4EVER

Chapter 26 - In Agreement

With Marissa staying the night it reminded Noelle of their younger years when the four girls were in high school and working at the mall. Those were much simpler times when pancake making at 2 a.m. ensued and the majority of the early morning hours were spent talking about clothes, makeup, hair and boys.

As Noelle tranced out stirring her coffee she reminisced of frisbeeing pancakes to Marissa's dog Susie. They'd make so much noise flinging the soft, floppy cakes between the four of them driving poor little Susie quite mad. That loving yellow lab would knock over kitchen chairs, houseplants and the girls to ensure she was the last to snatch the golden hotcake.

Inevitably, Marissa's mom would come down telling us to 'cool our jets,' because if her father woke up to us carrying on, it was certain there would be hell to pay.

All that nostalgia made Noelle famished, so for old times sake she quietly started to make pancakes while Marissa continued to sleep. Rest for her was a luxury and Noelle was happy to gift it to her with a husband, four kids and a job working not the kindest shifts.

Cracking a couple of eggs over the bowl, a sweet smile mischievously crossed her lips thinking of Sundays in college where leftover cold pizza or if Noelle had baked a cake was their breakfast. It's no wonder the freshman 10 pounds snuck on them so easily that first year in college.

Ducking inside the walkin pantry, Noelle aggressively whisked the batter until mixed careful to not wake her friend. Forgetting to preheat the cast iron skillet, she had some time to waste so setting the table became her next task along with cleaning some fresh berries.

The batter over sizzled a bit signaling that it was a bit too hot. Reducing the gas heat, she watched the bubbles form almost immediately begging to be flipped.

Soon her apartment was flooded with the sweet smells of breakfast, including sausage frying in a smaller pan.

Slippers shuffled across the hardwood floor until arriving at the coffeemaker. Marissa poured herself a cup of coffee and added some cream from the refrigerator. Slurpy sips warmed Marissa's throat as she enjoyed the peacefulness of a private morning without her husband, children and black lab.

Drawing in a deep breath Marissa enjoyed the solitude and simplicity of two friends in the simple comfort of one another's silence. Grateful for not being the one making breakfast for once, it started to bring Marissa back their high school days, especially when Noelle frisbeed her a pancake and Marissa wasn't even the slightest bit slow on the uptake catching it in her hands and starting to cackle up a storm.

"Damn you remembered Susie!"

"Of course I did."

"She was such a good dog but basically ate herself to death. Maaan she made our house a mess constantly fighting for food with that insatiable appetite."

As Noelle poked at the sausage, ensuring it was finished, Marissa placed the pancake plate on the table and the two friends sat down to eat.

Still quiet with one another, it was merely a matter of time before Marissa would break. Noelle was happy to avoid it as long as she possible.

"So you just gonna let you and Prince end like this?" Shaking her fork at Noelle, chewing on a pancake lightly. She didn't waste time getting straight to the point.

Finishing the bite of pancake in her mouth she calmly answered her friend. "Look he left me. I feel like you're blaming me for this."

"I'm not blaming but it feels like you both just threw in the towel without a fight."

"He didn't even have the decency to talk to me about it. I come home from a hard day at work, listening and trying to help navigate people through their lives and I've got my own sack of problems waiting for me at my door." Irritation still readily visible in her tone and body language.