Full House by K. S (books recommended by bts txt) 📕

I flipped through the channels. I heard a scuff come from Dave to which my smile just widened. He probably wanted the remote back. A football game was on, 49ers and Cowboys. 49ers all the way, I thought to myself and clicked it. 

“20 dollars on 49ers.”

All the guys looked at me like I was crazy, thinking, a girl football= what? Pulled out 20 dollars I put it on the table in the middle of the living room and everyone stated which will win with the 20 dollars. So if you picked the 49ers you get your 25 dollars. It was half time and I checked the score, 49ers= 20 Cowboys=17. All of the guys looked at each other and some that picked cowboys groaned. 

“You always side with Val, she has the luck,” my brother stated and I high fived him. 

“Amen,” I praised. Everyone laughed, after it died down, I heard a loud grumble of someone’s stomach and looked around to find Mike with an embarrassed mask on his face. 

“I believe I need to make PANCAKES.”

I winked at Mike, to which he blushed and I laughed then stood up pulling Nathy up with me. He sighed loudly hoping I would hear and that only urged me to make him come with me. 

“Why me,” he complained and I gave him a hurt and pained expression, which he easily showed lament feeling by hugging me. Stalking off into the kitchen I found Logan and his girlfriend on the counter making out. I must have mumbled a snarky remark aloud about kitchen hygiene because Nathy’s bell like laughter rang through the kitchen. That was when Logan and his girlfriend pulled apart to see us. I raised an eyebrow with an amused smile on my face while Nathy was disgusted, well truthfully that makes two of us. Shaking my head I ignored then and took and chair pulling it to where the refrigerator and stood on it looking on top of the refrigerator, Darren always stores the best where no one can find them, experience during Halloween. It seemed that this had not changed.

“Ah ha,” I exclaimed as I found the pancake mix and chocolate chips, throwing them down at Nathy I easily plopped down from the chair and put it back into its place. 

“Wow, I didn’t know we had this!” 

Nathy happily held them and I bent down to search through the cabinets for a pan.

    “Pan, Pan, Pan, Pan,” I repeated until I found a pan and took it out, putting it on the stove. Tilting my head to the side I tried to think of what else I needed, oh ya a bowl to mix the mix. 

“Bowl, Bowl, Bowl.” 

I was handed a mixing bowl and smiled at Nathy. He rolled his eyes and went to the refrigerator getting out milk and eggs. 

“See this is why I need you Nathy,” I told him patting him on the head unashamed.

I heard a low growl but tried to ignore it; somehow in the pit of my stomach it had an effect. Shaking it off I stirred the ingredients and added chocolate chips, I mean who doesn’t love chocolate chips. 

Pouring it into the pan that was already on medium. Taking a spatula in hand I waited till the pancake mix bubbled then flipped it perfectly; you’d think I had made pancakes before. Never in my life have I Valeria Voss made pancakes. While making the pancakes, the song that woke me up started to haunt me. It played over and over in my head, causing me to feel my sanity slipping.

“Dave, I will kill you with this Spatula!” 

I could imagine his smile turning into a scared frown despite not being in the same room. Smiling I placed the pancake onto a plate, and then continued with another one. 

“Val, how did you find these,” Darren squealed while he walked into the kitchen. I reminisced on the Halloween before I left, licking my lips at the thought of the melting chocolate. Darren noticed this and laughed half heartedly. 

 “Who’s winning?”

“49er’s still,” he said casually as I flipped another pancake then placed the other one of the plate.  After a second I placed the other pancake on the plate and counted 10. Letting out a stressful breath blowing some hair with it I realized it wasn’t enough. Pouring more of the pancake batter in the pan I shaped it into a football and laughed then waited a few seconds to see it already bubbling and flipping it. I placed the football pancake onto the plate and smiled at it. 

Oh, let’s make a soccer ball too, I thought to myself. I waited, then cooked it fully and placed it on the plate. My smile dimmed as I realized, it looked like all the other ones… a circle.

    I counted twelve then counted the guys in the living room. Eight, then Daren, Nathy, Logan, and his not girlfriend, yup twelve. I’ll make more anyways. Cooking twelve more I was done without anymore batter. Picking up the plate I collected paper plates to hand out and made my way to the living room. Mike looked at me like I was a goddess once he saw the food in my hands. I bowed and placed it on the table, within seconds they each had two. 

   I only realized i didn’t make enough for myself when I saw the plate completely emptied. With  a shrug I went into the kitchen to clean.

  “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swim swimming swim,” I sung as I cleaned the pan and mixing bowl. Nathy appeared beside me and I splashed water on him. Raising my eyebrow I dared him to do the same and he did, my eyes widened and I splashed even more onto him then ran out of the kitchen hiding behind Darren. 

“Help.”

 Everyone was confused at my cry until Nathy came into the living room with his shirt soaking wet. I crossed my arms across my chest behind Darren and gave him a taunting look but he just started laughing randomly. Seeing that he was done I went over to sit down next to Mike on the couch. 

“Thank you, Valerie,” he exclaimed, hugging me tightly. Is this about the pancakes? Were they that good, I questioned myself? My attention turned away from him to watch the game which was now down to the final minutes of the last quarter. 49er’s still winning, I thought to myself victoriously. As I watched the screen carefully I heard a bunch of thank you’s. 

“Your welcomes,” I said to everyone in-directly, and then leaned into the couch. The 49er’s quarter back was running the field with the ball two centimeters to get the touchdown. Once he did I squealed happily and then they made a goal. The fourth quarter was over and the 49ers won! Jumping up from the couch I did my famous I win dance and nodded my head smiling. 

“I win,” I exclaimed taking 25 dollars from the pile of money making my way out of the living room. Through the hall I walked out of the house and to my car. Opening it up I got out my backpack full of clothes and everything important to me. Searching through it I found all of my wallet. I took my winnings and stuffed it back into my backpack where I found a picture. 

Taking it out I studied it, my heart skipped a beat. Small tears started to collect at the corner of my eyes, making it hard to see clearly. My throat felt like it was being forced to not allow me to breathe. In the picture was three happy 9 year olds hugging each other, a girl with Carmel hair and lime green eyes, two boys one with the same Carmel hair but regular light green eyes, the other with sandy blonde hair and vibrant blue eyes, all three lightly tanned. It reminded me that we aren’t the same three kids anymore. A tear threatened to spill complete but I held wiped away the wetness drying my eyes. Throwing the backpack over my shoulder I held the picture close to me. Closing my car door I blinked away my tears and watery eyes, and then walked back into the house. My eyebrows pulled together when I was in the living room. 

“Where’s Kayla?” 

    Why haven’t I noticed her absence earlier. Darren rolled his eyes and walked up the stairs probably to wake her up, she’s even lazier than me. Forgetting everybody in the living room I sneaked a peek back at the picture and bit my lip.

“What you got there Val?”

 I looked up from it slowly and found Nathy looking at me curiously.  Feeling too emotional, I shrugged and silently walked up the stairs to my room. 

Closing the door behind me I let one tear silently trail down my cheek. Sitting on the floor beside my bed I leaned into it and pulled the picture into view. Whatever happened to being there for each other forever and ever, I wondered. Sniffling I faced the picture down on the carpet and played with the carpet. I’m stupid to think he’d still be my best friend, I exclaimed to myself noticing my absurd trust in our relationship. I heard my door open and shut, but I was disappointed too even look up. 

“What’s wrong V,” Logan asked leaving me dumbfounded. I had expected Nathy’s voice or anyone but him. Slightly I smiled, he used my nickname. 

“Nothing.”

While twirling a piece of carpet in my finger I wondered if he would leave. Instead of leaving he plopped down next to me. Butterflies stirred within me making me question my rationality. 

“You can’t lie to me.” 

Concern flashed in his electric blue eyes as he watched me.

“It’s nothing huge, isn’t your girlfriend waiting for you.” 

“It’s still something. V, you can trust me.” 

I looked up at his blue eyes feeling the concern that he felt. Shaking my head I still didn’t buy it.

“Why should I? You aren’t the same Logan from before. You haven’t said a word to me, all you have done is kiss your girlfriend. Besides when I first arrived here you were not welcoming and now you ask me to trust you? Logan, do you still believe you are my best friend?” 

My lime green eyes darkening into a dull forest green. He’s eyes also dulled before he took a deep breath.

“You don’t understand what you coming back has done to me. All I can do is think of you, and how you just left me. You didn’t even say goodbye.” 

He let out a frustrated sigh while looking away. I bit my lip as my throat closed and it got harder to breathe. Looking back at the time when I left I remember begging for my mum to let me say my goodbyes, but she didn’t let me. They even forced me to leave in the middle of the night so that Darren would not notice.

“I wasn’t given the choice. It’s absurd that you think I would just leave without wanting to say goodbye. You were my best friend, my everything. Honestly you think I would just leave?”

Closing my eyes I tried to breathe and succeeded, and then I opened them again to see Logan crying. Looking down I felt hot  tears