Walk Me Down The Hallway

Chapter 4- Oops, My Bad..

"Analee Mae Grazer, move your pretty little butt into here and stop sulking."  I pouted and stepped around the corner of the hallway, right into our open, spacious kitchen.  My mother was standing there, illuminated by the suns rays that were coming through the large bay window that situated above our stainless steel sink.  Her fists were clenched and resting on her apron clad hips.  Lindy Grazer, my adoptive mother, looked more like a twenty year old then a fourty five year old.  She had the long blonde curls that proved where half the boys had gotten their hair.  Her tan, toned body was the after effects of a very active lifestyle, and a fast metbolism, as well as the healthy diet that she bestowed upon the entire family.  Her sense of style, however, was her own.  You'd be just as likely to see her wearing a suit to work as you would coveralls toe the grocery store.  She was unique, like her grey silver eyes, which were currently narrowed and fixated on my in an expression that I knew well. And feared. Definitely feared.

"What were you thinking?" She snapped, pointing a clean wooden spoon in my direction.  Judging by the open drawer, she had just recently grabbed the spoon from the door to stir whatever she was cooking on the burners on the stove before she heard me tip toing down the hallways.

"Um... I was thinking that I would come help with dinner?" I asked, giving her a wide innocent hopeful grin. 

"Nice try young lady, but Teegan told me about you choice behavior this morning with Mal." Mal? Oh, so she knew him already.

"Stupid Teegan," I cursed.  I thought it was quiet enough, but apperantly not.  You know, mother's crazy hearing and all.

"Don't you start missy, you're the one who was overly rude!"  She dropped the spoon into the pot, and wiped her hands on her apron. "You are to apologize to Malcolm, and to help him around the house, which I'm sure Michael has already told you. I know he sent you a text." See what I mean? They have eyes in the backs of their freaking heads.

"But Moooom, he insulted me!" I whined, stomping my foot.  Yes, I realize that I looked like a child, but you could hardly blame me.  There was no way in hell that I was apologizing to that.

"What did he say?"

"He said my hair looked like shit! And then he started to use crude pick up lines on me."

"Language missy," she scolded, turning back to the stove.  "And what sort of crude lines?"

"'Nice legs, when do they open' was the first one, I believe," I frowned, folding my arms across my chest.  "And it ended with something about fucking."

"Language Analee," she repeated, narrowing her eyes at me.  "But I suppose I can ignore your response just this once.  Do try to be more civil in the future.  Luke told me you almost punched that young man."

"Um.. sorry?" I said, making my statement sound more like a question.  I wasn't too sure if I was in the clear yet.

"You'll be all clear... if you help me with dinner.  I have some cookies in the oven if you want them," she winked, tossing me an apron.  I snagged it out of the air and tied it around my neck. 

"Thanks mom, I love you!"

"Yeah, yeah, lay it on thick."  She flicked cool water off of her fingers at my face. "You're still apologizing to Malcolm when he returns from work.  After all, he lives here now."

Dammit.