Smile, please!

Steps of Friendship, Please!

CHAPTER 4

"Hey Cecilia!" Maya yells at me while she runs after me. I look back then keep walking. "Hey about earlier.....uh...could you maybe not tell anyone about it?" She catches up to me and we walk out the school. I think about what she told me, I almost forgot. "Sure don't worry about it." She smiles and skips as we walk.

"Can I ask you for a favor?" I nod my head and take out my water bottle. "Soo...I want to make something for you know who and well ....I want to know if you can help me make homemade cookies. I'm not very good at baking. You've worked at the bakery longer than me so I thought I'd ask you." I take a big sip as we talk.

"Sorry I have work. I can't." She pouts. She kind of looks like April but with brown medium length hair. As we walk by the gate we see Eli and his friends playing with a football. When it gets warm out in the beginning of the school year he plays on the football team but during the winter he plays on the basketball team. "He sees us walking past and stops his friends. He runs over to us and smiles. "I'm sorry I can't walk you home. I have practice and I won't be able to go anywhere for awhile."

I nod and keep walking. "See you later." I wave my hand above my shoulder and keep walking with Maya. "Can't you forget about work?" I shake my head no. "Sorry I can't." She sighs heavily and we keep walking.

Maya leaves me to go home and I walk to my job. Finally get to go to work for a couple hours.
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Maya turns around instead of going to her house. "I'll just head this way. I'll look at the mail box and find out which house is hers." Maya walks up and down the way Cecelia went on her way home the other day. She first starts on the left side of the street. No Cecilia at all. "Maybe if I go this way..." She turns around and sees Eli walking towards her. She smiles and is about to say his name when she sees him turn into a house. "If I don't say anything quick he might get away...E-Eli!" She yells and starts running towards him.

He turns around and walks towards the curb of the street. Maya is in the middle of the street when she trips over a rock. "Ahh..." She falls on her arm and almost hits her face. "Are you okay?" Eli comes running over to her and helps her up. She doesn't look him in the eye's. He looks at her arm. "You're bleeding..come on." He pulls her to his house and cleans up her cut. Then he sits her down and gives her a cup of water.

"What are you doing around here?" Eli asked her as he places the cup in front of her. She takes a sip and answers. "I was looking for Cecilia's house. I need her to help me with something." He nods his head and smiles. "I'll take you come on." He heads for the door with Maya behind him.

They go next door and Maya is confused. "She lives here?" He nods his head and leads her to the front door. He reaches for the front door but it's locked. "Oh..She locked it this time. Sorry she's not home yet I think." He looks around the house probably looking for Cecilia. "It's okay I'll just wait here for her." Maya smiles at him and he looks back at her.

"Okay if that's what you want. Bye." He walks away and she watches him. "Not even gonna try to get me to come with you or offer to stay with me?" She sighs and sits down on the front step. "I hope Cecilia comes soon." She rests her head on her knees.

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As I walk home I see someone sitting in front of my house. As I get closer I see its a girl...In our school uniform? I get to the front of the house and see that it's Maya. "Maya? What are you doing here?"

Maya picks up her head and stands up smiling big. "CECILIA!!" She hugs me and I push her off slowly. "I came because I want you to help me with the baking please."

I stare at her and take out my keys. She gets on her knees and bows down in front of me. I step back a little panicked. "Get up. You don't need to do this." She stays as she is and starts to beg me. "Please you're my only friend that can help me with this! I won't ask for anything else! EVER!" I sigh and walk past her, as I pass she gets up and fixes her skirt. I walk to my door and she just watches me.

"How did you find my house?" I ask as I push the door open. "Oh.. Eli helped me." I walk in my house and she just looks in. "Come in, I'll help you." She jumps up and down then walks into the house. It took us about 20 minutes to get settled and to get everything out.

"Your house is so nice." I smile and we put on our aprons. "So what do we do first?" She smiles and looks at everything on the table. "Well..." I start to explain what we were going to do then I told her what to do. I didn't touch anything except when I was giving her the materials she needed. She followed everything I said perfect and we were done with them in about 18 minutes we had all the cookie dough on the trays and I was cleaning up while she put them in the oven.

"Thank you sooooo much Cecilia!" I wash the last bowl and turn off the water. "No problem. Can you hand me that paper towel?" I turn around and face her. She gives me the paper towel to dry my hands then we walk to the living room.

"You have a nice house. You live here by yourself?" I nod my head yes. "I do have snowball so it's not that bad." She smiles and watches snowball play with her toy mouse.

"Cecilia? I'm home honey."

We turn around and see Eli walking up to us. He lays on the couch and smiles. "Get out now." He laughs and I stand up taking out my phone. I dial a number and wait for a answer. "Don't call her Cecilia! Please just let me stay." I ignore him and here someone pick up. "Hello? Natasha? Can you put your mom on please? Thank you." I wait for a couple of seconds and I hear a cheerful hello on the other line. "Yes, it's me. He's back please come and get him." I hang up and put my phone on the coffee table.

Not a minute go's by before my front door is slammed open. "ELI!! LETS GO!" Eli jumps up and Maya gets scared and stands back. "Mom please don't do this." Maya laughs awkwardly and Eli's mom hugs me and takes him out of the house. She closes the door behind her and I go back to talking with Maya.

"What was that about?" I shake my head and sit down. "This happens once in awhile. Dont worry." She smiles and looks at my phone. "I'm going to give you my contact information." I nod my head and she grabs my phone. When she's done she hands me my phone and messages me so we know it worked. "Now that that's done we are one step closer to being best friends!" She smiles big.

"How many steps do you have?" She laughs and sits on the couch across from me.

"Number one was when we met. Number two is our contact informant. Number three will be one helping the other. Number four will be a sleep over. Number five will be a secret. And finally number six.....It will be us both buying a gift and celebrating a special day! Soo.. six steps. We so far have done 2 out of 6."

I look at her and think. "You mean 3." She tilts her head a little. " You said step three is one helping the other. Right?" She slowly nods her head and I continue. "Then we have already finished that one. I just helped you make homemade cookies." The room go's silent then she yells. "You're right! We are half way to being best friends!" I nod and she jumps on me, hugging me tight. "That's great! Right Cecilia?" I smile a little and nod my head.

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The rest of the night was fun. It felt nice having a friend to talk to for once. After we let the cookies cool we put 30 cookies in a cute little bag she had. We had 15 left so we ate those with some milk as we watched tv. They were pretty small but really good. Then she went home around 9. I hope I can have more days like this.