Bittersweet Moments

6 | Chocolate Covered Raisins

6 | Chocolate Covered Raisins

I finally found some Doritos inside one of the upper cupboards.

And it looked like this was where they kept all their junk food and snacks. After I mixed the batter for Brennan's pancakes, I had searched the kitchen for Jackson's chips. I checked the fridge first, then the cupboards, then everywhere. Except for the little cupboard smaller than the others, located at one corner.

Why is the thing I always look for always in the last place I search in?

I looked at the pancake batter by the sink. Pancakes first, chips later. I started heating up the pan on the fancy non-flame stove. Then, I poured in the batter in a perfect circle. After using up all the batter for three pancakes, I took out some whipped cream – which I learned was Brennan's favorite pancake topping one time when we were talking – and formed some kind of shape in it: the shape of a music note, just as a joke.

Once the stack of pancakes looked satisfying to me, I grabbed the milk from the fridge. I wondered if Jackson – or Brennan, maybe – ever drank straight from it, too. If so, I pitied their parents.

I poured in the milk to a glass and held it in one hand, while my other held the plate of pancakes. I delivered it to the living room, where I saw Brennan watching TV. He nearly leapt up to me when he saw his snack.

"Pancakes!" he exclaimed, diving towards the food as soon as I set it down the coffee table.

"Do you need anything else?" I asked.

He waved me off, "Leave me with my feast, servant."

I rolled my eyes and went back to the kitchen. Right. Chips time.

I grabbed the bag of Doritos I set aside on the kitchen counter. Then, I realized I didn't know where Jackson's room was. I shrugged to myself as laziness came over me. Brennan did tell me to leave him, so I couldn't come back and ask.

I went to the opening where I saw Jackson disappear earlier. Like I guessed, it led to nowhere but the stairs (which were covered by a red rug, like a royal carpet). I went up on it to find myself in a hallway leading to other halls and rooms.

By the mansion's size, there must be more than twenty rooms in this house. I didn't want to snoop around – or feel the urge to snoop around – because I opened the door to the wrong room. I strained my ears and lifted my nose but I can't hear or smell anything that can lead me to Jackson's room.

Then I thought of something stupid.

"Marco!"

I held the Doritos tightly as I tried to listen if he'd respond.

"Polo!"

It was a little faint, but I tried to navigate my way around to find the source of his voice. A ghost smile appeared on my lips. My stupid idea did work. He responded. Mitch's words echoed in my head: "It's not stupid if it works." I guess she's not really wrong then.

I shouted "Marco" and got the response of "Polo" a couple more times until I found Jackson. His room was the middle door in one of the halls. The door was painted a plain blue, fitting in the lighter blue walls. I twisted the knob and went inside.

Jackson's room was like any other typical guy's room – excluding the fact that it had a lot of expensive things in it. There were a few clothes strewn here and there, the bed leaned against one of the walls (its sheets and pillows were messy) and beside it was a nightstand with a lamp on it. There was also a flat TV on the wall facing the bed along with a videogame console and a desk with a laptop sat by another wall. My eyes raked over the other boy stuff around – action figures, comic books and sporty things. A door in the room caught my eye. I was guessing it led to the bathroom.