Alice POV

"Where are you taking me?" I asked from the passenger’s seat of Caden’s car. We had been driving for a while and we were at the outskirts of the town now.

"You’ll see!" He smirked mysteriously.

"It’s taking too long," I muttered.

"Maybe." He laughed. "But I promise you it’s worth it."

He kept on driving even when we were out of town. I was just about to ask “how much further” when I noticed a building not far away. A small, square, one-story building. One with a “MJ&JM’s diner” sign on it.

"Are you taking me to eat?" I asked enthusiastically. God, I loved food!

"Yeah!" He smiled at my reaction. "They make great desserts here."

He stopped the car in the almost empty parking lot and we went inside. It was a nice, small diner with checkered tiles and colorful seats ranging from simple plastic chairs to bean-bag ones. There were even a couple of tables with couches around them.

"Let’s go to the back!" Caden took my hand and led me to the bean-bags.

We had barely sat down when a middle-aged plump woman came to take our orders.

"Hi, I’m Bertha. What can I get ya, kids?" She asked, getting ready to jot it down.

I noticed Caden’s face wrinkle when she addressed us as “kids”. Ha! Not so funny now, is it? Let him see how it feels!

"Do you make fruit-flavored waffles?" I queried and the waitress nodded. "Okay then. I want four banana-flavored waffles with chocolate ice-cream and until that is ready some blueberry pie. Oh! And two sodas."

They both raised their eyebrows. What? I didn’t order that much food.

"Okay… How about you?" She turned to Caden.

"Just plain waffles with butterscotch topping and a soda."

"Very well." She wrote it down and left us.

"Are you really planning to eat all that?" He addressed me.

"Yeah."

"Aren’t you afraid you’ll get fat?"

"I always eat like that. Do you think I’m fat now?"

"No. But…"

"But what?" I furrowed my eyebrows at him.

"But you’re so small! How can you eat this much and not grow taller or get fat?"

"Genes," I shrugged although I really had no clue myself.

"If you say so." He shook his head not really buying my explanation.

Just then Bertha came back with our sodas and my pie.

"Blueberries!" I exclaimed enthusiastically winning me an eye-roll from both Caden and the waitress. "What? I really like them. They are the best berries."

With a shake of her head Bertha left us again.

"So… What did you want to talk about?" I asked, putting a piece of pie in my mouth.

"Nothing in particular. Just wanted to get to know you."

"Oh!" I exclaimed. "Want one?" I offered him a piece of my pie.

"No, thanks."

"Your lost; it’s really delicious. Here’s one thing you should know: I love eating. So I only share my food with people I really like."

"So you really like me?" He licked his lips nervously before adding, "even after last night?"

"Let’s just not talk about it now!" I sighed. "The food is too good for such serious conversations."

We were silent for a while. I guess neither of us knew what to say.

"So," he started. "Alissa Clover Green. What’s with the middle name? I mean, why are you and two of your aunts named after plants?"

"Actually all the women in our family are named after flowers or some sort of a plant. It’s a tradition. But it’s a long story. You’ll probably get bored."

"Tell me about it!" He said leaning forward.

"Well, it all started centuries ago." He raised his eyebrows at that. "Yes! Centuries. Our ancestors were a rich family. My grandma even told me they were nobles. Anyway, the story begins with the birth of twin girls. They were very close but one of them – the younger one - had always been sickly. Apparently when they were teens she fell very ill. The doctors couldn’t cure her. One day an old woman came to the family’s mansion and said she was a medicine woman and she could help the girl. But it was the time of the witch-hunts and the parents who were Christians thought she might be a follower of the devil so they send her away. One of the girls – the one that wasn’t sick, didn’t agree with her mother and father’s decision so she followed the woman to the nearby village. I’ve been told that the woman gave her herbs and told her how to use them to cure her sister’s illness. The younger twin got better with time but her parents found out what the older girl was doing and thinking it was witchcraft, they banished her away. Without the herbs the younger girl died. The other sister moved in with the old woman who became her mentor. The girl became a medicine woman herself and even changed her name to Linnea Green. Green because of the plants and Linnea because that is the name of a flower also known as the twinflower. Many of the women in our family keep the name Green even after marriage that’s why that is my family name. As for the first names… Well, ever since Linnea the Green women bear the names of plants. Aunt Azalea isn’t an exception, that is the name of a flower shrub. My mother’s name is Elanor and that comes from “Eleanor”, again a flower. Even my first name comes from the alyssum flower. But not many people have heard of that one."

I finished my narration just as Bertha came carrying our waffles.

"Here you go!" She smiled at us. "Enjoy!" She took the empty plate from the pie and left.

"So is that why you have so many plants in your garden?"

"Yeah… Most of them are actually herbs. Every woman in our family is taught the basics on herbs."

"So you’re sort of a medicine woman yourself?" He asked taking a bite from his waffles.

"No! My knowledge is mostly theoretical…"

"It still counts," he laughed. "Want some?" He offered me his waffles. "You should know: I only offer food to people I really like!" He winked at me.

"Oh! And here I thought you’re just making sure your pet won’t stay hungry," I joked, taking a bite of his waffles.

"Hungry? With all the food you ordered for yourself?" He shook his head. "I don’t think so!"

I laughed at his reaction and chewed on the waffles. Mmm, tasty!

"So… Why did you move here?" He changed the topic.

"Oh, that!" I exclaimed, taking a sip of my soda.

"You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to."

"Nya… It’s okay." I chewed on my own ice-cream covered waffles before continuing. "My father died when I was very little."

"I’m sorry," he replied quietly.

"Don’t worry, I barely remember him. Anyway… My mother remarried. Then got divorced. Then got engaged… twice. Without getting married. And then she got married and divorced again. Now she’s trying to hook up another guy… I don’t like him much. Her taste in man is pretty awful. We got into an argument about it… Several arguments in fact… And it was decided that we needed some time away from each other."

"It was decided," he slowly repeated my words. "By whom?"

"By Elanor. But I agreed. So I moved in with my aunts."

He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Is that why you mentioned your step-siblings this morning?" I nodded. "How many have you had?"

"Five. Two girls and three boys. But not all at once."

"Wow! That is a lot."

"Do you have any siblings?" I took another mouthful of waffles.

"Older brother," he answered curtly.

"Not someone you want to discuss?"

He barked a sardonic laughter.

"Definitely not someone I want to discuss!"

"And what don’t you mind discussing with me?"

"Not sure," he admitted.

I sighed.

"How about me, Caden? Do you mind talking about me?"

"What is there to talk about?" He asked, taking a gulp of his drink.

"Why did you want to get to know me? Why do you hang around with me in the first place?"

"Not sure," he repeated.

"Are you ever going to give me a straight answer about anything?"

"Not sure," he smirked.

"Caden!" I reprimanded. "I know you’re packing muscle but if you keep this up I’m going to find a way to punch you!"

He laughed at my reaction.

"Have you ever punched anybody, little Alice?" He asked amused.

"Step-siblings," I answered with a proud smile.

"Really? And were any of your step-siblings “packing muscle” like me?"

"Well… Not exactly," I muttered. "One of them was kind of muscle-ish…"

"Is that so?" The boy chuckled. "Show me how you clench your fist!"

"Like this?" I asked showing him.

He took my fist into his hand.

"God, it's so small!" He exclaimed comparing the size of our hands. "And you’re doing it wrong. You should make a fist by curling your fingers and tucking your fingertips against the middle of your palm. Make sure to rest your thumb over your curled index finger and middle finger instead of placing your thumb within your fist. You should keep the tip of your thumb points downward, resting against the upper knuckles of both your index and middle fingers." He showed me using his free hand. "Now repeat what I just did!" I did as I was told. "Good!" He nodded letting go of my hand. "I should teach you some time how to throw a proper punch."

"With me being so small I doubt it will affect anyone," I admitted.

"Depends on where you hit them. I’ll give you a few pointers on that as well."

"Why?"

"Because it’s useful", he shrugged nonchalantly. "Now eat your waffles! The ice-cream is melting!"

*****

Caden POV

"So… You still didn’t answer my question," Alice started on our way back to town.

"Which question?" I honestly didn’t remember.

"Why are you hanging with me? I mean, you’re not trying to get into my pants and I’m different from most people you hang out with…"

"That’s exactly why," I explained. "You’re so nice. And sweet and cute and innocent."

"So I’m really like a pet then?" She tried to sound casual about it but something in her tone was off.

I thought about that. Did she think I kept her around just because she amuses me? Well, that was one reason but it wasn’t the only reason.

"Kind of," I admitted. "But you’re also a friend."

Her face lit up at that.

"Didn’t know we were friends." She smiled at me.

"Well, now you do." I smiled back. "Although you are one stubborn friend."

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"The bill."

Her mouth formed an “o” and she nodded in understanding.

We had just finished our waffles and I was getting ready to pay the bill.

"Oh, no, you don’t!" Alice exclaimed. "Not all of it anyway." I saw her clenching a few bills in her hand.

"Put away your money, kid!" I said just as Bertha approached us. "I asked you out; I’m paying."

"Hmm…" She pretended to think about it. "Nope, you are not!" She placed her money on the table.

"Alice… I told you to put them away."

"Nope!"

"Alissa…"

"Oh!" Bertha interrupted. "You two make such a cute couple!"

"We’re not a couple!" Alice was quick to protest.

Too quick. Was she repelled at the mere thought of someone like me being her boyfriend?

"Alice," addressed the girl that was now occupying the passenger’s seat of my car. "Why were you so fast to correct the waitress when she called us a couple?"

"Because we’re not." She explained simply.

"But why were you so hasty about it?" I insisted on having a better answer.

"I don’t know." She shrugged. "Why do you keep on asking?"

"No reason," I shrugged as well.

"Caden, you rarely do things without a reason. Apart from that first day at school with the roof and the fence."

"You’ve noticed that, huh?" I smirked.

"Yeah… Now stop trying to avoid the question and tell me why do you keep on asking!"

"Because," I started. "It kind of sounded as if you were repulsed at the thought of it."

She burst out laughing at my words. What was so funny?

"And how exactly could the thought of hooking up with a hottie like you be repulsive?"

"So you’re not put off by the idea?"

"Nope."

I smirked.

"A hottie like me, huh?"

"Yep. Tall, dark and handsome and all," she added and I remembered that was how she addressed me the first time we met.

"That doesn’t describe me well," I protested. "I have a fair complexion."

"Maybe. But you have a dark bad boy aura around you."

I laughed at her comment. We were almost at the school now. I agreed to drive her there instead of at her place so her aunts wouldn’t see me.

"Well, little Alice, you are not a bad catch yourself!" I winked at her, parking the car and turning the engine off.

"I’m pretty average." She shrugged before unbuckling the seatbelt.

I blinked at her once. Then a second time. Was she serious?

"Alice, do you have a mirror in your house?"

"Yeah…" She seemed perplexed at my question.

"Have you seen yourself in it lately?"

"Yeah."

"And yet you describe yourself as “average”?"

"Yeah?" It came out more as a question then an answer.

I sighed.

"Alice, either you have a serious problem with your sight or you’re an idiot."

"Hey, my eyesight is just fine!" She resented. "And what is that part about me being an idiot supposed to mean?"

"It means," I took her chin in my hand and looked her straight in the eyes so she would know I was serious "that you are one of the prettiest girls around. You have nice wavy brown hair, beautiful green eyes and a slim but fit and curvy body that most girls would kill for."

"I’m pretty sure you’re exaggerating. My features are attractive but there’s nothing special about them. The hair and eye color are pretty average… well, at least for my family. My mother and all my aunts have the same."

I groaned.

"I’m not having this discussion right now." I guess there was no way to convince her. Unless… "If you are so average then why do so many guys at school keep on checking you out?"

"Because I’m the new girl," she answered without a moment’s hesitation.

Yep, she was stubborn all right!

"Go home, kid!" I ordered, letting go of her chin.

"Okay." She opened the door. "Bye, Caden! Thanks for the meal!"

"Bye, kid!"

I watched her until she turned a corner. I still couldn’t figure out how she would describe herself as average. Hell, if she wasn’t so sweet and innocent I would’ve probably made a pass at her. No, make that DEFINITELY made a pass at her. And not because she was the new girl.

Silly Alice!

I turned the engine on and drove off to pick up Asher and Keegan. My boys and I had work to do!