Who Said Anything About Love?

I sat there, staring at Bill. Out f all the guy’s in the house, I just did not understand him. He didn’t seem to be all that…bossy but he had his moments apparently. I mean, when I walked through that door, he was the last person I had expected to put me in my place, and yet…he was the only one who had been able to do so. I noticed him glance over at me through the corner of his eye and I quickly focused my attention back on the television until he looked away. I slowly turned back to stare, it might seem creepy but I think if you look at a person, I mean really look at them for so long, it might help you understand them. He finally turned to face me and I froze, panicking inside. I felt my eyes grow wide and I faked a smile, slightly waving. He smiled and shook his head.

“What is wrong with you?” He meant no harm by the question, it just sounded strange. I shook my head,

“Nothing” He wasn’t buying it. I turned back to the television, to refocus my attention onto something, anything as to change the subject.

“Cerise” I moved my eyeballs over to look at him but kept my head turned toward the TV. Crap…ok I’ll just tell him.

“I don’t get you,” I blurted out, turning my entire body around and curling my legs up onto the sofa so that I could fully face him. He cocked his eyebrows and smiled. I on the other hand found nothing funny. I was being dead serious.

“What do you mean you don’t get me?” He also turned now so that we were facing each other. I shrugged, playing with the hem of my pant leg.

“I mean…you don’t yell at all unless” I misbehaved. It made me sound like a child, and yet he was only about a year older than me. I heard him sigh, and looked up at him.

“Maybe…” He was cute when didn’t know what to say. Oh great, not him too. “If you started to act your age, I wouldn’t have to explode at you all the time.” There he goes again. They were really beginning to piss me off with the whole ‘act your age’ shit and it was driving me crazy! I rolled my eyes and stood up.

“Yeah” I mumbled, heading to my room. Whatever. He doesn’t know me…none of them do. And I don’t care how nice to me Georg is; he will never replace my father. None of them would ever be good enough to replace him. I slammed my door and fell onto my bed, face down. I had begun to cry so hard; I didn’t even know Bill had followed me until I felt him sit down next to me. I jumped a little as his hand rested on my back.

“Cerise, I know its different living here with Georg but…you have to at least re-” I shrugged him off

“How can I respect him if he’s never here?” I sat up and saw him look down at the floor “My dad left me with...him” I pointed at my door, indicating Georg “And he keeps dumping me off on you and your brother!” I stared at my pillow. “You know…I hardly even know Georg and now…I have to treat him like he’s my father and he’s not! He will never replace my father!! And I will never-show him the respect-which I showed my dad!!” I could barely even get the sentence out of my mouth, because the tears were really coming now. I put my head down and felt Bill pull me into a hug. He hadn’t said a word and yet already I was feeling better, just having him hold me. “It’s not fair! Why-did-he have-to…die?" Why did they take him away from me? He was only supposed to be gone a week not…forever.

There we sat, Bill holding me in his arms as I cried my heart out. I’m not really sure how long we were there but eventually my stomach let out a...very loud and pretty embarrassing growl. I leaned back, and laughed as I wiped the tears from my eyes. Bill laughed too, holding me at arms length with his hands on my shoulders.

“Hungry?” I smiled and nodded as he wiped away a stray tear with his thumb.

“Come on” He grabbed my hand and led me into the kitchen where I sat down at the table and watched as he rummaged through the cabinets.

“Um…what exactly can you cook?” He turned and frowned, showing his teeth.

“Nothing…really” He sighed; I stood up and walked over toward him. I opened up the cabinets, which were pretty much empty. My stomach growled again and I frowned as Bill walked over to the fridge.

“We could make…uh…” I spotted a box of cake mix and pulled it out.

“Let’s bake a cake!” I held it up; with a goofy smile spread across my face. Bill walked over and took it from me, turning it over to read the directions.

“Does Georg even have all the ingredients?” I shrugged, grabbing a bowl and a big spoon.

“Well we can always improvise” I smiled, placing the utensils on the counter. He didn’t look too excited and just stood there as I pulled things out. “What does it say?”

“Um…we need water, eggs, and oil,” he read

“Damn, we have all but the oil” I placed my hands on my hips and chewed on my bottom lip. Bill just stared at me while I though of what to replace it with. “Butter!” He jumped at my sudden outburst

”Butter? That won’t work!” I rolled my eye’s, smiling at how his teeth pressed into the ‘w’

“We’ll melt it of course, so just…measure it out and put it in the microwave” He shook his head but did as I said. He obviously knew nothing about cooking

Wait a minute…don’t cakes need yeast?

I glanced back at the box…it didn’t say anything about it. Maybe it was a misprint. I shrugged, mixing in all the ingredients into the bowl, and tossed in a tablespoon of yeast. I placing it back in the cupboard so that Bill didn’t see.

What’s the worst that could happen?

“Here” He mumbled, handing me the butter. I smiled

”Thank you” My eyes were still itchy and swollen but…this was helping a little. “Could you hand me the pan over there?” I asked. Bill nodded and handed it to me

“Shouldn’t you um...grease it or something?” I shook my head as I poured the batter.

“There’s butter in the mix so...it should be fine I think” I placed it into the oven and walked into the living room. “Want to watch a movie while we wait?” Bill was still watching the oven as if expecting something to pop out of it. “Bill?” He turned and walked into the living room, sitting down beside me. I don’t know if it was just his vibes but…even I was starting to second-guess my culinary skills.

~*~*~*

Oh my god! This is the worst movie ever! What the hell are they talking about? Why is he kissing her? Wasn’t she dead!? Note to self…never let Bill choose the movie.

Bill turned suddenly and I jumped, seeing as I was so lost in my thoughts.

“What?” He didn’t look but sniffed, and got up.

“Cerise…Do you smell” He froze, staring wide-eyed into the kitchen. He jumped over the couch and was out of sight. I stood up

“Bill, what’s-HOLY FUCK!” The cake was HUGE and oozing out of the sides of the oven. He grabbed a frying pan, trying to shove it back in. In panic I snatched the broom from beside the fridge and began whacking it over and over again.

“What did you do!?” He yelled, as the monster cake crept its way across the kitchen, and into the living room, rather quickly if I do say so myself.

“Nothing!” He stopped smacking it and looked at me. I faked a smile. “I might have added…a…teensy bit of...ye-“

KABLOOM!!

The cake exploded, knocking both of us onto our butts.

“Yeast” I mumbled, as he wiped a bit of cake from his face. I did the same and stared down at the chocolate covered floor. “You’re mad right? I’ve gotten used to it” I got up and slipped. Falling face first into a pile of cake and Bill began to laugh. Not just a snicker, I mean FULL out laughing at me! I rolled over, scrapping a handful of cake off of the wall and hurled it at him. He froze as the cake smacked him right across the face. Now it was my turn to laugh.

“That is so gross! Oh now your going to get it!” I suppose he was trying to sound intimidating but the fact that he was smiling and covered in chocolate cake wasn’t helping. I stood up to run as he slid across the floor toward me, and slipped tripping Bill in the process. I rolled over and tried to crawl away but he grabbed a hold of my ankle and slid me back right next to him. I tried to roll over but he climbed on top of me, pinning me down. I gasped as I saw him grab a handful of the gooey cake. Without thinking I grabbed some off the floor and shoved it in his face. He stopped laughing and dropped the cake he had had.

“No fair! It was my turn!” I laughed, and tried to wriggle myself from underneath him.

“You don’t take turns, it’s a dog eat dog world” I giggled.

“Stop moving so much!” He grabbed my wrists and I jumped, accidentally head butting him. “Ow!”

“Ouch” I mumbled, squeezing my eyes shut from the pain. I opened them up to find Bill staring at me. I felt my heart begin to pound hard against my chest and for a second I feared that he could hear it too. I smiled. Now would have been the perfect moment for him to kiss me…NO! I shouldn’t think like that. It’s Bill for crying out loud! I was changing my ways, no more Cerise the problem child. He smiled and stood up, I propped myself up on my elbows and watched as he washed his face off in the sink.

Why hadn’t he kissed me? Was that it? Was he really in no way attracted to me?

I stood up and walked over to him. I didn’t speak but instead reached for a towel…and slipped, but Bill caught me before I hit the floor. I reached up and used his shoulders to help me regain my balance.

“Sorry” I mumbled “Floor’s kind of-“I felt my throat tighten up and my lungs cave in as he pulled me into a kiss. My heart was racing, and I could feel his pounding hard against my own chest.

Bill.

Of everyone I had met since I had been here, he was the last person I had expected to even think of kissing me. Slowly, I wrapped my arms around his neck and even slower did he move his hands along my sides and up my back. I felt a tingling sensation in my stomach and prayed that it was butterflies and that I wouldn’t throw up. If time would have frozen right at this very moment I wouldn’t have been happier. Then…the front door opened with a creek.