Little Miss Nosy

Chapter Seven: I Love You

-Edited-

The kitchen smells like garlic and fresh dough. Music from the end credits of Scream blast through the surround sound. Almost every downstairs light is on. I'm anything but tired as it nears midnight. Despite the time, my lips turn up in a smile and my eyes crinkle, cracking the hardening face mask around the sensitive areas as I bounce around the kitchen. 

"My pizza is ready!" 

"Just cheese? How boring," Trevor scoffs as he piles a mountain of pepperoni on his creation. It's so packed that I can barely see the cheese beneath the sea of meat. 

"People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones...yours is just as boring," I tease.

"Almost as boring. I'm a leg up," he states matter-of-fact. 

"Alas, you both suck," Carmen chimes in. She rubs her hands together and claps to showcase her masterpiece. A combination of everything ranging from pepperoni to mushrooms and black olives. "My pizza wins for having the most range." 

"Yeah, the most range as in needing to be in the farthest dumpster away from here. That's an abomination, babe! Hey..."

A mushroom bounces off Trevor's nose. He prepares to launch at Carmen when we hear a set of footsteps pad down the stairs.

"Did I miss the party?" Mom enters the kitchen with a look of disgust crossing her features as soon as she steps over the threshold. "What's that awful smell?" 

"Mushrooms," Trevor answers. Or at least tries to as Carmen squishes his lips between her thumb and index finger. 

"I think it's everything combined," Mom says. She looks to me and adds, "I'm turning in for the night. Go to sleep whenever you want but please keep it down." 

"Will do!" I salute. 

Mom opens the fridge in search of a midnight snack while Carmen and Trevor put their pizzas in the oven. Mine won't fit and will have to go last. "We're gonna be hating life tomorrow," I comment. By the time it's my pizza's turn in the oven and we settle down after eating it'll be about two in the morning. We look like zombies with our face masks now, but we'll be feeling like one tomorrow. 

"It'll be worth it," Carmen says in between bites of pepperoni. 

"Oh! I almost forgot." Mom pops the lid off a carton of yogurt and motions for a spoon. "My job is hosting a dinner party early November, and you're invited," she says waving the spoon at me like a magic wand. 

"Sweet! What's the attire?" Trevor asks.

"Sorry," Mom giggles. "Family of employees only.

"You're disowning me?" He questions with a frown. 

I zone out after the dinner is mentioned. I don't go out much. When I do it's around people my own age and those occurrences don't go well. The idea of hanging around mom's coworkers for a few hours stirs a combination of unease and dread in the pit of my stomach. Luckily adults aren't as harsh as teenagers. 

"You okay, Ms. Adams? You're looking more green than us," Carmen says in reference to our face masks. 

Mom stands closer to the kitchen's exit; one hand on her lips and the other on her stomach. She hurriedly returns the yogurt to the fridge and tosses the spoon in the sink. "Mom?"