Devious | Sam Uley

xxxiv | Cookie Batter

Jamie Copeland mixed cookie batter with a rough hand. Watching with with brown eyes as her daughter stared out the window, the wind was whipping droplets onto the glass.

"I like that Angela girl, she's really good for Steven." She tried communicating, only receiving a shrug from Vera. Jamie allowed a few more minutes of silence to pass before trying again. "Has he asked her out yet? I've never known Steven to have a girlfriend-"

"I don't think he has." Vera simply stated, taking a small sip of pink lemonade. The sweetness felt good on her tongue, a thanks radiating for her father who always made it extra sweet. Just for her.

"What's up with you?"

"Nothing." Vera knew her reply was too fast, gathering all of her mother's attention.

"You've been acting weird ever since those boys vandalized your car. Have they been bothering you?"

"No."

"Have you been bothering them?"

"No, well, maybe, but that doesn't matter now."

"Vera Ann," Jamie inhaled for a moment leaning on her husband's motto of pick your battles. "How's Sam?"

"Who am I to know?" Jamie smiled softly at the pinpoint of all her unease.

"Go wash your hands, help me put these cookies on trays." Vera begrudgingly got off the chair, taking her time to wash her hands before joining her mother at the kitchen island. "I know you must be upset over your first major relationship ending." Jamie began, smiling softly as she placed a glob of cookie dough down.

"It's fine-"

"You're entitled to feeling upset Vera. No one can ever tell you not to be."

"Mom," Jamie gave her a stern glance making Vera seal her lips together.

"Your father and I broke up a few times before we really got together. I always thought he was up to no good. And sometimes he just wasn't, but my bias on him was unfair, and it hurt us. I was too young to really appreciate everything he did for me. When we were ready we came back together, and it doesn't always work out like that but when you really love someone, they have funny ways of coming back to you." Jamie spoke, watching Vera's brow furrow at the statement.

"Sometimes hun, we're our own worst enemy, and we need to grow out of that before anything good can come to the ones we love." She leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to Vera's forehead. "I wouldn't worry so much if I were you. Focus on everyone else in your life." Vera stayed silent as she pressed the cookie dough onto the tray, minutes passed before Steven was entering the kitchen.

"Vera! Just the little sucker I wanted to see."

"I'm older than you."

"And I'm taller." He stuck his tongue out as he reached for one of the cookie dough bites. His sister snagged the pan, turning her back on him and shoving it into the oven.

"Oh shoot, I need to go get ready for your father and I's date." Jamie told her children tapping Vera on the head and pointing at the cookies. "Make sure they get out okay, I need them for the office tomorrow." Jamie was already on the other side of Vera pressing a chaste kiss to her son's head. "And you better be working on your biology project, I do not want another email about late assignments." Vera choked back a laugh at her brother's disgruntled face.

"What did you want from me?"

"Your old biology papers, I need to copy them."

"Steven, we went to a different school, and I got a D in bio." Vera crossed her arms, staring across the island at her younger sibling. Steven played absently with their mother's notepad. His hands tracing patterns into the parchment.

"When are you going to ask out Angela?"

"I don't know." Vera bit back a smile, snuggling deeper into her sweatshirt.

"You like her right?"

"Of course, I wouldn't spend time with someone I didn't like."

"Well what happened after I left you two at the house?" Vera had been waiting to ask that question for a few days now, though Steven had been dodging her since. Steven's eyes flashed with memory. His mind diving into his lips pressing to Angela's her back against the Copeland's front door-

"Nothing, we called Sam cause you were being stupid." Vera never desired to know what occurred between her brother and best friend, but something told her it wasn't just timid dates.

"Ask her out Steven. Or you'll regret it."

"I've never asked anyone out before."

"Just walk up to her and ask her, it's Angela not a sea monster. And take those cookies out of the oven." Vera tapped his head leaving the room in a similar fashion as their mother.

"Where are you going?"

"To do my homework!"