Slightly Less Badass

~Chapter Fifteen~

"Ah my bed! I've missed you." My voice is muffled in my pillows. Jay laughs at me and nudges my leg.
"Come on, you're supposed to be packing," he says. I flip over so I'm laying on my back and look up at him.
"I'm pretty sure when people get home from vacation, they're supposed to unpack. Not repack."
"Yea, well, you're abnormal."
"Rude."
"Truth. Now, come on. I want to go to sleep. Driving all night is exhausting," Jay whines. I don't move from my spot. He rolls his eyes and starts throwing random items into boxes as I watch. After about one minute he looks around the room with a groan and sits down on the edge of the bed.
"Wanna take a nap with me?" I ask. He wordlessly nods his head and curls up next to me. I fall asleep almost instantly.

"Mira I know you're not really asleep. Open your eyes. I've got everything packed."
I sigh and sit up. I could smell my moms stuffed green pepper soup cooking downstairs and I was hoping to stay long enough that she'd offer some. I guess not. With another sigh I roll off of the bed and look around at my empty bedroom. It actually makes me kinda sad to see it so empty. When I was living with Jay before, I hadn't completely moved in; I just had the majority of my stuff at his apartment. Now every item was shoved into bags except for the bed and my desk. I stare at my purple walls- my favorite color at the time and now- then glance hopefully at Jay. He instantly shakes his head.
"You're not painting our bedroom purple," he says.
"Why not?"
"Because no. And, plus, I don't even think you're allowed to paint in apartments."
"Darn."
I reluctantly grab a few bags and walk downstairs, where my parents were already waiting. They are standing side by side and have big grins. Mom holds out three containers of what is assume is soup. They look extremely creepy. They almost remind me of terrible actors who play parents in shitty teenage drama movies and are just there to smile and give random words of encouragement to their angsty teen.
"Got everything?" Mom asks eagerly.
"I guess so. Guys, try not to look to sad. I mean, I know your oldest and favorite child is officially moving out but try to pull yourself together. You're embarrassing me. Mom your makeup is just a mess," I say in a very sarcastic voice. Dad picks up a few bags and practically runs to the front door.
"Two children down, one left. Though I have a feeling Cameron is never moving out," he says.
"Love you too Dad."
He sets the bags down next to the door and engulfs me in a hug. I was still holding bags so I quickly drop them and wrap my arms around him.
"Love you Mira. We'll come visit once you've got everything unpacked."
I roll my eyes at this and break away from the hug. I say, "Dad, you've seen the apartment plenty of times. It's not going to look any different. "
"Yea but this time you'll be completely and officially move in."
"Whatever you say. Weirdo."

When we reach the door to our apartment, I can hear voices inside talking loudly. Jay looks very alarmed but I just laugh and push open the door. Just as I suspected, Jacob, Rina, and David are sitting on the couch yelling at the tv. I fling my bags onto the floor and walk up behind them.
"Long time no see. What are we yelling at this time?" I almost have to yell over how loud the tv and their talking was. David and Jacob of them jump in surprise and turn around; Rina doesn't flinch.
"SpongeBob. Patrick is a real dummy," she says.
"Ugh I know right. Mr. Krabs daughter annoys me more though. She is just so whiney and always demanding money," I reply and squeeze in between Rina and David. It's sad how quickly I recognize the episode they have on. I start yelling with them as once again Patrick misses the jar lid.
"I could use a little help," Jay yells behind us. Rina reaches past me and shoves David.
"Go help Jay with whatever he's complaining about," she tells him, still absorbed by the show. He looks like he wants to argue but with one glare from Rina, he scrambles off of the couch.
"I still think it's ridiculous that three adults are yelling at a children's show. How will you friends feel when they come home- oh, hello."
I turn around at the unfamiliar voice. Of course, me being the book nerd that I am, instantly think of Tonks from Harry Potter. Her hair is short and spiky, dyed a pretty bubble gum pink. The sundress she's wearing matches the pink of her hair and somehow makes her blue eyes stand out even more. She waves when she notices me staring and her many bracelets clang at the movement
"Um hello," I reply.
"Oh ya. This is my cousin Lizzie. Liz, this is Mira and Jay," Jacob says without looking up at the screen.
"I told you, I'm not going by that anymore," she says, failing to hide her irritation. Obviously they've had this conversation many times before. "My name is Eliza. Lizzie is the awkward teenager I used to be. Eliza is the awesome adult I hope to be."
Jacob rolls his eyes and leans closer to say to Rina and I, "She's been reinventing herself a lot lately. Her real name is Elizabeth. Just call her Lizzie. It's funny to watch her get mad."
"I heard that!" Lizzie- Eliza? Elizabeth?- huffs and sits down in the armchair.
"You were supposed to," Jacob retorts. "If I'm allowing you to stay at my place then I should be able to call you whatever I want."
Eliza- I've decided I'm just going to call her what she prefers- has nothing to say to that. She just glares at SpongeBob.
"Patrick you dumbass! You didn't break the stupid jar," Rina screams.
"SpongeBob needs to smack some scense into him. Or just find a new friend," I say. Jay and David return and block the small tv. All of us, including Eliza, yell at them to move. Jay squeezes himself next to Jacob. David, having no where else to sit, just chooses to sit on the floor and leans against the armchair.
"Your apartment is much bigger than Jacob's," Eliza comments. Instantly she is rudely shushed because we are all way to invested in this show.
"Jacob can I have another cookie now?" Eliza asks when the commercial comes on.
"Do I look like your mother?" Jacob mutters back. She frowns at him and stands up. As soon as she's a few feet away David jumps into her seat. Suddenly I realize what she said and turn in my seat to see where she was planning to get cookies from because we surely don't have cookies here. There's probably not even clean dishes. Neither Jay or I like to go to the grocery store or doing dishes so while I was living at home I bet Jay didn't do anything. I can't help but stare at Eliza in shock when she returns with two plates in her hand. One was stacked with cookies while the other had cupcakes. She sets both of them down on the table in front of me and grabs a cookie that looks like a sunflower.
"Where the heck did you find those?" I ask her.
"Oh we got them from your bakery. These are delicious, by the way. I've had three cookies."
"Oh right. I kinda forgot I had a bakery. Rina get me a cupcake please. I wanna see how my dummy brother has been doing. I still can't believe you left him in charge of my bakery."
Rina grabs a cupcake with blue icing then grabs a cookie. She hands the cupcake to me and I take a small bite. She does the same with her cookie then we trade. Both of us are making faces after we've tasted both.
"I'm sure it can't be that bad. Cameron has been working there since you first opened," Jay says and takes the cookie from my hand.
"That imbecile changed the icing recipe. The cookie actually tastes really good but the cupcakes is-"
"Gross," Rina finishes for me. We then spend the next few minutes passing around the cupcake. Everyone but Eliza thinks it doesn't taste good. She shrugs and takes another bite of it.
"I think it tastes fine," she says.
"This is horrible compared to Mira's. Hers are drool worthy," David says and pushes the plate of cupcakes away from him.
"Ignore my cousin. She'd eat food out of a garbage can if it smelled good enough."
"Oh shush. So, Mira I was-"
"No. Leave her alone," Jacob cuts her off. It was clear by now that these two don't often get along. I was starting to wonder why she was suddenly living with Jacob and when this happened. Eliza ignores him and continues speaking.
"I was wondering how you managed to become so successful in starting your own business. Not many people can manage that."
"Well this probably isn't the advice you're looking for but I skipped college. I went and split my money in two- one half towards the bakery, and the other half as a backup for when my bakery failed. I'm glad to say it hasn't so far. Last year I started online school because everyone keeps telling me how useful it is to have a college degree. I'm working towards my business degree."
"Oh that's so cool. I wish I had something I was so passionate about to go against my parents wishes and so," she sighs in admiration. It kinda makes me feel uncomfortable for some reason. She's picking the wrong person to admire.
"No Lizzie. I know where you're going with this. Leave Mira alone," Jacob says again.
"I was just saying how I thought it was cool that she went against her parents-"
"She didn't. Her dad has always wanted a bakery and was very encouraging of it. He's actually part owner and has come up with all of the recipes. Her parents are sort of like an investors only more involved. Drop it."
"You act like I was going to try to steal her business or start wearing all black and get full body tattoos."
I'm not really sure what's going on at this point but now they start arguing back and forth. The rest of us just sit there awkwardly. Eventually someone knocks on the door and Rina seizes the opportunity to escape the room. She returns a few minutes later pink faced.
"The old lady just sassed me for being too loud," she says. Jacob instantly shuts up but Eliza keeps muttering incoherent things to herself. Jacob rolls his eyes and turns to look at me.
"Can Lizzie have a job at your bakery?"
"Um...I guess? I'm sure I can find something for her."
With that we all go back to watching the episode of SpongeBob that had just started. Well that was certainly strange.