Chapter 138
"Case!" I turned around and saw my parents waving me over with huge grins plastered on their faces. I could feel a mirroring grin spread over my face as I ran towards them and launched myself into their embrace.
"How was your flight?" I asked them when they finished giving me hugs and kisses. I took my mom's bags from her hands and pulled it along towards my car.
"Oh, it was wonderful, there were no kids kicking the back of my chair this time. I slept peacefully throughout the flight." My mom giggled at my dad, knowing that having his chair kicked continuously throughout a flight was one of the things that could make my dad blow his top.
"How have you been, honey? Nothing interesting while we were away?" My mom asked as we walked down the rows of parked cars.
I shook my head, giving her my best smile. "Same old," I lied to her smoothly. If she knew what's been happening lately, she'd freak out so hard I fear she might faint.
I helped my dad putting the luggage in the trunk, a déjà vu feeling overcoming me as I remembered the last time we did this. It was the day I told them about Adam being my boyfriend. I unconsciously smiled sadly as I remembered our visit and my dad offering him some durians.
I quickly shook my head, making that cloud of thought go poof. I got in the driver's seat and started driving home while listening to my mom ramble on about their trip and how much she'll hate the next trip. They'll be leaving again on Sunday and today was Monday. For once, I was glad that they won't be home for so long because that means I wouldn't have to put in to sneak out to attend the fights. I hated lying to my parents and I was horrible at it. I'll start going to college tomorrow too and that means I can go home late by saying I have a study group after school.
An hour later and I was pulling up at our driveway. We got the luggage out and dragged them along into the house. I let my parents retire into their bedroom and decided that I wanted to try to make dinner tonight.
Adam had taught me a few things about cooking before the accident happened and I was positive that I knew enough to at least avoid burning the kitchen down. I'm sure that making the food taste good wouldn't be as difficult as cooking safely but just in case, I decided to call Monic and ask for directions.
"Case! It's been so long! How's everything going?" Monic gushed as she picked up the phone. I smiled at her greeting.
"Everything's fine Mon. I just need your help." I answered her, bringing some pans out of the kitchen cupboard and setting two of them on the stove. I decided that I wanted to make some spaghetti. I figured it was the easiest thing I can make with the ingredients I have in my fridge.
"Are those pans I hear?" Monic sounded genuinely scared and I couldn't blame her. She was well aware of my tragic cooking skills. She was one of the many people in my life that has always tried to steer me away from the kitchen in fear that I would destroy it.
"Yeah..." I trailed off, knowing that she'll probably freak out but also knowing that I didn't have anyone else to turn to. Monic's cooking skills weren't high up on the chart but what she makes are edible and they can taste good at times.
"I need your help cooking spaghetti," I rushed out. Before she gets a chance to refuse, I quickly added in, "I'll get you anything you want."
There was a pause from her side before she asked me cautiously.
"Anything I want?" I smiled at her question, knowing she couldn't see me.
"Anything." I've got her now. "Okay, deal."
I did a victory dance before retrieving the ingredients from the cupboards and setting them on the kitchen countertop.
"Okay, fill a pot with water and put it on the stove. Turn the stove on and let the water boil then put in the spaghetti noodles." Monic instructed. I set her on speaker so that I could move around the kitchen and use both of my hands.
I waited for the water to boil, taking out the noodles from its packaging before realizing something. The noodles were longer than the pot. I set the noodles next to the pot to measure it to make sure, careful not to catch the fire that was licking the sides of the pot from underneath it.
How do you cook something that didn't fit the pot?
"Um, am I supposed to snap these noodles in half or something? They won't fit the pot." I asked her, ready to snap it in half as I held it in both of my hands above the pot. I eyed the phone warily when there was no answer. I shrugged and went with my instincts; that told me to snap the noodles in half.
"N-" Monic was about to say something when there was the snapping sound of the noodles being snapped in half and the splashes of the halved noodles falling into the boiling water.
I heard Monic sigh. I smiled sheepishly, staring into the halved noodles in the pot as the steam from the boiling water rises.
"Oops?" I muttered.
