COLE O'CONNELL

"Pass me the mashed potatoes," she says.

We were halfway through our cooking, and after she was convinced of it, she had taken complete in charge, rendering me only as a helper. We had even taken a break amidst that to eat the food we had just left back there.

She was ordering me around, and was cooking everything on her own. After the previous, small exchange in between us, it was good to see her like this. She may not have had agreed when I asked her if the last person she cooked for was Ashton or not, but her eyes told me otherwise.

Curious that I was to know the complete story, I still did not want to pester her to tell or even remotely recall something that she detested. I could see the façade that she was trying to hide, to keep up, the secrets that she was keeping veiled within herself.

She was a puzzle I wanted to unravel but not by force.

I look at her working in the kitchen. She was slow due to lack of practice but her stance and her orders told me she was experienced. I wanted to taste whatever she cooked; I wanted her to leave behind a part of her past forever by beginning to cook again.

I did not know yet the complete thing but if this small thing could help her in any way I was ready for that.

"COLE!!!???" I hear her scream. I look around startlingly to see if she is in trouble but when I see she is alright I frown and look at her.

"What? Why did you scream?"

"You were completely zoned out for like god knows how long, I was asking you to pass me the rice but you were too lost to notice or to even hear me..." she says

"Oh!! Sorry I was thinking something," I say nonchalantly

"And since when did you start apologizing and yeah thinking as well?? Last I checked you did not have a brain." She says amusement evident in her tone.

"Really?? Do you want to know what what my so non-existent brain is capable of thinking?" I say smirking at her.

"Do you think you'd have anything to tell?" she asks and I could swear that she wasn't afraid, and I liked how unaffected she could be at times.

"I am sure that it would be you who would be apologizing next, if I even began on what I am capable of..." to this her smirk widens nonetheless and she says,

"Until then why don't you just pass me the bowl of rice and show me that you are successfully capable of moving your limbs?" She easily diverts the topic and I merely chuckle.

I pass her the bowl of rice and moving towards her I ask, "So will you tell me now what you are cooking?"

"You are really impatient," she says smilingly frustrated, "I am preparing mashed potatoes with some fried rice and also some pasta."

I see the amount of food she was cooking and couldn't stop myself from asking, "Do you think we will be able to eat all of it??"

She looks up at me like as if she just remembered something and begins, "I forgot to mention it to you but I was thinking about having a movie night if that is okay with you?" her face held clear delight and I couldn't suppress my smile on seeing her jovial self.

I was excited to see that she was finally trying to enjoy and come out of her secretive zone. And the fact that she wanted to have a movie night with me was even better.

I was about to nod in approval when just then she continues, "And yeah, one more thing. Why don't we call the others as well?? It will be really fun you know."

My heart fell on knowing that she wanted to invite the other guys as well. Not that I didn't like my own friends but here I was thinking I could get some alone time with her, and it all goes down to the drain.

"And here I thought I was special that you were personally cooking for me," I try to show that I was hurt by placing a hand on my chest.

"And if I say that I have never ever, like never in my entire life have I allowed anyone to accompany me while cooking except you today, will that make you feel special??" she was expectant even partly concerned I felt. The strangest of all was that instead of making fun of my previous statement and mocking me, she was literally trying to make me feel good.

And I would be kidding to God if I said I wasn't feeling special.

"Heck!! I am feeling more than special, especially when the honour is directly from you!!" I say a bit too chirpily and when I realize that I smile slyly.

She smiles back and I am not lying when I say that I had to put in all I had to fight back the urge to kiss her right there.

>>//<<

"Did you check on the other guys on your way here??" I ask Hozar. He stayed a bit far away from Chloe's place and hence he had arrived early. He was sitting on the sofa presently and choosing which movie to see.

Chloe had taken their numbers from me and called them personally. They all unlike I had wished agreed and were a bit too excited than I thought they would be.

"Nope bro I came here directly thinking they'd be here already?" he says looking at me for some time before turning back to the movies. Chloe definitely had a movie craze. She had an entire collection and the choice of her movies was pretty good. I was about to tell him to go and check when I hear a knock on the door. I go and open the door to see that finally the late kates were here. They shake my hand and bump my shoulder with theirs.

I let them in and see them proceed directly to the kitchen. I follow them. Chloe was still doing the finishing parts. I see Andre tapping her shoulder and hugging her when she turned. He was literally crushing her and I couldn't help but frown. Valentino hugs her too. Like Really??

"Today was really something," Andre smirks at Chloe. Momentarily I wonder what he is even talking about, but my doubt is cleared when he speaks further, "You must have seen Cassandra when you left with Cole, she was boiling hot with anger. She tried to stomp away from our table but something made her trip and she fell face forward, the entire cafeteria was in a fit of laughter..." I laugh at that too along with the rest of them. It was really praiseworthy what Chloe did. I was beyond grateful to her.

Cassandra had been pursuing me a lot since I last slept with her the year before last, sometimes through texts and calls, and once she even dared to come to my place, but having the personality that I had, I barely stayed at home and so she did not find me there. And my mom was smart enough to ward her off. I never associated myself with a girl before, except with Chloe, and today she even dared to come to our table...like really. If Chloe wouldn't be there I have no idea about the consequences.

"COLE!!!" I hear someone shout again.

"What NOW!!???" I yell back myself, irritated, didn't people know how to talk in a normal voice,

"We were talking to you bro...but you seemed to be zoned out," Valentino says

"This is the second time he has zoned out today, since he was here," Chloe adds to my embarrassment.

"Has it got something to do with the fact that Chloe stood for you in front of Cassandra or the fact that she walked out of an alleyway hand in hand with you??" Andre asks wiggling his eyebrows at me. I glance at Chloe and see that she was blushing slightly; I liked it when she blushed due to any reason connected to me.

"And what do you mean by that?" I ask instead, because I did not know how to reply to that.

"The fact that you are acting like a lovesick teenager and not like the Cole we knew..." he says rolling his eyes, I look at him and then at Chloe, she was looking at me too, and that made heat rush up to my face. I was beyond embarrassed, and that too in front of Chloe...Like Really?? Why does it have to happen to me??

"For your little information I am not." I say stubbornly

"Whatever helps you sleep!!" I hear Andre mutter to which all of them laugh, but Chloe, she was looking at me intently, and for the briefest of second I was scared of what she must be thinking.

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Hello!!!!! You guys are in for a Treat as this is the third update for the day. This was the surprise that I was talking about earlier. So everyone, for the fact that I did not publish last week, here I am with three chapters in a day. The first chapter was for the last week, the second for this week and the third as a bonus chapter for my irregularity. 

I hope you guys enjoy your read. Do Vote, Comment and Share if you like my story. 

                                                                                                                                                                                     -Surls