C h a p t e r   3 0

"Good morning." Two ladies in a same apron greeted us with exuberant smiles painted on their faces, before they went back on brushing away the orange leaves and party litters off of the bricked pathway.

"Good morning." I smiled back while Chase stunningly walked his way on his imaginable runway, not minding them.

After buying coffees Chase and I drove back to Nathan's house, expecting everyone to be up on their feet. Carrying the coffee bags, we strolled our way to the front door. The hot coffees in styrofoamed cups spilled out as I skipped a pace, avoiding a flower pot who had been moved from its recent place on its own, which was silly of me. Surely, one of the ladies moved it.

The brown bag dampened as the drop of coffee spill traveled downwards, making the thin sheeted bag to be limply. Placing my other hand at the bottom of the bag, I prevented the probability of it to ripped off easily as the wet part began to moist.

Chase opened the door and we were welcomed by Scott who dashed passed us on a staggering motion from the extreme hangover while embracing a mop. We eyed him befuddled as he precipitately stopped, puking his internal organs out. I trotted towards him and knelt down.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" I asked, putting the coffees down on the floor beside me and rested my hand on his back while he hurled more, gripping his stomach.

"He's fine. That's nothing to him." Chase chuckled, sloping forward to grab the coffee bag I just laid down.

I quickly glanced at Chase who carried the fragile brown bag to the kitchen. As he made its way there I made sure I glued my eyes on it until I knew it has been successfully put down on the counter before it gave up. After sighing with relief, I looked back to Scott but to be slapped by a very foul smell on my nose.

"Oh, heavenly peanuts. This is..." I gagged, swiftly throwing my hands to my mouth looking away from the gooey looking crap as I quickly stood up on my feet.

"Dude, we just wiped that out with wax!" Nathan whined holding a trash bag, and then called one of the two ladies sweeping on the front yard earlier.

Everything was beyond expected, all of them were all up sweeping, mopping, running, turning the whole place upside down as they cleaned it up. I looked around and saw how everyone was occupied at the moment so I went inside the kitchen.

The refreshing color of lime green and off-white stripes wallpaper, made a stunning match with a glossy cream colored tiles. Cabinets were all painted white, attaining a fine finish along with the polished dusty green granite for the counter. I tilted my head and gazed at an intrinsic form of a vivid image on a black frame, hanging on the left side of the kitchen, giving it a colorful vibe. Meanwhile, Hailey was on her back thrusting each litters she sees inside the trash bag she carries, but no sight of Chase.

"What's going on in here?" I asked, walking over to the counter top.

Hailey faced me with astonishment before giving me an answer that didn't quite suit my question, "Nikki? I thought you went home already!"

"What? No, Chase..." I began but Hailey gazes behind me with a meaningless expression which made me stop.

Chase is on my back, I suppose.

"Yeah, but what I'm saying is... Nathan's mom called and said they're on their way here, so we better clean the house." She said before scramming out of the kitchen when she heard Nathan calling her.

I whispered an okay before tilting my head to see Chase standing behind me with his hands in his pocket, smiling down on me.

"Why... do you always have to stand behind me like horror, when you can be here on my side?" I asked.

"I don't know." He lightly chuckled,

I grunted, taking the coffees out of the paper bags, "Well, let's go help them before we get caught. I'll ju..."

"Get caught? We're not even doing anything yet." He spoke cooly sending chills up my spine.

I impassively looked at him with my lips parted, "I meant Nathan's parents, you perverted junk!"

Jerking my elbow, I aimed for his stomach as he hunched down clutching it.

"Damn Rose, I haven't even ate anything. And I had this on the second time." He groaned as his stomach grumbles in agreement.

Rose? Only my dad calls me that...

"Still a jerk." I shook my head and went over to the cupboards to search for a peanut butter spread.

"Sure I am. Who says I'm a gay?" Chase spoke, straightening up still resting his hand on his stomach.

"No one did. Are you expecting someone to call you that?" I lightly chuckled, as I strode over to him with a peanut butter and bread on both hands, placing them on the polished granite counter top.

"No one would even dare call me that, that's for sure." He answered taking a bread knife in the drawer while I opened the widemouthed peanut butter container then gently pushing it forward to Chase.

I rested both of my hands on the counter top as I gazed at Chase, taking one slice of bread while spreading the peanut butter across it. His biceps flexed as he moved his hand back and forth. Tracing my eyes upwards, a strand of his brown hair fell down on his face as he impatiently stroked it away, and his pinkish lips that won't be needing a brush from a cherry lip balm. Aligning my eyes to his cute wrinkles forming on the edge of his lip where he used to lift up a smirk, he was just...

"So beautiful." I spontaneously muttered, letting out a sigh.

"What?" Chase lifted his head up with a baffled expression drawn on his face.

Oh, God. Nikki I told you to keep those in your mind!' I voice inside my head screeched.

"Uhm.. the sun is... beautiful!" I stuttered, smiling nervously while pointing outside the upright window with a bright yellow curtain hanging on a curtain rod.

"Really?" Chase smirked.

"For all I know, the sun rises at east, not west." He added, pointing opposite to mine.

"I know! I just.." I grunted, mentally punching myself and physically biting my inner cheek.

"Well, you're beautiful too." Chase smiled while my heart flipped blissfully, same time my face flushed red.

Nathan walked in the kitchen unforeseen while gazing us like he just witnessed copulation between two trolls.

"Oh! Hi, Nathan, what? No, we're not even doing anything!" I rattled, before averting my gaze from them.

I should learn to shut up, right?

Chase slightly chuckled shaking his head sideways while taking another sliced bread, topping the other bread with peanut butter before putting it down on a plate.

"We've been assigned to stay in the kitchen and make breakfast." Chase falsely proclaimed, casting a glimpsed at Nathan while taking another sliced bread and dipping the bread knife on the peanut butter jar.

"Oh, really? I mean, yeah sure." Nathan concurred and rode with it. "I'm just checking if it's ready, but uhh..." He peeked at the plate with one bread for a few seconds, like waiting for it to bear another few.

"It'll be ready in a minute."

"I'll just go back there then. Have fun." Nathan answered while he lets out a light chuckle as he spun around on his heel, gliding his way to the living room.

Why say, have fun?

I spun my head a little to meet Chase's eyes with his lip sloped up to a smile while I sent him the same.

"Are you gonna help me?" His eyes twinkled.

Who would deny helping him with that face?

I gradually nodded tucking a hair strand behind my ear. "Sure."

Planting myself on his side, we began making breakfast for the others. It didn't take more than five minutes and we were done. The hot coffees cooled down a little before they got drank, and later that moment before Nathan's parents arrived, we left. Chase drove me home when I told him not to, because I wanted to take a bus with Hailey. But, of course, Hailey wouldn't let me missed a single time with Chase.

"Thanks, Chase." I smiled after I unbuckled my seatbelt.

He turned his head to face me before he smiled with a nod, locking our contact. We just stared at each other for a couple of seconds until silence buzzed through my ears. Feeling discomfort, I broke the contact and bit my lower lip as I shifted on my seat to open the door.

"I should go. Take care."

"Sure. I'll... uhh... see you tomorrow." Chase stuttered, placing both of his hands on the steering wheel at three o'clock while I sent him a nod in response before hopping out.

Opening the door to the house, aunt Crissa's creepy yet enthusiastically face popped in like a clown in the winding box, which literally creeps me out.

"What's with the look?" I shockingly asked with my eyes widen with fear and curiosity.

Aunt Crissa raised an eyebrow, "What happened to your dress?"

"Hehe, surprise?" I lifted my shoulders along with my hands.

"Okay, what happened?" She asked, monotonously.

I just shrugged, before she gets back on giving me an unusual smile. "Nothing."

Aunt Crissa sniffed loudly as she leaned closer to me, "Well, you smell bad."

"Uhh... I, slipped on..." I paused for a quick second, hastily finding my way out of the case.

"A poo." Disgusting...

Her eyebrows were raised in a notch and asked, "Human?"

"Cat." Too smelly...

Aunt Crissa was unsure of what to say while she continued giving me a weird look. "Okay?--" She trailed off, "Apart from that, I'm guessing you got like, tons of things you want to tell me?" She asked, wearing back her creepy clown face while on her Sunday frock.

"Yes, you're ghastly." I teased, hitting a solid British accent with a giggle as I walked inside and passed by her.

"Oh, come on Nikki. Let's have a little chitchat!" Aunt Crissa whined as she followed me towards the staircase.

I bet she knew something about Chase and I.

I took five steps on the stair before spinning around to face her who just stayed at the bottom waiting for my answer.

"Later at dinner time." I promised, "Right now, I just want to feel the Sunday vibe." I tittered, before I continued walking while hearing aunt Crissa respond with an okay.

The boring white paint of the door to my room opened, welcomed by the sweet serenity enveloping the air inside, making me want to lock myself in it forever. The strawberry and vanilla scent, permeated around the room from the open door of my bathroom. Closing the door behind, I released a deep sigh and buttoned myself to lazy mode.

As I skimmed the cleaned up room, I slid the jacket off that I was wearing and remembered that it was Chase's. I grabbed my phone on one of its pocket as I moved the jacket closer to my nose. The smell of his perfume drugged me as I inhaled it, but been mixed up by the strawberry scent my room contains.

Walking over to my closet, I grabbed a white shirt and a comfortable pajama shorts then hung Chase's jacket on my bean bag completely covering the soft chair before taking a quick bath and changed into my clothes.

Finally, I laid my eyes on my bed and flumped in like I had seen a beach on a dessert. I blankly stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before sliding my phone under my pillow.

Now I just have to take a nap and see what else to do when I woke up.

"Yes sir, on the next two weeks." A faint voice from aunt Crissa travelled through my ears as it dodged my fuzzy brain.

I just lied down with my eyes shut and my brain half awake. For a nanosecond, I was just staring at the darkness, thinking what to watch. Opening my eyes, I quickly sat up eying the tv rack where DVDs were kept and searched for a movie. I think one day not watching Netflix would be fine. I spotted A Cinderella Story which I hadn't watched for a long time ago.

Quickly pacing downstairs, I grabbed a bag of nachos on the top shelf and poured some on a sakura tree inspired bowl. Taking a cheddar dip, I headed back upstairs and crossed my legs sitting on my bed. Grabbing the remote, I hit the play button.

Halfway through the movie, my bowl emptied and I felt sick. Kinda regretted eating to much junk. Standing back up, I went downstairs and took a glass of water after sinking the bowl on the sink. I strolled back upstairs and sat down on the bed pausing the movie. I sighed and wondered about Chase.

What could he be doing at this moment? Who is he with? And why am i thinking about him? I must be crazy. I shook my head as I played back the movie.

A/N: Hey guyssss!! Sorry it took so long for this chapter to be updated. I'm just busy at the moment. I mean I still have other priorities to be done, other than writing of course. Anyways, hope you liked this chapter!!

Special mentions to two lovely peoples on wattpad!!! Lizzielovexx, and tinkytop!! Hope you're both having a fanta-bulous dayyyyyy!!! ❤❤

(Republished)