Song: Cinnamon by Jome

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It wasn't until early Saturday morning until I received a text from an unknown number. Not that I had been waiting for a text or anything. I quickly saved the number under Solo and read his text.

Tyler said that he'd pick me up 6:45 and take me to his house to watch Cannon for the night. To say that I was excited would have been a massive understatement.

I quickly brush my hair for the third time today and pop a piece of gum in my mouth so that my breath smells like cinnamon. I look into the mirror and give it my best smile.

Today was going to be great.

I hear a knock on my door and I quickly run and peer through the peephole, allowing me to see the very close head of Tyler Williams. I gently pat my hair down before swinging the door open and smiling brightly up at him.

"Hello, Solo!"

"Shrimpy." He nods, looking uncomfortable.

"Look what I'm bringing," I say while grabbing something off my table and shoving it in his face. He steps back to look at it and smiles a bit before rolling his eyes,

"Is that the Man Solo movie?"

"Star Wars," I mumble before continuing,"and yes! I thought we could watch it once you get back." I smile while walking out the door and shutting it behind me.

"Aren't you going to lock it?" Tyler asks me with a frown,

"Oh," I say turning to glance at him. "I never lock the door."

Tyler looks taken aback before gently grabbing my wrist, stopping me from walking to his car. Feeling a bit uncomfortable I shift and look at my feet awkwardly. "Why not?" He asks.

"I don't know." I lie before pulling myself out of his hold and walking to his car. I get in the car before looking out the window at Tyler who stays in the same spot I left him in. His eyes are fixed on the ground and his eyebrows are creased in a thoughtful frown. I lean over and honk the horn, waving at him and smiling.

"Get in the car Solo!" I shout. He looks up at me before sliding into the car without a word.

The ride was awkward at first but when Tyler saw me open my mouth he quickly interrupted, "No, Shrimp."

I quickly close my mouth and frown, How did he know?

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When we pull into his driveway and I see his house my mouth drops. It was huge!

That's what she said.

I chuckle evilly to myself at my inside joke but stop short when I see Tyler give me a weird look.

"You live in a mansion!" I exclaim. Tyler looks over at me before shrugging and acting as if it's no big deal.

"Why didn't you tell me you were rich? I would have become your friend sooner." I say while smiling.

"Who said we were friends?" He asks with a smirk, unlocking the front door and casually walking in.

"You're right, we're best friends." I smile smugly at him.

He looks over at me with a playful, annoyed glance before turning around and walking into a room to the right. My eyes wander throughout the house, met with one beautiful thing to another.

The room is filled with velvet armchairs and long leather couches. My eyes suddenly land on Cannon who sits on one of the couches and stares at some cartoons that play on the television.

"Is that SpongeBob?" I ask excitedly before hopping on the couch next to him and grabbing some popcorn from the bowl he had.

"Yeah, this is the one with the butterfly monster!"

"This one gave me nightmares as a kid, I wouldn't touch butterflies for years." I exclaim before looking over at Tyler to see him watching me with a weird look.

"What?"

"You are so weird." He comments before sitting in an armchair beside us. I ignore his comment and stuff more popcorn in my mouth smiling at him with my mouth full. He looks at me disgusted and amused before turning back to the TV.

During the episode, Cannon and I start laughing like maniacs and every once in a while we'd hear Tyler chuckle or make a snorting sound.  Soon enough the episode is over and all the popcorn is gone, besides a few kernels.

"Let's play a game!" Cannon exclaims while smiling happily at me.

"What game do you want to play?" I ask while turning off the TV.

"Hiding go seek!" Cannon squeals. Tyler groans and rolls his eyes, "Not again, Can. We played that yesterday." Cannon begins to pout, his blue eyes seeming to grow.

"We can play it again," I say while wrapping Cannon in my arms and giving him a big hug. Tyler rolls his eyes.

"You spoil him too much. The kid needs to hear 'no' once in a while."  I frown and look up at him with a sarcastic glare, "It's a game, Solo."

"Fine, but I am not going to be the one counting again." he smiles.

"Fine, I'll count." I volunteer, "Hurry, go hide, Can." Cannon runs off and I look back to Tyler, "Go hide, Ty Ty." I tease.

Tyler frowns at me before turning and following Cannon into the house. Once they are out of sight I flop onto the couch and close my eyes.

One

two

three

four

five

six

seven

eight

nine

twenty!

"Ready or not, here I come!" I shout. I open my eyes and scan the gigantic room before frowning at myself. Why am I the one counting? I'm not even sure where the bathrooms are.

I wander the halls and look in every possible hiding spot, taking notes of good places to hide when it was my turn. I open a random door and look inside, but seeing as it was dark, I quickly shut it and turn around. I'm not dying today.

I walk over to a room with books and armchairs and quickly look under tables and under a few blankets. Ugh, I was never going to find them. Just as I'm about to give up and yell that I couldn't find them, I hear a very muffled sneeze coming from behind a closet door.

I got you. I smile evilly before softly grabbing the door handle. I hear a couple muffled voices before I yank the door open. Tyler looks up from his spot crouched on the floor and Cannon looks at me with a smile.

"I found you!" I brag before grabbing Cannon and tickling him. He laughs and squirms in my arms before I let him go.

"Your Turn Ty!" Cannon yells before grabbing my hand and leading me to a different hiding spot.

I turn around and look at Tyler before pointing at him with a smile, "Close your eyes, Solo. No cheating." He rolls his eyes before closing his eyes and starting to count out loud.

"Hurry!" Cannon yells, leading me to a room at the end of the hall. He pushes the door open and I quickly smell the familiar scent of vanilla and a hint of the ocean.

As creepy as it sounded, it was starting to become my favorite smell.

This must be Tyler's room. The room was altogether pretty clean except a few pieces of clothing scattered here and there. He had a queen sized bed and a small desk in the corner decorated with a black lamp and a computer. His room was pretty basic besides a few posters of different bands like the Beatles and Journey.

He definitely had good taste.

Suddenly Cannon pulls me to the floor and starts to crawl under his bed. Uhh, this is a bit weird.

"Cannon, can we find a different hiding spot?" I ask, as I watch the last of his feet slide under.

"No." I hear his muffled voice, "he'll never find us here."

I doubt that kid.

I sigh before crawling in after him and lying flat against the floor. This is so uncomfortable. I look to Cannon to see him flipping through a PlayBoy magazine and I quickly grab it from his hand, shutting it closed before throwing it behind me. "Where did you get that?" I whisper incredulously.

"It was under here." he reasons with big innocent eyes. I roll my eyes before frowning and pushing a piece of underwear away from my face. How... disturbing.

Before I can lecture Cannon about why you shouldn't read those kinds of magazines I hear Tyler's footsteps.

"Shh, don't say a word. Okay, Can?" Cannon nods his head.

We hear the door creak open before Tyler calls out, "Marco!"

I look confused to Cannon and my eyes widen in shock as Cannon yells back, "Polo!"

I hear Tyler laugh before he drops to his knees and peers under the bed, straight at us.

"That's not fair!" I exclaim before crawling out from under his bed, almost hitting my head against the bed spring. Tyler laughs at me before picking a sock off of my shirt and throwing it across the room in a nonchalant manner. "It is completely fair, shrimp."

Before I can say something else Cannon interrupts, "I want to count!"

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"Stop moving." Tyler whisper yells at me.

"I can't, I'm a bit cramped." I whisper back. My back was pressed against the shower wall, my socks soaking wet from the thin layer of water on the floor. "Why do we have to hide in here again?"

Tyler ignores me and instead tries to move to give us a bit more room.

His sudden movement causes me to take a step forward, slipping on a slippery part of the shower and falling forward. I grab ahold of the nearest thing and quickly steady myself before the shower suddenly turns on and sprays both me and Tyler in the face. I look down at my hand and see that I had accidentally turned the knob to the shower.

"Turn it off!" Tyler yells, his face dripping with water and his hair matted on top of his head. I frantically turn the knob but the water only gets colder.

"Turn it off, shrimp!"

"I'm trying!" I snap, turning the knob a bit harder, causing the pressure of the water to increase and spray me in the eye and momentarily blind me.

"AHHHH!" I turn my head in the opposite direction from the spray and grab ahold of Tyler. "I can't see!" I rub my eyes with my hands hoping it would help to give me my sight back.

I feel Tyler's hands circle around my body, steadying myself before grabbing my wrists and taking my hands away from my eyes.

"Look at me." He says softly. I hesitantly open my eyes and peer into Tyler's eyes. "Can you see me now?" I nod my head, shaking the sting from my eyes. I look up at his eyes. Did they get bluer?

Tyler lifts his hand and gently wipes some water from under my eye. "Better?" He asks.

"Yeah, better." I mumble, my cheeks turning red.

My clothes cling to my body as we get sprayed by the freezing water, my socks soggy and filled with water. Tyler squeezes past me before swiftly turning the knob the other way.

Oh.

The water shuts off and suddenly the shower curtain slings open, revealing a smiling Cannon.

"Found you! Y'all are loud," I look up to a frowning Tyler before lifting my leg and sliding out of the shower. "Why are you so wet?" Cannon asks with a frown.

I look at Tyler before laughing at myself.

That's what she said.

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