In Dark Times: Book 2 Dark Trilogy

Chapter 4 More Arrivals In Dark Times

Working in the kitchen is harder work than it sounds. The moment we were done eating breakfast, we did dishes and cleaned up. Ms. Nancy had us help her make twenty loaves of bread. Luke seemed totally in his element. I could hold my own in the kitchen, but these two were born to be in the kitchen.

After the baking stent, we got started on lunch. Luke had to take lunch out to the guys doing security at the treeline. I worried about him going by himself, but he just rolled his eyes at me and asked Ms. Nancy to keep an eye on me until he got back. After serving up lunch, we ate and then cleaned up and began making dinner. By the time we get dinner over with tonight, my feet and back will be so sore. I don't know if I will be able to walk. I wonder if Victor will give me another back massage. Mmmm, a back massage...

"Since young Luke is making the dinner run out to the security patrol group, how about we talk?" Ms. Nancy pulled me out of my Victor giving me a massage thought, and eyed me suspiciously.

"What do you want to talk about?" I mumbled quietly.

"Ha ha! Honey, What don't I want to talk about?" I grimaced and Ms. Nancy placed her hand on my bicep. "How about the easy things first, when did you join the Academy? And how is it that you got put on a team with nine guys?"

"Um..." I bit my lip. This is more complicated than she thinks. "I am not a part of the Academy. North, Silas and Luke saved me from..." I was pulled back into the memory of that attack behind the grocery mart. It was as if I could feel the knife cutting my shoulder and his mouth on mine again.

"Woah, woah, woah. Honey, shh, shh." Ms. Nancy was hugging me. "I'm sorry to bring the past up. Let's talk about something else." She seemed to think for just a moment as her hands rubbed my arms. "Ooo, I know, like the gorgeous eye candy all those boys you brought with you are!" I giggled at her calling them eye candy. Then realizing I was rubbing my mouth with my hand, I took in a deep breath and pulled my hand away from my mouth.

"They are ALL good looking, aren't they?" Again, I giggled. Just like you would expect any other high school girl to do with her girlfriends.

"So, if you just met them a week or two ago, have you decided that Luke is the one for you? I saw the way he was kissing you earlier." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"I don't know if I could choose. They are willing to let me stay with them in their family. I wouldn't want to break them up or cause any fighting."

"Hmmm, I know it has been a while since Tom and I moved here, but I think there is another Academy team that had one girl and a couple guys. I'll have to ask Tom how they got to stay together. He'll know." Ms. Nancy was lost in thought as we set out the dinner for tonight.

We had made a Shepherd's Pie casserole, Salad made with the vegetables grown in the garden with homemade dressing, and I suggested we make a sheet cake as a dessert. I was really just wanting something chocolatey. Luke used his puppy dog eyes on Ms. Nancy and she gave in.

"Fine, we can have a chocolate dessert... BUT, I get to decide and make it." Ms. Nancy slapped her hand on the counter, "And I know exactly what I am going to make. Ha ha ha whoo whoo!"

Whatever she made smelled really good, but she still won't tell me what it is. "Please Ms. Nancy. Tell me what the dessert is."

Luke came jogging back into the kitchen with a big smile on his face. "Miss me?" he chirped.

"Of course we did!" Ms. Nancy announced loudly. "Oh, alright Sang. Tonight's dessert is... drumroll please..." Luke made a drumroll noise on the counter for her. "Better Than Sex Cake!"

Luke choked on his own saliva and I was a flaming tomato with embarrassment. I whispered at Ms. Nancy, "We can't tell people this dessert is called Better Than Sex Cake." Luke had gotten a glass of water.