Don't Open That Door - GoM 1

1

"I hate it when the fear sets in
I remember when it all began
And I wonder
If we'll be the same again."
Daughtry, Back Again

It was a cold November night, but at least it wasn't raining. The first break in three weeks. And an expected one, because Bold Peak's anniversary was next weekend. Nobody wanted rain messing up the parade, the fireworks and the fair they'd been working on for the last couple of months. However, nobody was really worried about it. For some reason, Bold Peak's anniversary was always held under clear blue skies.

Sophie Malher and her friends took her house over after dinner. They had loads to bake for the fair, because they wanted to invest whatever they earned on their next summer vacations out of town.

Albert and Liz Malher decided a strategic retreat upstairs to their room, surrendering the ground floor to the girls. And the boys. Stevie assessed the situation and called out for some backup. John and Chad didn't take long to show up. The three offered their chivalrous help to the girls, but they were soon banned from the kitchen. So they settled for gaming in the living room, still hoping the kitchen door would open for them to receive smiles, or at least a slice of cake.

The only boy expected at the kitchen was still a no-show. It was Rob Thompson, and he was struggling to get dressed in a hurry. Lila still lay lazily on the hay in the barn of the Palmer abandoned sawmill, giggling at his clumsy tugging. When he finally conquered buttons and zips, he leaned in to kiss her goodbye.

Lila gave him a small, slim flask full of a white powder. "You know what to do," she said.

Rob kept it, trying to kiss her again. She pushed him back with another giggle.

"Go! They're waiting for you."

She was forced to stand up and push him all the way out the barn door. Only when she closed it between them, Rob was able to turn around and head to his father's truck. A moment later, it skidded away down the old track, leaving a trail of white smoke behind.

Sophie ran to open the front door for him and took his hand to lead him to the kitchen. Rob flashed a bragging smirk at his friends in the living room and stayed behind closed door with the girl.

He saw Sophie tried to check on the pudding in the oven without stopping whipping cream in a bowl, so he volunteered to help her. As soon as the girl turned her back on him to open the oven, he glanced at the other girls to make sure they weren't looking his way. He produced the small flask Lila had given him and managed to pour a bit of powder into the cream. He resumed his eager whipping, smiling at Sophie when she faced him again.