Red Jacket And A Can Of Soda

Chapter 5

"You guys work on those questions while I get started on dinner," I said walking towards the kitchen, "are you by ay chance allergic to anything Zach?" I asked looking up to see him looking at me, I raise an eyebrow, "are you allergic to anything?"

"I'm not allergic to anything but I don't like mushrooms," he said, "noted, I don't usually cook mushrooms as well cause I also don't like them," I said, "something in common who would have thought," Zach said in a grin, pulling out a juice box from the fridge Zach suddenly said, "do you have a can of soda Eloise?"

Juice splattered everywhere as I squeezed the juice box tight, "El," Sebastian gasped as he quickly get some paper towel and dab it on my face and hair in an attempt to dry it, I look at Zach who's only smirking at me, "I'll kill you some day," I said, "Alyssa make sure to finish that set and keep an eye on Zach please," I said before leaving the kitchen to fix my appearance, "Seb can you cut up the vegetables, I'm just gonna change my shirt."

"Okay," Sebastian said grabbing the squeezed juice box from my hand as I went up to change my shirt and put my hair up as I went back in the kitchen.

As I'm finishing up with my prep Alyssa announced that she was done, "oh less than twenty minutes," I said looking at the time, "if you got this all correct you no longer need me for tutoring," I said with a grin as I wipe my hands on a towel before sitting down across from her.

"Zach still not finished with his?" Sebastian called out in the kitchen with a teasing voice, Zach gives him the finger and I swat his hand, "go back to answering," I said glaring at him before checking the answers of Alyssa.

"Two mistakes, do you want another set or do you want to rest?" I asked, "I'll rest now, I don't think I can do another set," she said, I nod my head before standing up and looking over Zach's paper.

"No that's wrong," I said grabbing the pencil from his hand as I show and explain how it's actually supposed to be done, "you understand?" I asked looking at him only to realize how close our face are, "hey El," I look up to see Sebastian looking at us, "done cutting?" I asked standing straight, "yeah you can start on making dinner," he said, I look back at Zach, "yeah I understand it," he said giving me a smile.

I excused myself and went back to preparing dinner, once finished it was only then that Zach finished the set I made him, "I'll check that later, let's eat first, Seb call dad for me please," I said, he left the room as I set the table.

"Zach dad sits there," I said as he was about to seat across from me, "you can sit beside me if you feel intimidated by dad," I said gesturing to the seat beside me, "okay," he said walking towards the seat beside me.

"You guys done studying?" Dad asked sitting down followed by Sebastian, "I still need to check Zach's answers on a set," I said as I put some of the mashed potatoes on dad's plate before putting some on Zach's then mine before passing it to Sebastian.

"I heard that you're in your senior year Zach, where are you planning to go to college?" Dad asked, "I'm planning to go to a university that focuses on med," Zach said as I put some stake on his plate, "oh med, that's nice, El's older sister is currently in med school," dad said.

"Oh I thought you're an only child," Zach said looking at me, "no I have five sisters, I'm youngest, oldest and middle sister," I said, grinning as he shows confusion on his face, "El has a big age gap between her and her younger sisters so she was the youngest for a while then soon became middle and one of the oldest who the younger ones look up to," dad said.

"Oh that's nice to hear, I also come from a big family," Zach said, "though I'm the youngest, my older brothers and I have a big age gap and currently one is a lawyer and the other an engineer."

"And you'll be a doctor, your parents must be proud of you guys," I said, "well since my older brothers achieved great things, my parents have a higher expectation from me," Zach said with a forced smile, I pat his back, "I feel you," I said, they all raised an eyebrow at me, even dad, "I have high expectations from my younger siblings, I already told them I'm not talking to them if they fail in math."

Zach let's out a laugh as he take a sip of water, "don't worry about it so much," dad said to Zach, "maybe your brothers are great at the career they choose, but you still haven't shown to your parents that you'll be a great doctor. They'll nag you now yes but that's just how parents are, especially since as you mentioned your the youngest, your brothers have their jobs and probably have their own family, and your pursuing a career that can take up to twelve years of your life, they are only naging at you now because next year you'll be out of the house and they'll be all alone with no son to yell at."

Zach laughs at the last bit making dad smile, "just let them nag at you for the next few months and make sure to visit them often once you go off to college. When they call you to check up on you just talk to them, mention how annoying your professor is, talk about not having enough sleep. That's just how parents are."

Bonus

Eloise and Zach sat down across from each other in the dining room's coffee table, Eloise checking Zach's paper, "Eloise my mom is outside to pick me up, I'll see you at school," Alyssa said grabbing her bag off the couch, "okay I'll see you at school, get home safe and say hi to your mother for me," Eloise said as Alyssa waved bye.

"Is it that bad?" Zach asked as he watched Eloise making faces as she looks over his test paper, "it's not bad but it's not great either, you need to improve and by the looks of it I'll have to have an extra session with you," Eloise said looking at Zach who grins to himself with the news, "will it be fine if you have sessions with me on Tuesdays as well, though Alyssa won't take part of it."

"I will in exchange for something," Zach said even though he already planned on agreeing with her, "depending on what it is I'll agree," Eloise said setting his paper down.

"Let's have a nickname for each other," Zach said with a grin as he lean closer to the table, "I want us to call each other Son," he said.

"Son? Why Son?" Eloise asked with a confused look, "because both of our last names end with son, so I want us to call each other Son," he said, "okay, Son," Eloise said with a grin.

"Son."

Sebastian knocks on the wall grabbing their attention, he also saw and heard the entire conversation as he looks at them with a frown, "El it's nearly eight o'clock now, you don't want Zach to head home so late," he said, "oh right, let's end it here and I'll see you at school," Eloise said standing up, Zach grabs his backpack and helmet before he is walked out to the door followed by the two.

"Heading home now?" Dad asked as he close the garage, "yes sir," Zach said, "get home safely you two," dad said patting Zach on the back before going inside the house, "dad is fond of you Zach, who would have thought," Eloise said as Zach gets on his motorcycle, "everyone loves me," he said.

"Bye," Eloise said to Zach before walking towards Sebastian's car and lean on the window, "pick me up tomorrow okay?" She said, he nods his head with a smile, "yes ma'am," he said.

"Drive home safely, see you tomorrow," Eloise said waving at the two of them, as soon as they left Eloise made her way back inside the house just as a car pulls up.

Turning around Eloise to check, Eloise stopped in her tracks as the person in the car got off.

"Long time no see El."