"We're here! We're here! Yaay!" Ella laughed and clapped her hands like a child and Kristina beside her just groaned. Daniel pulled the breaks and took his seat belt off with a half-frown on his face.

  Ella jumped outside the car and skipped towards the entrance. Kristina and Daniel silently followed from the back, still not looking at each other. The awkwardness was too heavy to carry so Ella thought of another plan. She immediately grinned when she saw her partner in crime open the door.

    "Oh my! Ella! How are you dear?" Kristina's mom had a wide smile on.

    "I'm fine Aunt Liz! By the way, can I stay over tonight?" she asked.

    "W-What did you say?! Stay over?!" Kristina stepped inside the room and took her shoes off.

  Ella laughed. "Yeah! I just texted my mom. She said it was okay!"

    "Greeeat," Daniel also entered the room. "More noise."

    "Of course you can stay over! Ooh it'll be so much fun!" Lizzy also laughed. She and Ella began to chatter their way towards the living room and Kristina just stood there beside the door, open-mouthed. She groaned again and slapped her face.

    "I knew it. Mom and Ella... This is gonna be a long night."

    "Hey." Daniel walked in front of her.

    "What." They still couldn't look at each other.

    "Help me with dinner."

  Kristina's eyes were in perfect circles. She shook her expression off and said, "What about mom? Or dad? Aren't they cooking?"

  Daniel shrugged. "Your mom and your friend had weird grins on their faces when they told me to prepare the food and ask for your help."

    "Right," she replied, her energy drained immediately. "What are those two evil geniuses up to this time? Please, please, please--don't let them think of anything stupid to do." She thought.

  She followed Daniel in to the kitchen with her face on the floor, and Daniel's hands inside his pockets. But before they got there, they passed through the living room where her mom and Ella were happily chattering. They spotted the two and they giggled like little girls.

    "Have fun Tina!" Ella said.

    "Try not to burden Daniel with your cooking skills!" Her mom too.

  She hissed at them and then stomped her way towards the kitchen, where she found Daniel, already preparing the necessary ingredients he got from the fridge.

    "What are we cooking?" She asked, curious.

    "Curry." He replied upon washing the chopping board. "Here, you mince some of the vegetables and meat while I boil some water. You can do that, right?"

  Kristina grabbed the knife and excitedly pointed it at Daniel. "Of course I can! It's just mincing right?!"

 Daniel stared at her with a horrified look. "Alright. Just... Don't play with sharp objects."

  They began preparing dinner. After Daniel left the casserole boiling the water in the stove, he glanced at Kristina. She was furiously mincing the vegetables into tiny bits with a murderous intent in her eyes. He sighed, then went to the cabinet.

    "Strange..." He found an empty cabinet before him. "I'm sure this is where I left the first-aid kit before." Daniel closed it and then went to the other cupboards in the kitchen. It wasn't there.

    "What are you looking for?" Kristina turned her head and looked at Daniel while still rapidly mincing.

    "Nothing. Be careful with that thing--"

  And as soon as he said it.

    "OWW!!!"

  Daniel sighed. "As expected. Wait here," he walked out of the kitchen towards the living room. He saw the two girls still chatting endlessly.

    "Aunt Lizzy," he said.

    "Yes dear?"

    "Where do you keep the first-aid kit? That girl cut her finger again."

  She and Ella giggled like chipmunks. "Why, I don't know Daniel! I wonder where it went?"

    "You just do all the necessary procedures for first-aid. You don't need that stupid kit!" Ella laughed.

  Daniel sighed again and nodded his head. "Those girls really..."

  When he entered the kitchen, he found Kristina continuing her job to mince the vegetables. "Hey," he held her shoulder from behind. "Stop that, you'll get your blood all over the--"

  But when Kristina turned around, she was biting her lip and smiling at him. "I'm fine, I'm fine! Look, I minced more than half of the vegetables already!" Daniel looked at her finger.

    "Aish. That cut is even deeper than last time. Stupid Poopy."

    "Come here," he pulled her arm.

    "What for? And also, do you know where the first-aid kit is? I think my finger's stinging a bit..."

Daniel let go of her arm and took her hand. "Does it still hurt?" He took her bleeding finger and examined it.

    "Well, yeah a li--"

 He gently pressed his lips on her finger and sucked the blood out.

O_O

  They didn't realize that Ella and Lizzy were spying on them from behind the open door. They almost died trying hard not to laugh and feel triumphant.

    "He did it! He did it!" Lizzy shout-whispered to Ella.

    "Shh!" She giggled. "They'll hear you!"

    "Hihihi! Oh my, oh my! Look at Kristina! They're sooo adorable!!!"

    "I know! Tina's so cute when she's embarrassed!"

 Lizzy sighed. "Those two are hopeless without us." Ella nodded her head in agreement.

    "Indeed. Two stubborn heads--they definitely need our help!" She winked at Lizzy.

    "Haha! Oh! Shh! Shh! Let's go, let's go! They're coming this way!"

    "DASH!!!"

  Daniel let go of Kristina's hand and turned around; he found a clean cloth folded neatly near the towel holders and threw it to her. "Does it still hurt now?"

    "N-No..." she mumbled. "W-What what was that f-for?!" Her voice stuttered.

    "First-aid, stupid."He threw the vegetables Kristina just minced inside the casserole and began cooking the curry. She walked towards the living room, where she found Ella and her mom giggling to themselves.

    "Mom, do you have a band-aid?" She asked upon giving them a quizzical look. Lizzy burst out laughing--she couldn't help it. Ella replied in her stead. "I thought Daniel took care of that for you?"

  Kristina's face instantly flushed. "Never mind," she went back inside the kitchen.

    "No wait! Wait, honey! I have a band-aid right here," she took her wallet and handed the band-aid to her daughter. "I knew you'd cut yourself, so I was prepared."

    "Yeah," she took the band-aid. "Prepared."

  Half an hour later, Daniel finished cooking the curry and they both served the food with a full plate each. Kristina sat between Lizzy and Ella, and Daniel sat on the opposite chair in front of them.

    "Where's dad?" Kristina began munching on the food.

    "He'll be home late. Business plans blah blah. Johnny said he'll be home late too," Lizzy smiled at Daniel. He just nodded his head and silently ate his food.

    "OH MY GOSH!" Ella practically screamed. "This is so good!"

  Lizzy took a spoonful of the curry that Daniel made and her eyes widened. "It really is! Where did you learn to make this?"

  Daniel shrugged. "Dunno. Just saw it on a cooking show once."

  They couldn't believe what they were hearing. Ella joked, "Hey Tina! I think you need to watch more cooking shows from now on!"

    "Bleh." Kristina stuck her tongue out. "Man this really is good. With just the right amount of spice..."

    "So honey!" Lizzy started. "I heard from Ella that you were going to the beach this Saturday with your friends?"

    "Yeah," she replied. "Can I, mom?"

    "Of course! I've been waiting for you to ask me that for so many years now!" she sounded excited. "I also heard that you went to the mall earlier? Can you show me the swimsuit you picked?"

    "NO!" Kristina turned red. She glanced at Daniel, he was looking away and tried to ignore what he just heard. "I'm not wearing that thing! Such little piece cloth with such a high price! Are they mad?!"

  Lizzy laughed. "Then it'll be a waste if you don't wear it."

    "But mom, I look ridiculous wearing it! Some of the boys in my class were even surprised when they saw me with that thing!"

    "I can see that," she winked at Daniel. Ella snorted. "C'mon honey, it's just one time. Don't you want to have fun with your friends?"

  Kristina shrugged. "Of course I do..."

    "There you have it! Then," she smiled. "If you still don't feel comfortable, I'll ask Daniel if he could accompany you. He'll protect you if some guys start being all rude with you or when something happens. Is that alright Daniel?" Lizzy faced him with hopeful eyes.

  He almost choked on his food, but he nodded. Kristina's face drained. "Mother?!"

    "It's settled then!" Ella clapped. She and Lizzy laughed while Daniel and Kristina groaned and silently ate their food.

_______________

  After dinner, Kristina lent her friend a pair of pink pyjamas while she wore a big shirt.

    "Such a waste," Ella mumbled. "You have all these cute clothes your mom bought for you, and all you wear is those tacky clothes."

    "They're comfortable and I like them," she snapped at her friend.

    "Haha. Fine. Whatever you say."

Lizzy called out from downstairs. "Kristina, honey! Come down here! Daniel and his dad are leaving! Come and say goodbye!"

  She groaned and punched her pillow. "Aaaaw not again!" Ella chuckled and patted her back.

  Kristina went downstairs wearing her baggy shirt and a pair of shorts. She went outside the porch to see Daniel waiting for his dad as usual. His dad was still having a conversation with her parents in the dining room.

    "Um..." she gripped her chest when Daniel noticed her come out. "Mom told me to say goodbye again." She nervously waved her hands at his face.

    "Is your finger alright?" he asked. She nodded a yes. Daniel sighed and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Be careful you clumsy girl." Then he brushed her lips with his; just a little bit.

    "Five," he playfully smiled. Then pecked her forehead. "Six."

    He shuffled her hair and turned around. "Bye," He said, upon lazily waving his right hand.

    "Stupid... Idiot." she held her head and watched Daniel walk towards their car. Jonathan just stepped out of the door.

    "Oh so you were here?" He looked at her face. She just nodded her head. Jonathan looked at his car and saw Daniel, he sighed. "Tch. That kid. Well then, I'm off now. Have a good night sweetie."

    "Goodnight Uncle John."

  Inside the house, Lizzy, Jacob and Ella were sneaking on them from the window.

    "SCORE!" The two girls giggled and gave each other high-fives. Jacob just laughed. Kristina entered the house with a flushed face and went directly to her bedroom. Ella bid her friend's parents goodnight and followed her up the stairs.

    "Knock knock?" she opened the door to see Kristina already lying on the bed, still holding her forehead. "You sick?"

    "No. Well... We have school tomorrow, goodnight Ella."

  Her friend smiled at her and turned the lights off, jumped under the covers beside Kristina and hugged her from behind. "Goodnight Tina."

Author's Note: Was this chap alright? LOL. =))

Stay tuned~ Kristopher finally confronts Daniel in the next chappie. ^^