Regal and Hector talk more and through series of morning discussion, she agrees to come over in the evening for a movie night which excites her to the spine of her bones. She walks into her home and heads over to her room where she hits the shower before she pulls on a big t-shirt and heads over to the kitchen.

Ryle is over the counter making what looks like pan…cake something. The whole counter is in a mess though, the spoons and spatulas that have been arranged in its drawers are all out and Regal knows her mom won’t be happy to see that.

“What the hell, Ryle? Regal says as she slices a lemon and throws it into a glass of water.”

“Duh, I’m trying to make brownies.”Ryle answers with her hands full of dough or something.

“I don’t think it’s supposed to have that consistency, Regal point out.”

“Oh, thank you for pointing that out Rea, it’s good to know that, Ryle says with obvious sarcasm.”

“Say please, Regal bats her puppy eyes.”

Ryle grunts before she can say so, but she ends up saying it either way.

“Please, Regal Jennifer, do me the honors.” She says.

Yes, I will. Regal walks over and throws every single item into the wash basin before drawing out a tissue and wiping the stained counter clean.

“You’re in charge of that basin, Ri.” She says loudly.

“Yeah, yea.” Ryle asks before looking at her sister.

Earlier today, she saw her coming out of Hector’s place and she’s just dying to ask what she went for and how he is doing, but pride…

Regal picks in a new bowl and measures flour and baking powder. She opens the fridge and takes out butter and dark chocolate before melting them over a glass ware. It doesn’t take about fifteen minutes that Regal uses in throwing the perfect brownies in the oven, considering the mess Ryle made.

Regal lick the bottom of the bowl before placing it in the basin alongside other dishes left to clean by Ryle.

Where were you this morning? How many times did you jog? Ryle asks, beating round the bush.

“Oh, I went to see Hector. “Yesterday’s drama, I couldn’t stop myself on checking up on him.

So, how’s he? Ryle asks.

“Good, he asked of you.”

Really? Ryle is in awe when she hears that.

Yeah. Guess what? Regal says.

What?

He dropped out of college.

“Why, why would he do that? Ryle is confused.”

“He’s starting his own soda business, so brilliant.” Regal says and head over to check the oven.

Ryle is in total awe that he would disband his academics and do something she never heard him speak of.

But soda? Why that? Ryle asks with a dish on her hands.

Have you forgotten how Hector used to collect soda bottles and basically fills them up with his concoction, he called them Hector’s disaster. Regal says as she chuckles.

Ryle doesn’t even remember.

That happened? She mutters.

So, he’s gonna be here for a while? Ryle asks again.

“Not a while, he is renovating his dad’s workshop at Egde Wood into his own Soda bar, how cool is that? Regal says as he walks closer to Ryle.”

“Sounds cool, Ryle answers.”

I thought so too.

The home number rings and Regal runs to get it leaving Ryle to herself in the kitchen.

Two years ago, Ryle the rule breaker was trying to prove to everyone that she was a game changer and that was the time where she begged her crush, who was good friends with her sister to pretend to be her boyfriend and chaperone her to a high school dance.

Hector was in his final year in high school and he agreed to it. It spread around that Ryle was dating him and she enjoyed it.

Until stuff happened in his family and her parent’s made sure she and sister cut ties with him. Now that he was back she didn’t know how she would watch him again move freely, knowing her heart still moved for him, it was like walking on ice and it is not easy, especially when she also knows that he has eyes for her sister who didn’t stop seeing him even after their parent’s rule.

Regal never broke the rules, but she did it for him first.

Unlike her, Regal met him first and on multiple occasions as she watched them on his porch having conversations and giggling. To her, her sister was the introvert, the party breaker, so how the hell is she able to connect to someone like him especially someone whom she tried so hard to speak to.

Ryle whose talent is being socially forward is the one who can’t even connect with him. She’s careful with him, she doesn’t ever want to say anything that would hurt him and in so many occasions she has been kicked to the curb, over and over again.

It’s like she’s back to the beginning, yearning for something she could never have. Now she would have to teach her heart to give up on him, her heart would have to learn how to forget him.

Ryle?

“You should check the brownie now.” She hears Regal’s voice from the other room and she pushes the dishes aside before wearing the cooking gloves and opening the oven.

Ryle switches the oven off after her mood goes sour again, sinking into that memory of when she used to be vulnerable doesn’t leave her with a good taste in her mouth. The memory came and took her mood with it, and not even her sister’s perfectly baked brownie can solve that deduction.

But she still has to buckle it all, because she’s having a get together this evening and it must be one she must enjoy. Her parents are out of the house and she will not wallow in self-pity about someone who’s probably not even thinking about her, no, no more of that.

Ryle tells herself.