Nano Excerpt #4

The proper start of Chapter Two, and we're back to Valerie who is now seventeen.

Today was Jake’s birthday. I stared down at Elle’s text- Cake’s out of the oven! No I did not sneeze on it and slowly put the phone back in my pocket. Today was Jake’s birthday, which meant that he’d be coming home from college. The school bus pulled away with a groan and warm wind hugged in from behind, pushing me forward. I watched my feet as they walked me to the house. The week had passed so fast-- the leaves were almost uncurled on the trees and tomorrow would be the ten year anniversary.
“Hello!” Elle sang at me as soon as I opened the front door.
“You don’t sound sick!” I said, hurrying through the hallway into the kitchen and the smell of cake. Elle was leaning next to the stove, watching the two cake layers steam.
“I slept until quarter of one,” she said with a happy sigh. “My fever’s completely gone and I just have a bit of a runny nose now.” She was still in pajamas, her clothing of choice at almost sixteen.
“That’s great,” I said with a smile, already moving the pans to the counter and poking around their edges with a knife to loosen them. They smelled gorgeous; that rich, earthy chocolate smell that filled the whole kitchen.
“Oh I have to tell you, mom left the car for you to pick up Jake,” Elle said, her fingers sneaking towards the cake before I batted them away. The sunlight was falling through the window and warming my toes and I focused on that, not on her words that were reminding me about tomorrow. “His bus comes in at three a clock, and you have to pick mom up at eight a clock tonight.”
“Three?” The first cake was sticking to the bottom still and wouldn’t come out, I made a face. “I won’t be able to finish decorating the cake before I have to get him.”
“I can do it,” Elle said persuasively and I shot her a look. “I’m not that sick!” she wailed. I didn’t want to tell her that I would never let her do it, no matter the circumstances-- her artistic abilities did not carry over into frosting. And I always made the cakes, even mine.
“You’ll just have to distract him when we get home so I can do it,” I told her, and she sighed. “Besides, don’t you want to come with me to get him?” She definitely wanted to come. I really really needed her to come, I could not handle fifteen minutes alone right now. Or fifteen minutes alone with Jake, either.
“Well,” she amended. “Yes. Alright. But will you let me help make it?”
“Yes, you will help by making sure Jake doesn’t see it,” I said, grinning when she smacked me with the pot holder. “Come on!” I gave up on the cake and grabbed the keys from the table, heading out to the car.


Kelia