This is probably going to sound a whole lot different to the first chapter since i originally wrote that like two years ago, and I rewrote this from the basic story just yesterday.
The rest of the day was spent baking, the perfect thing to fill up the kitchen and make the house smell lived in, instead of the horrid musty smell it had from being unoccupied for so long.
Dancing as I listened to the radio and taste tested at every step, I hardly noticed Eddie come in the door.
"That smells brilliant," he said, giving me a hug from behind as he looked to see what I was making. "Can I eat it?"
"No," I slapped his hand away from where it was snaking towards the chocolate chips. "It's not ready. But you can try one of the cookies I just took out of the oven."
He turned to the other bench to grab one of my secret recipe cookies, which he juggled before stuffing it in his mouth.
"Ahh, hot!" he mumbled with his mouth full, waving his hands in front of his open mouth. I stared in disbelief as he hardly chewed it, instead swallowing it whole.
"Jeez Eddie, pig much?" I grumbled. "Save room for tea. It's gonna be our first proper meal here, so I made your favorite, spaghetti bolognaise."
"Love you Teej," he kisses me on the cheek.
"Eww, boy germs!" I shriek, brandishing my spoon as a weapon. He promptly grabbed it and licked all of the mixture off in one swipe.
"Yuck, get out of my kitchen!" he dodged the washcloth i threw at him, laughing at me. "If you want something to do how about unpacking everything in the lounge. Then chuck all the boxes up in the attic. I am determined to have this place cleaned up by Monday."
"So you are going to school then," he stated.
"Well, if all the guys around here are like Seth then I think maybe I might try it," I told him. "Get tidying or I won't go. If I go to school I won't have any time to finish here."
"Knowing you, you'd pull an all nighter cleaning," Eddie said. "What with your OCD and everything."
"I don't have OCD!" I growled. "Stop annoying me else I won't cook for a whole week!"
"Sorry!" he almost ran from the room. Sometimes threat of cutting off food supplies works best for dealing with teenage boys.
Sunday morning i got up determined to walk down to the beach. Peeping over the trees the sun promised to give us a warm day, so I dressed in denim shorts, a white tank top and a grey hoodie. Deciding not to wear shoes, I left a note for Eddie telling him where I was going and set off down the road, sketchbook under my arm and pencils in my pocket.
The beach was empty of people when I got there so I settled down by a driftwood log to draw. The scenery was perfect to sketch without color, and I soon had half a dozen sketches of the various angles. I paused a moment to soak up the sun, and when I opened my eyes a small boy on chubby legs who didnt look like he had been using them long came wobbling up to me. He had a cute grin and an angelic face.
An older girl, who was maybe four came running up behind him.
"Careful Tyler, don't go near the water," she said importantly and then smiled at me. "Hello. I'm Claire. Who are you?"
"I'm TJ," I said, immediately picking up on her cheerful mood.
"This is my little cousin," she said. "His name is Jamie."
"Thats a nice name," I said.
"Claire?" a woman's motherly voice called out. "Bring Tyler back here and stay away from the water! Don't run ahead of me!"
"We're here Aunt Emily," Claire shouted back.
A woman came from the path I had used to get to the beach.
"Oh, hello," she smiled sweetly at me, and I saw she was very heavily pregnant under her skirt. "You must be TJ. Leah said you and your brother arrived on Friday."
"Yes," I nodded, my eyes drawn to the scars on her face. I tried not to stare.
"Sorry, Im Emily," the smile pulled her scars in funny ways, but I could see the beauty they marred. "Leah and Seth are my second cousins. We're pretty close."
"Oh right, Leah said she was going to see you after she left yesterday," I smiled up at her, getting who she was.
"Yes, she told me about your room," she kept her eye on Claire and Tyler, who were now examining a rock. "It sounds brilliant. Do you have anything planned for tea tonight? We're having a barbecue at our house tonight, and you and your brother are welcome to come. Seth thought it would be a good idea to invite you, to meet some locals and also a couple of boys who will be at your school on Monday. There's plenty of food for everyone."
"That sounds great," I said. "Do you want me to bring anything?"
"Something for dessert would be nice," she gave me directions before calling to Tyler and Claire to continue their walk along the beach.
Claire raced up and took her outstretched hand, waving at me with her toothy grin stretching across her face. I waved back and sat a while after they were gone before picking up my sketchbook and walking home.
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