Waiting

『Lιєѕ』

[Name] hums along to the music blasting out of her phone, wondering if she should use M&M's or chocolate chips for the cookies she's making.

"Oh! Maybe I should make both...?" she mumbles to herself, already grabbing another bowl. She rummages around the kitchen for some extra ingredients ー two more eggs, a bag of M&M's, and a bag of Hershey's chocolate chips, as well as a bag of marshmallows for herself.

She putters around the kitchen, mixing things together with a smile on her lips. Once she finishes putting the cookie dough into small spheres on the pans, she slides them into the oven and lets them bake. The [color]-haired girl busies herself with cleaning the counters, clearing any lingering mess she's accidentally made. When she's finished and begins to wash her hands, the doorbell rings.

Quickly drying off her hands, [Name] makes her way to the door and opens it once she's peeked through the peephole.

"Hey, Olette," she greets her friend, moving out of the way so she can enter. "Why are you here so early?"

Olette steps in, slipping off her shoes. "Why are you awake? Don't you hate the mornings?"

[Name] grins, shuts the door, and shrugs. "Of course, who do you think I am? Today I just had the sudden urge to bake."

Olette tilts her head, sitting at the kitchen counter. "Bake? You never told me you liked to."

She furrows her eyebrows, sitting across from her friend. "What do you mean? I try to bake once a week. Surely I would have mentioned it to you?"

The green-eyed female gives her a confused expression. "What? No, you haven't."

"Strange... I haven't even given you sweets?"

"Well..." Olette taps her chin thoughtfully. "Once you brought some macaroons over when we were all hanging out. You said you'd bought them from a bakery."

"What...?" [Name] can't recall any of this. "That's—" She jolts as an alarm beeps. "Oh, the cookies must be...done." I don't think I set an alarm, though... She grabs some oven mitts and opens the oven. Maybe it was Axel... The cookies definitely would have been a disaster if an alarm hadn't rung.

She eases the cookie pans out one by one, carefully setting them onto the counter. The smell of the cookies wafts in the air, and the two girls sigh happily. They look at each other before laughing.

"Wow, those smell good," Olette comments as [Name] carefully places the cookies on cookie trays.

She smiles. "Thanks. Wanna take some home? I don't mind." She puts her hands in her hips once she's done organizing the cookies. "They're chocolate chip and M&M."

The brunette clasps her hands together, eyes bright. "Really? Thanks!"

The [color]-eyed girl shrugs. "No problem." Taking a seat across from her, she clears her throat. "Anyway, back to what we were talking about before... I don't remember buying macaroons. When...was this?"

"Maybe...a year or two ago?" Olette tilts her head and asks jokingly, "How's your memory, [Name]?"

If only she knew, [Name] thinks dryly. "It probably just slipped my mind," she says out loud, waving dismissively. "You came over to ask something, right? What's up?"

Olette shifted in her seat. "Well... Lately you've been a bit off. You don't talk to us about it, and we don't bring it up because we don't want to make you uncomfortable." She glances at her nervously. "You fell off the clock tower, you haven't been feeling well, and you seem to space out a lot. We're worried."

"There's nothing to be worried about," she automatically denies. "I mean, I was shaken up after the clock tower incident, but..." There are some things you don't know about, Olette. "I'm getting over it."

Her friend shakes her head. "It's just...know that you can talk to us, okay? We've noticed the photos, and the necklace, and the jacket you wore the other day. We don't recognize them. Does it..." She hesitates. "Does it have to do with that blond guy? The one in the photos?"

[Name] almost freezes. "I'm not sure."

"You started acting strangely ever since you found out about him," Olette mentions, staring at her. "Is he a friend of yours?'

He's very fond of you, Axel's voice echoes in [Name]'s mind.

"... Yeah, he's someone very important," she replies quietly. "I can't seem to remember why, though."

Olette just looks more concerned. "What do you mean?"

"I just mean that it's been a long time since we've been in contact." The [color]-eyed girl clears her throat and stands suddenly. "Enough of that. I'm fine, Olette, and I'll be sure to talk to you if I need to."

The brunette nods slowly. "You better," she says finally.

[Name] clasps her hands together. "Wanna taste-test these cookies? They should be perfectly warm by now!"

"Oh, count me in!"

As Olette reaches for a chocolate chip cookie and bites into it, [Name] looks away.

When, she wonders, did I start lying to my friends?

('･_･')

"You know," Axel starts, "I think I want to try one of your baked goods."

[Name] raises an eyebrow at him. "Huh? Why?"

"I've heard they're good."

She crosses her arms. "Were you spying on me today?"

Axel grins. "Nah."

"Then how who could you have—" She stops. Don't tell me...?

"Oh, did you figure something out?"

"Did he...?"

The redhead nods. "You got it. You know, he used to come over to your place and help bake. It was one of his favorite things to do with you."

[Name] groans. "This is so frustrating."

Axel stares at her with piercing eyes. "When you remember him, it'll be worth it. Got it memorized?"

"'When' I remember him?" she suddenly questions, peering at him.

His lips twist into a smirk. "Hm?"

"Nothing!" [Name] chirps.

I'll definitely meet him. Definitely.

(=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ

Word Count: 970 Words

Notes: Whoa. It's been...a while. Okay, that's an understatement. It's been over a year-and-a-half. I apologize so much for the unintended delay. I don't remember why I forgot to update. I think it's because I wasn't using WattPad much and it turned into not using it at all. Again, I'm so sorry. Here's another chapter, though. Yay. Next one should be up within a week, so maybe look forward to that. Thanks for sticking around. Bye bye.