Adopted by Mean Girls

Gotta Do What I Do

**Erika's POV**

I got home from the matinee that Comet had opted out of going to only to find her in the kitchen, well kind of. I entered the apartment and found the counters and table nearly overflowing with trays of food.

"What happened here?" I asked, taking off my shoes.

Comet's head snapped up and she blushed, looking at the piles of baked goods, "Um... Baking?"

"I can see that," I laughed, joining her in the kitchen, "Did you just feel like baking, or was there something that prompted it?"

"Stress baking," Comet sighed.

"What are you stressed about?"

Comet met my gaze evenly, "I have no idea."

"Okay," I shrugged, "Does baking help?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "And it helps that I'm pretty good at it, also."

She handed me a muffin and I took a bite. It was incredible, "Oh my God!" I took another bite.

"Good?" Comet's eyes brightened.

"Fantastic," I nodded, "Comet, this is great!"

She took me on a tour of the rest of her baking spree - bread, cookies, muffins, banana bread, a cake, brownies, even a fruit cake.

"And you did all of this in three hours?" I asked, biting into a piece of banana bread.

Comet blinked, "It's been three hours?"

I laughed and gave her a one-arm hug, "You're very impressive, you know that, right?"

For the rest of the night, we snacked on Comet's baked goods and watching movies. We watched The Godfather and when the credits began three hours later, I listened with an amused smile on my face as Comet ranted about the movie, as well as its two companion movies.

"...Also how come when Michael gets a right-hook to the jaw in the first movie he starts mumbling like Vito, but later in the movie, the mumbling is gone and it's like he was never punched. Then there's Robert De Niro - does Hollywood just think that that guy looks like a mobster because he's been in so many mafia and mob movies?"

I understood next to nothing about what Comet was saying, but I nodded and listened to her talk because she looked excited and passionate. After her rant was done, I was ready to turn in for the night, but she convinced me to stay awake and watch Part 2 with her. We both fell asleep at some point in the middle of the movie, me laying against the arm of the couch and Comet laying against me.

**Comet's POV**

I knew Erika didn't completely understand my rant, but she listened or at least pretended to. Erika fell asleep about maybe an hour into Part 2. I tried my best to stay awake because of nightmares, but eventually, I gave in and fell asleep on Erika.

It was a bad choice.

Once again, my dreams were plagued with memories and terror and pain. I saw my mother's new husband making moves on her in front of me. I saw my dad on a barstool drinking and yelling at the people around him as I spoke to an employee about calling him a cab. My eyes flashed open and I sat up just as quickly, breathing heavily.

"You're okay," I felt a hand on my back and spun to find Erika watching me, "You're okay. We're okay," I let her pull me back down against her chest and hug me, "Just listen to my voice. You're okay. Just breathe... That's it. Just breathe. In... Out..."

"I'm okay," I told Erika once I was back in control of my breathing.

"Good," Erika stood up off the couch and went into the kitchen, reappearing with two mugs, "Here you go," she handed me a mug and I found chamomile tea.

"What's this for?"

"It will help," Erika promised.

I believed her and she was right.