Should I Go on With This Arranged Marriage?

We entered Matt’s house as soon as he turned off the engine.

“Oh My God.” Val squeals, running to me and gives me a hug as I’m visible to them. “Thanks for bringing her, Gates. I’m bored as hell.” Val, high-five Brian.

“Yeah, making me skips school sounds fun.” I said rolling my eyes to Brian. “Hi guys.” I smiled as I look at them.

“Hello, Nick.” They greeted in chorus.

Val giggled so do I with the way they sound like a choir. “Come on. Let’s bake some cookies.” She smiled and led me to the kitchen while the boys piled up the living room.

“You’re kidding me. This is so much.” I said looking at the trays, like six trays, ready to be filled in with the dough.

“Don’t expect them to eat less. I mean, look at their bodies.” She replied, preparing the ingredients, while wipe the still wet bowls, with clean towel. “Brian eats the most cookies.” She added.

“No doubt about it.” I replied. “She took the cookies my mom, baked for me. Well, technically, she gave those to him, but it was for me originally, if he just didn’t tell her she loves cookies.” I smiled remembering how he took the last cookies from me, just like an adorable kid who reigns over his playmate.

“And why are you smiling?” Val said as I put down the last bowl. Am I?

“Was not.” I replied, trying to pretend that I didn’t

“You were.”

“Was not!” biting my down lip.

“Okay.” Val muttered, and started cupping several cups of flour.

I started on the eggs, cracking them one by one, in a different bowl. Mom taught me to open eggs in a different one, just in case I get the bad egg, it won’t mess up with the flour.

“Is that ready?” Val asked as she turned on the mixer. I nodded. One by one I hand her the ingredients and pours them into the mixer. Last are the chocolate chips.

“Can you do that, while I do the drinks?” Val asked, referring in shaping the dough in the tray.

“Sure, yeah.” I replied.

I put my hair in a bun before starting. I grease the trays before scooping the dough with ice cream scoop to give a shape. I don’t know how long it took, filling the six silver trays with fifteen scoops per tray, but I’m surely feeling a slight pain on my right arm.

After with the dough, I pre-heated the ovens for five minutes. They got two ovens so; these six trays of dough will cook in the same time. After pre-heating, I piled up three trays on the other one, while three on the other. I put the oven again in a 175 degree C. and set the time for 8 minutes. I want the cookie to be a little chewy and tender inside. I think they’ll like it.

I left the cookies for a while to see how Val is doing just on the other side of the kitchen. She’s blending some matching chocolate smoothie.

“Need a help?” I asked, almost making her jump. “sorry.” I added, when I saw her reaction. Luckily she didn’t spill anything.

“You startled me. I got this.” She smiled. I watched her blend the second batch of ingredients for another glasses. “Anyway, how’s everything with Tom?” She suddenly replied.

I threw an awkward smile on her before answering. “I’m planning on breaking up with him tomorrow.”

“That’s nice.” she replied.

I raised her brow with a smile playing on my lips. “Really? I never heard breaking up with someone, sounds nice.” we both chuckled.

“But with your case, it’s should be good, right.”

“Yeah. Hey, can I ask you something? Well, it’s about Michelle. But if you don’t want to talk about her, its o---“she cut me off.

“Oh, shoot it, Nick.” She said, shaking her head.

“You got any news where she is?” I asked.

“Honestly, yes!” she whispered this time.

“Really?” I almost shout, but she quickly covered my mouth with her hand. “where is she?”

“Don’t shout. Nobody knows this. Even Matt doesn’t know.” She slowly drops her hand. “She didn’t tell me where she is, she just called me to let me know everything’s fine for her. She called me just three days ago.”

“Wait, wait.” I quickly remembered those three nights ago, we went to that Pavilion of Romance, where Brian told me about proposing to Michelle on that day, because it was their fifth anniversary. “Three nights ago, was their anniversary, right?”

She nodded. “How did you know?”

“Brian. Well, doesn’t tell this to anyone, but It’s up to you, if you want to tell this to Michelle, but please let’s keep this between us.“ She nodded. “Brian brought me to that Pavilion of Romance. He told me everything how you guys set him and Michelle on a date there and---“ I trailed off.

“And?” she looked at me curious.

“He told me that he planned on proposing to Michelle.”

She looked at me surprise. “Oh my god.” She almost whispered.

“He didn’t tell me to keep in myself, but I guess this is something we should avoid talking to. I figured out, Michelle has to know. I don’t know why, but she has too. Brian planned it for her so I guess she has to know somehow.” I explained.

“I don’t think so.” She replied.

“What?” I asked.

“For what? He’s still going to marry you. If she knew about that, it will cause her more pain, and for the record I don’t want that. I’m her sister.” She said. And that puts me to a very awkward position. “Look, don’t feel anything about that. I’m just saying that there’s no more point telling her.” she continued, holding me to my hand.

“TING!” I almost jumped with the sound the oven made. It’s done.

I made my way to the oven, pulling the door than. With my two hands, I pulled the tray, but. “AWWW!” I screamed crying out loud. I forgot to put my gloves. Val quickly runs to me. Good things I stopped before pulling the tray out, I didn’t spill.

“What happen?” she asked at me. I’m holding the burned hands into my other fist. “Let me see.” I let go of my hand and she gently checked it.

“What happened here?” Matt asked, with Brian, Jimmy, Johnny and Zacky all with worried face on their face.

“She got burned.” Val replied.

“Let me see.” Brian almost runs to me and take my hands, while Val run walked out of the kitchen.

“Careful.” I gasped.

“You should be careful, not Me.” he replied. He shakes his head while looking to my hands. It’s really red.

“I thought you and Val were killing each other.” Jimmy said.

“Not gonna happen.” my reply to him.

Matt grabs a clean bowl and filled it with water. “Soak your hands in.” he said, putting the bowl on top of the marble island. Brian does the help. He slowly sinks my hands in “rest your hands there for five minutes.” Matt added.

“thanks.” I smiled to him.

“Next time, use gloves, nick.” Zacky said, looking at my hands.

“Sorry, I was a bit excited.” I replied.

“That doesn’t look good at all.” Johnny said this time.

“Here.” Val suddenly came in. She shoved a little bottle of gel. “Apply that. That’s for burned skins.”

“Thank you.” I said.

“Matt, Jimmy, Zacky and Johhny, help me preparing the cookies.” Val called them and they did.

After a while, I took my hands off of the bowl. Brian wiped my hands with new towel. I almost flinched when he dubbed the towel, a little harder. “Sorry.” He said and continues with drying my hands. Then he applied the gel, Val gave me.

“Gentle, please.” I said, feeling little pain from his touch. He managed to be a little gentle until my entire hands are fully-applied with the gel.

“there.” he said, closing the little bottle.

“Thanks.” I said looking at my hands. It’s really red. How could I write tomorrow for school?

“I shouldn’t really have brought you here, sorry.” he said with an apologetic face.

“It’s okay.” I smiled.

“Let’s go.” he said snaking his arm on my waist.

We made our way to the backyard where the party happened. I sit beside Jimmy, while Brian, beside Matt. they’re all stuffing cookies inside their mouth, while I just watch them. “Open your mouth.” Jimmy said, letting me bite a cookie. Of course, I can’t hold touch anything right now.

“Who cook this?” Zacky asked almost spilling the foods he had on his mouth.

“Nick did.” Val answered as she eats.