The Problem With Burnt Cookies

6. Rising

Rhys yawned, waiting for his teammate at the bakery at 6:30 on the dot, his coffee already cold, as he hefted his backpack, debating on just heading to the airport himself.

Like a bat from hell, a silver Hyundai sped into the parking lot, Maisy grinning and waving at him excitedly, motioning to him to put his bag into the car.

She's gonna kill us with her driving.." He muttered as he got into the backseat, putting his seatbelt on. Spencer met with them, coming out to see the two of them off.

"You ready?" He said, signing out what he was speaking.

"Yeah, thanks again for the coffee." He told him,

"No problem man, you seemed like you needed it." While Spencer signed, he fussed over Maisy, making sure she had her passport, her tickets, and an extra charger for her hearing aids.

"I'm fine. If anything, I have cash in case I forgot anything, and it's only for a week." She told her worried friend. He treated them as if they were his little sisters. They were all close enough to be.

"I'll see you on Saturday." He told her, as she waved to him, wishing them both good luck as she rolled up her window, and backed out, heading towards Sea/Tac Airport.

Rhys gripped the handle on the car, gritting his teeth every time she turned, when she stopped at a light, he glanced over at her, fear apparent in his face at her driving.

"What?" she texted.

"You drive as if someone's chasing us!!!" he told her. "I'm driving in Los Angeles." He texted, before she shook her head, she could tell he was going to be such as whiny as a baby this whole trip.

Once they parked in the garage, Jamie helped her grab her suitcase, which she expertly packed, knowing it was under sixty pounds and gave her a tight squeeze.

"Good luck."She signed to her best friend, and his surprise, hugged Rhys as well, typing in to take care of her friend and to just focus on the decorating part.

Rhys crossed his heart and nodded to Maisy, who led them through the airport, once they got past security, they had a couple of minutes before boarding, sitting across from each other in silence, before Maisy just up and took off without a word.

Rhys stared after her, and then shrugged, if she needed anything, she'd text him.

A moment later, his cell phone pinged with a text message.

"Hungry?" She asked him, as he looked up, seeing her hold a McDonald's bag out to him.

He hadn't cared for the fast-food place, but, it was limited with it being 7 a.m. and she was being nice.

He signed a thank you, and she smiled, "You remembered." thinking he would've forgotten when she had told him a week before.

"Of course. Politeness matters in any language." He told her, as he dug into his pancakes, while she watched him carefully, and rolled her eyes. Of course. she thought to herself.

After throwing their garbage away, it was time for them to board, and he took her suitcase, shouldering his backpack as she signed a thank you to him, before moving up front in line.

While Maisy found her way to their seats, Rhys put the suitcase into the overhead bin and noticed Maisy gawking at him, before shutting her mouth and gesturing to their seats.

"I'll take whatever one you don't sit in," he wrote to her, with an eye roll, she plopped down where she stood and claimed the closest one to the aisle, making him go around her to get to his seat by the window, he settled in, closing his eyes.