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"How come I am the only member of the Richards family who cannot cook?!" I groan, defeated by the three messy mixing bowls on the counter in front of me and the burnt baking pan cooling off on the stove.
Mia scoops a spoon into the bowl full of dough and brings it to her mouth. A sour expression instantly greets her face, causing my heart to sink.
"This is the absolute worst cookie dough I have ever tasted." She says, gagging and wiping her tongue on a towel. She tosses the spoon into the sink, and even proceeds to wash her mouth out with water.
"It can't be that bad," I say, stuffing my hands into my pockets.
"Oh trust me, it is." She replies, picking up the dirty bowls and placing them into the soapy, hot water. She sighs. "I guess we'll try a fourth time. But let me do the work, you can just look over my shoulder."
"Fair enough."
Mia gets started once again on the cookies, and I just lean against the counter, watching as she busies herself in making fresh dough and heating the oven up. I sit on one of the kitchen bar stools, glancing over at one of Mia's homework sheets. Exponents. Ah, those were the good days.
"Yeah, you owe me doing some of my homework in exchange for making these for you," Mia says, grabbing my attention. I want to argue, but she always has a way of getting what she wants. "Who knew that some sugar cookies would be so important to you. You don't need them, you're already fat."
I roll my eyes. "They're for Grace. I'm going to hang out with her later today," I pick up a pencil and mark off a couple answers on her homework.
"That's cute," Mia looks up at me, a devilish smirk on her face. "Boyfriend goals."
"I wish," I mumble under my breath. I take a deep breath, looking over the problems Mia already completed. "Sis, only two of these are right."
"Yeah, I know. I hate math."
"You and me both." I say, erasing the pencil marks and choosing the correct numbers. At least I'm not alone in this whole "sucking at math" scenario. "Mia, you have to multiply 5 by 5, then the product of that by 5 again, instead of doing 5 times 3." I write down the steps for solving exponents on her paper so hopefully she'll remember. "How is your English homework coming along?"
"Why are you acting like mom?" She asks, placing the cookies into the oven.
I tap the pencil against the granite. "Just trying to help." Trying to take her stress away, trying to replace my dad, trying to make sure Mia has a proper childhood.
"I haven't done it yet." She says blandly, setting the cooking timer.
"Okay, do you have to do anything else?"
She shrugs, playing with a strand of her long brown hair. "Yeah," She blows a breath out. "Three more math sheets, and some science."
My eyes widen. "Have you even been doing your homework?"
"Not really."
"Why?" I set the pencil down.
She doesn't reply. Just rolls her eyes. Done with the conversation. But then she says, "I just–really hate school. That's all."
"Well finish it." I give a stern look before getting up and squeezing her shoulder. "Thanks for the cookies."
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I take a deep, calming breath as I stand outside the door to Jane's apartment.
Shit, why am I so nervous? I feel like I'm about to have dinner with Grace's dad or something. Which reminds me, when will I meet her dad? Would he be okay with me asking Grace to be my girlfriend? Maybe if I get his permission she will ease more into the idea. Because as of right now, she seems perfectly content with being just friends, but I can't help but feel a possibility at becoming something more. I just can't shake Grace Baker from my mind. I can't seem to let her go.
My thoughts are interrupted when the door swings open, and Grace's cute face pops into my line of sight. She is shorter than usual from the lack of heels on her feet, and she nearly has to stand on her toes to wrap her arms around my neck, greeting me hello. She smells of strawberries, the scent lingering even after she walks away, showing me all around the small place.
She introduces me to the kitchen, and I set the plate of cookies down on the counter. Her eyes widen as she peels off the plastic wrap.
"Did you make these?" She asks, picking one up and admiring the blue sprinkles that Mia added.
I shake my head. "The sister made them after I failed miserably. I can't cook for my life."
Grace takes a small bite. "Neither can I." A smile appears on her face. "These are good! Mia needs to make me a suitcase full of these."
"She's good."
"Isaac!" A loud voice echoes from the living room. I look over and see Jane rushing towards us. She engulfs me into a bear hug. "I'm so happy you came! Grace kept wondering and wondering and wondering when you would show up."
"I was not." Grace contradicts, crossing her arms. I see her over Jane's shoulder, sneaking another cookie.
"It's okay, Grace, you don't have to deny missing my charm and wittiness." I smirk, looking at her over Jane's shoulder.
"In your dreams, Prince Charming." She replies, rolling her eyes playfully. I point at Jane, and whisper, Help?
Grace shakes her head. "Jane loves hugs. Especially when they come from cute boys." She winks, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Woah, did I just hear you call me cute? Did Grace Baker just compliment me?"
"Don't fuss over it so much, I bet you get compliments all the time." Grace laughs.
"But they mean so much more coming from you." I wink.
"Flattered."
"Okay," Jane says, finally retreating. I let out a deep breath. She stands back and looks at the both of us, smiling widely. "You guys are adorable."
Grace grins, rolling her eyes, again. She claps her hands together. "So! Art time! That is the reason we are all here right?"
"I just came to see you." I say.
"Wow. I feel like the third wheel over here." Jane laughs. "C'mon lovebirds, my art studio is over here."
"We are not lovebirds!" Grace objects.
But she looks at me, eyes matching with mine. I offer a soft smile, and notice the tips of her ears turning pink. Her gaze breaks, eyes fluttering down nervously. And I think, maybe this whole trying to win over Grave Baker thing isn't entire hopeless.
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I would have never thought I could be good at finger painting. In art class as a child, my acrylics always looked like giant, messy blobs, and the water colors always seemed to run together, creating a giant brown mess in the center of the page.
But turns out, finger painting is way easier. I guess Jane figured I wouldn't be very artistically talented, which she was right about, so she started with a basic medium. And it worked out in my favor, for the blue background I was tapping into the canvas didn't look so bad.
"Are those mountains?" Jane asks, leaning over to look at my easel.
I gulp. "Is it so bad that you can't tell what it is?"
She shakes her head. "No, no it's actually really good." I look at her canvas, which consists of soft oranges, yellows, and pinks; a sunset that looks almost too good to be made by finger painting.
Grace comes up behind me as peers over my shoulder. "Wow! Who knew?"
I let out a chuckle. "Thanks?" She twists a piece of blonde curls around her finger that strayed away from the braids tied on to the side of her head. God, she looks adorable in braids.
Her eyes wander over the painting as if it's something hanging in a French art museum. "It's really pretty!" She says. Although, to me, it looks like something a kindergartner would come up with.
"Can I see yours?" I ask. She nods excitedly, giddily stepping over and turning her easel around to face me. It's a soft yellow background, a bouquet of multi-colored tulips the focal point of the piece.
"Are you good at everything?" I ask.
She giggles. "Nope. Remember, I can't cook."
"Right." I say, walking over to the sink and washing off my fingers. I wipe them on the towel stained with other paint, admiring all the art work on the walls. Jane's studio was truly an amazing addition to her otherwise small apartment. She was a cool person, and I can see why Grace likes her so much. She really cares about her.
And Jane loves to tease me. She is very good at that. And every time she catches me looking at Grace, she gives me a suggestive smirk and wiggles her eyebrows.
As I turn around, Grace joins me at the sink. I lean against the counter as she washes off, watching Jane's dog, Leo, I think, sleep in the corner of the room.
"This place is cool. You whole apartment and all." I say, looking at the bookshelf of pottery.
"Thanks," Jane says, biting her lip as she continues to work on her painting, refusing to get distracted.
"I love it here," Grace says, wiping her hands off. "I spend more time here than at my own house." She points to a sketch taped to the wall next to us. "I drew that one freshman year."
It's a small drawing of a cat, messy lines marking the page. I wonder how long Grace has known Jane, at least four years I guess.
"Look," Grace turns around and opens up a cabinet above the sink. She pulls out a large, red binder, stuffed to the brim with loose papers. She takes a seat on the small couch, pulling her legs next to her and opening it up. I sit down next to her, part of the binder on my lap, my hand wresting on her knee. "I drew these too." She pulls out one paper of a lily in the river, rain drops pooling on one of the petals. She shows another, an eye with the view of the city in its pupil, a single tear spilling from the lash line.
"Grace, these are amazing," I say, taking one of the drawings in my hands, studying the sketch of a little girl holding balloons. "Breathtaking."
"I have two other binders like this." She whispers.
I place the paper back into her binder. "Wow." There is so much to this girl I didn't know about. She fascinates me.
She turns her head, looking up at me. I look back, our faces only inches apart. Her lips curl up slightly, my eyes finding them, lingering for a moment there before I return them to her stare.
She closes the binder and puts it in my arms, as if saying, Here. Take it. It's yours. She rests her head on my shoulder, closing her eyes as we wait for our friend to finish. I take her hand in mine, and she tenses up at first.
But then she relaxes.
Gives it a small squeeze.
And laces her fingers with mine.
~
Hello! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! If you haven't checked out my newest story, "How to Get A Girlfriend" Please go read it! It's romantic-comedy. :) Bai!!!