Afterlife

Cookies

The door let out a small 'creek' as I slowly opened it and stuck my head through. The smell was greater now that my head was out, but the area nearby the door was empty of either Leo or Evan; from what I could tell, and basic common sense, I figured they were in the kitchen, most likely cooking or baking something

I stepped one foot out, then another so I was fully out of the room and was starting to head towards the kitchen; passing through the thin hallway where my room was as well as one other room, passing the small living room where Leo was last sleeping on one of the couches when I loudly opened the hatch that's in the center of the room.

"Um...what are you making?" I popped my head into the small kitchen and saw the two waiting by the small island. Leo looked up surprised and rather tired while sitting on the side of the island; Evan was smiling lightly and was standing closer to the oven, seeming pleased that I decided to make an appearance. I was unphased by that smug expression.

"Ah, someone decided to get out of their sad place and join the world that..." He looked down with confusion, seemingly forgetting where he was going with whatever he was saying. Something told me it was intentionally, seeing the way how the room lightened up just a bit; Leo also seemed to look less tired and more...lively.

"Har, har yeah sorry for whatever, now," I started, clasping my hands together, the scent now stronger and making my mouth water with each second, "What are you making that has this nice smell?"

Leo answered this time, but instead of a straight answer (which is what I wanted when I decided to investigate where the smell came from), he said,"You had us worried there, Carol. You come in distressed, and kept yourself in there for a good half of the day, silent as ever-"

"Cookies, I've convinced Leo to help me make some cookies, that's what's baking," Evan interrupted; then to Leo with a light shove to the head,"Don't be so down, man." Leo gave him a weak smile and answered with a silent 'sorry'; Evan just shoved him playfully back.

I jumped into the seat beside Leo, already wanting to shake the saddened tone around him like, Evan seems to do as well, and asked the most important question I could think of; I put on my most serious face and brought one of my hands to my chin, the other to support it.

"Evan...what flavor are they." The scent of the still baking cookies grew sweeter, now that know they are the sugar desserts they are.

I think he caught on with my little 'game' and responded just as seriously, "They...are oatmeal and raisin."

With a gasp, I jumped from shock and dismay; how dare he! Sure it was healthy, but the sweet taste of chocolate was far superior to any raisin topping on a cookie! Also, how could something so bland give off such a sweet, sweet scent?

"How could you!?" I gasped, and then lightly tapped Leo and said towards him, "How come you couldn't stop him?" It was probably my serious expression and how extreme we took this random and absurd thing about the cookies that made Leo seem to look happier and less down; of course, he went with it.

"I tried, Carol!" he started, still with a grin on his face, "But-"

"No, what's done, it's done, Leo," Evan interrupted with a faked stern voice; the act continued until the oven gave a sudden sound that pierced through our little performance, alerting us that the very cookies we were making fun of were finished cooking. Evan turned back from us to face the oven and, not even with mitts, took the tray out and placed it on the island; me and Leo leaned away from the countertop to not get burned. A much greater fresh scent came from them now, paired with the warm heat of the steam that I could visibly see.

"Hey....what actually are these?" They were plain and obviously didn't have the texture nor color (at least from what I could remember) that an oatmeal cookie would. They looked more rough with a criss-crossed pattern, but the color wasn't burnt; in fact, it was a light browned color.

"Ah, peanut butter; figured can't go wrong with that seeing as, well, I assume you're not allergic." He took one straight from the tray, the heat still steaming out from it, and just plopped it in his mouth. I assumed that, since he did so with ease, they were most likely not that hot; I grabbed one without thinking, and immediately yelped in pain.

"OW! Man, that is hot!," I cradled my hand to my chest, waiting for any blisters or a burn to show on it. "How the heck could you so easily handle them?!"

Leo, still smiling slightly and surrounded with a cheerful mood, answered for Evan. "He doesn't really care if he feels the pain of the heat-"

"I mean," Evan interrupted his friend,"if I'm not going to get burned or anything from it, so..." He shrugged and got another cookie and ate it as the last one. I looked at my cradled hand and, sure enough, there aren't any red burns or bumps forming on it. "Weirdo," I muttered, still trying to lessen the pain from the heat.

Evan let out a chuckle, got two of the almost cooled cookies from the tray and looked like he tried to cool them down by blowing on them; the steam was soon gone, and he handed each one to the both of us. It was significantly much more cooled than how it was on the tray, so I took a bite out of it; it was still warm, enveloping my mouth with its heat and it had a sweet taste to it. Warm and sweet.

I hummed in content, Leo and Evan probably wondering when was the last time I tasted anything so sweet since they were staring at me weirdly; it was only when I noticed their 'weirdness' was when I remembered what I wanted to ask them.

"Hey guys, umm, this might sound weird or dumb but...what is a significant other?" I took another bite, waiting for their answer or whatever witty comment they may come up with. Leo continued to give me his weirded-out look, although it seemed more confused if anything; Evan casually went back to diving into the burning hot sweets still on the tray.

"Ah, well.." He stared at the cookie in his hand, his face growing into that unhumourous, un-Evan-like face he usually got when talking about something serious. The cookie in his hand turned this way and that as me, and surprisingly Leo, waited to hear what he will say; the suspense was thick in the air, almost tangible in a way that made the air heavy.

"Well," Evan finally started,"in the literal term, a significant other is a person whom someone has established a romantic or...uh...'intimate' relationship with. They are usually considered a 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend', also a 'husband' or 'wife'."

He stopped, suddenly looking very...solemn. It was the only time I saw him look so defeated and just overall grim; I think Leo knew why since he shook Evan's shoulder as if bringing him back here and away from wherever his mind went to. "Anyway, why'd you ask, Carol?" Leo asked.

"Well..." I looked down and started fidgeting with whatever was left of the cookie; I wasn't sure why I suddenly felt so embarrassed and weird, but I wanted to at least tell them. Maybe...they can make something out of it that I couldn't.

"In my room, after you left Leo, I somehow went back to my...uh...body?" I looked up at the both of them for support, and they were now staring intently, waiting.

"And there was someone new there, a male, and umm...well, it was weird, what he did, but, when the nurse came in and asked who he was, he answered 'my significant other'." I realized I started looking down again, so I looked back up to see them.

Their reaction wasn't what I was expected; their eyes widened, a shine in their eyes grew with mischief, a large grin spread on both of their faces and then they started singing in unison.

"Carol and a guy, sitting in a tree; K-I-S-S-I-NG!"

Goodness, why did I want to tell them?

Author's Note

Okay! A second chapter in the same month! Man, I'm on a record!

Anyway, thank you for reading! Comments and votes are greatly appreciated, and also help me know that you are enjoying this story, as well as what I need to fix ;)

See you next chapter!

Edit: due the this inconvenience convenience called education, the chapters may be delayed by sime time
Thank you understanding!