Untamable Resolve: The Witheridge Witches

Ch. 28 - Bennie and the Jets

***Not edited because it is 3 am.***

I woke up with a weird pep in my step. Maybe it was because Lucas had gifted me my own cd player and headphones or maybe I was just having a burst of feeling not numb? It was nice, hopefully, it would stay like this for a while. Lucas and I had gotten into this weirdly normal routine in the past two weeks and we were getting comfortable living with one another. It felt almost normal. Today was going to be a good day. Lucas was leaving me here alone.

As I came down the stairs I put my headphones in as I pushed play and started to listen to one of my old favorite artists, Elton John. Me and my dad listened to one of his songs every morning as we would start our day together. My mom usually had surgery early most days so it was just us. As I reached the kitchen I ransacked the fridge like I had every morning in the past week since Lucas had brought home this heavenly delicious greek yogurt from the store before putting my kettle on the stove. It was a luxury I hadn't been afforded in a long time- not since before the war. My dad used to mix it with honey every day before school when I was growing up.

He'd make my breakfast every morning in his favorite blue cardigan that I had inherited and striped pajama pants while he was doing his little dad dance that he did. He looked ridiculous but I loved it. He'd smile at me making his eyes wrinkle behind his tortoise round glasses as he waved our local newspaper in his hand talking about some small but ever so big local political thing of the day. He was what I imagined Harry Potter looked like all grown up. He was very involved from PTA to cheering me on during my track meets and my ballet recitals. He dropped me off at school every single day from elementary school until high school before he drove to the hospital. We always got along. I was lucky to have him as my dad. In stark comparison me and my mother on the other hand... we didn't. We were too alike me and her. She was tough on me and I guess now I know why.

I turned the volume up and hummed to myself as I scooped a healthy amount of plain yoghurt into a bowl, and squeezed a good amount of honey in before throwing some berries in the mix. As I swirled my concoction I swayed from side to side the way I used to with my dad. I took a quick bite or two as I twirled around the kitchen. I waved my spoon in the air before bringing it in front of my face like a microphone. I silently mouthed all of the words I knew by heart.

"Jo!" I heard Lucas' muffled voice behind me and my cheeks instantly got hot. Internally, I cringed.

'Oh god'

Slowly, I turned around and saw he was mouthing something to me but my music was drowning him out.

I popped my headphones off and onto my neck as I said, "What?", as I placed my spoon and bowl on the island and leaned on the sink. I tried to feign my normal moody self, but I was so caught off guard it was hard to manage because the whole situation was kinda funny.

I was mildly embarrassed that he had caught me dancing around the island and pretending to sing Bernie and the Jets into a spoon like I had a full-blown audience.

"Your kettle was boiling... but I see you were preoccupied with something else."

The goofy smile he had on his face made it all so much worse.

He walked closer to me as motioned to his face saying, "You've got something right there."

I moved to wipe what I assumed was yoghurt off of wherever it was on my face, but he quickly cupped my right cheek in his palm before wiping some yoghurt off of my other cheek with his thumb.

"There."

He moved over to the sink and started to wash his hands as I stood there fiddling with my fingers and stood next to him not moving.