ꨄThe Debutanteꨄ

20.

...

Next Morning

...

Anikas eyes slowly crept open, and the sun beamed her directly in her eyes. Her arm was hanging off the bed, while her leg was on the other side of it. She groaned, covering her face with her other hand. "Cookie, can you close the shades, the sun is so bright." She said drowsily.

She didn't hear a reply. Thinking Cookie was asleep, she turned over to look at her. Instead, Cookie wasn't laying next to her at all. She sat up slowly, running her fingers through her hair. "Cookie?" She called.

Answering her confusion was the sultry scent of food filling her nostrils. She yawned, then turning to sit up.

She walked into the kitchen, seeing Cookie standing over her stove. Eggs being scrambled in a pan, while a waffle maker sat with the cooking light on. Anika stood in the doorway, putting her shoulder against the wall and staring at her. She smiled lightly. Cookie snapped her fingers, nodding to herself. "She's going to love this- Oh my god..!" She exclaimed, seeing Anika standing in the doorway once she turned from the stove. She put her hand onto her chest, then cleared her throat.

"I mean, morning." She replied. Anika continued smiling. "Hi.." she replied. She walked into the kitchen. "What are you making?" She asked. "Well, if you'd had stayed asleep for just a little longer you might've been surprised with a plate of blueberry waffles and eggs, maybe some sausages.." Cookie shrugged.

"Oooo.." Anika said, looking over the stove. "I love breakfast in bed." She smiled. Cookie tried not to overthink the statement. "I'm just being nice." She said. "I appreciate it. It's so early, though." Said Anika. "6:45 isn't so bad. I figured why not get up. I didn't really have a choice, since your hand landed on my face about three times last night. By the third time, I took that as my queue." She said.

Anika tilted her head to the side, crossing her arms. "Wait, what?" She asked. Cookie turned back to the stove, turning it off. "You sleep like a wild animal, Anika." Said Cookie. Anika sighed. "Oh, that.." she said as if she was embarrassed. "Lucious is always telling me about that. It annoys him so much." She said, rolling her eyes.

Cookie scrunched up her face. "Well, I'm not Lucious. I don't mind it. I just got tired of movin' your hand, but honestly it's entertaining seeing you layin' in every possible position." Said Cookie.

Anika pursed her lips, her cheek bones showing. "I can't stand it. When I was younger I used to fall out of the bed so much my parents had to put pillows on the floor." Said Anika. Cookie let out a dry chuckle. "Meanwhile I used to shove my sisters out of the bed. Sometimes Candace or Carol would come in my room when they had nightmares, I hated it so much I used to secretly push them out, and tell them the monster in their dreams did it." Cookie laughed.

"You are the evil middle child?" Anika asked. "Depends. When we were all nice everything was good, but when they pissed me off I became really evil." Cookie chuckled. Cookie had finished making the plates of food, and she turned with both of them in her hand.

Anika smiled, then reaching out to grab a plate. "Thank you, I need to do this for you some time. I still haven't had the opportunity to cook for you in person." Said Anika. "No rush, I kind of like being away from the devils mansion." Cookie said. Anika thought back to the argument they had the night before. It made her have a flash of sadness, but she shook the thought away once seeing Cookie grabbing silverware for the two of them.

"Let's eat." Said Cookie, and Anika nodded.

...

Anika exited out of the cab, then entering through the mansion gates. As much as she hated to be back at the mansion and comforting Lucious after their heated argument last night, she had to get ready for the workday at Empire.