Little Too Much

Chapter 27 - Universal

Shawn showed up just as i'd jumped into my clothes. My hair was still wet and no one else was ready yet. Bella begged me to let her shower first, so entertained Shawn while my 'family' took the next hour to un-stink and get ready. Whatever. 

First of all, of course, i gave him a couple of my red velvet cookies with chocolate chips and powdered sugar. He loved them, savoring every single bite. Then he asked me to show him some of my other recipes. I had a folder. I started making it when i got to CA and so far i've only repeated a recipe up to three times. It had a lot of meals, not to mention snacks and deserts and cake decorating ideas. If someone saw my pinterest page, they'd never guess i was anorexic. They'd totally think i was a fat ass because it's so covered in food ideas! I have like 12 different folders of only food to bake or whatever. 

I had so many homemade recipes.....or ones i'd found and tweaked to make healthier or less calories or whatever. He was actually really interested, which was cute. "You should go to school for this stuff," Shawn complimented, "but you're so good, you could just skip that entirely and open a shop."

"Thanks," I say back, "i've thought about it, but i don't know, it always seemed stupid because it's not like anyone would come anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"I just - i'm not sure - why would anyone buy from me? Or even know about me?"

"You could always mooch off your cousin - erm, brother's - fame."

"Yeah, i could."

"You know that eventually i want to try all of these?"

"I guess i can try. It might be a while."

"I've got time."

"I don't."

"Yes, you do," he leaned over kissed my hand. "Please stay," he pulled me into his arms. 

"How do you always know just what to say to make me stay?"

"I don't. Just think about it. What would Aaron or Julie do if they came home and found you hanging from a rope, or with a hole blasted in your head, or bled out in a bathtub, or splattered on the concrete. What would i do?"

"I don't know."

"I would miss you. Life would be hellish without you."

"Thanks."

Aaron sauntered in, ruining our almost-moment with a big, "Hello, Love-birds!" Julie and Bella added in, "Aww you guys! You're so cute!"

"Ugh," i groaned, "Stop, guys, we're not a thing."

Shawn drove to Universal Studios and we all rode rides and eat food until i got sick and then Julie got sick at the sight of my puke and then Bella got sick at the sight of both of us throwing up and not being able to find mint gum. It's not like we were motion sick or anything, we were used to the rides. I had just had too much to eat and i think Julie and Bella did too. Plus, it was late in the day and we hadn't been very well hydrated. 

We headed out pretty quickly after that. Apparently Shawn felt bad about it all, so he asked if there was anything he could do as he pulled in the driveway. Us girls all shrugged and said a good night's sleep would get rid of any queasiness they might still have. Aaron, on the other hand, invited Shawn to just stay the night with him and maybe we could do something tomorrow to help us pretend yesterday night didn't happen. 

I woke up first the next morning. I left a note for Bella and Julie saying: Making breakfast. I'll get you when its ready.

I peeped in on the boys and they were both sprawled out on Aaron's bed. They were so cute just sleeping there calmly. My two favorite boys in the world. 

I whisked up some eggs, scrambled and a giant omelet with tons of healthy veggies in it. Then i made bacon, hash browns, and sausage, all fried my style. Then I stirred up some of my own recipe pancake batter, separating it into three parts so i could do blueberry pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes, and plain pancakes designed for my home-style cinnastack. I decided maybe it'd be fun to whip up some pumpkin muffins since they were still sleeping. I looked at my finished products all laid out on the counter island. Something was missing....ah! Fruit! So i look in the fridge for something. There were only apples. Boring. i couldn't serve apple with what i'd just made. I pulled out my recipe book with a sudden angst for my new plan. Applesauce. My own recipe. I finally finished that terribly long process of, which i am not familiar with yet, i poured the clumpy deliciousness into a bowl, testing it with my finger to make sure it was good. I flecked the top of it with cinnamon and stepped back to gaze on everything completely finished. I was proud.

Masterpiece.

Standing with hands on my hips, i figured i'd go and get everyone awake to eat. I don't know why i'd made all this, but i loved creating works of food and this was fun. I heard footsteps behind me and arms tangled around my waist before i could turn around. A smooth cheek buried itself in my neck, lips tickling me, and a chin burrowed into my neck, entirely playfully. The arms that had snaked between my arms and my sides had a tight grip and i squeal as the fingers set to tickling me. I jumped up and down, wriggling to escape.

I giggled, "Aaron, stop it!"

"No," but there was something different and strange in his voice. I guessed it was just his morning voice, being groggy or something of that sort. He stopped tickling me with his chin and pecked my cheek. Aaron never kissed my cheek. Who was this?

Shawn. 

Duh! Why didn't i think of it before? Of course it would be him! I didn't have much time to think though before he was tickling me even more. As i tried to run away, he kept his grip on me and dragged me to the couch. We toppled over backwards, me landing on him, still wriggling to get away. What more could i do? The more i begged for mercy, begged for him to stop, the more he persisted. Finally i managed to think of a bargain, "Shawn Peter Raul Mendes! If you don't stop it right now you won't get any of the giant meal i made!"

He suddenly stopped and withdrew his hands. I rolled off of him and sat up. I took out my disheveled high messy bun and re-did my hair while Shawn ran to the kitchen counter and gaped at it. He reached for a muffin and i took a leap from the couch and snatched if from his hand. "No!" i set it down, "Not until everyone else has a chance! You eat more than anyone i know. Go get Aaron and then you guys can have some!"

"Fine," he grumbled in complaint and toddled away to get Aaron, disappointed. Aww, he's such a child. He and Aaron beat us girls back for the food, but Shawn made Aaron and himself wait to eat until we got there a few minutes later. To pass the time he poured orange juice for everyone. 

I'd had to roll Bella and Julie out of bed and entice them with the best parts of my breakfast lay out. Finally they came but begrudgingly. Shawn rummaged through the kitchen for the very biggest of the plates and got one from the set for everyone. He filled his up with a forkful of scrambled eggs, the corner of the omelet, 3 pieces of bacon, a scoop of hash browns, 2 sausage sticks, 1 blueberry pancake, 1 chocolate chip pancakes, 2 pancakes from the cinnastack, 2 muffins, and a scoop of my applesauce in a bowl. I just stare at his plate. After everything i'd made, i'm a little hungry, but how can he eat that much? I took a bit of scrambled eggs, one muffin, and a bowl of applesauce, which is by the way warm because i just made it and it tastes fabulous like this. 

Whatever breakfast was great. It was awesome, actually. Shawn told me at everything he ate that it being was the best of whatever it was he'd ever tasted. Cute, but he was actually being truthful from what i could tell. He announced, "I want to marry all of this food so i can wake up every single morning to it!"

Aaron muttered under his breath, "Why don't you just marry the cook?"

"What was that?" Julie and Bella asked making faces at each other and then me. 

Shawn's excuse was lame, "Yeah, but she wouldn't want to make all of this every morning for me."

"Yeah," Aaron agreed, "probably not, but maybe."

Shawn didn't look at me, but i kept glancing at him, expecting him to do something, or say something at least. He did nothing. If he liked me i wish he'd just ask me out already. See? This is why i'm perfectly convinced he doesn't have those feelings for me. Maybe i like him like that - okay, i totally like like him - but i don't think about it or think of him in that way because i know its impossible with the way he feels. Still, i can't help feeling like maybe there's more there.