Enemies with Benefits 2

Chapter 13: Dinner with papa

Ezra busied himself around the kitchen. The smell of roasting lamb filled the kitchen, floating around every possible space in the air. It would take another five minutes or so, he reckoned. The baby potatoes were boiling away on the stove, steam rose from the pot as the potatoes jostled and pushed against each other and bubbles slipped through the small space in between. They were ready.

He picked up a folded hand towel and used it to pick up the hot metal of the pot. He brought it over to the sink, grabbed a colander and emptied it all out into it. The weight built up as each potato bounded into the colander and the water rushed out. A great hot cloud shot up over the sink as he did so. He sat the colander down in the sink and left it as he went back next to the over, he pulled out a chopping board and began to cut up a random selection of vegetables.

"That smells so good."

Colby sat at the kitchen island, looking into the kitchen as he graded some papers for his class. He'd been complimenting the food as soon as he caught whiff of the meat in the oven, begging Ezra for a small scrap of food.

"I think I'm going to die if I don't eat in the next two minutes."

Ezra flung the towel over his shoulder and carried on. "The lamb will be ready in five, but we're still not eating until until Stavros is here."

Colby groaned. He dropped his head and let it hit the table with a dull thud. "Can't you at least tell him to hurry up then?"

"Don't think that's going to help. He's never been on time to anything in his life."

"Is it a Greek thing?" Asked Colby.

"I'm not sure if you can generalise being late to an entire nation."

Colby lifted his head up and sighed. He picked up his pen, pouted and balanced the pen on his upper lip. "A Stavros thing then."

Ezra continued to prepare the dinner as Colby finished up his work. Colby picked up a piece of paper.

"She hasn't done it again." He muttered.

"Is this that girl you're worried about?" Ezra took the lamb out of the oven. The heat hit his face as the door opened. He placed it on a chopping board and began to carve it. Juice poured from every movement of the carving knife, some of the herbs and spices that he'd rubbed into it before putting it in the oven flaked off.

"Yeah. Her name is Gracie Kobayashi. I just have this gut feeling that somethings not right, you know? Kids don't always do their homework, but Gracie never does it."

"That's not that odd though. Kids hate homework."

"It's not just that though. Her hair is never brushed, her clothes are dirty and she'll wear the same outfit for days, she never has her own lunch, she doesn't talk to other children. Something's not right with her and I think she might be having a hard time at home." Colby sighed and buried his face in his hands. "I'm going to call my dad later and ask him what he thinks."

Ezra wiped his hands on the towel over his shoulder and patted Colby's head. "That sounds like a good idea."

There was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it!" Colby shot up from his chair, abandoning all the work he was doing and ran towards the door. He reminded Ezra of dogs that go to the door just to bark, but then get excited when the visitor comes in as it means they'll soon get attention. The door clicked open. "Γεια σου!" Colby greeted gleefully.

He heard Stavros let out a laugh in surprise. "Γεια σου! Τι κάνεις?"

"Πολύ καλά. Και εσύ?"