TILL WE MEET AGAIN

Chapter 13

Ellie

When I wake up the next morning, silence fills the house. Marissa and Nova are not in the room and their beds are well made.

I pull on my robe and walk out the room. As I take the stairs two at ago, I notice the same thing. The house is really quiet. Except for the music coming from the kitchen.

I walk towards music and an aroma fills the air. The first thing I make out is a tray of pancakes and then Col, in an apron.

"You cooked?" I mock." Are you trying to poison all of us?"

He turns his attention to me and smiles. That dazzling smile that makes my knees go weak. He grabs his phone and turns off the music.

"First of all, I didn't cook. Logan and Blake did. Secondly, there is no 'all of us', just you and me today."

"Hmm!" My eyes go wide. I replay what he just said in my mind. Just the two of us? Where is everyone else?"

"Medrine and Uncle Ross took them out for the day. Shopping and stuff." He says, as he pours juice in two glasses.

"And why are we here?" I ask. We should be there.

"We have to practice." He says absentmindedly.

"For the song." He adds when I just stare at him like he is speaking Spanish.

"I am missing an amazing day of free shopping to practice a song?" I ask between my teeth.

"Exactly." He points a spatula at me.

I close my eyes, hang my head and blow through my lips. Unbelievable.

I hear him laugh and even though it's music to my ears, I can't believe we are stuck here when...you know what, forget it.

"What's for breakfast? I'm starving." I sit on a stool at the counter. He puts a glass of juice and a plate of pancakes infront of me.

"Thank you."

"Anytime my lady." He does a dramatic bow and I laugh.

"Did you ever act in some Broadway show or something?" I ask as I bite into a pancake.

"Nope. The only time I have acted was that one time when I was five."He takes a seat directly opposite mine.

"Which character did you play?" I am suddenly interested.

"Some naughty kid. You should watch the movie."

"Naughty? You? It doesn't suit you." I tease.

"Oh you don't know a thing about my childhood, love." He reassures me." I was the naughtiest kid both at school and at home."

Love. I know he didn't mean anything by that but it keeps playing in my head.

"Humour me." I tease. I place both my hands under my chin and look at him. All ears.

"Hmm." He closes his eyes, thinking." Well. I had my first kiss when I was four."

My eyes widen in surprise. Four? I open my mouth to say something but then I close it again and he chuckles.

"On my fourth birthday, my mom and dad had their friends and their friends' kids come over for a babaecue. So I was sitting on the floor with a bunch of other kids watching some Disney fairytale. When the part where the prince kisses the princess played, I turned to the girl next to me and kissed her."

By the time he is done telling the story, I am laughing so hard that my stomach hurts.

"You kissed her? Why?" I manage to ask between my bouts of laughter.