INSATIABLE

CHAPTER 4

By the time Ella and I get to the house, it is a few minutes to seven.

I take her leash off and as usual, she starts to jump up and down, barking in excitement.

She hates being chained and I don't do it unless we are going for a morning stroll since she is too jumpy and mornings aren't time for games.

I push the door open, and I am hit by the sweet aroma of pancakes and bacon. I forget Ella for a moment my mind drifting to pancakes and a smile pulls on my lips as I inhale the sweet aroma.

Happiness is the smell of pancakes in the morning, like seriously, pancakes are the best thing that ever happened to me.

Wait...

Bri is making us breakfast? That's a first.

I shut the door and tiptoe to the kitchen curiously, but I find a woman of a medium height, who is probably in her forties busy making pancakes.

She must be Miriam.

She is in a white apron and a matching toque, and she is too occupied to notice me.

“Good morning,” I greet her, leaning on the door frame, and she whips her head towards me.

She gives me a warm smile that I reciprocate and proceeds to walk inside.

I am itching to take one of those mouthwatering pancakes, but hey, manners.

“You must be Rio?” She asks sweetly and I nod, but I quickly say yeah when I remember that nodding is rude.

I know people nod all the time but mom told me it is rude to nod at my elders.

A second later, Ella jumps inside barking softly and I grab her when she makes to walk past me.

Maybe Miriam doesn't like dogs.

“And this is...” I start to say as I rub Ella's back but Miriam cuts me in.

“Ella?” She asks, causing a smile to pull on my lips.

Maybe she like dogs afterall?

“Ooh! I see you two have already met,” I joke and she chuckles.

“Your aunt has told me a lot about you two.” She tells me, taking her eyes back to the pan and I watch in admiration as she flips the pancake with a lot of expertise.

I wish I can do that.

I am supposed to ask her if she could be teaching me how to cook but it's way too soon, we just met.

“And you must be Miriam?” I ask, tightening my grip on Ella who is struggling to free herself.

“Yes, and you can put Ella down, I am sure she wants to meet her new friend.”

“Are you sure?” I ask, raising a skeptical eyebrow at her. “Bri doesn't like her and I thought that maybe you-”

“Ella is adorable, and don't mind your cousin, she doesn't like a lot of things. People included.” I give her a sad smile, unfortunately she is right about Bri.

I set Ella down, and she gives me a look that seems to say 'thank you' before trudging towards Miriam.

Ella is so friendly, she chums up real quick and she is so easy to like.

She is the epitome of an extrovert.

“Hello, Ella.” Miriam smiles at her and Ella reciprocates that by barking and jumping up and down around her.

“She can be too jumpy at times,” I caution her.

“I can handle cute, little, jumpy dogs just fine and I think she likes me,” Miriam tells me in excitement.

Seems I won't have to worry about leaving Ella in the house with Miriam when I go to school.

I am all smiles as I get a bottle of water from the fridge and a glass from the cabinet, and I pour myself some.

“Is it okay if I make Ella breakfast,” I ask emptying the water in a few gulps and I fill the glass once more.

“I already made her some.” She says, pointing at the blue bowl that is placed on the kitchen's island.

“You guys bought Ella a feeding bowl?” I ask excitedly.

I don't prefer a single bowl but the fact that Aunt Mel went out of her way to make Ella and I feel comfortable makes my heart swell with love.

I so love her.

“And your aunt told me that Ella is lactose intolerant?”

Wow!

She remembered that too?

I am so lucky to have her for an aunt.

“Yeah, no cheese and milk for Ella. Though she likes cheese a lot."

“Will keep that in mind. Would you like a pancake as you wait for breakfast?”

I was hoping she would ask.

“Gladly. Thank you.” I think my aunt already told her how much I love pancakes.

I clean my hands and I get myself a pancake.

“Syrup?”

“I hate syrup, I will use Nutella instead,” I say, getting it from the counter and I spread a decent amount on my pancake.

Looks so yummy.

I take a bite, and God, it is so delicious.

“I love myself some pancakes.” I shriek like a two-year-old and Miriam chuckles.

“Don't give Ella some, it has cheese.” I nod, taking Ella's food and she jumps past me, leading me to our room.

“It is time for breakfast.” I set the bowl for her when we get to my room, and she starts to dig on her food hungrily. “Slowly, girl,” I say, patting her back. “You don't want to choke, do you?”

My first class is not until 10:00 O'clock, and since I already packed my books yesterday and decided on what to wear to class today, I decide to tidy the room up.

**♦**♦**♦**

One hour later, my room is sparkling clean. I put the clothes that were on the bed in the laundry basket, mopped the floor, scrubbed the bathroom, wiped the wardrobe, and arranged my shoes on the rack.

The only thing left is making the bed and hanging my clothes in the closet, which is not as big as mine back home, but it is big enough.

“I will be right back girl,” I tell Ella, who is lying on the floor after such a heavy breakfast, and I walk out to ask Miriam where she keeps the beddings.

I don't forget to shut the door behind me lest Ella decides to pay Bri a visit.

Just when I am about to walk down the stairs, I see Miriam walking out of my Aunt's bedroom and I turn around.

“Breakfast is ready, Rio. And don't wait for Bri, she will wake up an hour to class time.”

Bri should really thank God for her mother, mom didn't entertain waking up late in her house. I hardly slept in unless I was really sick.

“I need to make my bed first, could you please show me where you keep the beddings?”

“Go have breakfast, I will make your bed after I am done cleaning the room.” She tells me, walking to my room.

“I already did.”

“You cleaned the room?” She asks, a shocked expression masking her face.

“Yeah,” I say following her to my room, and she gasps dramatically when she walks inside.

“You and Bri are totally different. She doesn't even know how to make her bed.”

I thought Aunt Mel was exaggerating yesterday. At her age, Bri can't even make her own bed?

“I prefer cleaning my own room and making my own bed.”

I have been doing it since I was eight.

“You are very responsible.”

“I didn't have much of a choice.”

With Sheila Daniels for a mother, you either be responsible or be responsible, there was no in-between.

“Let's get you the beddings then.”

I follow Miriam downstairs to the guest room and I choose everything white; white sheets, white pillow shams, a white comforter, and white curtains.

I head to my room and change the curtains, hang my clothes in the wardrobe and then I make my bed.

My lips are curved into a perfect smile as I draw the curtains and I let my eyes trail around the room, commending myself for a job well done.

The room looks so perfect, and I Iike my room like this.

Clean, neat, and perfect.

My study table is neatly arranged, school books are placed on the right side and my favorite novels stacked up on the other side, I arranged some novels in the drawer since the space is limited.

My dresser is neatly organized and I made a makeshift bed for Ella at the corner, I will buy her a good bed on Saturday.

Taking pride in my work, I grab my towel and head to the bathroom.

I have less than two hours to prepare for my first class and I haven't had breakfast yet.

After a refreshing warm shower, I sit on the dressing table, to dry my hair and I proceed to put on a blue pair of jeans that are slightly tight, a pink blouse top, and a matching pair of doll shoes.

I pull my hair in a tight bun, wear mom's favorite necklace, and put on some lip gloss. I check myself in the mirror one last time and I grab my bag, phone, and car key.

I enter Bri's room and to my disappointment, Bri is still in bed, sleeping peacefully. I thought she would be ready by now.

“Bri? You have less than sixty minutes to get ready.” I say, shaking her gently.

She groans and yawns lazily.

“Bri? Wake up.”

“Go away."

"You'll be late for class."

"My class is in the afternoon.”

She turns to face the wall and I sigh when she pulls the comforter over her head.

I shake my head, disappointed.

I really don't want to be late for my first class, and she has to wake up now so that she can get ready in time.

“You are supposed to take me to school, remember?”

“Go ahead, I will see you in the afternoon.”

“Who's going to show me around? I do-” I start to complain but she cuts me in.

“Stop whining. You have a map, for a f*****g reason, Rio.”

I sigh in frustration.

“Fine!”

I shake my head and storm out of her room.

**♦**♦**♦**

Forty minutes later, I pull at the university's parking lot, next to a gray Porsche.

I inhale sharply, trying to calm my anxious self down but it doesn't work.

I am so nervous right now.

I get out of the car, slinging my bag across my shoulder and I lean on the locked door. I let my eyes wander around absently, and I stand there, watching people walking to and from their cars.

Judging from the expensive cars in the parking lot, East State University is for the rich kids.

Super rich.

I toss my car key in my bag and grab the school map.

I can feel eyes on me as I walk out of the parking lots and I know the map is selling me out.

Everyone can tell that I am a freshman.

Following the map is not as hard, I locate the lecture hall so easily and I walk inside, hoping to secure a seat at the front row but to my surprise, there is only one person in the room, I thought I would walk in a hall full of students who are busy getting to know each other but I couldn't be more wrong.

The blond boy is sitting in the first row, and he seems busy. It is when I get closer that I realize he is busy reading a novel.

“Hi,” I say, fidgeting with the strap of my bag, nervously, and he turns to face me.

His beautiful green eyes are oddly familiar and I stare at him for a transient second trying to remember where I saw him.

He smiles at me and that is all it takes for me to remember him. He is the sweet cute guy I met earlier today.

Leo.