Passionate Exchange

Chapter Forty-Seven

The rest of the week passes by in a blur of classes, homework, and stress to hand in assignments on time. We all tried to avoid Scarlett at all costs by staying on the highest alert at lunch when she was sitting with her minions on the other side of the cafeteria. Of course, we did run into her a few times. To our surprise, she didn't even bat an eyelash in our direction. She sauntered past us without paying us a single ounce of attention.

Penny was relieved by this, but I wasn't. I don't know whether to take her acting like we don't exist as a blessing or a curse. Has she decided to let us live and leave us be or is she planning something terrible that we won't see coming? I hope it's the former rather than the latter.

It's currently Friday after school. Penny, Brody, and I are on our way to Brody's house. He's been acting strange all week and I'm sure it's not down to jetlag anymore. We know that he loves anything he can win so we decided we were going to have a baking competition, see who can bake the best chocolate chip muffins. He's bound to win.

We all climb out of Penny's car and follow Brody into his house. Even the way he walks is different. He walks with his shoulder slumped, his head hanging low between his shoulders.

"Madison, Penny, what a surprise." Brody's mum, Christina, greets us. She's sitting on the sofa wrapped in a robe with her hair scooped up into a towel.

Brody wanders past silently. "Hi, Chris," I reply. She gives me a warm smile which I return.

"You don't mind if we use the kitchen, do you? I promise you'll be rewarded with the best muffins in the city." Penny smiles convincingly. When she says the best in the city, she means Brody's muffins. I doubt ours are going to be challenging to beat.

Christina shakes her head, "you better clean my kitchen after you make a mess of it." She says sternly though her amusing eyes tell us she wouldn't care if we didn't. Penny is like a second child to her. I don't think she could do anything wrong in her eyes.

Penny holds her hand over her heart as if her words wounded her. "What do you think we are, animals?"

Christina gets up and starts walking up the stairs, not before calling back down to us, "no comment." She walks out of sight, leaving us chuckling softly. Brody doesn't react.

*

I mix the batter and am relieved when it looks somewhat like the photograph on the website. I'm already certain that mine will be nowhere near as good as Brody's but as long as I get to eat them afterwards, I don't care whether I lose.

"I don't think it's supposed to look like this?" Penny pokes her batter with her spoon, a frown present on her face.

"It's a bit on the thick side," I laugh. It would be her to mess it up when she has the instructions in front of her. "Didn't you follow the recipe?"

"I followed it exactly." She slides her bowl towards Brody and asks, "can you help me fix it?"

He grabs the milk, wearing the same blank expression he's been wearing all week and shoves it towards her. She grabs it before it drops onto the floor. We both look at Brody shocked by his aggressive way of handing it to her.

She puts it down on the counter and places her hands on her hips, "what's wrong?" She asks genuinely concerned. I can see that she's had enough of his games.

"There's nothing wrong." He repeats his usual answer.

I finish pouring the chocolate chips into my batter before speaking. "You've been saying that all week." I point an accusing finger at him.

He rolls his eyes, "wow, Einstein, how long did it take you to figure that out?" He replies harshly. He slams the wooden spoon down onto the counter and I flinch. "Have you ever thought that maybe I've been giving you the same answer because it's the truth?" He gives us a pointed look.