Chili Pepper, Lady Slipper

Chapter 3

The next day, Cedrick woke up a little later than usual in the morning. For one, it wasn't a school day, for two, he was stressed out from his Star Wars: Battlefront game on the computer last night, and third, he couldn't sleep well thinking of the events that happened with Moira the day before.

Flashbacks of yesterday repeatedly played in his mind. Brent. The gravel. The bench. Moira's enigmatic disposition. Her eyes filled with different emotions. Her perfect raven hair. Her slender body..

"Good morning pumpkin! How was your sleep? I see you enjoyed your bed a little longer today." Lydia, Cedrick's mom said with a giggle as she saw Cedrick languidly walk into the kitchen, a blush already forming from Cedrick's thoughts.

"Morning mom, just cause I'm redheaded, doesn't mean I look like a pumpkin." he retorted as he shook away the red in his cheeks. "Anyway, it's not like you don't share the same hair as I do."

"True, so you should be proud that I'm your momma pumpkin!" she started laughing out loud. "Oh, and I made pancakes, if you ever plan on eating. They are your favorite, blueberry." A smile formed on his mom's lips as her natural curly red hair bounced to the rhythm of her walk.

Cedrick really did look like his mom, other than their similar hair, they shared similar faint freckles scattered on their cheeks. Cedrick also inherited his height from his mom, she was about 5'2" while his dad was 5'9", Cedrick himself was just 5'4" making him a little shorter than most guys in his class. Cedrick would usually shrug off people's comments and say, "It's a nerd thing."

"I got a new bag for you yesterday, to use for school. Sorry it took me a while to get one as a replacement dear." Lydia flashed an apologetic smile to Cedrick from the kitchen table.

"Thanks mom." Cedrick sat next to his mom, a mountain of pancakes on his plate.

"I don't understand why you are so thin when you eat like a Hungry Hungry Hippo everyday."

"It's a nerd thing." Cedrick chuckled at his mom's Hungry Hungry Hippo comment as he dove into his large breakfast. "You do know you make the best pancakes in the world right?"

"Of course, have to make gourmet meals for my little pumpkin hippo!" a huge grin appeared on her face.

"Uhm.. Sorry to burst your bubble mom, but I don't think a pumpkin hippo is even a real thing."

"Shh! Don't say that." she pointed a fork at Cedrick's face. "Anything is possible, dear, you just got to open your mind and believe it. Who knows, you may have upset the breakfast fairies with that comment of yours." she winked.

"I swear you are younger than me mom."

"Anything is possible, my little pumpkin hippo." She said as she excused herself from the table and put her plates in the sink. "Now, I have an important meeting to skedaddle off to. Wait, what are your plans for today, dear?"

Cedrick paused for a moment as a picture of Moira flashed in his mind, "I wonder what she is doing today?" 

"Uhh.. I might go study at the park or something. Absorb nature or something."

Lydia looked at him slightly confused since normally Cedrick would just stay at home all day on the computer. "Okay, whatever suits your taste, maybe you are finally evolving to a little social butterfly my dear! Or would that be devolving? Whichever, take care okay?" she walked up to Cedrick and gave him a kiss on both cheeks.

"You should have been a scientist rather than a real estate agent mom."

"Who knows? I might be a secret agent biologist for Animal Planet? I love you dear!" she dashed to the front door.