"...I'll just starve."
What?
What?
What?!
I heard Sarah Beth's aunt say this... and...
Okay. I am pretty tolerant. My first flat had a pyromaniac living next door to me, and a very loud couple in the other room. The woman across from me was a stoner that liked to write dirty songs about Tim Buckley. My college roommate was a practising nudist.
Yeah. I'm pretty tolerant. But this lady is basically talking smack about me, and she doesn't really even know me! So, I thought I might as well show her what I can do.
I picked up my mobile, typed a search into Safari, and looked at the results.
15 Best Easy-To-Make Foods
"Yes..." I smiled. "Excellent..."
---
Chicken breast halves... check.
Swiss cheese... check.
Cooked ham... check.
Salt, ground black pepper, and seasoned bread crumbs... all check.
Oven done preheating to 350 degrees.
Chicken pounded.
Everything sprinkled and rolled.
And...
Bake.
I also made green beans with cherry tomatoes.
I looked around for something to make for dessert. I searched through the grocery bags that Rufus had brought home for us. Sarah Beth made a list of the foods that she would like to have, which mainly included crisps, biscuits and chocolate.
And there they were... the ultimate bicuits: Oreos. Or, at least, knockoff Oreos. Some wizard brand. I almost cried when I saw them. Along with this, there was cream cheese and semisweet chocolate.
"Oh, this is going to be great!" I said, holding them up.
"Ashley, dear?" Sarah Beth called. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes, Sarah Beth. I'm fine. Just cooking like a boss!"
"A what?" Dolores asked.
"Nothing, Auntie."
I mixed the cookies and cream cheese and dipped them in some chocolate, and then I tossed them into the icebox that I assumed that Twinkle kept refilled. I grabbed the plates of chicken and green beans and burst into the dining room.
"Dinner is served!" I slid the plates into their proper places. Then I carried in for glasses, filled them with some water, and caught my breath as I sat down.
Dolores looked down at the food. "Well..."
I looked at her hopefully.
"...That took you long enough."
I looked back down at my food and rolled my eyes.
"You know, Ash," Rufus said. "Twinkle would have happily helped you with this."
Suddenly, the little elf popped into the room. "Was Twinkle summoned?"
Sarah Beth smiled. "No, Twinkle. Sorry. But here you go!" Sarah Beth took a plate and put a portion of her meal into it. "This get-together includes you as much as any of us."
Twinkle's eyes gleamed. "Oh, thank you, Miss. Twinkle appreciates it greatly!" Then, she Disapparated with the plate.
---
After we ate, Rufus smiled and complimented my cooking. "You cook even better than my mum."
Sarah Beth laughed. "She'd kill you..."
"You're right. You cook almost as well as my mum."
I thanked him and finished the last cherry tomato on my plate.
"So, Auntie... What did you think of-"
I gasped! "One second, Sarah Beth!"
I ran as fast as I could to the icebox, getting out the balls of chocolate out. They were a bit colder than usual, but you could still eat them. I took the tray to the table and served dessert.
"Did you use my groceries, Ashley?" Sarah Beth took a bite and looked surprised at the taste.
"Sorry, love. I needed to make something extra-nice for your dear Aunt." I looked as pleasant as I could for Dolores.
"Awww..." Sarah Beth smiled and placed her hand on her cheek. "He cares so much... But you're still buying some more of this stuff when we go home. It was supposed to last the week."
She took another bite and dropped the chocolate. Her hand went back to her cheek, but she looked pained. "Ouch! My tooth!"
"What's wrong?" I said.
"It hurts bad..."
"It's the chocolates, isn't it?!" Dolores shot me an awful look.
"No, Auntie. This happened yesterday, too."
"You might need to go to the dentist." I answered.
Sarah Beth's eyes widened. "No! Er, um... no. I will be okay. Teeth are bones. Bones heal."
"teeth are a bit different. I know a fantastic dentist. Not like the doctor I took you to. This guy is awesome, and you'll like him."
Sarah Beth gave her chocolate to Rufus, who scarfed down his sixth one and began to eye mine.
"I suppose I could go." Sarah Beth said to me.
"Okay..." My attention turned over to Dolores. She placed a chocolate into her wide mouth and chewed it. For a split second, one could have said that she looked positively impressed. But that look turned back into indifference in the time it took for her to chew again.
"Well?" Sarah Beth said, leaning toward her aunt.
Dolores sighed and tapped her fingers on the table. "Passable."
That witch.
Dolores, that is. Sarah Beth was a witch, too. But Dolores was a special sort of witch. There seemed to be nothing I could do to change her mind. At last that day. Another day, I would try again. And I would try even harder to show her.
But this was today. And today, I was the nice boyfriend that still needed trust. So, I stood up and carried the plates back to the kitchen with Sarah Beth. Rufus stayed behind and ate three more chocolates.
