Thank you @amsterdam_.1996 for putting one of my favorite quotes in the series into a poster.
I've posted the other posters she made on my IG @NatalieInACorner if you want to check out her creativity :)
Chapter 49: It's cold
Day one of winter break and I was on a mission.
Austin was pacing back and forth in Luke's living room. Rain was pattering down on the windowpane outside, but we were warm in here.
Mrs Dawson had come in earlier looking for Luke. She then returned with an 'aromatherapy reed diffuser' - whatever that means. It smelt good though.
It sat on the coffee table next to glossy fashion book covers and a mason jar of matcha tea latte. They were all clues that pointed to Luke's sister being home for the holidays.
"I think I'm ready," Austin said, inhaling as part of a breathing exercise I just googled.
We had spent the last ten minutes rehearsing his lines.
"Showtime?" I asked, wanting to double check before I made the call.
At that moment, Luke jogged down the staircase in black sweatpants that hung loosely around his hips. His upper torso was bare and on full display. I tried not to stare but he caught my gaze and smirked.
I really hope he put more clothes on before I can't control myself... and before I turn this next moment into a non-PG scene.
Poor Austin.
Austin fist pumped the air to motivate himself and said, "OK, make the call Millie."
"Oh-kay," I started pressing random buttons on my phone, while my eyes were very much still focused on shirtless Luke.
Luke walked towards the couch and picked up the hoodie he left there. I watched in disappointment as he pulled it over his broad chest and covered his abs.
"I wish I had a fake moustache," Austin sighed, getting distracted by his own thoughts.
I was still distracted by Luke. His hoodie was classic black and tapered around his waist.
"Why?" I asked, struggling to pay attention to the mission.
"A fake moustache would really help me get into character," Austin replied.
Luke interrupted us, "You should make that call, Minnie, before he gets into character."
I squeezed my phone and almost turned it off by accident. I needed to pull myself together. The more flustered I got, the more confident he got.
It probably even turned him on, the jerk-
"Why do I feel like I shouldn't be in the room?" Austin asked us both, "Isn't this supposed to be about me?"
"Break a leg," Luke tapped Austin's shoulder as he strolled out of the living room.
I tried not to watch his retreating form. He pushed open the kitchen door and stepped inside to get food. I looked down at my phone, found Cearra's phone number and clicked call.
Cearra was expecting my call so she was already next to her mother when she picked up. "Hello?"
I handed the phone to Austin, with Cearra on speaker.
"Hellooo!" Austin projected into the phone with great enthusiasm and an odd accent, "This is Sir Roland Chadwick the Second!"
Sir?
Cearra's mom answered, "Who? You must have the wrong number."
We then heard Cearra on the other line say, "No, mom, this is Chad's dad. He's calling about Dubai."
"Yessss," Austin continued in an exaggerated, posh and unusual accent, "Dubai is a major mercantile hub within the Middle East. The climate is hot desert-"
"Sorry, you're Chad's dad?" Cearra's mom asked.
"Unfortunately, yes," Austin confirmed.
I wanted to face palm at that response. At least he didn't sound like a Wikipedia extract anymore.
Luke returned, walking into the living room with a bag of chips in his hand. He overheard the last part and stopped.
Luke silently worded to me, "What accent is that?"
I raised both my hands to respond no clue.
"You have an accent," Cearra's mom picked up on it too, "Are you not from the US?"
FFS
"I'm from Sweden, ja!" Austin responded, improvising as he went along.
"I didn't realize Chadwick is a Swedish name."
Luke snorted and I gave him a look to keep quiet.
"Oh ja," Austin nodded, "My father was Hans Magnus Ronald – I mean Roland - Chadwick the senior. The first."
That sentence did not make any sense.
Luke got comfortable on the couch, finding this to be more entertaining than he expected. He popped open his bag of chips and bit into one with a loud crunch, knowing it was going to irritate me.
"How unusual," Cearra's mom murmured, "But uh, I guess that's not why you called."
I think we've all forgotten why he called by now.
"Nein, I called to settle your anxious thoughts surrounding our impending trip to Dubai. I can reassure you that Cearra will be well taken care of within a protective bubble of safety," Austin said, taking the phone with him as he paced the room, moving his free hand around for dramatic effect.
He was really going off script now.
Cearra's mom said "I'm sure you mean well, but I can't agree to letting my daughter travel half way across the world-"
"No, of course not! But if I guarantee you her safety, daily check-ins as well as provide you with full information upfront of my villa location and back-up cell phone numbers, would that make things better?" Austin negotiated.
"That wouldn't hurt," Cearra's mom acknowledged.
"I can promise all that and more. My son is the light of my life, even though none of his friends understand why," Austin proclaimed, "I go through great pains to ensure Chadwick junior is safe and I will do the same with all the kids traveling with me."
He's starting to sound like a creepy Pied Piper.
Austin continued, "Your daughter will be taken on educational excursions through the city to help broaden her cultural horizons and inspire further creativity. It's a great opportunity to travel with her friends like Millie and Bia... Oma and others."
"That is true," Cearra's mom said, "We haven't been able to travel much. I can't remember the last time the kids left the country. Can you guarantee adult supervision at all times?"
"At all times," Austin replied. He clicked mute and asked Luke, "Chad's already eighteen right?"
"And these daily check-ins, will they be video calls with my daughter?" Cearra's mom asked, "Because as a mom, I can't go to sleep without knowing she's safe."
Austin clicked un-mute.
"Definitely. Cearra is a young woman, coming of age, and very mature. I'm sure you can place your trust in her too," Austin said, lapsing in and out of his 'Swedish' accent.
"Alright," Cearra's mom said and we heard Cearra scream in delight, "Alright. Conditional upon receiving all the information you mentioned, like address, phone numbers and scheduled check-ins, I will consider it."
Austin finished with a flair, "Grazi!"
That's not even Swedish.
They hung up and I stared at Austin with my mouth wide open. What in the world did I just witness?
Sitting on the couch, with his legs up on the coffee table, Luke slow clapped.
"Who do we have to call for Oscar nominations?" Luke asked.
Austin took a bow, "I had to improv. She asked so many unexpected questions."
"Really? They all seemed pretty expected to me," I commented.
But there we go. We convinced Cearra's mom to let Cearra come to Dubai. And we made Austin do the convincing, which strengthened their bond and brought them even closer together...
Project Austin♡Cearra, #Austerra, is well on its way.
What a manipulative matchmaker I have become.
"Now we have to make sure that Chad's dad never meets Cearra's mom," Austin said, losing his fake foreign accent as he handed me back my phone.
"That would be a disaster."
And it wouldn't be the first time.
**
Day 2 of Winter Break
I slipped my feet into rainboots and wrapped a woolly scarf around my neck. I then picked up my tupperware and stepped out of the house.
The cold December weather had stripped leaves off the trees on our street and left a gray tint to the neighborhood. By habit, I glanced over at Luke's house before starting to walk in the opposite direction.
I maybe took three steps before I saw movement from the corner of my eye. I glanced back and watched the front door open and Bianca step out of Luke's front door.
I froze mid-step.
Like a Frozen character.
Or some character. It's winter so my mind was basically Frozen.
I whispered her name like she was my arch nemesis, "Bianca."
Luke stepped outside with her. He stuffed his hands into his pockets from the cold as he talked with her.
I unfroze myself and started to shuffle towards them. I don't know what my plan was but curiosity took control of my body so I really can't hold myself accountable.
Maybe they won't notice me if I make veeery small shuffles.
A window opened and Charlotte stuck her blonde head outside. "Luke! Your girlfriend's there."
Drat.
Luke glanced from Bianca and towards me. His eyes widened in surprise and he called out my name.
I did the only thing I could do. Turn and run.
The ground was a bit slippery because of a thin layer of ice and my rain boots weren't the best choice. I was running so slowly but trying so hard and slipping all over the place. But I persisted.
"Millie!"
I ignored him and kept running. Run run running.
"Millie," Luke reached me within a few seconds.
I jumped at his voice and slipped on the icy concrete, almost losing grip of my tupperware. I clung onto it as Luke held onto me, stopping me from crashing onto the ground. His arms wrapped around my waist as my legs behaved like jelly.
It was almost like we were ice skating... except we weren't.
"Millie," he repeated, after my flailing had subsided.
Zen lemur. Try to be the zen lemur.
"No," I said, standing up on my own two feet and standing away from him, "You have someone else to talk to."
"Come on," he sighed.
"Don't tell me to come on! I've told you how I felt about this."
"I couldn't leave her outside," he argued, "It's cold."
"Oh sure, she doesn't own a sweater?" I retorted, "Pft!"
I started on my angry way. I had places to go and tupperware to hand out.
"Come on Millie, where are you going?" Luke asked, "I can come with you."
I gave him the silent treatment. I was so tired of this Bianca story. Why does she always keep coming up? Why is it that every time I'm minding my own business I see something or am told something about Bianca and Luke that gets me all twisted up?
First she's rude to me, then she tries to crash the weekend at the jake house, then she allegedly gets me fired. Then I found out Luke and her used to be a couple, then she says they slept together, then she wants to join us for New Years and now she's over at his house.
Why are they still friends? Is this not enough reason to end it?
I walked further up our street and he walked alongside me. Some of the neighbors had started to put up lights and decorations for the holidays. I was not in a festive mood. I was a grinch.
"Mill-"
"Yes?" I snapped.
I looked over at him and asked, "Why are you laughing?"
"You're so mad at me," he chuckled and tried to keep a straight face when he saw I wasn't laughing.
"Because you don't listen to me!" I complained, "I told you what it means to me when you invite her into your home. She's told me she wants to be with you. That's not OK, Luke."
"This doesn't look good," he admitted, "But I wish you were around to hear what I was saying."
If he knows what it looks like, if he knows it's something I'd be uncomfortable with, why did he still do it?
I told him, "Bianca's only a problem if you make me think she is."
I hated behaving like this. I try to stay calm and keep my melodramatic tendencies inside my own head, but this felt like too much to deal with internally.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "We told Chad that he needed to speak with Bianca before she came on the trip. We're all concerned that she's not going to make this easy."
I had a sneaky suspicion that Bianca was seeing Chad now because she knew Luke was distancing himself from her. Dating Chad kept her in the group.
My eyes narrowed, "And?"
"I said that if she steps out of line, I'll drag her back in. And that's what Chad told her," he explained, "Bianca took offence and came to talk to me about it. I towed the line."
"You towed the line?" I repeated, suspiciously.
"Yeah, I said she needs to back off," he insisted and then looked at the house we stopped outside, "What are we doing here?"
We were by 34 Dupont Avenue. The doormat was a pale pink and it matched the flowery curtains. The exterior of the house was in decent shape.
"We're leaving a present for the cat lady," I answered, "This will be her first holiday without Winnifred."
"The cat?" Luke asked me.
"Yes, the cat," I replied with a serious tone, "I came to pay my respects."
**
The old lady who lived on 34 Dupont Avenue didn't like strangers. She didn't like strangers or visitors or any humans. Her most recent love in life was Winnifred, her dead cat.
Her dead cat who we found in my backyard.
"Maybe it's a good thing you're here after all," I muttered to Luke.
"What's your plan here, Millie?" Luke asked, as he followed me up the front steps to the old lady's house.
The house had a doll-like vibe with a pink doormat and flowery curtains. Even the bell was painted a bubblegum pink color.
"I made her some cookies," I said, showing him the tupperware I was holding.
He peered at the cookies I'd freshly baked. They looked like round stones.
"So you want to kill her?" he asked, "That's your way of saying thank you?"
"I'm showing her that I care," I answered, protectively cradling my tupperware, "It's the holidays."
I made these cookies with love.
"Go ahead. You give her those cookies and she'll end up in cat heaven with Winnifred," Luke said and patiently waited for me to ring the bell.
I stretched my finger out to ring the bell, when I hesitated. I bent my finger and retracted it. "OK, you win!"
"We win. Come on, we can pick up something baked from my home and come back," he suggested, leading me down the steps.
He's a mischievous one, Luke Dawson. He's managed to entice me back to his home so we can talk and get over our Bianca fight. I see through his ways.
But we came face to face with the frail old lady and her cane.
"YOU'RE BACK!" she screeched.
Oh yes, I forgot how friendly she was.
She was in a long black coat and stockings. Her angry head had a fashionable black bonnet on it. And she was waving her cane at the two of us, climbing up her front steps.
We took a few steps back, finding ourselves backed up against the front door.
I feebly tried to say, "Good afternoo -"
"YOU MURDERED WINNIFRED AND NOW YOU'RE BACK FOR MORE!" she screeched, taking very small and unstable steps towards us.
Luke greeted her in a louder voice, "Ma'am we can hear you. You don't have to scream."
"She's screaming murder," I whispered to Luke, "The old lady is calling us murderers."
"I can hear her," Luke replied.
"WHO ARE YOU?" she waved her cane at Luke.
Honestly, it's a weapon.
I took the opportunity to step around her and make emergency hand gestures for Luke to escape with me. He glanced over the old lady's head and towards me. He made a subtle nod.
"We'll be back with cookies," Luke told her, "My girlfriend insists on bringing them-"
"WHAT?" she panicked, "WHY?!"
"Must be your charm I'm sure," Luke said sarcastically.
She got riled up again and started to shout obscenities, but Luke jumped over the railing and landed on the grass. He walked towards me and opened the front gate, back to the street.
He followed out after me and after a couple minutes of walking, the faint sounds of abuse faded into the distance.
"That was a good idea, Millie," Luke applauded me, "It sounded like she'd love your cookies."
I stared at my baked cookies in disappointment. All I was hoping to do was to bring some festive cheer to her on this cold day. I felt like she didn't have many people around her.
"I'm sorry," Luke said as he tried to see my face. Strands of my hair had fallen across my eyes as I stared down at the ground. "I should've told you what was happening. You've been understanding of my friendship with Bianca, despite her behavior towards you. I'm trying to make things right, but I'll do it in a way that makes you feel comfortable."
"Thank you," I mumbled, "Please just tell me next time."
"I will," he said, lifting his hand out of his pocket and wrapping his arm around me.
"Your hand will get cold," I pointed out.
He didn't care. "You want to come back to my place?"
"Only for the banana bread," I teased.
"But you'll stay for more," he said confidently.
A/N: Please vote if you want long chapters like this one! Poor Minnie, I felt bad for her in this chapter. But I also found it entertaining to write - hope you felt the same way reading.
All that talk about cookies and banana bread made me so hungry.
<3 Natalie