J A Y

Colin ran up to me as I exited my classroom; he gripped my shoulder and sucked in air like he'd been underwater for a minute. Putting a hand on his shoulder, I tried to steady him as he looked through his blond hair to me.

"Jay," His voice was breathless and hoarse, "Ugh, I need water. Anyways, I was wondering... Well, Soren said you worked at a café."

"A smoothie bar." I corrected and watched as he took a step back in thought before asking me seriously, "Can you cook? Or bake?"

I shrugged, "I make food for my dad and I sometimes. So yes, I think I can. Why?"

He ran a hand through his hair stressfully, "See, the thing is... I kinda failed one of my tests and I need to tell my mother BUT she'd kill me and I'm too good looking to die." He grinned, "This is where you come in. The plan is to make her something—food I mean—and then tell her. You know, to get on her good side."

I stood in the hallway in shock for a moment before I nodded slowly, "When? What do you want me to make? Wait, why not got one of the maids?"

He blinked in disbelief and hissed seriously, "Those are her eyes and ears. They talk about us to her all the time. Not one of them trusts us after the eggnog incident." He clapped his hands together in conclusion, "Meaning the maids have to see us making the cookies, when I mean us, I mean you... doing the work. But, I'll supervise?"

"Um..." I looked around at the passing students as they moved to their next class, "I have work Colin."

"Come on, can't you skip a day?" He begged, I watched the blonde boy gave me puppy dog eyes and large pout. 

"I'll get fired." I raised an eyebrow at him before I walked past apologising. I hadn't taken one step until Colin was in front of me, on knees.

"I'm begging and trust me, I do not beg." He looked at me with his focused eyes, giving me a lopsided grin.

"You look like you're proposing." I grinned, swapping my books to the other arm.

He looked at the ground before looking at me, "Jay Whiley, will you bake with me?"

My laughter echoed in the practically empty hallway as I shook my head, covering my large smile with a hand.

"I want to but I will get fired."

"Which cafe? I'll get dad's secretary to ring them, they'll let you off the hook today." He grinned and got himself of the ground, "Meet me in the parking lot after school, I'll drive you."

-

Soren wasn't in the car with us, so I sat in front seat as Robin got kicked to the back. It still surprised me how the twins got along so easily.

"Where's Soren?" I asked as we pulled out of the grounds, checking the time on my phone.

Robin looked up from his phone and responded, "He never catches a ride home with us. Who knows what he's doing, probably boxing."

Even though it was the third time in the McKinin's household, I will never get over how much money was put into the building. This was only a sliver of their wealth. At first entrance you were greeted with a large, wide, marble staircase.

Colin took my hand and guided me into a large homely kitchen, "Colin, do your maids cook here?"

He laughed before putting on a straight face realising I was serious, "No, the basement is where the meals are cooked. This kitchen is mainly for show and randomly when we cook or eat breakfast."

I nodded, my mouth open as I stared around at the black marble counter tops. The maids had placed all the ingredients out, all measured.
"I don't see how I'm any help, they've always measured everything out." I explained to the Colin who was flicking through a cookbook.

He looked up suddenly, "Jay, I honestly do not know how to turn the oven on. Call me a spoiled brat but I have never cooked before and these cookies need to be perfect."

"They can't be perfect Colin, then she'll know you didn't make them."

Colin seemed really nervous; even just tipping brown sugar into the bowl, continually asking if he was doing it right. 'Colin' and 'nervous' shouldn't be in the same though pattern, his a bundle of confidence and overwhelming smiles.

I slowly poured milk into a measuring cup that the maids had forgotten to measure out, my hand shook from the heavy weight of the milk container.

"Hey Jay—"

"Not now." I bit my lip in concentration.

"Your mother's so old her breast milk is like—" I turned to look at him the exact moment that Colin blew flour into my face. I closed my eyes as the white powered filled my nose and clogged on my mouth.

I rolled my shoulders and stood up straighter, "What you don't know about me—" I picked an egg up from the carton, "is that I'm very competitive."

I smashed the egg on his head and watched at the orange yolk dripped down his forehead and seep itself in his hair.

My laughter lasted seconds as Colin grabbed a handful of flour and threw it me, I coughed uncontrollably. I picked up a handle of white sugar and threw it back him only to be hit by an egg. I ran around the counter for protection, grabbing another egg on the way, peering over the counter. I threw the egg straight in Colin's face.

The blonde, now I hire haired boy picked up a handful of flour but froze as a lady's screeches echoed through the house, "WHAT IS GOING ON?"

I stood up gingerly and looked at a lady of high class, her pink expensive blazer gleaming at me. Her face was bright red as her blonde hair hung messily over her face, her fist were clenched.

"Mom." Colin held up both hands as his mother stomped towards him, I forced myself not to gasped when she open-handedly slapped him.

"I raised a classy man, look what you've done?" She screeched, looking at the kitchen before making eye contact with me, "And who is this?"

Colin held his cheek and gestured to me, "This is Jay, she was helping me make cookies."

"Well..." Colin's mother peered at me with an unreadable expression and her eyes flicked back to her son. "Colin, why don't you show the girl to a bathroom so she can clean up. I'll be waiting here to have a chat with you when you come back."

He nodded sheepishly in response and nodded his head to the stairs, gesturing for me to follow him. As soon as we reached the second floor he turned around.

"Sorry about all—"

"No, it's okay." I shrugged, trying to ignore the guiltily feeling that his parents would disown me and remember me as the one who ruined their kitchen, "I ruined your kitchen, I'm sorry..."

"Got to give something for the maids to do." He grinned weakly, "Anyways, doesn't really matter, I won." He grinned, nudging me the shoulder playfully.

I scoffed, "Honey, you stood no chance."

Colin rolled his eyes and came to a stop in front of a door, "Uh huh."

At fist glance the trophies were what stood out, millions of them lining the shelves. I didn't believe Colin to be a cocky person, well not about his wealth but he did like his soccer trophies. The rumpled unmade bed stood in a shadow under the gleam of the golden cups.

School work scattered his disk and clothes were tossed lazily on the ground.

"Welcome to my den," He gestured to the small mess and rubbed the back of his head, "I would've cleaned it but I didn't think we'd be coming in my room."

He opened another door and flicked on a light. "Here's the bathroom. Shower," He pointed to a clear glass door with a showerhead behind it, "towels are in there," he nodded to the cupboard above the toilet, "and I'll leave some folded clothes on my bed for when you're done."

He took a step back and opened his arms,
"Take one last look of me Jay because my mother is going to actually kill me when I go downstairs."

I laughed and watched Colin pause for a moment and hold our gaze. Then he coughed awkwardly and turned around. "Alright well... Yeah. Okay. I'll just be," He pointed out the door, "Yeah I'll be downstairs."

He almost shut the door before turning around and saying, "That other door connects to Soren's room but he's gone. Though, unless you want to die a painful death. Don't go in there."

Dried flower is surprisingly hard to get out of your hair, so I borrowed some of Colin's shampoo. My eyes widened and I sniffed the liquid, it smelt like, Soren? I hadn't been around Colin long enough to know his smell so I just made the conclusion they used the same shampoo.

Soren smelt like power, if that's even possible. He smelt like someone who knew what they were doing and wouldn't hesitate to kick your ass. Was it bad I was sniffing my hair uncontrollably? Probably.

I looked into the cupboard only to find one sad excuse for a rag, a hand towel at best. I gulped, drying myself with what I could. Peering through door, the light was off and I had no idea where the switch was. I could still make out the shadow of the bed, guess I was making a run for it.

I listened for a moment, hearing nothing I sprinted for the bed. I patted the sheets down feeling for clothes then my stomach drop, I had gripped into the shape of a leg.

"Oh my god...no, please don't." The leg followed up to a figure was sitting up slowly, "Soren, I swear I'll hurt you if you open your eyes!" I grabbed one of the fancy pillows off the ground and held it to my body.

"Jay?" His husky voice murmured as he pulled himself into a sitting position. I watched in horror as he went to turn the light on.

"Wait!" I launched myself at his hand and pinned it against the wall, still holding the pillow to my chest with the other hand, "um...er, I'm kinda naked." I whispered, "I just need you to cover our eyes so I can back into the bathroom."

Soren sat up quickly and spat, "Why the fuck are you naked?" 

I slammed my hand over his eyes, "Can we talk about this when I'm not shielding myself with a pillow!" I hissed at him, having the underlining feeling the maids could hear us.

Soren pulled the covers over his face as I walked slowly back towards the bathroom, never taking my eyes off his silhouette.

I grabbed the door handle just as Soren muffled through the sheets, "Jay, why do you have a tattoo on your lower back?"

-
Honestly I don't know what's happening to some of the chapters, their font changed randomly. Sorry! I'll try fix them as soon as it happens again.

What did you guys think?? Whoooh, we made it to #130 in teen fiction!!!