There aren't any cinnamon rolls magically waiting for us in the kitchen. In fact, there's nothing at all, not even people. Now, there's plenty of rooms in the house for someone to be in, but we didn't see anyone on our way down here either. It's odd to feel like the house is empty; I don't like it.
"Any idea where anyone is?" I ask aloud. Lauren is already digging into the fridge and pops her head up just long enough to shake it. She's got a piece of string cheese hanging out of her mouth that wobbles back and forth as she expresses her confusion. To my side, still holding my hand because she's cute as fuck and I think I'm falling in love with her, Alex shrugs.
"Maybe outside or in their rooms or somewhere else that isn't here but it doesn't matter because holy butts I need some food," Alex groans, leaning against the island and finally letting go of my hand. I miss the feel of her against me instantly.
Lauren pops up out of the fridge again, a second piece of string cheese in her mouth, and a large aluminum foil covered pan in her hands. "Refrova," she mumbles around the cheese, hoisting the pan up to show off her spoils.
"What?" Alex asks, trying to parse Lauren's mumbled words.
"Refrova!" Lauren repeats, more insistently this time. It seems whoever could get the cheese out of her mouth would be crowned the rightful king of England. Even as she peels back the foil with one hand, she unwraps another piece and shoves it into her mouth.
"She's saying 'leftovers'," I translate for Alex. My girlfriend hasn't seen the voraciously hungry side of Lauren yet and, to be fair, it's not like it comes out often. But the combination of the hangover, a morning full of sex, and it already being close to noon if the clock on the oven can be believed, has her fully transformed into the hunger goblin I know she can be.
"Leftover what?" Alex inquires, moving closer to the pan.
"Raranya," Lauren mumbles a response.
"Lasanga," I translate with a smile. But Alex can see that by now because the foil has been removed. It looks delicious, as I imagine literally anything that Julie makes would look. A thick layer of cheese covers the meaty, pasta-y goodness. Herbs and cheeses and other tasty things are mixed in there--things I can't even begin to name without a guide book--and all together it looks like something I would normally have to pay hundreds to eat. But somehow, someway, I'm lucky enough to have it just sitting in the fridge.
"Fuck yeah," Alex pumps a fist at the sight of the lasagna.
"Buh ya," Lauren agrees. Then she finally swallows her cheese and smiles sheepishly, "sorry," she adds, "I really wanted that cheese."
"Not gonna fault you," Alex says with a grin. She walks away, her booty swaying alluringly, to get a cutlery and plates from the cabinets, then returns and begins divvying up the lasagna while we point out how much we want. Lauren takes a massive piece, and immediately sprints to the microwave to heat it up while Alex and I wait for our turns.
Alex takes a moment and walks out of the kitchen, then returns quickly just a few moments later. "Two cars are gone," she says, as if I should know what that means. "Ms. Larson's and one of the other ones, but not Julie's or Delilah's. I mean, they could've gone with her, but the other car being gone means someone went into town."
"Someone?" I ask. The way she said the word made it sound far more mysterious than I think it needed to. But she has been here significantly longer than I have, so what do I know?
"Tyler or Kayla," she explains. She's about to say more but it's interrupted by the microwave beeping and Lauren making an excited gasp as she pops the door open to get her food. She's almost offensively adorable as she climbs up onto a chair at the island and begins to dig in, immediately burning her tongue on the first bite.
"Are they allowed to just take a car and go?" I ask. Alex is next to get to heat up her food--ladies first and all that--but unlike Lauren she's still able to think and form sentences on an empty stomach.
"Not exactly," she starts, "they have to get permission each time from Ms. Larson. And she's sometimes weird about it, because the cars are expensive and all that. I think she makes you drive her with you the first few times you want to go out, to prove you know how to drive and aren't going to crash the car the second you get it on the road." Alex shrugs and moves over to the microwave as it beeps. She tests the lasagna with a finger, finds it acceptably heated, and pulls her plate out. She sets it down on the island, then picks up my plate and pops it into the microwave for me. Such a sweetheart. "Anyway, I don't like driving, so I never asked. If someone else was going into town I might go with them, but usually if I wanted to do stuff I'd just do it after classes one day and then get a ride back to the house."
"How does that work?" I ask, "Like, is there a bus that comes out here?"
Alex laughs and puts a hand on my arm, "No, babe. You just call Terry, the driver." Oh yeah, that guy who drove us in here from the airport. "I asked him once last year if he liked his job and he said he loved it more than any job he's ever had. He told me he makes 300 thousand dollars a year and all he does is drive for Ms. Larson. But she likes to drive, so he is basically just on call for us students when we need help," Alex grins and slowly rubs my forearm, "so Terry spends all his time hanging out at home and spending time with his dogs and his family and then does a bit of driving. He's basically retired already."
"Hell of a gig," I say quietly. I'm not sure I would mentally be ok with that. Constantly on call, never knowing when I would need to work or when I would be able to truly relax. At least, if I do make it into the industry, I can make movies on my schedule. Sure it'll be a very demanding schedule, but I'll be the one determining it, not a group of college kids who want to go do stupid shit at any time of the day. And I am definitely counting myself amongst the ranks of stupid college kids. I haven't done anything to earn that title yet, but over the next four years I'll probably do something here and there, especially if I keep letting Kayla talk me into things. Or Alex, for that matter, if she ever gets a crazy idea. Don't know how I'm supposed to say no to that woman.
"He's a good guy, you'll spend plenty of time getting ferried around by him. He also is our way into classes in the mornings. We all pile in together and then all come back together unless we have something we wanna do in the evening." Alex explains all of this while she starts to pick at her lasagna and eat it. She's significantly slower about it than Lauren who looks like a starving little goblin as she chows down on the food.
I join them as soon as my food is done heating, and we eat mostly silently. We're all thankful to just be filling our empty bellies with something other than drinks, crackers and, in Lauren's case, cum. It's a comfortable silence, however, one where the gap in conversation is not awkward or pressing for someone to say something. Normally something like this would get to me. Lauren and I would normally watch a TV show or a movie or just something on YouTube while we ate. Today, all I need to be entertained is the way Alex's fingers play with mine, our free hands dance around each other casually while we use our other hands to eat.
Lauren finishes eating first, and gives me a kiss on the forehead as she slips past me, padding out of the room.
"Where are you going?" I ask.
"I spent all last night and most of today just drinking and fucking," she replies with a laugh, "I'm gonna go lay in bed, text my friends, watch something online, and maybe get some more sleep."
