Hot Chocolate || Malcolm Wilkerson ✔

Chapter 8

Malcolm thought and hoped that they'd get a bit more peace before everything begins to turn to crap, but as it turns out, he was wrong. Which really doesn't surprise him.

Not even fifteen minutes after he and Chelsea have arrived at his parents house, his oldest brother, Francis, shows up with his wife, Piama. And following them inside, a lit cigarette in her mouth and yelling out insults every which way? The evil old woman who could probably give Satan a run for his money, the woman who they have the misfortune of calling their grandmother, Ida Welker.

Tapping Chelsea on the shoulder to get her attention from where she sat talking with Dewey, Malcolm warns her that things will likely go from zero to a hundred now that his grandmother is here. Though Chelsea doesn't seem to look too worried about it.

"Malcolm, relax." She says. "I'm sure that everything's going to be fine."

Her words should help him calm down and that everything might end up going perfectly well after all. But Chelsea has never met his grandmother before, and while he's sure she's had the misfortune of having to deal with rude and bitchy customers, his grandmother is on a whole other level entirely. Chelsea has no idea what she's about to encounter.

"Well, our grandmother is pretty horrible." Dewey says. "You think you'll be able to handle it?"

Malcolm finds himself glad that Dewey is backing him up here. Their grandmother is horrible, and he just doesn't want her to do anything that'll in some way hurt Chelsea. Though that seems as though he's asking for a little too much. Of course she's going to say something.

I just hope I'm overreacting and worrying too much about this....

Unfortunately, he can already hear his grandmother arguing with Francis about god knows what. He doesn't bother to pay attention to what they're arguing about.

"What is all the yelling about?" The three of them turn around, finding that it's Reese who has spoken, finally showing himself for the first time since Malcolm and Chelsea had arrived. "Everything needs o be quiet while we're cooking!"

"Francis and Piama just got here with grandma, and of course, Francis and grandma are arguing about something." Dewey says.

"Well, can someone please tell them to move it outside?" Reese asks. "Jordan and I cannot concentrate on our cooking with all this yelling!"

Upon hearing the name Jordan, Malcolm finds himself confused on who that is. He has no recollection of Reese having a friend named Jordan, or anything. To be fair though, he's not spoken to Reese for about a year, maybe more.

Reese goes to say more, but he stops as he notices Malcolm sitting there. "Malcolm." He says. "I thought mom said that you wouldn't be showing up?"

Malcolm shrugs. "I wasn't planning on it, but I changed my mind." He says, before looking over at Chelsea. "Reese, this is my friend, Chelsea." He introduces them. "Chelsea, this is Reese."

Chelsea waves at him, while Reese nods at her. "Hi." He says, before turning his attention back to Dewey. "Go tell Francis and grandma that if they want to keep arguing, to take it outside." With that, he's turning around and walking straight back into the kitchen.

"Who's Jordan?" Malcolm asks, as soon as Reese is out of sight and ear shot.

"His girlfriend." Dewey says. "She's just as good of a cook as Reese is." He adds. "I think he met her at this cooking school he's been going to."

That surprises Malcolm to hear that. The fact that Reese has a girlfriend, and that he's been attending a cooking school, is hard for him to believe. The fact that Reese of all people is actually going to school - albeit it being a cooking school - even more so than the fact that Reese has a girlfriend.