Petrichor (boyxboy)

Chapter 9.1: Petrichor

Xander glared at me but held no effect, especially when he smiled the next heartbeat.

“So… brownies?” Sander asked after we passed the school’s gate.

“It’s his favorite.” I answered fondly. Yesterday, I baked the family recipe brownies for the pack. When they tasted it, I was floored with flatteries. It was the best thing in the world as how Adam would like to put it. Better than his favorite Coco crunch.

“What’s with tomorrow?”

“Picnic at the Glade.” Sander shot me a questioning eyebrow. “The ‘Glade’ is clearing we found in the forest when we were grade schoolers. It sort of became our secret base ever since.”

“Sounds fun.” Sander quipped.

The route to Sander’s house was like mine. Although at the last part I usually turn left, Sander headed straight.

Sander pulled over and easily maneuvered the car to his dive way. I leaned forward to look at his house. Scratch house. It was a mansion. It was Victorian two story building, bathed in creamy white pain and red tiled roof. Right after the gate was a fountain with four wolves shooting water from its mouth.

Sander parked his car near at the corner of the mansion. I got out of the car taking in the magnificent architecture of the mansion.

“It’s a mansion.” I said, still awed.

Sander chuckled, shaking his head and headed to his house, “Odd thing to say for a Yankee.”

I rolled my eyes and followed him.  “I never told you where I came from.”

Sander stiffened in his walking and sheepishly smile at me, scratching the bridge of his nose.

“Well?”

“Hmm-” Sander looked away and that stupid sheepish smile broke into a more sheepish grin. “-I was ‘round kinda asking about you.”

“My criminal record is clean if that’s what you want to find out.” I told him, earnestly.

“I know.” Sander said, putting a hand on my shoulder and steering me inside.

The house was mostly wooden theme, with a hint of electric modernity. The ornaments and furniture were mostly made of wood. I’m suspecting mahogany. There were lots of carvings on the walls. The one that got most of my attention was a painting of a woman embracing wall, Bu before I could study the art, Sander tugged me away.

“We can have a tour after we finish our report.”

Sander led me upstairs. His room was at the 2nd floor at the end of the left wing of the house. It was customarily made for his taste. Posters of different football players adorned the walls. He had a queen size bed.

Sander flung his bag on his bed. I looked around to where I should put my bag. I decide to lay it beside hiss. When I turned back, he was sitting on the bed with a laptop on his lap and another in front of him. I kicked off my shoes and joined him. I copied him, crossing my legs and setting it on my lap.

“How do you turn on this laptop?”

Sander planted his hand a little too high on my thigh and reached over my lap. His back grazed my chest and I could smell a faint trail of his woodsy perfume. But before I could enjoy the smell, he pulled back and settled on his previous position.

“So what's our topic?”

“The scent of rain.” I said, encoding my word on the search box.

“That's good choice. How do you come up with it?” He asked tapping on his keyboard.

“Adam gave me the idea. He said I smelled like it.” I said shrugging. Wikipedia was the first to give the result. “Found it.”