Baking With Boys |✔

8. Raspberry Syrup

"Tyler? Are you awake?"

I shifted in my bed, straining my head to see if someone had indeed said something. The presence of four boys in the house did take some getting used to. A knock followed, and I pushed the duvets away, jumping up from the bed to unlock the door.

Yes, I had a lock placed.

The lock clicked open with ease, and I pulled the door open. Within a breath, I heard, "Would you rather have a small innocent soul die or show it some mercy?" The voice belonged to Leo who stood there, poking his head in my room from the small gap. His eyes twinkled with a dangerous tint, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What did you do this time?" I asked.Though  Leo didn't need to say anything. The answer revealed itself in the form of a soft meow from the fur ball in his hands.  I screamed, fumbling back in fear. "God!"

"Hey! You are scaring him," Leo replied, stroking the cat's small head as it meowed again. It rubbed itself against Leo's arm, purring, and I shuddered.

"Scaring him? You scared the shit out of me!" I hissed at him and the cat shrank back from me. "You brought a freaking cat inside the house?"

"Well... it was his idea." He motioned towards someone standing in the back, walking forward himself and entering my room like he owned it. I gave him space, not minding it at the moment, and craned my head to see the one who had this brilliant idea. Of course. Brandon entered the room.

"I thought you would like him," Brandon said, taking the cat from Leo's hand and burying his nose in the cat's body. He tickled it, and the cat meowed in pleasure.

Me? I stared at them with my mouth open.

"My mom will die if she sees a cat in our house," I said, eyeing the cat purring in pleasure under Brandon's affection. "You can't keep her!"

"Just for tonight, please?" Leo whined. I didn't relent. He tried again. "We had to ask you because we need to feed her. Please?"

I sighed. What was I supposed to do? Leo had a pout on his face, and I guess a failed attempt at a puppy dog face. Rules were on a breaking spree since the boys had come on board. How did another one matter? "Fine, just for tonight, follow me."

We made our way downstairs, trying to be silent and secretive so that my mother will not sniff out the creature in Brandon's hands. She slept at the end of the hall on the first floor, therefore I wasn't too worried about her being able to hear the meows. Whatever happened, I had all the plans to get the cat out of the house tomorrow morning.

"Thanks, Ty. I knew you were not that cruel," Leo said, and I rolled my eyes.

"Thank me later. Keep quiet." I shushed him, and opened the fridge. It's light reflected on our faces, and I couldn't help but think that we looked like we were burglars... just looting the fridge in this case. I searched for the can of milk and found a half filled one and then began to close the door.

"Are those cakes?" Leo pointed to the orange and coffee cake I had made yesterday, and I nodded.

"Do you want some?" I asked, already picking it up and adding it to the tray with the milk.

"We can?" His eyes followed the cake as the cat's followed the milk.

"Yeah, I'll take some for everyone." I took some plates out and saw that Brandon was perfectly busy kissing and cooing the cat.

God, he looked obsessed. I never took him as a cat-loving type of person.

We were close to finishing the cake, and the cat had gone into a deep slumber in Brandon's arms. Ever now and then the cat would rub his head against Brandon's hand and that would again lead to a heavy petting session.