Back to the present age *DISCONTINUED* [English translation]

Chapter 2

A noisy beep alarmed the trio in the kitchen. First no one had an idea what has caused the alarm, but then Orlando remembered his cake which he forgot in the oven.

'Gosh darn it, the cake!', he yelled and sprinted to the oven. He wanted to set a clock, to know, when the cake is baked, but now he had to learn from the smoke detector that his creation got inedible. If he had to trash food, he always felt remorseful, he knew how many people in this world were hungry just at this moment. While Orlando was getting rid of the burned cake, Chris wanted to switch off the smoke detector. Despite his measurement of 1.80 meters he had to imply an chair. For him it was difficult to look up at the gadget and concentrate in spite of the loud sound on finding the switcher to stop the beep. Finally he managed it and everybody breathed out unburdened.

'Well, what are we doing now?', Orlando asked. Liana shrugged her shoulders, when she was honest, she was also a little bit glad that the cake burned down because for some weeks she's sometimes gotten a stomach ache after she ate sweet dishes.

'Should we go and buy another cake at the bakery?', was Chris' question addressed to his father.

'Well', he tried to swerve because he wasn't a big fan of bought desserts 'If you agree, Liana, we would of course get one'

'Oh no, it's okay, but thanks'

'You're sure?' Chris asked further, while he kissed her tip of the nose and caressed her chin. 'It would be no trouble to get one. If you want, we can go all together, just you and me, me and Dad or he sole?'

'Thanks, but it's okay, I don't believe I could eat anything by the way', she lied. In effect she felt hungry, but she wasn't up for cakes or another dessert. Her boyfriend threw a knowing look at his father, in the morning he wanted to hold him off baking a cake because he had already an idea that Liana wouldn't like to eat a dessert before the lunch.

'So, what should we do then?' Orlando hoped the both teenagers had an idea because he was stumped what he could undertake with his kids, what everybody pleased. Although Liana lived with him for more than a year, he didn't knew her very well, in contrast to Chris, who knew really everything about her. For this reason Orlando always pumped him for information what he could give Liana as her present. Now he remembered also the present, he got for her last evening and left the kitchen to get it.

Chris gazed after his father and thought already that he's bringing the gift for Liana. He had no idea what it was and was astonished that his father could get one on the evening before her birthday. Soon Orlando arrived again and surrendered Liana his present. Like always, when she unpacked something she tried to remove the tape first and then the paper without wrecking it. So the surprise also lasted longer, as if she had ruptured the gift paper. She hold her breath when the content appeared, then she nearly screeched. It was the second season of the TV series Once upon a time, which she loved to watch. When Orlando got the DVDs he hoped that he now could choose what to look on TV in the evening. While Liana embraced her foster father and thanked him, Chris took the DVDs surveyed them.

'Haven't you already seen all of them?', he joked.

'No. And even then I'd like to watch them again. Best with you together', she grinned. Albeit she loved her friend more than anything else, she couldn't help bantering and bother him sometimes. Just like the proverb: Teasing is a sign of affection.

Suddenly Orlando proposed to have a breakfast at the bakery or in another restaurant. Everybody agreed and Liana had told the boys that she would take a shower, before she went in her room, which was the guestroom of the dos Santos' that had been converted a year ago. From her wardrobe she got some of her favorite clothes because on special days, she wore special clothes. Today her outfit was a light brown shirt, which she loved the most because of it's color, a bit like Chris' skin and a jeans, which she could wear without a belt, she wasn't such a fan of belts. When Liana left the kitchen, also Chris went into his room and took his smartphone to chat with his mate. He knew Liana would have about half an hour to get ready. She was a girl, so she had also to blow-dry her hair and sometimes put on make-up. Well, Liana didn't put on make-up very often and he had to admit that he betimes also blow-dried his hair, for example when it was cold outside and he had to go out soon after the shower. But the most of the time he just let his hair open and waited until it was dehumidified, what took a while because the length of his hair.

When Liana entered his room, Chris first didn't noticed her, why she tried to frighten him but then he turned his head and saw her. As he viewed her disappointed mien, he smiled triumphantly at her. Quickly he said goodbye to his mate and lay his phone beside, without waiting for any answer. For him, real and present people always were more important than absent virtual chat partners. It annoyed him, when he was at somebody's house or anyone found himself at his home and this person just wrote with another guy. The only exception was Liana, if he corresponded with her, he also didn't lay the pone beside so fast. Now he sat up and embosomed Liana, who cuddled up to him. A while they just sat there, until Orlando entered and reminded for the decampment. Begrudgingly they stood up, walked in the corridor to get their jackets. In spite of the cold outside, Orlando just put on his brown leather jacket, but Liana took her blue anorak. She hated it to freeze, although Chris always behaved so nice then. A short time she smiled but then she was taken back to reality, the zip of her jacket was still busted. Soon Chris noticed her little emergency and knelt down in front of her. In a vehemence he pulled the zipper slider and got a bit shocked that worked so easily, he didn't expect it. Hopefully he hasn't wrecked the zip now. Liana just checked if she still could move the zipper slider, before she stepped out. Chris followed her, while Orlando examined if all the lights were switched of and locked the door. When he left the building he took a look in the sky, where many clouds gathered. It looked, like it would rain or thunder storming soon. After a short time he caught up with the kids, which dawdled consciously.

'Okay, what would you like to eat? Just a breakfast or a brunch? Because it's already after ten hours, who knows if they still serve breakfast.'

'Or can we also have a lunch?', Liana asked, who didn't want a brunch, since she was a child she has preferred to eat a lunch or dinner in restaurants because when she ate breakfast she felt a little bit ill afterwards. Three years ago she got used to a breakfast, which just consist of a piece of bread and a cup of cocoa, if she ate more, she got sometimes a stomach ache.

'Well I don't know if the bakery also serves lunch, but we can ask.' Chris pulled Liana closer and pecked her parting.