"Noelle, don't forget to make the brownies!" Grandma called from the living room downstairs.
"Oh, yeah! I forgot!" I shouted, heading back down and into the kitchen to make the brownies.
"I have the box sitting on the stove."
"Okay," I said more to myself than to Grandma, reading the back of the box.
I retrieved a bowl and a fork to mix the water, vegetable oil, and eggs together in, as well as the brownie pan to bake them in. I was so absorbed in my task that I didn't even realize that my grandmother's temporary guest had followed me into the kitchen.
"One-fourth cup of water..." I filled the measuring cup to the one-fourth mark, poured it into the bowl with the powder, and began to stir.
"Two-thirds cup of vegetable oil..." I read to myself as I stirred.
"I'll get it for you!" my tag-along, Vash, announced, making me jump.
I blushed, embarrassed at having been caught so completely off guard. "Vash! I didn't know you were there!"
He laughed. "Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's alright." Although I said that it was fine, my guard instantly came back up. I became even more absorbed in stirring, because not only is the brownie mixture thickening, but I didn't want to have to look at Vash. I found him extremely attractive, and I easily became flustered around beautiful men. I didn't want him to see that.
"Hey, d'you mind getting me two eggs?" I asked.
"No problem!" He retrieved the eggs and smiled at me, and my heart skipped a beat. I took the eggs quickly.
I poured the mixture into the pan and then called for my brother and little cousin. "Stephen! Alex!" They came hurrying in, knowing I would have the bowl and spoon ready for them to lick clean.
Once the pan was in the oven, I hurried out of the kitchen, eager to be away from Vash and the strange, yet pleasant, effect he sometimes had on me.
"Aww, but I wanted to lick the spoon..." Vash complained to the empty kitchen, his voice floating after me.
