VALERIE

Chapter 23: Lies and Celebration

 Copyright © zylgnagnaba 2013

“Ugh! I give up!” I grunt and push myself away from the counter, dropping the whisk on the bowl half-filled with cake dough. I’ve been trying so hard to mix the dough evenly, but still there are little flours that persist to clump together. “Just tell me if you need something, and I’ll get it for you. I just can’t do it anymore.” I tell Harry while shaking my head hopelessly.

He only laughs at me while shaking his head in mock-pity. He grabs the mixing bowl after he just put the baking pan on top of the counter and finishes the job for me.

“You sure you’re not a rich spoiled brat?” He asks and my heart quickly jumps at his words. I would always hate being called a spoiled brat. I watch him carefully as he grabs the measuring cup and pours flavouring liquid in the bowl, and he glances at me. I am not even sure what my expression was, but I felt slight aching in my chest. “I mean, you don’t know how to do the laundry, can’t even cook…” He rambles on, reaching to each ingredients in front of him and mix it with the dough, “And… you don’t know how to drive a car.”

“I am not a rich spoiled brat!” I yell at him which is more than necessary and he quickly snaps his head at me in sheer shock. I sounded like a defensive criminal and I immediately imagine slapping myself for reacting like that. “I mean…” I start again with a more calm tone this time, “I am not like that… I don’t know stuff because I was focused in school,” I look down in front of myself while fidgeting my fingers. I walk forward for my stomach to lean on the counter, and I look at him again.

“Oh,” He says while nodding at me and arching his brows in the process.

“And I don’t know how to drive because I left home before I can even enrol for driving lessons,” I tell him, and I concentrate my sight on his task. I actually want to learn how to bake, but my hand and eye coordination is so poor I could actually make a hard hollow block instead of a delightful pudding. “Will you teach me how to drive anyway?” I ask him to avoid the previous subject.  The bright smile that I am trying to display towards him seems to affect him as he smiles back at me.

His smile completely wears off suddenly and he shakes his head, “No can do, Valerie.” I haven’t even realized how engaged he has turned into with baking, and I snap my head up after his words echoed in my head.

I widen my eyes for a while and it turns into frown once I realize what he just said, “Why not?” I murmur.

“I can’t let you drive around the city once you finally learned how to. It’s much too dangerous,” Okay he sounds more like my father when he says that, only that it’s not as annoying as my father’s.

I chuckle at his concern. He can’t be serious about this. He has to teach me how to drive a freaking car. I’m so fed up taking cabs, and I feel so jealous about Eleanor who can go around with her own car – that Louis gave her on her 21st birthday and I am so damn envy because right now Harry’s making it impossible for me.

“I am serious,” He sighs looking at me and I eventually stop laughing. My smile fades into thin air once I behold his indeed serious face.

“What?” I huff and lean my elbows on the counter, “But Harry, I need to learn how to drive a car eventually… I couldn’t just depend on you or Eleanor… and sometimes, it’s hard finding a cab; especially if it’s rush hour.” I say frowning at him.

I see him sigh again and I actually think he will reconsider but he stands firmly and look at me with reprimanding eyes, “No, Valerie. End of discussion.”

Well wow, he’s slowly turning to be a motherly figure towards me right now. Instead of reverence, I just giggle dismissively at him, “Fine then. I’ll just ask El,” I defy him and fold my arms upon my chest.