Welcome to High School: Parte Deux by Euphoria Writer (accelerated reader books txt) 📕

I.
"Alfred!" I yelled blinking out the water from my eyes.
Alfred's wet head bobbed up from the water smiling a big goofy grin.
"Let's play chicken!" he suggested loudly.
Before I could protest Tino climbed up on my shoulders and (somehow) Gilbert was on Alfred's shoulders screaming and yelling while pushing and fighting in Tino while I wavered unbalanced by every way Tino's weight shifted on my shoulders. But of course (being stronger and all) Gilbert had pushed or rather knocked Tino from my shoulders yelling out victory cheers before Alfred had enough of him and just dumped him in the water carelessly.
When we were done with getting all wet and chlorine soaked we finally got out of the pool and washed off in the shower (separately) before moving down to the basement to watch a movie. Alfred had already gone home by then so it was just the three of us, not counting Kiku since he went to bed already and we were watching a scary movie, which I really wasn't up for but I can spend an hour watching guts fly... In the dark... In between Gilbert and Tino... One of which had kissed me that morning... I still don't know what to think of that.
Chapter 18: Its Christmas Part 3

Violent screaming emerged the next second from the speakers of the TV and next thing I knew Tino and I jumped when a face appeared on the screen. As much as I wanted to go ranting that I was not afraid of a horror movie that would make my grandmother yawn, I really couldn't take my eyes off the screen at the intensity of the scene showing right at this moment.
I would also like to keep in account that sometimes it isn't so fun to be the one in between your two friends during a horror movie. I mean one would try and cuddle up to you while the other is trying to pull you closer to themselves. It was so aggravating to be the rope in this tug of war game. What should I do!
"Hey Mattie, can you grab that blanket for me?" Tino whispered still a bit fixated on the movie.
I nodded and grabbed the blanket that was hanging from the back of the couch. I handed it over to Tino who smiled and gave me a peck on my cheek.
"Thank you~" he said pulling the blanket over himself leaving some to drape over my lap.
Then before I even blinked, Tino had laid his head on my lap facing up at me beaming brightly. His eyes held the same look they had this morning before he engaged that kiss. A bit of a dark lusty like look mixed with an odd glimmer the same I recognized in Francis's eyes when he stared at me too long. I can't place what it was but the way I see that odd glimmer I feel very embarrassed for some reason. I felt the heat rush to my face in a quick blush before I hastily drew my eyes back at the screen.
It didn't take long before something else happened.
Out of nowhere blood splattered on the screen for a dramatic effect for the movie, but I just freaked out and jumped up nearly throwing Tino on the ground and basically ended up on Gilbert's lap fisting his shirt in my hands and shaking like a leaf. In response, Gilbert just chuckled and patted me on my head before giving me a peck on my head. I blushed furiously. D-do friends kiss each other on the top of their heads? I had no clue, I never had guy friends for this long only girl friends and they've kissed me on the cheek and head before, but I don't think it's the same for guys.
I stayed there for a while until I was calm and laughed the short scare off nervously before returning to my spot on the couch. I felt very odd, freaked out and completely embarrassed at the same time.
I was so glad to go to bed after the movie.
WTHS
The next day I got to make pancakes with my dad after waiting for so long. It's not very fun to make pancakes by yourself. This morning we were making Christmas bell shaped pancakes with added red and green M&Ms to the batter to give more color to the pancakes. This morning we had a bigger crowd to watch us flip pancakes with Gilbert, Madeline, Kiku and Floppy whom was snuggling into Kiku's arms. Tino soon came down and sat by Madeline to watch the pancake flipping.
"Is pancakes a regular thing around here?" Gilbert asked leaning into his fist on the table with a bored expression.
I caught the small spark in my dad's eyes.
Gilbert you're toast.
I moved to take care of the flipping as dad withdrew from the skillet still holding his spatula. He threw the spatula at me which I, thankfully, caught with ease.
"Matthew, why don't you show our guests your flip trick," dad said, taking a seat by Gilbert, slinging an arm around his shoulders in a suspiciously friendly way.
I knew dad would do this, I thought waiting for the right moment. He does this all the time to Alfred as well, messing around with them like I was his innocent daughter and they were my boyfriends.
I flushed red at that thought. As far as physical attraction went I still liked Alfred, and yes I have thought and imagined him and I together, but Gilbert... No, no, no, no, I can't think of him in that way, he is my best friend and I'm sure he's straight with all those magazines and porn under his bed.
Quickly with one spatula I flipped over a pancake, but instead of letting it turn over hastily with a splat, I tossed it up in the air and flipped another one up, catching both back on the spatulas and laying them down to cook on the other side. Then one by one I juggled five more in the air at different heights. I kept my eyes on the half cooked pancakes flying up and used both my hands to juggle them around a bit for show.
I remembered when I was a kid on my birthday dad asked me what I wanted to eat for breakfast, obviously I said pancakes, but instead of making them the quick way, dad juggled them around for me with only one spatula. He said that’s what he does for customers now and since then he has a window for the customers to watch him from the bar table by the kitchen. Since then I wanted to juggle pancakes with one spatula, but I can only do two spatulas right now.
Madeline clapped excessively when I had them all back on the skillet. Tino and Kiku joined her, Gilbert didn't because dad had an iron grip around him grinning like they were the best friends.
"So Gale, I bet you’re a sports guy or maybe a jock back at school, so tell me Gale what sport do you like?" dad said giving a little squeeze to Gilbert's shoulders.
"Uh it's Gilbert and I don't play any sports or have a favorite one to be exact unless you call being awesome a sport then I'm a gold medalist at that," Gilbert grinned cheekily at that.
Oh boy
"Well Gale in this house we play the best sport around here, wanna take a guess," dad smiled a bit too evilly.
"Foosball?" Gilbert guessed ignoring the fact that dad called him Gale again.
"No, we play good ol' hockey around here, ever played?"
Oh I see what dad is doing now, I thought smiling a bit at my father's merciless plan I already guessed on.
"Nope."
"Good to Know," dad grinned and I could practically see the gears turning in his head.
Mom came in and took a seat yawning while breaking between English and French while speaking to Madeline as well as some other languages... Did she just speak Russian?
"Перейдем, le principal lui a dit et un élève dit, "That's what she said!" dieser Schüler in den Rücken schreit, et je ris mon cul avec mes élèves, кричать "хороший Steve!" Ah- hahahahahaha!" mom laughed getting odd looks from my friends.
"Mon amour, English please we have guests," dad said.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I teach World Language at the high school so I sometimes slip in between languages here and there, oooh pancakes," she said excitedly defying over and snatching one from the skillet saying "hot hot hot," before eating it.
"There 'eady," mom said with a mouthful of pancake while waving air into her mouth with her hand.
The serving plate was at least five pounds of pancakes topped over pancake on the plate. The stack was so big we had to split the stack in two and have two serving plates of pancakes on the table. Bottles of our homemade maple syrup were passed and I giggled when Gilbert drowned his pancakes in the sticky substance.
"So what should we do today?" mom wondered out loud after polishing her first three pancakes within the minute of eating.
"Dad was saying something about hockey," Madeline commented casually getting a second serving already.
"Not near the house, last time you broke the window last time when your father was playing with Alfred," mom warned.
"Ah~Amour~ I said I was sorry~," dad cooed.
"Sweetie, it wasn't the puck that broke the window, you’re lucky that boy has such thick skin," after mom said that you could practically hear Gilbert's nervous swallow.
"Mind me asking what happened?" Tino asked.
"Oh, well last year Alfred and dad were playing hockey out on the streets and well... Long story short dad Kronwalled Alfred through our window," I explained.
Kiku started choking on his orange juice, Tino's eyes went wide and a dark gloomy cloud hung over Gilbert's head. Dad patted Kiku on the back asking if he was ok and Kiku replied saying hai over and over until his throat was cleared. Tino stayed quiet and continued eating, but the rest of us, besides Gilbert, were still acting happy and eating off most of the pancakes.
After eating we all got dressed and waited downstairs while mom and Madeline showered (no not in the same bathroom we have three bathrooms for a reason). Gilbert took this time to call his brother.
"Hey Luddy~ Frohe Weihnachten!" Gilbert practically yelled into the phone. “Yes I brought more than one pair this time- West! Nein, only you would ask such a question."
The rest of Gilbert's conversation was in German and for a while I liked the sound of it. It was rough and I liked the way it sounded coming from Gilbert instead of the angry spouts from his brother on the