Desolate - h.s. ✓

° twenty-eight °

     The following evening, I decided to invite my friends over for dinner. Ethan was still upset over college, but my father had been helping him with an appeal letter. Honestly, I was simply praying that my brother would get into the school, knowing that it would crush him if he didn't. Not to mention that Harry had, and I felt that it would put a burden on their friendship. It was a little bit after five when my friends showed up. I had finished showering not long before, my hair still wet as I answered the door for the three of them. My parents were both going to be out until late tonight, so I knew I had the house to myself.

"So, what do you guys want for dinner?" I asked.

"Whatever is cool," Blair stated.

"I agree," Lex nodded. "I mean if you want to make chicken alfredo, that's always an amazing option."

Blair and Lex then said that sounded like the best choice. Laughing, I looked in the freezer, pulling out a bag of chicken, and then set it in the sink to clean. Washing my hands, I grabbed a pot, filling it with water and setting it on the stove, before starting to boil the water. That was followed by grabbing pasta out of the pantry, placing it on the counter.

"Is there anything I can help with?" Ella asked.

"I'm okay right now, thank you."

"We'll be upstairs, is that okay?"

Nodding, I watched as my friends headed out of the kitchen, and then probably up to my room. I grabbed a pan, setting it on the stove, along with different spices that I would use for the chicken. Honestly, I enjoyed Cajun chicken the most, so I decided that I would find a recipe for that real quick, thankful we had everything that was necessary for the recipe I had found. After I finished washing the raw poultry, I cut it up, placing it into the pan. Letting it sit for a couple of seconds, I quickly put the pasta into the bowling water, adding a little bit of salt to the water before continuing with the chicken.

"Damn, you look cute even after you shower," a familiar voice stated, my cheeks flushing when his arms wrapped around my waist. "Are you cooking dinner for me?"

"No."

"What? Who then?"

"My friends," I stated plainly, stirring the pasta before continuing to make the chicken. "I didn't even know E was having you over."

"We have a project thing. Plus, I'm supposed to look over his appeal letter."

Nodding, I smiled when he wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing my jaw easily. He stayed like that for about a minute before letting go, Harry squeezing my arm lightly and then grabbing two waters. Though before he could leave, I found myself asking him to grab the strainer for the pasta, Harry quickly getting it out from one of the cabinets.

"Thank you, just put it in the sink."

"I expect some of this food," he told me.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Once the chicken was finished cooking and being seasoned, I left it on simmer, starting the alfredo. The pasta was almost done, but I found myself getting the alfredo sauce done rather quickly, leaving me to strain the pasta not much later. Grabbing bowls out of the cabinet, I put pasta in it, followed by some chicken and alfredo. Remembering that Harry and Ethan would need silver ware, I opened the drawer where they were, taking some out before I headed up the stairs, knocking on my brother's door.

"Yeah?"

Opening the door, Ethan raised an eyebrow. I held out the food to him, which he seemed excited about, grabbing one of the bowls from me easily. Harry took the other bowl from me, Ethan claiming it was good, and asking me to shut the door behind me. Following his request, I got my friends from my room, telling them to come downstairs to eat. Once we were at the table, and I had plated four bowls, I got drinks also. It wasn't very long until I was sitting down with them, my friends telling me that it tasted amazing, and that they couldn't believe I had made something so good.