The Tangent Lines

Chapter 22 - Adult stuff the innocent Chelsea won't understand

♡♡♡♡ 

In my opinion, actual heroism, like actual love, is a messy, painful, vulnerable business—and I wanted to try to reflect that.

―John Green

♡♡♡♡

Chapter 22 - Adult stuff the innocent Chelsea won't understand

"Wakey up sleepyhead," Chris wakes me up by putting a plate of stacked pancakes on my table. I inhale the vanilla aroma that fills the air instantly, gently assaulting my olfactory senses with its wonderful aroma. Just the smell of the vanilla successfully tempts me to get up from the bed and eat properly.

"Don't bribe me with pancakes!" I yawn sleepily, still not getting up from the bed.

"But I am bribing you with these prestantious pancakes," he says with horrible British accent.

"Piss off," I murmur, "Your pancakes are terrible. Not interested, sorry."

"This is Elliot's cooking and you will regret not waking up earlier sweetie," he says as he grins widely, pulling my blanket off. I glare him for waking me up and look up to the clock. It's bloody six am! He dares to wake me up this early on such Sunday!

"Do you know that it is bloody six and you dare waking me up after staying up until four to monitor your Halloween party which you left so early and cleaning the mess up?" I go back to sleep, putting my pillow on top of my head. Silence. That's what goes after my confession. Uh, did I hit a button? Did I hurt his feeling or what?

Suddenly I feel the bed squawking and after a second, I realize he's jumping on my bed. He dares to ruin my peaceful after-sleeping state on my bed!

"Chris! You ungrateful twat!" I throw my pillow to him, but it misses easily and hits the cupboard instead. He laughs mockingly at my inaccuracy and keeps jumping.

I quickly get up and sigh when he keeps jumping playfully on my bed like a kid. "You're waaay too old for that!" I yell at him frustratedly.

"No, I'm just enjoying my life!" He cheekily replies and laughs. I join in his laughter when he almost falls because he steps on my teddy bear.

"You done?" I give him a look but failed because I can't contain my laughter. "Yeah, definitely. Just going to find another bed to ruin," he shrugs as if it's not a big deal and leaves my room.

I bring my plate and my pillow outside, attempting to continue my sleep on the couch with the tempting pancakes. I'm too tired to clean my own bed which had been ruined by Chris. Then I realized I'm not alone outside and get confused when I see James and Tyler laughing together on the kitchen stool. Is there even someone who's awake at six? How the hell did they manage to get a good decent sleep and still look good?

Tyler looks carelessly handsome, with his grey long sleeves t-shirt and shorts. Although his face looks tired, probably because he was drunk last night, but damn, he still looks so fit.

But his sudden closeness with James... I mean... What did I miss yesterday?

They did become nicer though, but not this nice. They may have tolerated each other, since Tyler had become our friends, but both of them laughing with each other is just a scene I did not expect waking up at.

I stop dead on my track with my jaw dropped in shock, while Elliot is humming lightly and frying the pancakes. The mouth-watering sight of strawberries and maple syrup puts an instant smile on my lips. Ah, Elliot's cooking in the morning! My stomach rumbles lightly when I take a peek at my plate — a tall stack of pancakes with strawberries and cream. Elliot really knows how to impress people.