▌│█║▌║▌║Chapter 4║▌║▌║█│▌

Knock Knock!

I heard my door creak open early in the morning. I rolled over to the side away from the light leaking in through my open door and mumbled out a, “What is it?”

I heard my Mom’s voice ring out through the silence and steady beating of my fan saying, “I just wanted to let you know that Gia and Romantica will be coming over today. I have work, so I’m leaving you in charge okay?”

“Mhmm”

“It’s 6:30 now. They are coming over at 10:00 okay? I’m leaving now. Goodbye love you.”

“Love you” I grumbled in response.

She closed the door back, and the darkness returned, engulfing my room again. I rolled back over on my back. I haven’t seen Rom in a couple of weeks, not since my graduation. Unfortunately, Gia has been coming over every day though.

I rolled out of bed, and I headed to take a shower downstairs. My room is the only one upstairs, which is nice, but it can get to be really cold during winter. As I walked to the shower, I thought to myself, “I probably shouldn’t leave Rom alone with those two clingy lovebirds. That’s probably a recipe for max awkwardness between both parties. Well, maybe not for Gia.”

After I took a shower and put some clothes on, I went a took our dog outside to use the restroom in the hot and humid summer air. She was a German Shepherd-Golden Retriever mix. We got her right before our dad got deployed a year ago. Whenever I feel stressed, anxiety, or depressed I always go to her, and I feel better.

I walked back into the house with the dog to my brother making waffles in his pajamas and messy hair. I took over his shift by the waffle maker, and he went to wash his hair and change.

Just as I finished making the two waffles, I heard a ding-dongcome from the front door, and the dog started to bark frantically. I looked at my watch, and it said it was only 8:30. They shouldn’t be here, already right?

I opened the front door, and Gia immediately came marching in right past me in a tank top and shorts with her golden hair in a ponytail and plopped down on the couch in the living room. “You’re here early.” I griped, but she seemed utterly unphased by my tone.

“We decided to show up early! I just couldn’t wait to hang out with Danny and finish watching the tv show we started yesterday! I really hope you understand!” She exclaimed with an unwavering smile.

I let out an exasperated sigh. I can’t really complain if all they will do is just watch Tv all day. “At least they won’t be loud.” I thought to myself.

As I was about to close the door without looking back, I remembered that Rom was supposed to come over too. I looked back to see Rom standing there patiently, with a slight embarrassed look on her face. She had her short black hair tied back into a small tail, and she wore a yellow-green tank top with blue jean shorts and sandals. Was she waiting for me to invite her in?

“Um, C-come in.”

She bowed her head a bit before she entered, and she sat down next to Gia on the couch when she did enter.

I shook my head thinking about how different the two were, and I went to go eat the waffle that I just finished making. Danny hurriedly ran out of his room with his clothes on when he heard the girls come in. He told Gia that they can start the show back when he gets done eating his waffle. Gia in response to this, pleaded with Daniel, “Can I please get some toooo? I didn’t eat any breakfast this morning because I was so excited to see youuu…”

He let out a sigh as his defenses and hunger quickly melted away at the sight of her pleading and eyes and touch of her body clinging onto him. I sat there observing the situation as they sat down in front of me still clinging to each other to eat his waffle, and I thought to myself, “So that is what it’s like to be in a relationship huh? Aren’t they both a little too clingy though?”

I looked to my left and saw my dog staring directly at me, and Rom looking longingly at the food. I got up and put some dog food in a bowl and put it on the ground, and I asked Rom (who was still looking at the waffles on the table), “Did you eat anything this morning, or did you not have anything to eat either?”

Her body stiffened when she heard my question as if in shock, and she turned toward me and she shook her head in defeat in response to my question. I went over and grabbed my waffle and put it over by the waffle machine, and I started to work on another waffle. I couldn’t let a guest that came over go hungry, but I didn’t want my waffle to get soggy either.

While I was making the batter, I asked her, “Do you like chocolate chips in your waffle or do you like it plain?”

She nodded her head as a sign that she did, and I grabbed the chocolate chips out of the pantry and mixed it into the batter. I heard a cry come from the dining room by Gia saying, “No fair ours doesn’t have chocolate chips in it!”

“How could she hear me?” I thought to myself, but I responded saying, “Danny didn’t ask for it, so I didn’t put them in there! You can blame him!”

I shook my head as I cooked the waffle, and I heard a slight giggle emanating from Rom because of the interaction I had with Gia. I looked up from eating to see her standing there smiling, and a rush of warmth flowed through my body. I heard the ding go off signaling the waffle was done, and I handed it to Rom on a plate, who nodded her head in thanks as she went to sit down at the table. “Maybe today won’t be that stressful since she is here to calm everyone down.” I thought to myself.

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