CLARA
As Josie and I started with a dinner of chicken and rice, we decided to blast some music and dance along to it too. Sometime during our ungraceful dance concert, Stella and Samantha joined us too. Strangely, I got alone fine with each other. We didn't like each other but we didn't fight with each other at every opportunity either. But with Samantha, it was a whole lot of awkward.
For example, every time our arms or hips would brush while our 'dance' moves, we'd both awkwardly distance each other and Josie and Stella would have to drag us again to involve us.
When I excused myself to go and check on the brownies I decided to make for dessert, I also checked my phone to see if Casey had texted me back. I frowned. It was almost eight o'clock and she wasn't back, nor had she texted me.
I was about to give her another call when the front door opened. Curious to see if it was Casey or someone else, I walked out of the kitchen, leaving the three girls to their work.
The first person to enter was Seth, his cheeks flushed and red. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was embarrassed of something. His eyes met mine for a brief second and his cheeks turned a shade darker as he rushed past me towards his room.
I frowned even further and looked back towards the door my jaw dropped. What I saw was Casey and Satan entering the house almost seconds after each other. I narrowed my eyes at my sister.
"Casey!" I rushed towards her. "What are you doing with him?" I spat the last word. He glared at me.
Casey let out a nervous chuckle and rolled her eyes. She looked back at him and they shared a brief eye contact before Stefan rolled his eyes and left us alone, going into the sitting room. "Relax, Clara. I was walking home when he saw me and offered to give me a ride."
"I brought ice-cream." I heard him shout and then heard Josie squeal.
"Vanilla! My favorite, thanks Stefan."
"You could have called Carl." I pointed, ignoring the conversation going on in the kitchen.
She sighed. "I didn't want to call anyone. I was fine walking back but he just found me while he was picking up Seth. It's no big deal."
Before I could argue, she was already making her way towards her room. "Fine but wash up and get back here for dinner soon." I managed to shout at her retreating figure.
Fifteen minutes later, Carl, Colton, Casey and I were sitting on one side of the table while while Stella, Stefan, Samantha and Seth sat across us with Josie at the head of the table. Casey and Seth kept fidgeting in their seats, barely eating while Stella and Josie talked about Kendall Jenner's latest Instagram upload. Colton was busy enjoying his food and Samantha kept texting someone under the table.
Stefan and I? Well, we were doing what we do best - glaring at each other.
Carl, oblivious to the tension at the table, decided to pick up a conversation. "So Jos, you said you'd be late from work today. What happened?"
Josie nodded. "Yeah but the clients I had to deal with scheduled for next week. I was free so I got back early. What about you, didn't you say you'd stay out late too? For your girlfriend's birthday or something."
Carl sighed. "That was the plan but her grandparents were visiting and she wanted to have dinner with them."
Josie chuckled. "Don't worry, Romeo. You'll have her for your whole life, probably."
Carl winked at her. "You bet."
Josie's attention turned towards us. "So, what did you kids do today?"
"I was at Fred's playing X-Box." Seth mumbled.
"Fiona and I were working on some project today." Casey's voice floated in the air and for a moment, Stefan broke his glaring context with me to look at my sister. I don't know if I was hallucinating but I could have sworn I saw him nod at her subtly.
Josie interrupted my thoughts. "That's cool. What about the rest of you."
Carl stretched arrogantly. "Well, I was busy surprising my girl and stealing kisses in between."
I scrunched up my nose. "Ew, Carl. We didn't need to know that."
He ruffled my hair. "You're just jealous that she ain't your girl."
I scoffed. "As if."
"I was with Jade at the public library." Colton said, cutting off our banter.
"Your girlfriend, I presume?" Josie asked.
Colton nodded. "The only one."
"Samantha and I were in my room catching up on Supernatural." Stella giggled.
Josie laughed. "I bet you both had most fun."
Samantha rolled her eyes. "Stella sure did. And forced me too."
Josie sighed and turned towards me, her gaze immediately falling on the glaring context Stefan and I got back to. Not only her but everyone else's attention was on us too. Did we waver? Nah.
The tension in the room seemed to rise tenfold now and seemingly, everyone was uncomfortable.
"Clara? What about you? I thought you said you went out with your friends. Is that right?" Josie spoke to ease the tension.
I nodded without breaking my glare. "Yeah, I did go out with Keith and Hannah to have some fun and we were actually enjoying. That is until someone decided to crash my happy times."
Stefan's eyes narrowed towards me. "Well, that someone's night was ruined but your presence too. Could you have not chosen any other place to hangout?"
I gritted my teeth. "If I remember it clearly, my friends and I got to the movies and eatery first. It's that someone who followed us with his bunch of goons."
Stefan slapped his hands on the table and stood up, leaning towards me, not breaking the glare. "If that someone knew he was going to be cursed by your and your girlfriends' presence, he wouldn't have gone through with his initial plans of going to the movies and eatery either."
I stood up too, too furious at him and copied his stance. "Keith is not a girl, you asshole."
Stefan smirked sardonically at me. "Oh? Could've fooled me. Maybe you girls should have gone to a small for a little girly bonding time shopping for pink girly stuff, don't you think?"
I curled my fists in anger to find my hands fisting in the plate of rice. I flung it at him. "Shut up, you stereotypical asshole!" He surely didn't see that coming.
Fuming in anger, he dumped his bowl of chicken gravy on my head. "Did I offend you, Princess?"
I gasped as the warm, delicious smelling blend of spices dripped from my hair onto the table. Not so delicious anymore, is it? My sub-conscious self taunted.
"You -"
I was cut off by Carl and Josie at the same time.
"Food fight!"
"Shut up!"
I caught Josie glaring at Carl.
"Or not." Carl mumbled.
Josie's furious eyes snapped to mine and I looked away. It was only then that I realized that all the others had distanced themselves from the table so to avoid any casualties.
"Shut up you both." Josie repeated, her voice frustrated and angry.
Stefan and I shared one last glare before looking apologetically at Jo. "I'm sorry." We said together.
Josie sighed and shook her head. "This doesn't cut it. You two are grounded for the rest of the week. No going out unless it's school and back. Understood?"
"But -" I opened my mouth to argue but shut up when another glare was casted my way.
"Understood?" She pressed.
"Yes." Again, we mumbled together.
"Good." She sighed. "Now go back to your rooms, do your homework or whatever. I'll clean this up."
"I'll stay and help." Stella offered. Josie nodded at her, smiling.
Feeling guilty, I volunteered myself too. "I contributed to the mess, so I'll clean up. Thanks though, Stella."
Josie looked at me and after thinking for a moment, she nodded. "You know what? You're right. You both created this mess so you both should do the cleaning, right? Now get on with it and mind you, if you get into another fight while cleaning up, I'll extend your punishments for the next week too. Okay?"
I nodded. I heard Stefan sigh but didn't argue. Instead, I got on with my work, putting plates together and bringing them to the sink.
Slowly, one by one, everyone left the kitchen to retire to their rooms. Before she left, however, I heard Josie mutter, "Thank God I don't have kids. At least not this many."
Stefan and I shared a look before I looked away, afraid that another fight might break. I stifled a laugh at Josie's comment and I could feel Stefan doing the same. Wordlessly, I picked up the trash that included wasted food that again made me feel guilty while Stefan mopped the table and the counter.
Then, I went ahead and started scrubbing and washing the dishes and found Stefan beside me, drying them and putting where they belonged. We worked in silence and withing thirty minutes, we were done.
"I'll bring the trash out." Stefan mumbled (to me?) and exited the kitchen through the backdoor.
I shrugged and was about to go to my room when my eyes fell on the brownies that were still in the oven. I left them there so they stayed warm when we ate them. Now because of douche bag Stefan, okay, and me as well, nobody got to taste my delicious delicacy.
"Why are you looking at the oven as if it's your long lost love?" I heard Stefan say from where he was leaning on the frame of the backdoor.
I glared at him. "I made brownies for dessert. Now thanks to you, nobody got to eat them."
He quirked an eyebrow at me. "Because of me? From what I remember - no, you know what? Forget it. If I argue with you anymore, I'll be grounded for the whole next week."
My eyes widened as I remembered that. "Right."
He sighed and then walked towards the fridge, taking out the tub of vanilla ice cream. "Take out those brownies and put them on the plates. We can still serve this to everyone in their rooms and even apologize to Josie. Maybe she'll forget about our punishment."
"Brownies with ice-cream!" I squealed as my eyes twinkled with excitement. "And the possibility of no punishment. Wow, Satan. Who would have thought that you could think something intelligent once in a while too."
He looked at me with amusement filled eyes. "I'm taking it that you like brownies with ice cream."
I shrugged. "Pfft, who doesn't."
We didn't speak another word as we put desserts for everyone in two separate trays. "I'll go give it to Sam, Stella and Seth and you can do the same with Carl, Col and Case. Then we'll go to Josie's room together, okay?"
He pressed on together as if I would run alone to gain credits and escape punishment. How did he know I was gonna do that, though?
I rolled my eyes. "Fine."
I delivered the goodies to Colton who smiled and thanked me, Carl who jumped like a child and Casey who I had to wake up from her day-dreaming at night. Then I went back into the kitchen to wait for Stefan.
"You waited." He commented when he entered the kitchen.
"Well, yeah. I had to show Josie that I wasn't fighting with you." I shrugged.
He snorted. "Right, sure."
We both took a large filling of brownie and ice cream for Josie hoping it would work and walked towards her room. I knocked and when told us to go in, I pushed the door open.
"Hey Jo." I smiled sheepishly at her.
She looked at me and Stefan suspiciously.
"We brought dessert." Stefan said and brought his hand forward for her to take.
"We're really sorry for the commotion we caused during dinner." I said and nudged Stefan who nodded on cue.
"Yeah. We won't repeat it in front of you again." Stefan added.
Josie took the bowl from Stefan's hand and looked at both of us with amusement filled eyes. "So you'd continue doing this when I'm not around, then?"
I forced a smile. "We won't do it again in your house."
Josie chuckled. "Fair enough." She then took a bite. "By the way, this won't be because you want out from the punishment, would it?"
My eyes widened. "What? No, pfft. Never."
"But we wouldn't mind if you were generous." Stefan added and I nodded frantically.
Josie's eyes twinkled with amusement. "No can do, devils. And it's only for three days anyway. Today is Thursday, and you're only grounded for Friday, Saturday and Sunday."
"But -" Stefan opened his mouth to argue but I, being afraid that Josie would increase our punishment cut him off and dragged him out of her room.
"Of course, we understand. Thanks Jo and goodnight!" I called back as I continued dragging Stefan back towards the kitchen.
When I finally left his arm, he glared at me. "Why did you do that? I was gonna charm her into forgiving us."
I scoffed. "Highly unlikely. We could have had our punishment increased because of you stupid mouth. Now, let me enjoy my dessert before I go off to sleep." I said and turned towards the counter to cut off a large piece of brownie, leaving barely on bite for Stefan. I also scooped two spoon-floods of ice cream in my bowl.
"Hey!" Stefan came from behind me. "What about me?"
I shrugged. "Not my problem, you'll manage." I said and took a bite, moaning in pleasure. When I heard a similar but more manly voice, I opened my eyes to see Stefan eating from my bowl. I scowled. "Hey, get your own."
Stefan shrugged and hissed. "You took all of it, this is all I have."
"This is mine." I whisper yelled, not wanting Josie to hear us.
"And mine." He countered as he took more bites.
We continued our banter in hushed whisper yells as he kept on stealing my dessert. A few moments later, I realized that instead of arguing, I should pay more attention on getting more of this goodness in my system of Stefan will finish it all.
When I successfully got the last bite, including the one I left for Stefan initially, I sighed in content and washed of my bowl. "Next time, get your own." I called over my shoulder.
"Next time, leave something for me. Or just know I enjoyed stealing your food and I wouldn't hesitate the next time."
I scowled and splashed water on him and ran to my room, locking it from the inside so he couldn't come back to retaliate. It was already nearing eleven so after trying to read the book we were supposed to for English, I wandered off to sleepland.
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