Guarding

8. Flames

8.Flames

All week it was the same routine – wake up, go out with mum, get ready, go to Aaron’s house, decorate, have lunch, decorate some more, come home when it’s dark. She was used to it. It felt normal to knock on his door and go into his bedroom now. Ella seemed to be getting used to her too and she wasn’t as shy towards Jeremy as she was before. Everything was progressing at once and the end of summer was around the corner, it was going too fast, and the days seem shorter too.

“You seem to be spending a lot of time next door,” her mum said while they sat in Straw drinking their milkshakes. Straw was their all time favourite milkshake cafe. It was the only thing that was kept traditional on Saturdays. 

      “Yeah, I’m helping Aaron decorate his room, you don’t mind do you?” Jade asked her.

      “No! No, no. I was just making a statement. I wanted to ask whether you want them to come over for dinner tonight.”

       “All of them?” Jade asked.

       “Yeah, I mean I could cook lasagne or something and we could all just, you know, talk.”

        “Right, ok, why not?”

      “After we finish here, I’ll pop over to Tesco and get some stuff for later and you go over to the Fish’s house and invite them tonight.”

         “Mum, it’s Fisher not Fish! How many times? Seriously,” Jade said giggling. 

         “Yeah, well Fisher, Fish, whatever,” her mum said finishing of her last bit of chocolate brownie.

       When her mum went off to Tesco, Jade took the bus home and knocked on Aaron’s door. He answered it, casually and unprepared.

        “Hey Jade, come in,” he said opening the door. Jade walked into his house and noticed no one was home.

           “Where’s everyone?”

          “They went food shopping; they just left a few minutes ago actually.” Jade nodded.

          “Well, uh, my mum was asking whether you guys want to come over for dinner.”

         “Tonight?”

        “Uh, yeah. I mean, it’s nothing fancy, just my mum and a dish of lasagne,” Jade said hoping he would turn the offer down.

         “Yeah sure, it’ll be nice to meet you mum and introduce ourselves officially.”

        “Ok, uh, you can come around at six if you want.” Jade said heading for the door.

        “Ok, I’ll tell the others.” Aaron said opening the door for her.

      Jade went to her house and used the time she had to tidy up a bit. A bit of vacuuming and dusting here and there. After, she went up to her bedroom to find a decent outfit for later. She sighed as she saw the state her wardrobe was in, old tops, new dresses all thrown in. 

        In the end, she chose a purple vest top with some denim shorts, nothing too fancy. Her mum came back home and started on the dinner, lasagne, garlic bread and trifle for dessert. 

        At around five-thirty, her mum had cooked everything and the house smelt of lasagne and other savoury aromas. 

          “I told them to come at six,” she told her mum.

        “That’s alright; can you get the dishes, love? The nice ones with the flower pattern on.” Jade laid the table and was washing her hands when the doorbell rang. She dried her hands and went to answer the door.