Tattoos and Scars | Completed, Unedited

17 | We're Still Friends

Bailey

I didn't sleep the rest of the night, as usual. Adrian wanted a midnight snack, so I made him some pancakes, with strawberries on the side. Normally things would have been awkward between us after the beach incident, but it wasn't.

We're still friends.

It's still 2AM, so we have plenty of time before the other awake.

"What do you want to do now?" He asks and I shrug. It's starting to get hot in this sweatshirt, but I don't wear anything other than these so I'll have to manage. "You should take off your sweatshirt," He tells me noticing that I had started fanning myself.

"No... I couldn't."

"Why not?"

I look down at my feet, somewhat embarrassed. "Don't really like my scars..." I mumble, barely loud enough for him to hear .

"You shouldn't be insecure about something that wasn't your fault," He states loudly.

Suddenly I find myself drunk with his kindness, and my lips start getting loose. "But it was my fault, Adrian. I'm the one who's unwanted. I'm the one who's a burden everywhere I go. I'm a burden to you, and my dad," I tell him, as tears start welling up in my eyes.

He frowns. "You aren't a burden to me. I want you here, don't you see? I didn't kill you, not only because Blake asked me, but because I knew you've been through so much more worse than death. I was hoping that maybe if I kept you here, then I could help someone for once rather than hurt."

Oh. Adrian Black wanted me to stay here. He didn't do it because Blake basically begged him to. "Oh..."

"So take off your sweatshirt, because you shouldn't be in something you're not comfortable in," He says with finality. Good thing I'm wearing a shirt underneath. Reluctantly, I slip off my sweatshirt. Underneath, I'm wearing a plain black shirt.

"See, not so bad," He says. "Can we bake a cake?" He asks randomly.

"A cake?" I ask, a little confused.

"Yeah, I've always wanted a homemade cake, but none of us can cook," He explains.

"I've never baked a cake before..." But looking at his adorable face makes it difficult to say no. "But there's a first time for everything."

"Yay!" He exclaims excitedly. I give him a small smile, and start searching up "how to make a cake".

"Okay, we need all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, milk, vanilla extract, salted butter, veggie oil, granulated sugar, whole eggs, and egg whites," I list, and Adrian gapes at me.

"That's so much!"

"Cake baking isn't easy."

"We need to go to the store, but none are open!" He whines, and I shake my head.

"Then it'll have to wait till morning," I tell as a matter of factly. He looks quite disappointed. "Ice cream?" I ask, trying to brighten the mood.

"Yes please," He says, his face lighting up again.

"Then help me," I tell him. He walks over to the kitchen, and looks around nervously.

"What do you... um... need?"

"Flour. Eggs. And Strawberries."

He hands me the bag of flour, and a few eggs and a bucketload of strawberries.

"You can't eat so many!'

"Yes I can," He says like a stubborn four year old. I switch on the stove, which always makes me queasy considering that I've been burned with it. "I can flip the pancakes if you want..." He says.