Trapped In (2)

◦ e i g h t e e n ◦

Remember that many people would give anything to have your bad days. It's all about perspective.

Sorry, it's a short one.

"So where do you live, Lillian?" Dakota's mother, I recall her name to be Helena, asks me as I help her chop more vegetables in the kitchen.

Dakota's father called for him whilst we were in the library and I happened to wander in here to offer my assistance. It makes me even more uncomfortable to sit idle and feel unhelpful while others are working.

"I actually live right down the road. I rode my bike here." I inform her politely, chopping at the head of lettuce.

According to Helena, Dakota doesn't like a lot of vegetables and requested only ribs and junk food for his birthday meal but Samantha loves salad. She is the only reason that there is anything healthy to eat today and I can fully believe this.

"Really? That's wonderful! I look forward to seeing you around here more often." Her cheery voice says as she finishes off the tomatoes, tossing them into the bowl.

"I look forward to seeing you as well." I smile to myself, a warm feeling coming over me as I speak with her.

Even though I don't know Helena very well yet, there's something about her allowing me to help in the kitchen and speak with her that reminds me of cooking with my own mom. But in a nice and memorable way, not a way that makes me feel horribly depressed. It helps me to remember the good things about my mom and not just all the bad and the really bad.

After a few moments she speaks again, standing beside me as she rinses her hands. "So I'd love to hear more about you getting stuck in that elevator. You work there in that building, right?"

I nod. "Yeah I do. I've worked there for a while and the elevator has never done that. It's kind of crazy that, of all days, it happened when Dakota came in." I chuckle, tossing the last of the lettuce leaves into the wooden bowl.

"I guess he's bad luck." She nudges me with a chuckle, using a small yellow towel to dry her hands.

"I guess so." I laugh at her joke, setting the knife and cutting board in the sink. "Is there anything else I can do to help?"

"Uh..." She breathes, thinking on this. "The carrot cake still needs to be iced. Dakota's is already done, it's just an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen with his name on it." She rolls her eyes.

"I'm guessing the carrot cake is for Sam then." I say, following her to the oven where she pulls out the cooled cake.

"It is indeed." She replies, setting it down on the counter before transferring it carefully over to a white platter.

"They're extremely different." I speak aloud. "How are they even twins?"

"Trust me, they are." Helena gives me a pointed look, "Samantha even made me get a blood test done on the two of them to make sure they're actually related."

I laugh loudly, finding this completely hilarious. "Are you serious?" My respect for Sam admittedly goes up about one hundred notches.

"Afraid so." She responds with a chuckle. "You finish up here and I'll go get the grill ready for later." I jump slightly when she rests a motherly hand on my shoulder for a brief moment.

"Okay." I say quietly, grabbing the bowl of cream cheese icing she had made and the spatula.

Beginning to spread the creamy sweet substance over the cake, a small smile appearing on my lips as I do so, I realize it feels nice to help make a birthday cake for someone other than my dad.

Speaking of my dad, I haven't seen him at all today, I hope he's okay. Maybe I should call him and tell him where I am? He's never asked me to do so before but I feel almost guilty to be invited to a party while he's alone on a Friday night. It's fine, I'll make it up to him tomorrow.

"Is that what I think it is?" A voice brings my attention to the kitchen entryway.

"It is indeed your birthday cake." I laugh, spreading the icing over the last of the cake.

Sam grins, stepping forward and leaning on the island with her forearms, her finger reaching into the bowl and swiping some icing onto her finger and sticking it into her mouth.

"Nice." I chuckle approvingly, dabbing my finger into the bowl myself.

Sam looks at me curiously, her brown hair now tied up in a perfect messy bun. "So what's going on with you and Dakota? He's super gross but if you like him it's cool." She says nonchalantly.

My face turns red, my head ducking as I continue spreading more icing on the cake. "No Dakota is super gross." I echo her words in a slightly joking tone, not feeling comfortable.

"Sorry if I've made this odd I just think you seem like a chill person and if Dakota weirds you out when you don't like him that way, it'll be awkward to hang out with you." She rolls her eyes as she speaks of her brothers idiotic behavior.

"What makes you think he's weirding me out?" I ask her.

Sam shrugs leaning her hip against the counter. "Last week he came home from the hospital and, instead of talking about how he almost died in an elevator, he wouldn't stop talking about how smart you were and then he actually started reading. I'm thoroughly frightened." Her eyes widen as her palms hit the countertops.

My eyebrows furrow. "What's your point?"

She raises a single perfectly shaped brow at me. "Well if he hasn't scared you off yet then I guess there's hope after all."

"What do you - "

"There you are, love." Winter walks into the kitchen, huffing Sam from behind. Sam gives me an apologetic smile. "Want to come watch a movie with me before everyone shows up?"

"We were talking, Winter." Sam informs him. He looks up at me, his mouth open slightly.

"Oh I'm so sorry. You could join us if you want, Lillian." He smiles at me kindly. I smile back, appreciating his warm comforting green eyes. No wonder Sam didn't mind being trapped in his house with him in the middle of a snow storm. He has a sort of strong presence that's surprisingly relaxing.

"I'm okay." I kindly decline, "I think I'm going to find Dakota since I'm done helping in here." I turn to Sam, "Thanks for talking with me. Don't worry, Dakota is a lot to handle but he's not too much for me to handle quite yet." I release a small chuckle. She laughs along with me as I walk past them.

My ears perk up with I hear Winter whisper, "What was that all about?"

"None of your business." Samantha hisses back to him.

I laugh as I walk away, shaking my head in amusement. I think I like her.