TIME OUT

Chapter 7

"Hey guys" I wave at them as I hurry over with Elle by my side. They curiously look to my Princess then focus back on me.

"Jay! Why didn't you tell us you'd be this late?" Cy pointed her finger at me while Ty just shook his head looking at the ground beside her.

"I'm sorry Cy, I was doing art and I just..." Her eyes softened and Ty lifted his face to look at me.

"Really?" She asked softly, timidly even.

"Yeah, I'm sorry; how can I make it up to you?" Oh no I shouldn't have asked that; it's always "Ice Ice Baby" that they choose to go to so I can be forgiven. They want 4 flavors each in a cone bowl with 3 toppings and 2 sauces each.

"Ice Ice Baby!" They both squealed at the same time, you can literally catch those stars in their eyes with how brightly they shone.

"Get in then" I tell them unlocking the car, I then motion for Elle to come into the front seat next to me. Here we come you very very cold Baby.

Now with everyone satisfied and happy we head home. The twins went for what they always took 4 random flavors they picked by closing their eyes, same for the toppings and the sauces; all with some funny sounding names like chortling chocolate, what's with that? Elle also went with a bowl like the twins (who by the way convinced my Princess to join them in their ritual). I went with a milkshake, I'm simple like that; I knew the name to this flavor; vain vanilla, doesn't make sense but I like vanilla so that's what I went with. The twins of course groaned at my choice (which is what I always pick) and tried to encourage me to try something new, which I blatantly refused. Usually whoever sits in the front gives me periodic sips of my milkshake till we get home, it wasn't any different now as I sucked on the straw in the plastic cup that Elle's elegant fingers held up for me. I don't want this ride to end but we were nearing the forest road entrance.

"Wow..." Elle sighed looking at the forest, I agree looking at the way my Princess' eyes are gobbling up the view. The widening and brightening of those wonderful eyes tell me they're enjoying what they see. I bet you they've never seen a forest surrounding a house, or just generally seen a forest. We get to the house and we alight, the twins immediately running to their rooms to do their homework like the good children they were (I'm joking, they've gone to stream their latest series episode(s), who knows how many they watch). I walk towards the door motioning for Elle to follow me. First we go to the kitchen, I know we've had Ice cream but that won't fill our stomachs; it's time for a snack and I think a sandwich will do quite nicely. Ty likes his single layer, Cy likes hers double layer, I like mine in three layers.

"Elle how many layers do you want?" this is probably a miscellaneous piece of information I'll need to remember.

"Huh?" Although Elle doesn't seem to be paying any attention to me, why not I'm even wearing an apron!

"For your sandwich; how many layers do you want?" Notice me wearing this cozy apron, don't I look cute? Hot?

"Oh, may I have only one please?" Such wonderful manners.

"Only one?"

"Yes please" then Elle's eyes just goes back to looking around, wonder what they're looking for. I'm now done with the sandwiches we can head upstairs. I pass by Cy's room give her the sandwich, and then take Ty's sandwich to him, now we're heading to my room with our sandwiches in my hand on a plate. Is it odd I feel like there's something someone wants to ask me, namely Elle? Maybe I should clear my throat? Or ask what the quest-

"Um Jay, I don't know if it'll be insensitive or not but; why aren't you in any pictures?" Finally popped the question.

"I'm in plenty of pictures in albums" I shrug, although I know it meant pictures on the walls (which were decorated with many different pictures of Ty and Cy as well as Vic and Sylvie.

"No I mean these displayed pictures"

"Oh, right... they didn't want me as a child so they never cared to take any." I say very seriously.

"That seems awful" I think I sense regret for asking the question.

"I'm joking, relax you haven't offended me, this is my Aunt and Uncles place."

"So Tracy and Tyler are not your brother and sister?"

"No they aren't." I really wish they were, but that's how I've treated them my whole life so it's cool.

We amble leisurely to my room; we've already began on our sandwiches, by the time we get to my room they're half done. As we enter I see Elle's sandwich falling down, with my quick reflexes I catch it before it hits the ground; you can't waste a perfectly good sandwich and also you can't dirty my floors.

"Beautiful..." I can hear an audible sigh escaping Elle's lips, I'm just here wondering what was so breath taking you literally dropped your sandwich (which requires dropping your jaw incase it doesn't make sense to you.) I look around my room; all the redecorating I did with the twins must be what's put my princess in a daze. I turn my head towards the wall opposite my bed; it has a countless amount of inspirational quotes, some so small only my enhanced eyes could see it. To the right of my bed were feather paintings littering the wall in different patterns and to my right were the paintings of minimalist paintings of wolf silhouettes doing all sorts of things (running, jumping, howling, rolling over, hunting, etc) with a sunset back ground.

"Princess? Elle? Are you okay?" I'm concerned now that I've headed to my desk, placed my bag and threw myself on a beanbag.

"It's just so beautiful" fingers explored the wall closest like a lost traveler looking for a clue. I'm so proud of my work now (our since the twins did help a little).

"Thank you, the twins and I did it" I grab the traveler ending its journey to the beanbag, grasped and safe in the abode of my hands. I want is traveler to explore the terrain of my face, that's what I want.

"Yeah we should get to work now." The traveler has left my safe abode to venture out once more to the land of the many books.

"What theme should we pick?" I need to focus now, I also reach for my book to read through the instructions once more.

"I think we should go for familial love?" A pang goes through my chest at the look that passes through the thick honey orbs Elle calls eyes (or everyone in the world but I wouldn't know at this moment).

"Why?" I'm curious out of all the love that my Princess had a choice over it was family that was to be represented?

"Because it's easier to act something you've felt or still feel isn't it?" So what I'm hearing is that my Princess has never been in love before? Wonderful, I'd be grinning like the Cheshire cat but that would be very extremely weird, even for me.

We've been working for about an hour or so now (mainly me joking around, jumping on my bed and the sorts) and we've gotten pretty far on our brainstorming considering that this is due at the end of the semester; we've agreed that it will be familial love and we have to develop ideas on what aspect of it we should present (we had an argument whether it should be siblings or parent to child). I want it to be sibling so I can get to meet any of Elle's siblings (if any) since if it's parental we don't have to meet each other's parents. I swing my keys in a loop as we head to my car with Elle close behind me; I'm going to go see my Princess' castle.

This isn't a castle, neither is it a house. It's a mansion (but I'd bet it's a mini-castle for my Princess) but the sign reads Mariquil Manor; well we do live in a countrysidish sort of place, it's not really in the outskirts but really far from those *shuddering* noisy, overpopulated, smelly, small cities... back to where I live; it's simple and relaxed, we have direct contact with nature (perfect for my wolf), it's not sparsely populated but we're spread out enough not to be dense, you know what? Just call this a countryside city; I think it's perfect for me and the wolves that live here. I'd like to drive in to this "Manor" to look around maybe...

"Guess this is goodbye for now," Elle just opens my door when I stopped beside this guard sort of shack "I'll see you tomorrow in school." I will although we don't have a lesson together, but I know I'll be looking into those beautiful eyes again soon; for now I wave and drive off after making sure Elle is through the gateway. If that is a manor they must have a lot of space, especially at the back; go big or go home I always say (never, not once till now).