Chasing Sin

27

Our girls' night was perfect.

We spent hours eating way too much food, watching all of the Twilight saga movies, and Skylar even ended the night by supplying us with a Ouija board, which summoned nothing, but gave Taylor quite a scare and all of us a hilarious ending to a perfect night.

I didn't think about Jared, or Archer, or what may or may not be going on with Sin. I didn't worry about my family or school or work. I just had a great night with all my girlfriends, just having fun. No drama.

Now, I'm having a ton of fun cooking before everyone shows up.

I've already mixed the pancake batter and won't start cooking them until everyone gets here, so they're fresh. I'm making scrambled eggs, bacon, and muffins right now. I decide, last minute, to make some egg white omelettes, too, just in case someone doesn't like their eggs scrambled.

My mother took Destiny, Kyla, Kyler, and Ollie to church this morning, letting them pester their Sunday school teachers while she prays. Ethan hasn't been around much since I figured out where he's been spending all his downtime. For all I know, he never even came home last night.

I'm mid-flip of an omelette when the doorbell rings.

"Oh, shoot," I mutter, pushing my hair out of my face and retying my apron to fit properly. I pull the muffins out of the oven and put them on the countertop, rushing to take off my oven mitts.

The doorbell rings again, and I just shout, "It's open!"

I hear the door open and a few footsteps. I look over the island at my friends as they come in. Taylor, Skylar, Kace, and Peyton all come inside, walking through the living room toward the kitchen.

"Hey guys!" I greet them, pouring my first pancake on the griddle.

"Wow, it smells amazing in here," Kace says, sitting on a barstool and looking over the food spread on the island.

"Thanks! I've just started the pancakes, but there's a ton of food already on the table over there."

"Wow, wow, wow," Beckett says, coming through the door now, not bothering to knock, which is fine. Aubrey and Sin come in behind him, closing the door behind them and walking over to the kitchen area.

"Did I die?" Beckett asks. "Oh my god... Did I get in to Heaven?!"

"Holy shit, this is a lot of food," Aubrey says, looking it all over as they each take a seat on a barstool. "I thought we were just coming for pancakes. What even is all this?"

I smile and flip the pancake on the stove before pointing to each food item. "We've got some muffins, blueberry and chocolate chip, then some bacon, sausages, toast, and scrambled eggs."

"Jesus, that's so much-"

"Then we have our healthier options. Some egg white omelettes, strawberries, apples, grapes, bananas, and some Greek yogurt. I wasn't sure if anyone would want oatmeal, but I can whip some of that up, too, if you want. Then I have some homemade blueberry syrup and chocolate syrup for the pancakes, and some Nutella, of course."

I look at Kace as I say that, and he shoots me a grateful smile.

They all marvel at my cooking and sit around the table as I finish up the pancakes, serving them one at a time until everyone has plenty.

"Haven, girl, this is too much food!" Taylor says. I shoot her a horrified look.

"No such thing."

I rush back to the kitchen to turn off the stove and make sure everything is on the table. I put a few of the dishes in the dishwasher and press 'start,' cleaning up the kitchen a little bit.