Ice frozen dreams turned golden

Chapter 3

So this is a one-shot that I've written not so long ago. I don't know where I got the inspiration from but all I can say is: I HATE EGGPLANTS :D

Read the chapter to find out why...

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It was Lizzie's third day at the Alwyn's household, and so far she had tried her best to stay out of trouble and out of Taylor's sight for most of the time. Her mom had always hated it when she was around too much, so she thought it was best to stay in the guest room.

Taylor had told her they would soon decorate the room the way she wanted it so she could feel comfortable, but she honestly didn't care.

She loved the room. It was much more beautiful than her old room - bigger, brighter, and she loved the fact, that the walls were painted in a soft yellow instead of the brown she was used to.

Lizzie looked at her alarm clock and figured it was almost time for dinner. She tapped down the stairs and carefully stepped into the kitchen.

"Hey, Taylor," she softly said, "do you need any help with dinner?"

Lizzie's mom had always been in a foul mood when she had to prepare dinner all on her own, and Lizzie figured Taylor must feel the same - especially now that she had to cook for one person more.

"Lizzie," Taylor smiled at her, "thank you for asking. You could set the table if you'd like. You know where everything is?"

"Yes, of course," Lizzie immediately replied, eager to help. She had been at the Alwyn's house enough times to know where everything was.

In no time the table was set, and Lizzie returned to the kitchen. "Is there anything else I could help you with?" she asked Taylor, but the woman only shook her head.

"I'm almost finished. Thanks for your help, though. Why don't you go and relax a little bit until dinner is ready?" Taylor suggested, and Lizzie almost wanted to protest. But she could remember all the times her mom had punished her for talking back, so she kept quiet.

If she was honest with herself, she would have rather helped Taylor prepare dinner instead of just lazily sitting around, waiting for it to be ready. She wasn't good at relaxing, and somehow she still worried her mom would find her laying around and there'd be hell to pay.

If Lizzie hadn't been busy with school or figure skating, her mom had always made her cook or do the housework. "Hard work builds one's character," she had always said.

It was strange to Lizzie that Taylor wasn't like that at all. Thea had never had to help that much around the house and nor had the other kids. But Lizzie wasn't sure if she counted as another kid because, in the end, she was just Thea's friend who had nowhere else to go to and who Taylor had probably only accepted into her home because she felt sorry for her.

Lizzie was so afraid that one small mistake from her would make Taylor realize that taking her in had been a mistake and she would be sent back to her mom.

Before she could worry sick though, Lizzie could hear Taylor's voice ringing through the house, telling the kids that dinner was ready, and then the kid's voices telling their mom they would be coming soon.

All this yelling was still strange to Lizzie. Her apartment had always been very quiet, and her mom had only yelled when she had been angry with her. The Alwyn's used yelling as a form of communication though, and Lizzie loved it. It seemed like the house was never really quiet and it made her feel less alone.

"What are we having for dinner, mom?" Luca asked his mom when they were all seated at the table.

"I made an eggplant casserole," Taylor responded, and Luca turned to his sister.