Daisy in a Meadow

24 - Dishes

"Goodness gracious, this is incredible," I moaned, slumping in my chair as I shoved the last few bits on the plate into my mouth.

Elias had whipped us up some Alfredo spaghetti with well-seasoned shrimp and a side of garlic bread. The food tasted marvellous, and I was stunned by his amazing cooking skills. Although, now that I thought about it, I shouldn't have been so surprised. Boxing, playing football, and now cooking—what wasn't he good at?

"Where on earth did you learn to cook like this?" I questioned him from across the table.

The four of us—Elias, the twins, and me—sat around the dining table at their house, just about finishing the remains of our dinner.

Elias seemed unphased by the compliments I shed and gave a measly shrug. "I kind of just picked it up over the years. I mean, someone's gotta do the cooking around here."

"What about your parents? They don't like to cook?"

I immediately regretted asking anything when Elias sharply inhaled. Luckily, he was saved from replying when the twins squirmed out of their seats and began to leave the dining room.

"Where are you guys going?" Elias asked.

"We're gonna watch a Disney movie!" Alex smiled, revealing two missing teeth at the front.

"Come and watch with us, Daisy!" Rocky urged, excitedly jumping up and down.

"Hey, what about me?" Elias asked in indignation.

I laughed before glancing at the adorable pair. "I'll come join you two in just a sec. Let me just finish eating."

Excitedly nodding, the twins exited the dining room. My smile faded once I realized Elias had been watching me in interest.

"What?" I self-consciously asked.

"Nothing," he swiftly assured, clearing his throat. "I've just never seen Rocky like that with anyone. He must really like you."

"He's adorable," I smiled. "Nothing like his older brother."

"Hardy har har," his dark eyes narrowed into slits. "Anyways, I hope you didn't take his initial shyness personal or anything. He's always a bit wary around a new people..."

Elias trailed off, and I could tell he was deep in thought. He almost seemed to be withholding something.

"It's no biggie, I was the exact same as a child," I gently spoke. "Still am, if I'm being honest."

"I've never thought of you as shy," Elias replied. "In fact, quite the opposite. You challenged me on the very first day we met."

I smiled at the memory. "Yes, I remember. You and the guys kidnapped me—"

"Kidnapped is a strong word—"

"And then I snitched on you as revenge, so you had detention for two weeks," I chortled. "Mind you, why'd you guys spray paint the principal's car in the first place?"

Elias smirked, leaning back and crossing his toned arms. "We were bored."

"Liar," I copied his stance, crossing my arms. "Anyone else would believe it—fall for this silly bad boy persona you've got going on. But I know better, Ellie. You don't just do things out of sheer boredom."

It was true, he was a very calculated individual. The smirk fell from his face at my words, for he knew I was right.

"Fine," he uncrossed his arms, "we caught the principal with a student."

"What do you mean?" I gasped.

"You're a smart girl, you know exactly what I mean," Elias bluntly said. I gave him a look, leaving him no choice but to explain. "It was the first day of school. Malcolm, Andre and I stopped by the office to get our timetables, when we walked in on Principal Lawrence doing some very... questionable things with a student—a junior, by the looks of it."