I don't know how I got roped into doing this, but Monique somehow convinced me to help her bake blondies for Byron. We've been in my kitchen for the past hour chatting and looking at recipes. It was a spur of a moment thing and she wanted to surprise him by making his favorite dessert. He was such a lucky guy.
"Can he even eat this?" He's not on some kind of diet for basketball?" I asked while I whisked the sugar and butter together.
"Yes, he can have something sweet," Monique replied. She was leaning against the island as she read over the recipe she found on my iPad.
"He has you already. He doesn't need anything else that is sweet," I said.
"Zara, "Monique giggled.
From the corner of my eye, I could see Kenzie pantomimed vomiting. She was unhelpful as ever. She was sitting on one of the counter stools that was situated at the end of the island. She was only here because her mother took up singing and she had to get of the house. We were all supposed to head to the Homecoming dance afterward.
"What do we add next?" I looked at Monique for the directions.
"We need to add vanilla and an egg," Monique answered.
"Kenzie can you pass me an egg?" I pointed at the carton of eggs that were in front of her.
"Can't. I don't touch eggs," Kenzie replied stoically.
"Uh, why?" Monique tilted her head and stared at Kenzie in confusion.
"It came out of a chicken's vagina. I'm not touching it," Kenzie answered.
"Please don't tell me that's why you don't like touching people," I said.
Kenzie's reply was a middle finger directed toward me.
"That's kind of gross now that I think about it." Monique stared at the carton of eggs like it now some kind of foreign object.
"Come on guys." I placed my bowl down and walked over to grab an egg from the carton. "Why does it feel like I'm the one making blondies for my boyfriend?"
"Awe little cuz are you going back to the straight and narrow?" Mei casually walked into the kitchen. She was dressed in a black cami and black shorts. She ran her fingers through her disheveled hair when she saw that I had company.
"Sarcasm," I replied. "Everyone this is my cousin Mei."
"Hi," Monique said with a wave and a bright smile.
Kenzie gave Mei a nonchalant salute before turning her attention to her phone.
Mei's grinned as she took in Monique's athletic form.
"Monique has a boyfriend," I said before Mei could say anything. "And don't even think about it." I pointed toward Kenzie.
"I'm feeling a lot of animosity from you," Mei said in mock offense.
"Kenzie will hurt you if you say anything to her," I stated.
Mei turned her attention to Kenzie who glanced up from her phone and stared Mei down.
"I don't think I will mind," Mei said with a smirk.
"Me too," Monique said under her breath.
"What?" I stared at Monique in confusion. Sometime she gave me gay vibes but then sometimes I wonder if it's because she's just flirty and nice.
"Nothing," Monique shook her head. "I mean let's get some baking done." She clapped her hands together in a steady rhythm.
"I like the pep, " Mei said as she gestured toward Monique.
"That's why she's a cheerleader," I said. I was already regretting saying that.
"I love cheerleaders," Mei stated. "You have to do a cheer for me."
"No!" I snapped at her.
"You have no sense of fun," Mei said with a frown.
"Monique, are you forgetting something." I pointed toward all the ingredients that were laid out on the island.
"Oh, right." Monique measured the vanilla while I put the egg into the bowl.
"Why are you making blondies instead of brownies?" Mei took a seat on the other corner of the island.
"Byron doesn't like chocolate," Monique answered.
"I don't understand people who don't like chocolate. I love chocolate in any shape and form." Mei's eyes never left Monique's
"Say one more thing, I'm going to kick you out," I said in Cantonese.
Mei held her hands out in mock surrender.
"So are Devin and Madison a thing now?" Monique questioned while she poured the rest of the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients. "They've been hanging out a lot together."
"I don't think so. Devin would have said something to me," I said. The only reason they were hanging out together was because I kept declining to go with them. I couldn't stand Madison glaring at me the entire time. Devin was suppose to stop over later and Madison was still getting ready for the dance. Kenzie was already in her suit. She didn't care.
"What do you think Kenzie?" Monique turned her attention to the twin.
"Don't know. Don't care," Kenzie answered stoically.
"Don't try talking to her," I whispered to Monique. "You'll barely get anything out of her."
Monique nodded as she poured the blondie mixture into the baking pan.
"Are you sure you made that correctly? It looks like caca mix with vomit." Kenzie pointed at the blondie mixture.
"It's fine," I said quickly while Monique looked at the batter in horror. "It'll bake and it'll look good." I took the pan and shoved it into the oven. "Bake time in about twenty-five minutes."
"I can't wait until Byron sees it," Monique said gleefully. "Thank you so much for helping me, Zara."
"No problem, that's what friends are for," I said. "I hope one day I'll get to do this for my girlfriend."
"I don't get it. There are so many pretty girls." Mei pointed toward Monique and Kenzie. "You can't find one girl?"
"Most of the girls are straight or taken already," I said. "I don't want to date anyone younger than me."
"I don't know why you're so interested in finding the one at the moment" Mei said with a shrug. "We're young. We shouldn't be tied down. We need to explore and learn." Mei turned her attention to Monique. "Are you certain you're going to be with this Byron for the rest of life?"
Monique flinched at the question and it left her completely speechless.
"Mei!" I sent her a glare.
"I'm just saying. High school love isn't much. People grow and change. They might not be who they were when you first met them," Mei stated.
"Don't listen to her," I said to Monique. "She doesn't like love or relationships."
"I do like them. It just doesn't fit my lifestyle at the moment," Mei defended.
"I just want what my parents have. The moment my dad met my mom, he knew he wanted to be with her," I explained.
"My dad wanted to marry your mom," Mei stated.
"What?" The revelation almost knocked me out. I had to lean back against the counter.
"Well, he said he wished he could have married your mom instead of mine. He got the dumber sister," Mei replied.
That kind of made sense. Mei's mom wasn't the brightest person. One time she got tricked into buying a fake Gucci bag and it took her hours to realize that Gucci wasn't spelled with an h and an extra i.
"Honestly the only reason I think my dad married my mom is because she's rich," Mei said nonchalantly. "They don't have anything in common."
"That's horrible," I said. I looked at Monique and Kenzie. "What about your parents?"
"My dad met my mom at a Laker's game while she was dancing," Monique said. "My dad said she was the prettiest Laker girl and..." Monique tilted her head to the side as she thought of other qualities that made her dad fall for her mom. "Her dancing?"
Monique's dad was a famous record producer who was nineteen years older than her mom. He had a long list of exes.
"My dad married my mom because she was a pretty model and my mom fell for my dad because he has money and he spoils her with gifts," Kenzie said bluntly. "So romantic, right?"
"As long as you're pretty and wealthy then you can get someone to love you," Mei stated. "You got those portions covered. I give props to the girl who will marry Harry. I hope the money will be worth it for her."
Harry was Mei's older brother. He was a spoiled glutton with the personality of drywall and anger issues. I remember a fourteen-year-old Harry beating his nine-year-old little brother Isaac to a pulp and eleven years old Mei stabbing Harry with a shard of glass from a cup she broke. After that day, I never saw Isaac speak again. I'll have to ask Mei about him later.
"Zara, I saw you hanging out with Amelia earlier." Monique smirked at me. "What's going on with you two?"
"Nothing. We were just catching up," I answered. "Kenzie, I wish you weren't so rude to her earlier."
"A girl can replace her boyfriend like toothbrushes all she wants but when she openly dates multiple marry men then I think she deserves that word."
"Multiple?" Monique let out a gasp as she leaned against the counter. "I knew she dated that lead singer of that one band who was supposedly separated from his wife. Who's the other man?"
"This old, lame ass record producer," Kenzie replied.
Mei's eyes widened as she glanced at me.
I shook my head at her when she opened her mouth to say something.
"How did you know?" I felt myself being sucked into the gossip. Maybe it was a misunderstanding or maybe Amelia didn't know he was married.
"My band played for him and she was there at his house acting like a whiny girlfriend," Kenzie answered.
"Wait, you're in a band?" Monique let out another gasp as she slammed her hands on the island.
"Yeah, why didn't you tell us?" I stared at Kenzie in confusion. She was just full of mysteries.
Kenzie shrugged. "Not important."
"Yes-it -is-," Monique clapped. "Tell us everything!"
Kenzie let out a sigh, probably regretting telling us. "Girl played bass at a store. Band hears it and ask girl to join. Girl says sure. End of story."
Monique pouted at Kenzie's simple story. "There has to be more than that. Like if we had a sleepover, we can totally talk about more things."
"Not gonna happen," Kenzie stated.
"Sleepover are so much fun!" Monique's voice went up a decibel or two as she thought about having a sleepover. "We can talk, have snacks and watch movies. Ooh, we can give each other facials."
"I like her," Mei muttered. Her lips turned up into a grin.
"Shut up," I whispered as I elbowed her.
"Hell no to the talking and the facials," Kenzie said as she eyed Monique like she was some strange creature.
"Fine no talking for you Miss Anti-Social." Monique rolled her eyes.
Kenzie crossed her arms against her chest as she glared at Monique.
"Facials are so fun. I can give you one," Monique said with her usual enthusiasm.
Oh, hell no, she did not say that! Before I could stop Mei, she opened her big mouth.
"I'd love to see that," Mei stated excitedly.
Kenzie was already done with the whole conversation and wasn't even paying attention anymore. She was busy texting on her phone.
Monique froze for a split second before she realized how inappropriate her words could have sounded."ohmygod! Not like that!"
"Okay, you get the hell out of my kitchen!" I pulled Mei out of the stool and pushed her out. "Monique, no more facials."
Monique nodded her head rapidly as she mined zipping her lips.
"This bitch," Kenzie growled.
"What?" I stared at Kenzie in confusion.
"Maddy wants to go to the Westwood Princess's party." Kenzie tossed her phone to the side. "Mom already said she could."
"You have to go?" Monique tossed some butterscotch chips into her mouth.
"Technically yes, but..." Kenzie turned toward me. "Zara, you can watch after Maddy and make sure she doesn't get kidnapped or anything."
"Uhh...but I don't want to go either." I really don't want to be near that house or next to Alyson. She was too confusing for me.
"I can look after her," Monique suggested.
"Fat chance," Kenzie scoffed. "You have the attention span of a dog."
"I do not," Monique gasped in offense.
Kenzie was sort of right. Monique did get distracted easily.
"Your attention will be on your boyfriend and then you'll forget," Kenzie stated.
Monique glared at Kenzie as she pursed her lips together in anger.
"Devin can go," I said, hoping it would be a viable solution to Kenzie's problem.
"Why don't you want to go Zara?" Monique looked at me quizzically.
"Alyson and I don't get along," I stated.
"Really?Why?" Monique put her full attention on me and I felt like I was being interrogated. "I've barely seen you two interact with each other."
My mind went blank with answers. I felt like I was frozen.
"Let me make it simple for you Barbie," Kenzie stated. "Lesbian." She pointed toward me. "And girl with family of homophobes don't go together."
Kenzie was right. Alyson and I, we're not supposed to go together. That was how it was supposed to be. I couldn't help but think back to when Alyson almost kissed me and when she said she wasn't like her father. Why was she pretending to to dislike me all this time then?