A/N Just starting out by saying I am so happy because I'm number one on the hashtags #masterofearth and #2 in colebrookstone so thank you!!!

  I am ashamed to say I avoided Cole. I needed to sort out my thoughts. Sort out my emotions, sort out...everything!

  I also was avoiding my mom, who in turn avoided me, but it wasn't that hard. She's hardly around anyway. I'm not usually bitter so this was a bit of an odd feeling for me.

  But I dove myself into schoolwork and band practise, perfecting the song, writing parts of each of the band members to play. I tuned everything out, earbuds in, crouching over my work with such absorbed attention everyone assumed I was in a muse.

  I didn't ignore Mackenzie of course but I made sure to steer our conversations from things like Mom, fight, Cole, earth, ninja, and cake.

  Unfortunately there was a small hiccup in my plan.

  Cole refused to be ignored.

  "Siena." He poked me from where I was listening to some harsh rock music as I scribbled furiously in my notepad.

  I glanced up. "What?" I demanded, yanking my ear buds out by the chords.

"I was wondering if you wanted to hang out tonight." I had to refrain myself from getting lost in his eyes. I dragged my gaze back to my work.

  "I'm busy...yup-very busy. Busy, busy, busy, busy. Like a bee. A busy bee. Buzz-"

  I've always been a horrible liar.

  Cole laughed and gently tugged my very important work out of my hands. "You've been busy for awhile now." He informed me. "I think you need a break."

  I frowned. Break? With him? No, no, no,no, no! That's goes against my plan!

  "But-I-uh-" he stopped my sputtering my tapping my head with my notepad.

"Let's hang out at your house after school." Cole strategically interrupted my sputtering by inviting himself over. "We can have dinner and watch a movie."

  "But-but..but but-" I frantically tried but he was already out the door, taking my book with him.

  "HEY!" I objected when I realized he had somehow gotten ahold of my earbuds as well.

*******

  I was gnawing on some trail mix when he came. Unfortunately I wasn't ready at all and I scrambled to make my house look presentable. Throwing a hairbrush in the medicine cabinet I struggled to get the hair out of the sink. I rushed around, cleaning the candy wrappers and swiftly throwing my duvet over my unusually unmade bed.

  Another knock sounded.

"Coming!" I called, tripping over my shoes.

Dammit.

  I finally threw the door open, trying not to appear as frazzled as I was. Red faced and sweaty I looked to where Cole smiled at me.

  "Can I come inside?" He asked.

  "Hm? Oh yes." I allowed him in. I began searching him for my notepad by eyeing his pockets.

"What?" He chuckled.

"My stuff, you robbed me of my notepad and my earbuds!" I accused him, jabbing him in the chest. He wore a black v-neck t-shirt and a black varsity jacket. I mean, he looked super attractive but that wouldn't stop me from calling the police!

  "Oh, right!" He laughed it off. "Left them at home, sorry."

  "WHAT?" I screeched as he made his way into my kitchen, I followed him, protecting and barking that he go home and bring me back my stuff this instant mister!

  "So what are we cooking?" He rubbed his hands together.

  I pursed my lips in a frown but relented. "First, jacket off, you're going to get hit and I don't want stinky boy sweat in the food!" I ordered. It was very rare I went around bossing people around but somehow Cole made it easy. Maybe it was be chase he drove me up the wall.

  Cole rolled his eyes and tugged off the jacket, slipping it on a hook. I tried not to stare at his nicely muscled biceps.

  I'm not a creep, I'm not a creep.

Those ARE super strong muscles though....

Dang it.

Directing my eyes elsewhere I pulled my hair in a ponytail, snapping the elastic dramatically as Cole came back beside me.

"Secondly, wash your hands." I directed him, motioning to the sink.

He squirted the lemon soap into his hands and did as told, unfortunately flexing his biceps as he did so. I didn't like the smirk on his face. Fixing an unimpressed look on my face, I shot him a scowl before shoving him over so I could wash my hands.

"What's for dinner?" Cole quizzed me again once we finished.

"It's this new recipe I wanted to try out." I told him. "Rice with ground beef, pineapple and peppers-yum!"

"Okay." Cole rubbed the back of his neck, if I didn't know better I'd say he looked nervous.

I got out the ground beef before getting a pan on the stove. Then I put it in. I handed Cole the spoon. "Stir." I instructed. I already had leftover peanut sauce from these fresh rolls I had yesterday, you know those really good ones at Thai restaurants?

I began cutting the peppers and getting the canned pineapple.

"You know how to make rice, right?" I asked, taking out the packet of jasmine rice.

"Yeah." Cole said, but he looked hesitant. "Yeah."

  I moved back to the vegetables, trying to remember the trick for how to not cry when cutting onions. Cole didn't need to see that mess.

  I looked over to see Cole dumping the rice into a pot.

  "What are you doing?" I asked.

  "Um...cooking rice?"

  I tsked. "You need to wash the rice first." I told him. "To get  all the chemicals off and stuff."

  "Wait, what chemicals?" He looked confused as I rinsed the rice.

  "The stuff that keeps all the bugs away and things." I explained, I handed it back to him. He bit his lip.

  "What?" I asked.

  "I...have to tell you something." Cole looked away. I nodded.

  "Okay."

  Cole closed his eyes. "Ican'tcook!" He said so quickly I barely heard it.

  My brow furrowed. "I'm sorry-what?"

  He looked sheepish. "I can't cook."

  I blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I'm a horrible cook, I've given the guys food poisoning like....three times." He twiddled his thumbs. Three times? I mean, that's not SO bad...

"This week." Ohhh.. 

  "That's okay," I brushed it off. "You just need directing."

  Cole looked dead serious. An almost scarred look on his face. "Many have trend, none have succeeded."

  He leaned on the counter. "Even Zane tried but..." He mimed an explosion, sound effects and everything.

  I grimaced. "Well maybe this time will be different."

It was different...but not in a good way.

We stared at the mess of what was once my kitchen. Food everywhere.

  I wiped the ground beef off my brow. "I'm going to go clean up." I said.

Cole licked some peanut sauce off his bicep. "Tastes good."

  "Let's just order pizza." I sighed, stepping over a puddle of who knows what.

****

  After an intense cleanup we chewed on some pepperoni pizza as we watched one of those stupid reality television programs that are super dramatic and clearly staged.

  We nibbled on some popcorn as the door of the apartment flew open. A storm cloud stomped in, and we both slowly turned to peer over the side of the couch as my mother plodded through, ignoring us and tossing her purse on the couch. Unfortunately it smacked Cole in the face before she slammed her bedroom door shut.

  Cole stared wide-eyed at me.

  I sighed. "I better check on her."

  Cole's face softened and he handed me the bag. "You're so nice."

  I gave a pained smile. "Thank you."

  He made his way to the door, slipping on his shoes and jacket. I walked him there and held the door open, leaning against the door frame as he stepped out, he turned back, suddenly nervous.

  "Um, Siena?" He said finally.

"Yeah?"

  "I just wanted to say I had a lot of fun...and I always have fun with you and stuff..., he rambled.

  Cole took a deep breath. "I guess what I'm trying to tell you is-" suddenly his phone rang with such a loud shrill noise is made us both jump. He frantically fumbled to get it out if his pocket and he jabbed the screen, thoroughly pissed off.

  "What?" He snapped.

  There was the soft noise of incoherent words from the other end. He slumped. "Yeah...yeah..." He sighed, running a hand through his raven hair. "Be roughy there." He mumbled. He flicked it off, tuning back to me.

  "Duty calls." Cole told me, looking disappointed.

"Careful out there."

  He nodded enforce jogging away.

It wasn't until I closed the door that I realized he never finished what he was saying.

A/N*****

Hi guys! Hope everyone's surviving with COVID-19, for anyone who is reading my Lloyd fanfiction I will get a chapter out soon!

Shout out to my mother who actually makes that recipe that Cole and Siena failed at!

IMPORTANT....ish:
Also sorry I switched from third person to first person, I guess I forgot that it was in third person. But the thing is I throughly enjoyed Siena's thought in first person, tell me what you think!

Please stay healthy!

LuckyBugBooks 🐞

I also drew a picture of Siena and Cole! If anyone decides to draw any fan art I'd love to feature it in the book!

Thank you all for being supportive and amazing!