"No ghost fights tonight?" Jazz asked looking up at Danny from her book. It was just them for the weekend and truth be told it'd been rather dull.
The boy was laying upside down on the chair boredly, he shook his head. Jazz shrugged and continued to read as he flipped through the channels. He stopped on the Food Network which was airing a holiday special.
"Oh my God Jazz lets make cookies." Danny suddenly exclaimed.
"What, why?"
"I don't know I just really want some now." He replied twisting his body so he could sit upright.
Jazz glanced at the TV as she settled her book into her lap. "That's because you're watching them make food on the television. Switch the channel and you'll forget."
"No I wont and I'll keep bugging you until we make some."
"What are you five? Speaking of which you're old enough to do it on your own anyway. What do you need me for?" Jazz asked her fingers playing with the corner of her book.
Danny thought for a moment and realized he had no reason at all. "I don't know Jazz it would just be fun. Come on lighten up, huh sis?"
Jazz sighed and held back the large grin that threatened to come across her face. She knew it already, he wanted to spend time with her. Of course she knew if she brought it up he'd drop it and forfeit the idea. "Fine Danny, we'll make cookies." Jazz responded in faux annoyance.
The two walked into the kitchen and Jazz went to the drawer where all the small recipe books were. She pulled out a teal book with lined paper that was worn and looked centuries old. In ink writing that was nearly faded was a recipe for chocolate chip cookies written neatly by her mother's hand.
Jazz threw that on the table then went to the bottom cupard and pulled out a big plastic white bowl and different sized cups. She then went looking for the liquid measures and a spoon.
"What do we need?" Danny asked.
Jazz looked down and listed off everything that was needed. Sugar, flour, eggs and all of that good stuff. Danny fetched everything and placed it all in a cluster on the table. Jazz looked down at the writing and squinted, the first half was nearly worn away.
"Ok first we'll need shortening." She instructed.
Danny brought out the Crisco and they measured the amount they needed. Things went off without a hitch at first, she'd call for something he'd get it and then they'd dump into the bowl. But as they neared the end of their recipe Danny got restless with the monotone baking. When Jazz asked for some flour he grabbed the bag opened it and puffed the flour dust into her face.
"Got ya Jazz, now you look like a ghost." He laughed holding the bag.
"Oh real mature Danny." Jazz stated rubbing some of the white powder from her face. She grabbed an egg and tossed it at him. "Look who's got egg on his face."
"Eww." Danny whined wiping the egg onto his arm.
"Yeah not so pleasant is it?" She mocked.
"No that pun was horrible." He answered and grabbed the hose from the sink and sprayed her. "Now the powder is clumps." He pointed out, as if she didn't know. Some of the flour had washed off but had clumped else where, like on her shirt and in her hair.
"You little jerk." She shrieked pulling at her hair.
"You love me." Danny responded quickly. Jazz relaxed and placed her hands on her hips.
"I guess you're right, but one day that little bit won't work on me."
"Yeah but it does."
"But since I can't physically harm you..." Jazz giggled and snatched the hose from him and sprayed him in the face and kept going. Danny desperately tried to cover himself and laughed as the water got into his eyes.
"Ok, ok I give, I give!"
"That's what I thought." Jazz smirked and took her finger from the button. "Now what do you say we clean ourselves then finish making these cookies?"
"Fine."
And after a few minutes of quick washing and a change of shirts for both of them they were back in the kitchen. Before they knew it Jazz was mixing the last of the ingredients into the bowl and there was a large clump of tan dough at the bottom. Jazz scraped the edge of the bowl with persistency as she melded the last of the flour into it.
"Alright Danny, know we'll need the cookie sheet." But took the spoon and pulled some of the extra dough off of it.
"Jazz it's so good try some." Danny urged. Jazz rolled her eyes. "You know what I don't think we should bake this."
"What? But I thought you wanted cookies."
"Yeah until I tried some of this, now I just want the dough. Come on and try some of your hard work." He persuaded.
Jazz rolled her eyes again. "No wonder you never get anything done, you never follow through."
"Jazz." Danny continued in a sing-song voice. "It tastes just like mom makes."
Jazz pursed her lips, eating cookie dough was so childish. Although she could remember how much they loved to watch their mother make the dough in the hopes she'd give them some. She always did and Jazz recalled how unbelievably good it was. Jazz accepted the clump her brother handed out and popped it into her mouth.
"Oh man that is good." She said absent mindedly.
"I told you so. Screw making cookies let's just eat the dough." Danny suggested. Jazz complied and he went into the living room with the great white bowl and she turned off the oven and quickly joined him.
They sat on the couch with the bowl between them, each one wielding a spoon to collect some of the delicious pre-baked good. On the TV a holiday movie played. And Jazz wasn't one for these corny Christmas movies that they loved when they were kids, but there was something about Charlie Brown that made it ok.
"You realize the kitchen is a complete and utter mess right?" Danny said between mouthfuls of dough.
"Enh we'll clean it later." She responded lazily scooping some more dough onto her spoon.
"Oh my God is Jazz being careless?" Danny exclaimed with a stifled laugh.
"What can I say I guess you're just a bad influence."
"Yeah I love you too Jazz." And with that they settled back down and completely forgot about the kitchen or the fact that their mother would want to know what drove them to such insanity.
Yeah I love my brother. This story, I know, has no real plot to it all. What can I say? I'm a sucker for sibling bonding. And what's that?! No angst to be found!