TWO

I walk away from the kitchen, auspiciously swindling a muffin. I path the dining table with a fulfilling smirk and toss my hair, nonchalantly. I pull out the white chair diametric Harley's.

"Uh...yes!" I exclaim lowly as I sit down and bring out the muffin. My body abaft to Mom, I'm conserved. I shut my eye launching a bite, the savoring taste thaws in my mouth absconding each area of my mouth sweet.

"Mm," I grouse with relish.

I stir my eyeballs to welcome Harley's grimace, unabridged.

"What?" I yap at her.

"You stole a muffin?" Her arms are interlaced, she's stiff like a robot as she talks. She's practically a robot to me, flat chest too.

"Is that a question? ...what now, huh? Oh, You're gonna tell Mom?" I bridge my brow, daring her to.

She leans her head forward and rustles, "Trust me," She retreats to her usual position, smiling victoriously.

"Oh, oh, Harley dearest... Wanna play the cop here? How about Mom unmasking that her little princess got a charming kiss from a new dude in her class?"

Her eyes enlarge in stupefy, she sniffles.

"Y ...You, won't d ...do that to me," she dribbles.

I giggle at her blemish. A new kid arrived at her school and stole her first kiss while she was asleep in class. It was just another epic incident for her, she's an object of a patron to the soccer team in her school.

"Trust me," I tell, mouth full of muffin.

"I wasn't go ...gonna tell, Mom," her voice still convulsing.

"Case solved." I smile and continue nibbling my muffin.

"Happy valentine" she accosts out of the blues.

"Aw, sweet sis, same here... Who's your Val ... Lemme guess, the new boy?!" I investigate with eagerness.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Haley," she starts picking her neutral long nails.

I roll my eyes and calm back while I adore the view. Mom had swapped the flowers in the vase on the dining table to red roses, the previous day, which actually gives the oak table a plushy gander.

"Well, there is this boy, Haley..." She begins and I pretend to be deaf, goggling everywhere but her. The grandfather's clock on the beige wall close to the stair that escorts to the hallway, ticks continually. The clock ticks every second bestowing the atmosphere with a little thriller than Harley's annoying little drone.

"Haley?!"

"What?" I grump.

"I'm telling you something important!"

"I don't wanna hear,"

"But I wanna tell ya!" she cries.

"Ridiculous,"

"Haley!"

"Okay, I'm listening, so stop screeching, pest!" I say in a very low, screaming voice.

She remodels herself as she hurriedly dives on the chair beside me. Her vanilla shampoo scent inflates my nose. We are beautified with long, silky, black hair in this family. Unmistakably, the gene is from my mom, being that my dad is blond. Her hazel eyes perk up in elation, while her dimples loom. She has a heart facial shape, except, she's not pudgy as I was, she's malnutrition with a nice face.

She soughs, "there is a guy... He was in my history class last year, hm, his name is Den-"

"Den? Is that a human' name?" I choke on my laughter.

"Yes, that's what people call him, Den," she explains innocently not getting the fact that I was making a mockery of the way she pronounced it.

"Yeah, Den, continue,"

"Julie said he digs me and would like to take me to see Ferris wheel." her cheeks turn pink.

Her pink cheeks are evidence that the feeling is mutual, she likes the 'said boy' too.

"Okay, lemme get this straight... Did he tell you that?"

"Hm, nope, but he told Julie." she got all pink and cheesy. Whoa, see who's catching some feeling. Actually, I still can't believe Harley is sitting right here pouring out her love life defect.

"Wow, so Den, as you said, has decided to take you out without seeking your permit?"

My sister is a novice and what do I expect a fifteen years old girl to know about relationships?

"Hm ...Does that matter?" She mumbles, looking like sentimental foolish kiddo.

"Tell me more, Harley," I close my eyes disputing the urge to curse her. I open them back to behold her brown one.

"You're supposed to hold-up for him to tell you that," I teach, gritting my teeth.

She looks aghast and her eyes search the room, she reverts to me.

And whispers "Is that how it's done?"

I exhale the ire searing in me. Her naive mind is kicking me off.

"If you don't wanna be treated like a fuckin' piece of-"

"This is a noble home and cuss words are ban, do I have to remind you of everything, Haley?" My mom's voice got nearer than the sound of her sandals.

She dashes the soup on the table and casts at us, furrowing her brow in dither. I make an effort to look polite. Harley can't snoop at Mom in the eyes the way I do.

"I've got my eyes on you two." she slants a finger at us.

She swings her hips away.

"What'd I do?" Harley whispers to me. I scowl at her, as she unexpectedly ask with Mom in spitting distance.

"Good morning everyone." Dad blowout of the hallway, adjusting his tie.

"Morning," Mom stalks to him, their lips touch, briefly.

Harley and I subsequently look at each other. Harley gags on laughter. I bite my lower lip to avoid laughter. It's really weird gaping at your parents doing something you feel it's private and you probably think you can do better than them.

"Em...How was your night?" She mutters to him.

"Full of beautiful dreams about you." I catch him says.

"Really?"

I spin to them.

"Mm," he replies to her as he uses his fingers to brush her black hair behind her ear.

"Happy Valentine, Wifey." Wow! Dad remembers today is Valentine. Bravo!

I beam, lying my hands under my chin and looking dreamy at them. Our home is a happy one. Father, mother, and two beautiful daughters with almost the same names. It's crazy how my mom, who is a European Indonesian and my dad, on the other hand, is an aborigine met and had us, just to give us similar names.

"This is so lovely," Harley giggles happily.

"Yeah, it is." I reply.

My gaze locked with Dad's. He grins, walking towards us. He looks virile in her black suit with his golden hair groomed behind his ears. Sometimes I wonder if all the females in this family are short or Dad is extremely tall.

"Hello, lovelies."

"Good morning, Daddy." Harley greets, freely.

"Morning, Dad." I greet, mistily.

He pulls a chair opposite me out of the chairs in the dinning, since Harley's sitting beside me. He sighs softly as he settles down. Dad is the opposite side of Mom. Man is coolheaded. He likes Jeremy without meeting him.

"How are you both doing?"

"Enormously fine," Harley answers, and I roll my eyes.

Mom walks in with the bowl of muffins, she glares at me when our eyes jammed. Damnit! She knows.

"Yo, man" he begins and of course he's talking to me. I don't have a brother, so I'm a boy to him.

"Em," I answered him.

"What's up with that boy, Luke or-"

"Jeremy"

"Yes Jeremy, you're, Mm... gonna see him today, huh, it's valentine?" he winks at me and picks a muffin.

"Sure as hell!"

"Did I tell you I met your mother on a Valentine?" Dad rises his eyebrows in question.

"Oh really?" Harley puts a hand under her jaw showing her undeniable interest in what Dad has to say.

"Yeah, yeah. But she kinda hates that story" He sighs, probably reminiscing those moments.

"Uh, why! I mean that how you guys probably met?" I shrug.

"Right?" Harley glances over to me and I give an equal confused look she's bestowing me.

Dad gazes to the kitchen and he switches the motion.

"Oh, oh, we're killing tortilla soup for breakfast, mm... This smells nice." He pips suddenly, I discover Mom's drawing near.

Mom is fond of cooking and I love coming home to taste, once in a blue moon.

"I just pack your lunch box, Harley." Mom neaten her hands with a hand towel thence sitting.

"Thanks, Mom."

Everyone dish up themselves, esteeming my bowl of tortilla with ardor, I dip a spoon in and quickly sip into my mouth-The taste is presupposed. Yummy ...bliss. I open my eyes to notice Mom boring at me, open-mouthed.

"What?" I ask foolishly.

I see Dad and Harley exchanging glances. The food is envenomed?

"Why must you always be the rule-breaker?" She polls.

"What are you talking about now, Mom?" I debate, begging for more info.

"You pray before you eat not the other way."

I process the sentence and shrug. She sighs. Without approval, she starts praying and the rest of the family answers Amen. How cultured.

"In Jesus' name, we pray," she concludes.

"Amen." I speak, abrupt and fest my soup.

"You shouldn't rush yourself." my Mom advises.

I crunch my teeth in anger, I really can't wait to decamp of that door.

"Mom, Dad, I will be home late today, Julie and I are going to the park." Harley lies. But she is partially not fibbing, she is going to the park but with a different person.

"That's okay." Mom replies with a delightful beam, of course she trust her baby.

Silent fills the room, but just for a minute.

"Are you sleeping over in Jeremy's house?"

"Maybe, Mom..." I drop my spoon as I exhaust my soup and snatch a muffin. "I gotta go."

"Mwot?" Because of the soup in her mouth, I can't hear her audibly, but I know she said, what.

I stare at the grandpa clock.

"8:05 am"

"Dad, can I take the car?"

"No sweetie, that's impossible!"

I look at him as he issues me an apologetic look, things are not really perfect for us. Although, there two cars in this compound, sadly only one has its full capacity of performance.

"I know Dad, I was just trying to pull your feet." I smirk at him.

He chuckles, shaking his head as he continues eating. I stride to the sitting room to pick my phone and the bag I intend to put the cakes. I backtrack to the kitchen and gently arrange the Cupcakes in the red drawstring. I slog over to the dining and perk everyone. I discover a soup stain on a side of my mom's face, so I use my hand to clean the soup stain. She mouths thank you.

"I love y'all" I shout while walking out. I'm not gonna let anyone ruin my day including my mom.

***