ꨄThe Debutanteꨄ

25.

...

Next Morning

Three Days Before Christmas

...

Cookie opened her eyes slowly. She realized that she wasn't in her own bed. She stretched, then turned over. After a few more moments of laying still in her slumber, she noticed a faint scent of breakfast coming from outside of the room.

She sat up slowly, then stretching. She slowly crept out of the room and towards the kitchen. She peeked around the corner at Anika, who had music playing lowly from her cell phone. It was music that Cookie hadn't heard of before. She heard Anika singing along to it, although she sounded different.

Her voice was a different mixture of tones, and even though Cookie was her it was mainly English, it came out in a way that Cookie didn't quite understand. Cookie slowly walked around the corner and up to the counter. Once Anika turned around, she jumped, putting her hand on her chest.

"Oh my god! Geez Cookie, you scared the hell out of me." Said Anika. Cookie smiled at her slightly. "Sorry...I couldn't help but hear you singing to something." Said Cookie. Anika then remembered the song playing in the background, then quickly rushing to turn it off. "O-oh..." she said. "Why did you turn it off?" Asked Cookie.

"It's just...some stuff from home. That's all..." she said. "Well I'd like to hear it, I think it's interesting..." said Cookie. Anika shrugged. "Really?" She asked. Cookie nodded. "And...I couldn't help but hear you speaking with an accent...or was that just for fun..." asked Cookie. "Oh my god, you heard it?" Anika asked, covering her mouth. "Yeah, but what's wrong with that?- Oh that's so embarrassing..." Anika sighed.

"Why is it embarrassing? I mean no accent will be perfect if you're doing it for fun- But it wasn't for fun...it's real.." Said Anika. "Really? Can I hear it, Anika?" Asked Cookie. Anika sighed, then turned away from Cookie against the countertop. She spoke quickly. "Com ya boy, wah ya don?" She said. Cookies eyebrows furrowed. "Wow..." she said. She was astounded by hearing Anika speaking this way. She could never imagine her with an accent. "I know you're going to ask me what it means. I said 'Come here boy, what are you doing?'." Said Anika.

"Wow, it's so...unique." Said Cookie. "I was trying to hide this from everyone..." She said. "Hide it..? Why?" Asked Cookie. Because nobody understands me when I speak it unless they're from the area. When I first moved to America I didn't know any other way to speak. The moment I got here I was always told 'What did you say?', 'Sorry I can't understand you', 'What does that mean? Can you repeat that?'. At some point I just got tired of being singled out because of it, so I taught myself how to use the American accent." Said Anika.

"So no one else knows? Not even..." Asked Cookie. Anika shook her head. "And I know you don't understand it either, Cookie. So just pretend it didn't happen." Said Anika. "But I love it." Said Cookie. "You what?" Asked Anika. "I love your accent. It's something I don't think I've ever heard before, and even though it has some terms in it I don't understand, most of it I get. It's unique."  Said Cookie.

"You don't have to lie to me, Cookie." Said Anika. "One thing about me, is that Cookie Lyon don't lie." She said. Anika turned to face Cookie, then crossing her arms. "Look yah, doh mek mi fetch yah a lik'." She said, raising her eyebrows to see if Cookie understood it.

Cookie tilted her head. "It sounds something like 'look here, don't make me.." she trailed off. "And fetch means to go get...and the last part sounds like hitting someone." Said Cookie. Anika squinted.

"Sounds to me like you said 'Look here, don't make me hit you." Said Cookie, crossing her arms as well. Anika stared in surprise. "Slap you...is the last part..." she said. Cookie nodded slowly. "But you understood it..." She said. "Yes I did.." Cookie smiled. "You understand me...?" Anika asked. "Of course I do. Even if I didn't, I'll make sure I learn it. Because I would like to hear you speak like that all day." Said Cookie. Anika smiled to herself, slightly starting to blush.