Just Hold On

27. Bet On It

I check the big basket for the fifth time before leaving just to confirm it has everything my mom asked for.

When I called her and told her the neighbors have arrived she immediately instructed me to buy a whole bunch of stuff they probably don't need or won't want to eat but I still did it just to please her. And just like she once said, being polite is never old fashioned, or something like that.

I'm so excited to see her finally home next week, I can't wait for next Sunday to arrive. We will finally be able to watch movies together and I bet she will want to watch Pride and Prejudice again, for like the a hundred time, but it's alright, if that means she'll be safe and sound at home with her family I'm totally down for it.

"Pasta, apples, maple syrup, cookies, candle, toilet paper?" I say to myself. I grab the toilet paper and take it off of there. It will be useful for them but that simply looks weird, I don't remember putting it in there.

I hear my brother's laugh from behind and I turn around, throwing the toilet paper at his face, "I knew it wasn't me the one putting it in the basket," I laugh as he approaches.

"Are they poor or something?" He sarcastically asks.

"Why do you ask that?" I furrow my eyebrows.

He smiles and points at the basket, "Because you could feed the entire continent of Africa with that much food," he jokes, "Don't you think it's a little too much?"

I shake my head, "That's what mom wants and I'm following her orders," I answer. I grab the heavy basket from the table and it almost falls because of its weight.

"Careful," Derek says and catches it before it hits the ground.

"Are you going next door with me?" I ask since he's holding the basket with goodies already.

He hesitates, "Do I have to?" He asks. To be honest, it's really weird the fact that he's being normal with me because he usually tries to avoid me or always looks at me with disappointed eyes so if he doesn't want to come it's alright, I just want him to keep this good attitude towards me.

"Nah, I can go alone, it's fine," I say and he nods. I grab the big basket with my both hands at the bottom so I can carry it better.

"Need any help?" He asks but I know he doesn't want to meet the new neighbors so I'll manage to get there without dropping this stuff.

"I'm all right," I answer and he half smiles.

"Before you go," my brother says and clears his throat, "There's this fashion show at the mall this afternoon and Alice's going to walk the runway, in case you want to join us," he invites. I've heard about the show but when I saw it was her mom's company the one organizing it I absolutely ignored it, but maybe I should go just to keep my brother some company.

"Thanks," I say, pressing the basket to my chest so it feels less heavy, "I'll think about it," I force a smile and he nods.

Ugh, the last thing I want is to see Alice today, I don't want her to ruin my perfect Sunday, but I don't want to let my brother down. We rarely do stuff together anymore and maybe I can get to talk to him without listening to his nonsense lectures about me being a disaster.

Perhaps I could invite my friends or something, I don't know.

I rest the basket on one of my legs and quickly ring the doorbell before I lose my balance and fall down. After a few seconds someone opens the door, "Hi," a little blonde girl with a big smile says.

"Hi there," I say.

"Who is it princess?" I hear a man's voice asking, I assume it's her dad.

He comes to the door and stands behind his daughter, placing his hand on the side of the door to open it further, "Hi Sir, I'm Nessa, I live next door," I explain my presence, "I came to gift you this welcome basket," I inform and a smile appears on his face.