If I could say goodbye to you

Chapter 5

Before

Scooping up two eggs, I shut the fridge with a snap.

"We have eggs!" I announced, calling out to Claire, who was preoccupied with measuring the flour. "Keep them here" she said, picking up a different bowl.

Nettie, my 7-year-old niece, watches in awe as Claire works on making cookie dough. Today, Josh and Gina got all gussied up and went out on a date, leaving their precious daughter Nettie in our capable hands. At first, I wasn't really bothered by Claire's enthusiasm to hang out with Nettie. But now they're baking cookies. I mean, we could go somewhere or do something else, right?

This is getting boring.

I heaved a deep, dramatic sigh, leaving them behind as I settled down into the living room, my safe haven. Just as I was about to turn on the TV, my eyes were drawn to Claire's phone, which was buzzing like a bee caught in a jar. Skylar was calling.

"You got a call from Skyler!!" I shouted so she could hear me.

"Just Tell her I'm busy," she shouted back, and I obeyed.

" Hello," I picked up the call, but there was no response from the other side. "Skyler, are you there?" This time she replied.

"Is that you, Aster?" she inquired with a hint of astonishment. I hummed. "Ah...so Claire is with you," she continued after a brief moment.

" Yeah, but she is a little busy right now. Any emergency?"

"No, it's fine- I'll just call her later," she says before hanging up.

Claire and Skylar are close friends, and we were all good friends at one time. However, now, anyone will rarely see us together. Skylar maintains her distance from me for an unexplained reason. I'm not sure what happened between us, but it's clear that she no longer considers me as her close friend.

My train of thought was abruptly cut off when I noticed Claire and Nettie hopping on the couch.

Grabbing one of her minicams that was resting on the table, Nettie shows it off to Claire. "Should I take a picture of us?"

"Is this thing real?"

Nettie gave a small nod, cocking her head in an expression of contemplation. "This is something only the pros know how to do," she said, before quickly snapping a photo of Claire.

"It's not bad at all," says Claire showing some amusement while Nettie showed a beaming smile of pride.

"I bought it for her," I flatly state while pointing at the camera. " I was the one who taught her how to use it as well." Nettie's look warned me that I should keep my mouth shut while Claire was occupied studying the operation of the camera.

"This is cute," Claire mumbles before clicking my picture.

-

I was chowing down on the scrumptious cookies Claire and Nettie had baked before, while waiting on the porch. These are actually delicious. The front door eventually creaked open, revealing Claire standing with her tote bag.

"Let's go?" I ask to which she nods.

"You still eating those?"

"Well, this is the last of the last one," I quipped before shoving the whole thing in my mouth, hastily wiped my hands to make sure I didn't leave any crumbs behind.

"You still have some." She dramatically sighed, taking her napkin to wipe my lips like a mother would for her child.

And I'll swear on my life, the second she did it, my face turned crimson.