Big City Hero UNOFFICIAL BOOK TWO

Chapter Twenty-Six: Look Who's Talking.

Ben stared at his computer, then glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "I have no idea why you passed up cake for another slice of lasagna."

I purposefully stuffed an overloaded forkful into my mouth. It was full-blown homemade lasagna, with homemade noodles and homemade sauce, how could I not eat three helpings of it? Crap. Shouldn't have taken such a big bite. I sat on the edge of his unmade bed, awkwardly trying to chew and swallow without choking. Unfortunately, my mouth wasn't that big so my cheeks were puffed out, and it was taking an immense amount of self-control to keep from laughing.

"You're pathetic," Ben mumbled, turning back to his computer and typing furiously. "And I wish you'd have come to me sooner before you did what you did and made my job so much harder."

I shrugged, unable to defend myself since my mouth was still full.

The sound of the doorbell rang through the house, Ben and I instinctively got quiet, trying to hear who was at the door without having to get up and investigate or use our super hearing.

"Coal!" Mom yelled from downstairs. "You have a visitor!"

I frowned, wondering who could be at the door for me.

Ben snorted and started laughing. "You look like an angry puffer fish."

Regretting that I couldn't stick my tongue out at him, I left his room and went downstairs, trying to chew faster. I could hear mom in the kitchen, putting dishes away and jabbering to someone. Coming down the stairs, I turned the corner and stopped in my tracks.

The girl turned around, her loose long brown hair flying around her smiling face as she faced me, and big eyes that widened as they met mine.

"Coal!" She said, walking from the kitchen and through the living room to me, but for every step she took, I took a step back till I hit dad's closed office door. She frowned and thankfully stopped trying to get closer to me. "What's wrong?"

I grabbed a napkin from my pocket and regretfully spit out my mouthful of lasagna, wiping my mouth clear of tomato sauce at the same time and throwing it into the trash. "Molly? What are you doing here?"

Molly's frown deepened. "Looking for you. What's wrong, babe?"

"I'm not your babe," I scoffed.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, getting closer to me despite the fact that I was perfectly happy keeping a whole room between us. Molly stood in front of me, hands on her hips and giving me a stern look. "You tell me what you are talking about right now, Coal."

"How was the kiss with Bryant?"

The color drained from Molly's face, and her left hand raised to her mouth as her eyes widened. My eyes landed on the wedding ring I had given her, the diamond mocking me from where it was perched. "How much did you see?"

"Enough." I pried my eyes away from her hand, noticing now that the noise mom had been making in the kitchen had subsided, and that the whole house was silent as if they were all listening in on our conversation. Irritated with everything, I grabbed Molly's wrist and pulled her with me, taking us to the backyard and the safety of the gazebo far from the house.

"Slow down!" Molly cried behind me.

I let go of her hand, not realizing how tightly I had been holding her or how fast I had been walking. After making sure she had her balance, I turned from her and stood inside the gazebo, waiting for her to stand in front of me.