The One

That Weirdo Is This Weirdo

The following day, Karol awoke to a splitting headache that elicited a soft groan as she massaged her temple, cradling her head in her hands. She slowly sat up, taking in her surroundings, until her gaze landed on the small side table beside her bed, where she spotted hangover medicine and a glass of water. 'Hmm, not bad, Leo,' she thought, extending her hand to retrieve them.

She mentally thanked Leo as she mimicked a toast, gulping down the medicine and water before surrendering to the pull of sleep once more. An hour later, she fell back into slumber, while Christian stealthily climbed back through the window like a shadow.

"Why is she still asleep?" Arlo inquired, annoyance creeping into his tone. "Duh," Christian replied, shrugging. "She just took the medicine—of course, she'll be out like a light. I can tell she's weak against it."

Christian approached her gently, settling beside her as he tenderly caressed her cheeks and tangled his fingers in her hair. About half an hour later, she stirred in her sleep, murmuring, "Hmm... cinnamon," before falling back into the depths of her dreams.

Arlo's heart swelled as he watched her with a loving gaze, and they remained in this shared moment for nearly an hour before he slipped out of the window and headed back to the pack house to tackle his paperwork.

A few hours later, refreshed from a much-needed nap, Karol awoke in a far better mood, her eyes scanning the room for her phone. Puzzlement struck her as she noticed the window open and the curtains drawn apart. Rising from the bed, she hurried to the window, closing and locking it before drawing the curtains more tightly closed.

Spotting her handbag atop her dressing table, she approached and fished out her phone, glancing at the time—2 PM.

"Fuck me. I slept until 2 PM," she cursed under her breath, dialling her sister's number and putting it on loudspeaker as she sat down to remove her light make-up.

"Hello?"

"Where are you?"

"Outside, what's up?"

"With who? Don't tell me it's your one-night stand?"

"Yes, I'm with him right now."

"I thought you said it was just a one-time thing. Did you change your mind?"

"It was supposed to be, but you'll see."

"Whatever, tell me later. Right now, I'm starving. Can you be a dear and grab me some food while you're out on a date?"

"Don't tell me you've slept until now?! Karol, it's almost 3 PM! Why can't you take better care of yourself?"

"Sorry, my head was killing me, so I slept it off. I didn't mean to sleep this long, my bad!"

"Don't apologise to me; you should be sorry to your body, you idiot. Fine, give me an hour to get home with your food."

"Thank you, wifey! You're the best! Kiss kiss, bye!"

An hour later, Sharon burst through the door of their rental house, her date trailing in behind her. "I'm home!" she declared dramatically, as though announcing a royal return. She kicked off her shoes with the flair of a Broadway star before leading her companion toward the kitchen, her hair bouncing with every enthusiastic step.

Meanwhile, Karol vaulted down the stairs, her voice echoing with excitement. "Wifey! You're back!" she hollered, rushing into the kitchen like a tornado of energy. As Sharon entered, Karol's eyes fell upon the food in her sister's hands, and in a moment of pure theatricality, she snatched it away. "Thank heavens you're earlier than expected, or I might well have succumbed to starvation!"

Without skipping a beat, she flipped open the food container and began rearranging the contents on her plate, seating herself with the casual grace of a lion at a feast. She dug in with gusto, unabashedly munching while casting an innocent grin at her sister and the poor sod she had brought home.

Sharon and her date exchanged incredulous looks as Karol continued her culinary assault. She sensed their stares and looked up, mouth half full, and asked through a mouthful, "What?"

Sharon grimaced in horror. "That's gross, Karol! Eat your food before speaking!" But her sister, blissfully indifferent, opted to focus on her meal, her cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk preparing for winter.

With a resigned sigh, Sharon and her date retreated to the living room, lounging like two bemused cats watching a chaotic mouse. A few minutes later, Karol shuffled in, plopping down opposite them and forming a peculiar triangle, where the dynamics promised a good old-fashioned verbal battle.

To break the ice, Karol leaned forward, her ambitions glinting in her eyes. "Soooo, I'm curious," she began, her tone dripping with mischief.

"About?" Sharon replied, rolling her eyes with the theatrics of a seasoned actress.

"How come you two look all cosy and uninhibited?"

"Oh, my bad!" Jason, her date, interjected with a cheeky smile as he extended his hand. "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Jason."

"Just Jason? No family name to go with that alluring first name of yours?" Karol fired back, effectively her usual cheeky self.

"Yes, I have a family name, but it's a bit... weird to throw that out first," he shrugged as if revealing a deeply held secret.

"No worries, share away! I promise, even if you tell us your full name, we won't recognise your family from Adam!"

"It's Salvatore—Jason Salvatore," he replied amusingly.

Sharon rolled her eyes again, a seasoned veteran of her sister's antics.

"Hmph, nice last name, thanks for answering! But honestly, Mrs Salvatore, quit rolling your eyes like that or you'll end up flipping over."

Jason chuckled and at that moment, the recognition dawned on Karol. "Wait a second! You're that weirdo from the diner, right? The one who gawked at my sister like she was an exotic fish?"

"What? Weirdo? Didn't know I was shaped like that!" he protested, but his sheepish grin gave him away.

"Seriously, dude! With that staring contest you two had, it was like a weird showdown. I mean, who just stares like that? It's not just a look—it's a full-on duel of the ocular variety!"

As Karol's words hung in the air, Jason wore an expression that suggested he wished to disappear under the nearest kitchen counter, though Karol assured him, "But fret not! Your bizarre behaviour has made you memorable, and look at us now, chatting about absurdities like one big, happy, dysfunctional family."

They all erupted into laughter, Karol cackling like a mischievous sprite while Jason admitted, "You two are a riot—the perfect blend of humour and insanity."

Sharon seized the moment to rib her sister. "See? I told you she's cool, this weird little troublemaker."

Karol shot her sister a playful glare before softening, laughter bubbling between them.

"Right! Well, it was nice meeting you both! I'd better head back home now," Jason said, standing, prompting both sisters to rise as if on cue.

"Okay-bye, Jason! Thanks for coming!" Karol chirped.

"Likewise!"

"Let me walk you out!" The sisters waved goodbye as Jason drove off, and just as the door was about to close, Karol gave Sharon a swift slap on the arm before darting off to her bedroom like a startled deer.