Quarantine

Chapter Three

By the time I had finished unpacking, my taste buds were being teased by the gentle aroma that was now wafting up the stairs and filling all of the room around me.

Curious to know what Hero had thrown together, I descended the stairs eagerly and ready for whatever he had to offer.

"I hope you like pasta." He called clearly; hearing my approach.

"Hero? You know I don't like pasta.. I love it!" I correct him as I reach the doorway, folding my arms and smiling.

"No..?" He pretends to be oblivious to the little and well known fact of my favourite food obsession.

The same obsession that nearly all of the entire crew behind After, regularly teased me about.

I sigh and narrow my eyes at him.

If this is his way of saying sorry for earlier? Then.. Yes, it was working.

"Care for a taste?" He holds a spoon out with his hand underneath it; ready to catch any drips.

"Um, yes?!" I frown at him; snatching the spoon.

"Careful! It's hot." He smirks.

"Mmph! Ow.." I mumble incoherently. "So hot. But so, so good."

"Haha, told you." He smiled, prizing the spoon from my hand.

"It'll be ready in around five to ten minutes, fifteen at the most."

"Fifteen?" I whine.

"Yes! There's the chicken and the garlic bread.. Plus the sauce isn't quite done yet." He fusses and throws the cloth he had been holding, over his right shoulder.

"It is! I would happily eat it like that." I argue and gesture to the food with one hand.

"I'm sure." He laughs. "Now go and sit down."

"Fine!" I widen my eyes; smiling yet defeated.

I turn around and make my way to the living room, unsure what to do next.

There's no way I can sit down and relax. Not with all this uncertainty that's going on in the world around me right now..

Realistically, I know that I am about five seconds away from the sudden realisation of everything hitting me with full unwanted force.. And so I begin to pace.

I pace, and I pace.. And I pace. And then, I pace some more.. Until finally, I have had enough; and sit down feeling a little more deflated than before.

Knowing it was a bad idea but still doing it anyway, I pull my phone out from my pocket, open up contacts and scroll down until I reach my mother's landline number.

Would she be at home? I wondered. I sure hope so.. Maybe I should call her mobile instead, just in case. I scroll down a little further and allow my thumb to hover over her number, biting my lip as I do so.

What would I say?

Hi mom, sorry I can't be with you in the middle of all this madness.. Am I okay? Yeah, sure. I'm just stuck in an Airbnb with that co star of mine that you aren't too keen on, oh and Anna? Yeah, she's good. But she's also gone. So it's just me and Hero, in this big ass Airbnb until further notice!

Nope. If I told her any of the above, she would be on the first plane over. She would literally find a way, and if there wasn't one, she would make one.

I sigh heavily, watching my phone screen go dark from inactivity until it finally locks itself completely.

"Everything ok?" I hear Hero ask from the doorway.