Mutual Feelings

C.27 Apple Pie

Tia and Tali walked to the kitchen at the far back of the house, the kitchen is lighten by a skylight from above. The kitchen walls are covered in yellow tiles that only covered half of the wall height because halfway to the top is just white walls. The kitchen is the only place where the house doesn't feel antique, it feels more like a modern kitchen with a past coating.

Tia is wrapping the cleaned bowl of apples in plastic wrap when Tali walked up to her, "Hey Tia can i ask you something?" Tali asked as Tia puts down the apple bowl, "What's up?" Tia asked back, "You see.. Don't tell this to anyone okay but i think i got a crush on Chris." Tali confessed, Tia's face was shocked but also smiling at the same time, "You love Chris? That Chris over there like that dork over there?" Tia points to Chris who is picking his nose in the living room.

"Shhh don't be too loud, and yes i do okay." Tali blushed, "Huh, i never thought someone would like a nerd like Chris. What do you want me to do anyway? Make a wedding cake or plan your family house?" Tia sarcastically said, "No no no just tell me his interests and stuff or something just tell me more about him!" Tali started to be impatient with Tia's answers.

Tia started to look at Chris from the kitchen and thinks about all her cousins characteristic, "Well he loves to play basketball with his buddies, and he also plays music with them as well. Because he loves basketball he exercise a lot and he is very flexible." Tali started to think as well as she lists all of Chris's characteristics. "He have curly hair and is insecure about it as you see earlier, his big brother is a big tech nerd but he's missing 8 years ago. Hmm what else..." Tia started to think more. "Okay i think that's enough, now i know a little more about him thank you thank you." Tali smiled and aggressively nodded.

"You seem to really love Nelly for realzies, i got an idea. After this pie is done maybe you two should deliver it to the town hall. You can spent time together while going there right?" Tia suggested. "Woah that's actually a great idea!" Tia smiled, "Yeah see, but first you gotta help me finishing the apple pie though." Tia smirked, "Oh of course girl i'll do anything for him!" Tali is enthusiastic.

After some few minutes later and with the power of three sweaty animals, the apple pie is done.

"We did it! The apple pie is done! Thanks you two!" Tia smiled. "Hell yeah we did, this is the pinnacle of team work." Chris hyped the group. "Yeaha the team work of the Apple Pie team!" Tali added.

"Okay, we need to take this pie to the town hall but i'm gonna be busy with cleaning the living room. Can you guys take the pie to the hall?" Tia asked while looking at Tali. Tali looked at Chris, "Well i don't have any plans today except for this event so yeah i'm down." Chris takes the offer. "Great then be careful on the road guys~!" Tia said as Tali smiled.

Chris holds the pie and put it in a box and they both go outside.

Chris and Tali stepped outside the house to realize that none of them knows how to ride a motorbike, "You seriously can't drive?" Chris asked Tali, "Well i should be the one asking 'you' you seriously can not drive?" Tali asked back, "I take the bus everyday okay it's more healthy if you walk." Chris makes excuses, "Well if walking was so healthy why can't we just walk there then?" Tali suggested while rolling her eyes. "Yeah sure let's walk there then." The two ended up walking through the Flora Complex.

Tia's house is near a main road so it's not far to reach the public bus. Just 3 minutes of walking and they will arrive at the nearest bus stop. "Hey slow down for a bit." Chris walking speed is steady and quick and Tali is trying to catch up with him. "Oh my bad, try walking a bit faster too then." Chris slows down. "I'm already fast though... You're just faster." Tali catches up to Chris, "Well sorry then my physique is just good yknow." Chris passively brags. Tali only responded with a thinking face.

They finally arrived at the bus stop, it is Sunday so the main road is pretty empty. The sun blazed the pavement and road making the temperature more hot, "We're finally here *gasp* *gasp" Tali sits down at the bus stop's bench. Chris sits next to her and opened his phone.

Chris noticed that while he was walking Andrew was calling him, he didn't check his phone earlier so the call was missed. He called Andrew again, "What's up Andrew?" Chris asked, "Yo dude, me and Finn are gonna skate you wanna come?" Andrew invited Chris.

Chris looked at the hot weather so he decided to deny, "Sorry dude but i got a pie to deliver and i'm tired too so i can't come." Chris apologized, "It's good dude, there's another time yknow." Andrew assured, "Okay dude cya." Chris hung up.

Tali was listening to their conversation from next to them, "Is he a skater too? How many sports does he play and what should i give him as a gift?" Tali thoughts.

As the two waits, the public bus finally arrived and the two of them walked in. Chris who is holding the pie sits at the front where there's a three person chair. He puts the pie next to his seat, Tali sits next to him as well at the other side of the pie.

This time around Chris didn't checked his phone and instead looked at Tali, Chris striked a conversation with Tali, "You're Ella's best friend right? You two are always together in class." Tali looked back at Chris, "Yeah me and her has been besties since like elementary school!" Tali happily talked about her friend, "Ah so it's just like me and Andrew then, we're best friends since like we were 9 years old!" Chris smiled, "Woah that's so cool!" Tali smiled back.

The two now have a good chemistry with each other and they just talked all the way to the hall.

They exited the bus and arrived at the town hall. The town hall is a big historic hall building that is used by the towns folk to host meetings and parties. It is located at the center of the town so there are other buildings and houses around the town hall. The area around the hall is crowded with people. Some are selling foods and drinks, some are biking around, and some even roller skates here too because it's a popular activity to do in the town. They entered the two big wooden doors to find the hall has been decorated with balloons, banners, and other party decorations.

Chris and Tali walked up to Ella and her classmates who is sitting at a bench near the stage of the hall. Ella is showing her classmates photos she took for the photography contest. "Hey guys we're here with the pie!" Chris said as he shows the pie to the others, "Ooh that's a good pie you guys made, good job!" Ella compliments. "Yeah and you guys did good job at decorating too!" Tali compliments back, "Thank you thank you!" Mary thanked Tali.

"What are you guys doing now though?" Chris asked, "Oh we're just looking at Ella's photos and they're pretty amazing." Keith said. As Chris hovers his eyes over Ella's camera, he was stunned because he noticed someone in her camera roll that he knows.

"Ella... can you open that photo over there." Chris points to a photo of the depressing donkey worker she took for the contest.

Ella opened the photo in confusion and Chris was shocked when he looked at it more closely.

"That's... That's my big brother..."

7 July 2023 (Birthday chapter)