Testing The Waters

Chapter Twelve

"That's not how you make a grilled cheese!" Alex growls in irritation.

My fingers, that are currently wrapped around a spatula, tighten. I silently chant my new mantra in my head.

I will not hit Alex with kitchen utensils.

I WILL not hit Alex with kitchen utensils.

I'm currently working on lunch while Anna sits at the kitchen counter playing on her tablet. I've got one grilled cheese on the stove, and I'm currently getting ready to prep the next one. 

Alex and Anna's grandmother broke her foot, so Mrs. Richards is away for a few weeks helping her Mom get back on her feet. Lucky for me, this means that while Mr. Richards is away at work during the day, Alex has been responsible for overseeing his sister and apparently... me.

He has been as difficult as ever the last few times I've been over, scrutinizing every interaction I have with Anna. I seriously can't do anything right where Anna is concerned. I'm either not watching her close enough, or I'm hovering over her too closely. If I don't give her a snack, I'm being neglectful, but if I do give her one, it'll be my fault if she doesn't eat dinner. He is driving me bananas, and it's taking everything within me not to make an imprint of this spatula on his stupid face.

I give Alex a sardonic look as I pull out two slices of bread from the bag. "It's a grilled cheese, Alex. It's pretty basic."

He grabs the jar of mayonnaise off the counter. "In what universe is it okay to use mayonnaise on a grilled cheese?"

I go to grab it from him, but he lifts it out of my reach. I stand on my tippy toes and try to grab it, but he's too tall. I make a sound of annoyance. He smirks.

What. A. Butthole.

"Ugh! What is your problem?" I grit out.

"You are!"

"Just..." I jump up again, trying to grab it from him. "Give it to me!"

He puts it behind his back. "Everyone knows you use butter to cook a grilled cheese."

I throw my arms up. "Lots of people use mayonnaise!"

"Lots of people are wrong—like people who put pineapple on pizza."

"Pineapple on pizza is AMAZING!" I say, far too passionately.

"Get out," he says, pointing to the kitchen doorway.

I ignore him, quickly grabbing for the mayo behind his back, but he snakes his hand out and pushes it against my forehead, grinning.

"Get off me!" I slap his hand away, but when I move to grab the mayo again, his hand goes right back to my forehead.

"Guys?" Anna says to us from the counter.

We both stop and look over at her. She points to the stove behind us. "I see fire."

Our heads snap back towards the stove. My eyes widen.

"Holy shit!" Alex says, handing me the jar of mayo and runs over to the stove.

He grabs the pan that is currently holding a flaming grilled cheese sandwich and runs it over to the sink, dousing it in water. A puff of smoke billows out of the pan as Alex waves a hand over it, trying to redirect the charred vapors from going into his face. A few seconds later, he throws the pan in the sink and walks over to the stove, turning off the burner.

Slowly, he turns back to me, his eyes wide and incredulous. "You're not allowed to cook here anymore."

I nod, my own eyes still slightly large from the whole ordeal. "That's fair," I say to him. I did almost burn down his house.