>>5791079As the door swings open, your nostrils are immediately met by the smell of some home cooking! Not to be outdone, however, your ears-
“<span class="mu-s">IS HE HERE?!! ALREADY!?!?</span>” Sputters a familiar girl’s voice with the manic energy of a victim in a slasher movie, “<span class="mu-s">MOOOOOOM, I NEED YOUR EYESHADOW!</span>”
“Top drawer, honey.”
As you step into the cluttered, but comfy apartment living room, you almost immediately run into the tired voice’s owner–a thin, red-haired woman with tired eyes and her hair tied up in a loose ponytail greets you with a warm smile with a ladle in hand!
“<span class="mu-i">Pepper</span>,” Chirps the woman as Jake helpfully takes the ladle from her outstretched hand and rushes to the kitchen, “There’s a very dashing young man waiting for you to say hi~”
Your date responds by knocking something over in what you assume is the bathroom down the hall. Something <span class="mu-i">big</span>.
“<span class="mu-s">AAAUGH! ST-STALL HIM!</span>” She shrieks as you hear her frantically pick up whatever she spilled!
“That’s my daughter…” The woman groans with a wry grin and a shrug! “You must be Diesel… I’m Dawn.”
Nice to meet you, Dawn, you reply as you give Dawn’s pale hand a polite shake! You have a nice apartment…
“Pfft, it could be <span class="mu-i">nicer</span> though, couldn’t it?” She replies with a wink! “Take a seat, please… I’m sure she’ll finish trashing the bathroom in a few minutes.”
The frantic crashing down the hall doesn’t give you much confidence, but you relent and take a seat in one of the brown leather recliners in the living room.
“Would you like a drink?” Pepper’s mother asks as you watch her join Jake in the kitchen nook, “We’ve got soda, tea, apple juice, iced coffee-”
Dawn pauses as Jake subtly shakes his head at her.
“... Nix the last one–SOMEone’s laid claim to it all…” She adds as she casts a knowing glance down the hall. “And we’ve got water, of course.”
>CONTD. 