New Dawn

Sleepover

NAHUEL'S HOUSE WAS TUCKED BACK IN THE FOREST, not too far from my home. It was a large brown house with a green shilling roof. All the lights were off and I didn't see another car in the driveway, "Don't you live with your aunt?"

"She checks on me every now and then but she isn't here now. Is that going to be a problem?" He parked and looked at me.

My stomach flipped, "That's fine, I guess." I giggled nervously at an attempt to calm myself, "Just no funny business."

"I'm a gentleman." His words were serious, as if he were trying to convince me of his statement.

He climbed out of his side of the car and dashed over to my door before I had time to open it. Smiling, he opened my door and held out his hand. Giggling, I grabbed his hand and stood up, out of the seat. "This is really weird for me." I shook my head, "I don't know if I should stay here tonight."

His eyebrows pinched together, "You stayed over at Seth's that one night. This isn't any different than that."

"Yes it is. Wait. How did you know about that?"

He hesitated, looking at his feet. "Cassidy was talking about

it. I just overheard the conversation."

There was something in the way he spoke that made me think he was lying, even though there was no reason to lie about such a small subject. I ignored the feeling and walked with him to the front door in silence.

When we walked into the house, he spoke, "Do you want a tour, watch a movie, take a shower, have some dinner, or just go to bed?"

His mention of dinner sent a burning sensation in my throat. It was then, I realized that I had never had any of the lasagne that I had made. I remembered the food I had set aside for the mystery boss, I needed to text Eli later and tell her to tell Brady.

I forced my attention back to Nahuel, "Could I have a little something to eat?"

"Of course. Let me go whip us up something. Make yourself comfortable." He smiled and headed down the hall.

The entry way opened up to the living room. I walked over to the couch and sat down. Pulling out my phone, I texted Eli that I was safe and asked her if she could tell Brady I saved his boss some food and told her where to find it.

Her reply was slow but eventually she got back to me. She informed me that Brady had found it and gave it to Jacob. She also informed me that he liked it so much that she thought it made him cry. According to Eli, his eyes turned really red and he rushed out the back door shaking.

I thought it was a strange reaction to food but – like most things – I brushed it off. From the sound of the conversation he was having with Seth, he wasn't having a good day. My thoughts were snapped back into reality when Nahuel came prancing into the living room with a wooden bowl and a plate full of a strange pastry, tortilla looking bread. Whatever they were, they were homemade.

He smiled, "So do you want to watch a movie while we eat?"

"We could. Or we could talk a little bit. I don't know that much about you."

His face sparkled with excitement, "That sounds even better." He took a seat beside me and set the dishes on the coffee

table in front of us. "I made sopapillas and pebre."