

 "No!" Candace said in a bewildered tone. Nick and Mad sat on the bar stools across from us, and Louis went to sit with them, sad.

  I noticed that Mikey's hand hadn't left her lower back, and it didn't seem like it would.

 Mrs. A was back, and she had brought non-stick gauze pads, some weird white stuff in a white jar, and lots of medical tape. Candace was full of surprises tonight. When Mrs. A started rubbing the white stuff on her palm, she turned her head away and buried it in Mikey's neck. He enjoyed that, resting his head on hers. 

  Nick grinned and snickered a few jokes into Madison's ear. Jason heard them and tried to cover his laughter with coughs. Louis didn't laugh but he smirked and grinned. Mrs. Alamia was too busy doctoring Candace that she didn't notice Mikey flip them off.

  "Alright, you're done." Mrs. A sighed, sticking one last strip of tape over the gauze. She walked over to the dining room table and sat down the supplies.

  "Hurts like hell." Candace muttered, pulling her hand back. Nick chuckled a few more times.

 "Okay, I still need to bake. Everyone out." Mrs. A ushered us all to the door. Candace stayed.

  "I can still help," She said. Her and Mikey locked gazes for a split second, and her lips twitched into a slight smile.

  I guess Candace and Mikey had made up. Was I happy or sad about that?