Done For

Chapter Twenty | Cooking

The night went quickly.

Nick, Addie, and Tommy were able to avoid the Shape for the most part, despite a couple of cuts across arms. Sal, Ate, Ashlie, and Cory only had a couple of run-ins with the Hillbilly.

However, they were, for the first time in forever, were not particularly happy the night went so quickly. They were worried about Uni.

Cory had expressed clear distress as the two groups recollected themselves together. Addie had been the first to catch on his mood and grabbed his hand in response.

"It's going to be okay," Addie muttered as the group quietly made their way back to the house together. She only received a soft squeeze of her hand in response. "It was okay after... last time."

They arrived at the house too quickly but entered either way. Cory let out an audible breath of relief when they were met with an empty living room.

"Everyone settle down," Nick said, keeping his voice gentle. Everyone was uneasy.

"Hey, Ate?" Addie's call of the other girl grabbed her attention. "Would you be able to help me in the kitchen? I want to get some food together for everyone." Ate nodded and followed as the younger walked towards the kitchen.

"So? Why me?" Ate asked as Addie began rummaging through the freezer and fridge for food to make.

"What do you mean?" Addie responded as she grabbed a couple of packages of meat and put them on the counter.

"I know you're way closer to Ashlie and Nick, so why me?" Ate explained. She earned a soft chuckle as Addie put the meat in the sink to start thawing.

"Well, you seem like you know how to cook," Addie smiled. "Now grab the adobo. It's with the salt and pepper."

Ate took a moment before grabbing the seasoning Addie spoke of.

It didn't take long until the two started to work fluently. Addie put her focus on the meat while Ate focused on making a bag of rice Addie had grabbed.

It was silent for a while until a quiet humming was heard. Ate immediately realized it was coming from the younger teen as she cooked. Ate was also able to immediately identify the song.

"Set It Off," Ate said, startling Addie. "Partners In Crime, right?" She earned a nod, causing her to crack a smile. "I love that song. I'm surprised that you know it."

Addie smiled. "Good taste."

The two fell back into silence, smiles now on their faces. It was only a few minutes before the silence was once again broken.

"Hey, Ate? I've got some stuff to tell you."