Chasing Companions

Chapter 4

The teacher waves us off and we all exit the classroom leaving the black monster behind. It screeches again as we leave. Once out of the to hallways, I walk straight towards my room.

As I enter the elevator, I see Calla running towards me, a look of confusion displayed on her face. She jumps into the elevator just as the doors close.

"Do you live on the ninth floor?" I ask her. She smiles at me, her cat green eyes shining.

"No, my brother does."

"I thought now relatives were supposed to separated." I say.

"Well, for some reason we were sent to the same school." She brushes a hair from her eyes. "I guess that is a good thing because I don't know what I would do without him."

"Are you two close?" I question her.

"Yes. we are twins. So, we have never been apart other than some obvious circumstances."

"Oh. that is cool I guess." I let the idea roll around in my head.

"Do you know where room nine six three zero is? That is my brother's apartment number. I am eating dinner with him and his roommates." This question surprises me.

"Wait, is your brother's name jack?" I look at her questionably.

"Yeah..." She drifts off.

"No way! He's my roommate." I say excitedly.

"That's crazy!" she exclaims. The elevator door opens and begin walking down the hall. We get to the apartment and I hold the door open for her. Jack stands in the parlor in a nice plaid shirt that belongs to me. I can't help but smirk. He has the top button done wrong.

"Calla!"

"Jack!"

They give eachother a hug. Calla kicks off her shoes and places the beside the front door.

"This place looks exactly like my place." She looks around. Just the, Zack walks through the door. He stops in his tracks when he sees Calla.

"Why is there a girl hear?" he looks towards Jack for an answer.

"This is my sister. She is having dinner with us. Thanks for volunteering to make dinner by the way."

"Oh... you're welcome." Zack drops his bag onto the couch. He strides into the kitchen. "What was it I am supposed to make again?"

"Spaghetti." Jack tells him in an authoritative voice.

"Oh, that's right." Zack pulls a pot out of drawer under the stove. He fills it with warm water and sets it onto the stove after sparking a flame to life. He pulls out a large pan out of the same drawer. I turn back to calla and Jack. They have sat down on the couch. I join them.

"So, it turns out that Glade and I have the same class." Calla informs Jack. He looks at me and a small, sly smile curls onto his face.

"Is that so..." He looks back at Calla.

"Yeah. We sat next to each other during class. You should see the teacher. He is huge!" She taps a finger on her knee.

"Sounds kind of scary." Jack looks back towards me. "Is he?"

"It depends on what you define as scary." I reply. "She is right, he is a big guy. Kid of reminds me of my dad." My heart pinches as I say that last word.

"Oh yeah?" Calla now stares at me too. I can't get over the color of her eyes; so green.

"Tell what you used to do." Jack points at his shirt and winks.

"Well." I stop to think. "If you were to ask your brother, I used to be a 'cowboy'" I here Zack begin cooking some sauce for our spaghetti. It sizzles and fills the room with a sweet aroma.

"Really!" Calla looks at me in surprise. "You would like ride horses and chase cows and stuff?" She pretends she is riding a horse with her hands.

"Yeah. I don't see what is so cool about that." I look at her blankly.

"It's just that, that is not really something you hear every day."

"Dinner is ready!" Zack calls from the kitchen. We all turn and find the counter already set with dinner plates and mounds of spaghetti on top of them, steaming as if to draw us in to eat. We all stand and head towards the table.

Suddenly, Jack pushes Calla into me. Her nose slams into my shoulder and she tuples onto the floor. She looks up and her nose has blood gushing out of it. With a swift movement, she jumps up and slaps Jack across the face.

"Why did you do that, jerk!" She cups her hands under her nose before the blood can drip onto the floor. I grab a napkin from the counter and offer it to her. She takes it and immediately holds it to her face. After a while, she walks to the sink and washed the dry blood from her upper lip. I turn to see Jack giving me an evil smile.

Of coarse, Zack's meal is awesome. Calla compliments him so many times, he starts blushing. After dinner, I start the dishes. When I am in the middle of it, Calla joins me and starts drying the pot and pan. When she moves to put them away, she steps on my foot. She loses her balance and almost falls over.

"Oh my gosh! It seems like every time i see you, I am falling over!" We both laugh at her joke. I see jack in the corner of my eye watching us. When I turn to see what he is watching us for, he looks away towards the television he has turned on.

Calla and I finish the dishes. She decides to go home because it is getting late.

"It was great getting to know you better, Glade!" She waves as she walks out the door. I hear Jac chuckling under his breath behind me.

"So... you and Calla, huh?"

"What? No." I shake my head at him. "I just see her as friend.

"Sure." Jack nods his head. He suddenly fakes a hawn. "Well it is getting late. I am going to bed." He walks to his room and turns off the lights, leaving me in the darkness.