~ Like Pancakes & Arson ~

~¤°*°*°*°¤~

When our afternoon nap was over yesterday, Theo took me home only to be attacked by our friends. It was all hugs, comforting words, and a large order of takeout for my family. We told them about what happened and what we knew so far about the fire, which was very little. When they offered to help with anything we needed, it was enough to bring my mom to tears. Theo's insistence on skipping and the support of my friends rejuvenated me at least for a short time.

So in the morning, with my hair up and heels on, makeup applied and dress zipped, I was ready to face my peers with a smile.

The crowd that greeted me was half the size it was yesterday, but just as overwhelming. I was bombarded with questions about how I thought the fire started and who was the culprit, to which I responded with 'I don't know' each time. They were mostly interested in blaming someone and feeling bad for me. One person did ask when we would be open for business again and they eagerly awaited my answer.

However long it usually takes to recover from a freaking fire. Morons.

I smiled brightly. "Soon. We can't have our loyal customers getting all stressed," I winked, "without us."

They chuckled at my lame joke before I excused myself. I walked down the hall, smile plastered on my face until I could reach my locker and shove my head inside for a good long minute. On the way, Jarod's arm shot out and blocked me from going any further than his locker. He pulled me into a hug and I dropped my forehead onto his shoulder, letting my smile drop as I took a breath. A friend was infinitely better than a metal compartment.

"How you holding up, Abs?"

"I'm ok," I mumbled.

"I have something for you," he said, moving me gently aside so he could dig into his locker. "It is going to make your day."

Then with a flourish, he pulled out a package wrapped in foil and handed it to me.

"You always give me free treats. I figured it's about time I return the favor." Sheepishly, he added, "I'm no Theo, but my own cooking skills are limited. So I begged my mom to make some hotteok."

"Jarod." I shoved him lightly with my free hand and whined, "You're gonna make me cry, you idiot."

They were like pancakes, but filled with brown sugar and walnuts. His mom often made them for the three of us whenever Yvee and I hung out at Jarod's house. They surpassed my mother's pancakes and I told her so when I was eight. She didn't forgive me for my blunt honesty until she finally had a taste for herself.

There was a gasp in my ear as Yvette leaned over my shoulder. "Is that hotteok?"

Jarod groaned. "It's not ha-tteok, Yvee. It's ho-tteok."

"Ho?"

"Yes, ho."

She snorted and a small smile tugged at my lips at Jarod's oblivious response. He didn't catch on to the joke, so his brows drew together as his gaze bounced from her to me.

"I'll let that slide for now," Yvette said. Then she held her hand out expectantly, "Where's mine?"

He scoffed, shaking his head as he reached back into his locker for another pack. "I don't know why I bothered."

She grinned, snatching it from him. "Because you know what hell awaited if you didn't bring any for me."

Ready to bite into the still warm dessert, Yvee and I shared a look and said in unison, "Thank you, Jare-Bear."

"Yeah, sure," he mumbled, looking away from us bashfully. "Whatever."

"Isn't he just so cute?" Yvette cooed, making Jarod roll his eyes.

"The cutest," I booped his nose and he swatted my hand away.

¤°*°*°*°¤

It was more of the same between classes and during lunch. I was getting tired of hearing repeated words of comfort from other students and even a few teachers, but I continued with my smiles and cheerful replies. I was grateful for the support, but it definitely wore me out to maintain my attitude from the morning. And I wanted to focus on school instead of being constantly reminded of my situation.

Maintaining my composure the entire day was a lot easier said than done, all while trying not to think of how I was feeling deep down under the optimism and friendliness. It was like draping a thick layer of fondant over a cake that came out of the pan in chunks; it may be possible to smooth out and look kinda okay on the outside, but the inside was a hopeless mess.

When I was early to Home Ec, I discovered that seeking solace in my favorite class wasn't even possible. Mrs. Cordier called me over to her desk as soon as she saw me. The slightest grimace flashed across my face as she turned away, but it was gone when she looked back over.

"Are you and your family well?" She asked with a concern that was so unlike her usual dry tone.

I hadn't been asked that question today and no one sounded quite as genuine as she did, so I didn't feel the need to lie that all was well with us. "We're hanging in there. That's all we can do right now."

She hesitated for a moment as a couple of students trickled into the room. After they took their seats out of hearing range, she said to me, "I have seen how others were swarming around you today. If you need to escape in these next few days until it dies down, you are welcome to come here for a few minutes to breathe."

That was a very gracious offer coming from her because she tended to be a stickler for the rules. I told her softly, "Thank you, Mrs. Cordier."

She gave me a rare but brief smile. "Keep your chin up. You have a real talent, Abby. No doubt much of it you learned from your mother."

"And you," I added.

"Don't flatter me, Ms. Hensley. You already know most of what I've been teaching, so long as you remember that there is always more to learn."

Nodding, I agreed with her, "Always."

"Go on," she shooed me away to my seat. "Class is about to begin."

Hearing her say that I have a real talent gave me the boost I needed to survive until I could go home. And when Theo walked in and settled in beside me, his presence alone gave me the real comfort and reassurance I craved throughout the day. He glanced at the front of the class to make sure Mrs. Cordier wasn't looking, then he leaned over to peck my lips. He lingered for a couple of daring seconds, despite the risk of getting caught by the teacher.

"Missed you," Theo smirked as the blood rushed to my cheeks. He hunched over and rested his temple on his crossed arms.

I assumed he was going to close his eyes as per usual, so I directed my focus to Mrs. Cordier's lesson. Just a few minutes later, I gave into the temptation to peek over and I was startled to find him staring at me.

I mouthed, "What?"

He whispered, "Did you miss me?"

"I saw you at lunch."

"Yes, but did you miss me since then?"

I sighed, returning my attention to the front so I could see what we were going to cook today. Since my willpower wasn't quite strong enough to resist the dejected look on his face, I nodded in answer to his question. From the corner of my eye, I saw him grin in satisfaction and close his eyes, nuzzling against his makeshift pillow.

"Mrs. Cordier," a student called with his hand up.

"You all know I hate being interrupted," she said, putting the chalk down and turning away from the half-written instructions. "What is it, Mr. Nichols?"

"Maybe we should have a review on kitchen safety instead, you know, in light of the tragic event at Abby's bakery."

Theo raised his head up as we both looked over to the guy who spoke, catching him glance in our direction with a smirk. I didn't know his name, but I had seen him come to bakery a handful of times. I only remembered him because he had a dirty joke for every pastry he ordered and never failed to share the unwanted jokes with me.

"I just think it would be good for those of us who didn't get it the first time," he added.

All the other students in the room understood what he was implying and laughed at the accusation. It was no secret in our class that Theo was bad at cooking, but the thought didn't occur to me that everyone would think he caused the fire. I was too distracted with what I was going through to consider how the situation may have affected him.

Just as I opened my mouth to come to his defense, Theo asked, "You got something you want to say to me?"

"Not much," the guy shrugged, then he directed his next words to the teacher. "I don't think you should let him near any open flames though."

"Good idea, Barrett," a girl spoke up. "Maybe he can do the dishes for us."

"Abby," the same guy, Barrett, called to me over another round of laughter. "Tell me, did you two do anything naughty in the kitchen before he set it on fire? I'm surprised you're still with him after he burned it down. He must give it to you really--"

Theo shot up out of his seat so fast the stool fell over. In a flash, he was towering over Barrett and warned him in a low tone, "Finish that sentence."

Barrett tried not to look intimidated, but he still inched away from him.

"Enough!" Mrs. Cordier shouted. "Detention, Mr. Nichols. Get out of my classroom."

"He's the one who attacked me," he argued.

"I didn't see him raise a single finger at you, Mr. Nichols, and I think you are very fortunate. You're the one who provoked him and--along with your inappropriate comments directed to Ms. Hensley--that is more than enough reason for you to be punished," she said as she scribbled on a pink slip then held it at arm's length. "I won't say it again. Get out."

"I can't," he grumbled as he motioned to Theo blocking him from leaving. Since he seemed to be afraid to move around Theo, his only real option would've been to climb over his work station.

"Mr. Keller, please sit down."

Theo didn't back down from the cowering idiot and said, "I think I'm good here."

"Mr. Keller!"

With a glance of annoyance at her, he stepped aside to allow enough space for Barrett to feel safe enough to move past him.

"As for everyone else," Mrs. Cordier continued, "I will not tolerate harassment of any kind in my class. That includes any offhanded comments or so-called suggestions regarding any of my students. I'm looking at you, Ms. Goodwin. I'm tempted to make you clean all the dishes after class."

"Sorry," the girl mumbled, bowing her head out of guilt.

And just like that, the lesson continued on as if nothing happened, though I couldn't seem to stop thinking about it. Under-measuring and overcooking were way out of the ordinary for me, but by the time I noticed my mistakes it was too late to fix them. Theo asked if I was alright when he saw the dish that could put his own to shame.

I should have been asking him that question, not the other way around. It broke my heart to see him being so blatantly accused of something he didn't do and I had a sinking feeling that it happened more than once today. On the surface it didn't appear to bother him so much, but I could attest to how different it could be if you dug a little deeper.

Once class was over, the two of us stayed behind as the others left. We had an unspoken agreement not to leave the safety and tranquility of the empty Home Ec classroom until most everyone was gone. Mrs. Cordier sat busy at her desk for a while and then when she left, she allowed us to continue waiting out the crowd.

Theo silently held my hand, his own wrapped in a bandage from our motorcycle mishap yesterday. I almost smiled at the fresh memory, wishing we could be on that road again or laying in the grass together. I leaned my head on his shoulder and imagined just that, but without the squirrel.

We didn't start talking until we were making our way down the empty hall.

"Are you ok?"

Theo smiled at me and squeezed my hand as he answered, "Yes."

"Has there been a lot of...that today?"

"Yes," he repeated, "but it doesn't bother me. I'm just getting pissed off at the idiots who turn it into a joke. I don't like being used to make light of the situation and then to do it in front of you. That guy back there..."

I filled in the blank with, "Flipped your Bitch Switch?"

"That's one way of putting it."

"Cupcake?"

"Yeah?"

"You're pretty incredible."

He pulled our entwined hands up to kiss the back of mine, "And you are pretty and incredible."

"I'm not that incredible. I wish I could let out a little steam like you did, instead of smiling all day long. I want to get in someone's face too and threaten them with only a death glare." I didn't think flirting would come so easily considering the circumstances, so I surprised myself when I confessed, "By the way, what you did back there was kind of hot."

"Really?" He slowed to a stop as he noticed that we were alone in the hall, then he stepped closer. "You liked that, Sugar?"

"Maybe."

"You know," his hands curled around my waist, "there are better ways to take out all of our pent up frustration."

I was willing to play along, but it was clear what path we were on. "I'm open to suggestions."

Theo backed me up towards the lockers and gave me a final push. The cold metal dug into my back, but all I could feel was Theo's body pressed against mine and the leather jacket he was wearing in my grasp.

"This is familiar," I breathed. So much had changed between us since the Splenda incident. Back then, I never would've thought we would be in the same position twice, knowing the second time around was going to end in a kiss.

"It is familiar," he whispered, "but there's nothing artificial about this, Sugar."

I was expecting a proper heated kiss, but his lips only grazed mine teasingly.

"Are you feeling frustrated, Abby?"

"In more ways than one," I muttered, trying to pull him closer.

Another graze. "Show me."

"What?"

"Take it out on me." He trailed kisses to my ear where he whispered, "Make me feel it."

That made my pot bubble over and he knew it. That pent up frustration he was talking about unleashed. I was tired of smiling, hurting from the loss of the bakery, angry at almost everyone, and irritated with the boy pressed up against me. Theo brings all of the emotions I try to hide boiling to the surface. And, more than anything, I really wanted to kiss him.

My grip tightened around his jacket and I whirled us around, forcing his back to the locker. The shock on his face was there and gone. Just as it was replaced with an eagerness that darkened his gaze, I lunged forward to give him the searing kiss I was waiting to get all along. I poured every negative and positive emotion I felt into it and he welcomed every imperfect part of me. When I leaned on him, he held me up, supporting and encouraging me to stay on my feet.

There was some lightheadedness when we parted for air, but I was lighter too, like the weight building up on my shoulders today had lessened and became bearable. "How did you know I needed that?"

"Because," Theo paused to brush his thumb under my eye as if to wipe away an invisible tear. "You haven't cried yet."

I took a moment to think about the past two days and realized that he was right. Theo really did have the ability to see everything, even what I failed to see about myself. My breakdown was coming and I didn't know when it would strike, but it wasn't happening yet.

Just before our lips met, I breathed, "Thank you."

A voice rang out, "If you're going to make out, take it to a supply closet."

I supposed it was what we deserved for making out in public where we could be so easily interrupted by others. We turned our heads to the source, not bothering to part since it was Elias approaching us with a grin.

"That's what I would do. The darkness, the tight space, the smell of cleaning chemicals in the air... It really sets the mood."

"And a lock on the door," Theo threw in as he considered it. "That's a great idea."

Eli tsked and gave him a disapproving look, "Pretty sure the lock is on the outside and I'm not sticking around to let you two out. I've been waiting long enough for you."

"I was thinking more along the lines of locking you inside and continuing where we left off."

I swatted Theo's chest as I stepped away, "Be nice."

"Yeah. Be nice, T."

Theo kicked off of lockers and grumbled, "I am being nice."

"You could be nicer," Eli told him, throwing his arms around our shoulders to usher us towards the exit. Just as we turned a corner, the two of us chuckling and getting along at Theo's expense, Eli brought us to a stop. "And here comes trouble. Unfortunately, not the good kind."

Craig looked tired, like he hadn't slept in a few days. His shoulders were slouched until he noticed us and straightened his posture as if he were prepared to start a fight. I had hoped we dodged that bullet, but I forgot about his practice. At least his buddies and teammates weren't around to harass us in a group. He couldn't pass by without verbally attacking us in some way though.

"Still with the arsonist, Crabby-Abby?"

He kept on his way, but Theo's words stopped him in his tracks.

"You would be more convincing if you didn't accuse me of arson."

Craig turned around, "What is that supposed to mean, Keller?"

"Nothing," Theo shrugged. "I just think it's interesting that you used that word. Everyone else who accused me--and there have been a lot of them today--made the assumption that the fire was an accident. Arson would imply that it was intentional."

Craig's jaw ticked and he crossed his arms. "So what?"

"It's an observation, that's all," he grinned. "There's no need to get defensive."

"I'm not."

Theo's gaze dropped to Craig's folded, tense arms. From where I stood, I could see that Craig's fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. Eli and I were bystanders to the scene unraveling before us. He took my hand and I numbly allowed him pull me a few feet away, creating a safe distance from the other two.

I realized that my suspicion about Craig was all the more likely to be true because of how he reacted to Theo's provocations. Unless he just wanted to start a fight, but I had a hard time believing that due to his still healing black eye. Although the swelling had gone down and the bruise wasn't as dark, I didn't think he was stupid enough to pick another fight so soon for no reason.

"I think you are a little defensive," Theo said, keeping a cheerful disposition. He leaned in to put on a show of examining his cousin's face. "You look exhausted too. Almost as if something is weighing on your conscience." His smile fell and he asked, "Feeling guilty?"

Craig chose that moment to punch him.

Theo's head snapped to the side on impact, but he stayed on his feet after stumbling a step or two. I moved forward to intervene because I couldn't just stand by and let a fight break out between them. There was no doubt that Theo would eventually come out on top, but I didn't want him to get hurt in the process. Eli grabbed me by the waist before I got very far and pulled me back roughly, holding me in place.

"Let Theo handle it," he soothed while I struggled in his arms. "He knows what he's doing."

I wasn't going to stop resisting, but I froze when I heard Theo's breathy chuckle.

Using his thumb, he dabbed at the blood coming from his cut lip. Looking at Craig, he tilted his head, "Was that a