Who: Jake and Lei Campbell What: Diner! Where: Lei's apartment When: Backdated to Monday night. Rating: Low Open: Nope. And complete!
Today had to be one of the most boring days of Jake’s life. He supposed he shouldn’t be too annoyed, he had an easy job being the security guard to a punch of spoiled adults, it was a little like being a baby sitter really. He couldn’t help but smirk at the thought. Getting done with his shift, he was more than happy to sit up in his room and order a pizza, until he remembered the conversation with Lei in the hall earlier in which she mentioned grocery shopping.
Pizza was good, but a home cooked meal was better.
Jake took the stairs up to the second floor and let himself into Lei’s apartment, finding it dark and empty. He locked the door back behind him and flipped the switch illuminating the room finding his sister nowhere to be seen. That didn’t deter him much as he immediately began looking through her fridge, helping himself to a drink as he waited sprawled out on her couch.
Thank the powers that be, for whatever reason, Lei was not on the lists to help clean up the coffee joint down stairs: she was on her regular rotation for Monday’s (floors 9 through twelve, and the pool shower rooms), and actually got done a little early: thank god, because the line at the store was insanity. Seems everyone had been snowed in for the weekend, and had decided to eat their entire stores of food in two days.
Living alone certainly helped the grocery bill, and the load that had to be carried back on the bus and up to her place: two sack fulls of stuff that would last her the week (maybe less, if Jake decides to raid her fridge again) loaded in each arm as she finagled her key to the lock and shouldered her way in...
Only to find the light on. And a brother with his feet up.
She gave him one of those clear really? looks that didn’t go much deeper than a smirk, and headed for the tiny kitchen table. That was as much greeting as she mustered--her hands being full and all.
When the door pushed open, Jake lazily pushed off of the couch to meet his sister. He had the intentions of taking one of the bags from her, but she had already gotten to the kitchen table before he’d made it to her.
What are you going to cook for me? He signed, his eyebrows raised and a smirk on his face. He didn’t wait for an answer as he went about rummaging through her bags in hopes of finding something to snack on, glancing up every second or two to see if she was responding to him.
Don’t you know how to eat without me? She signed back as soon as her hands were free, with a special emphasis on the word ‘without’. Of course, the look in her eyes ws kind and--as usual--accepting.
Choices are Hamburger Helper or B.L.T. sandwiches.
“hmm...” Jake let out a thoughtful breath he knew his sister couldnt hear as he tapped his chin in thought. For most people, this probably wouldn’t be a big decision, but if there was one thing that Jake liked more than drinking, it was eating. How he wasn’t larger than he was was anyones guess.
Depends. Is it Taco Hamburger Helper? If not than definitely B.L.T. sandwiches. He then continued his dig through the bags, putting away all things that weren’t immediately needed for either meal.
Lei was careful to watch the extended thought process conveyed through her brother’s hands, which effectively halted her dis-assembly of said groceries until he was done. That’s when a small, smug smirk tugged at one corner of her lips, and she pulled out a box of the highly coveted ‘Taco’ Hamburger Helper, to show as her answer.
“Go brown the burger” She actually spoke, considering her hands were busy arranging various ingredients on her tiny counter.
Jake gave a salute to his sister before grabbing a pan and venturing further into the kitchen to grab a pan for browning the meat. He wasn’t an exceptional cook, not by any stretch of the imagination (hence the reason it was Lei’s cooking or takeout), but basic things likes eggs, toast and browning hamburger he had mastered. Pulling out the proper pan, he flicked the knob on the stove until it started to hear up.
After a few seconds of impatient waiting, he began pushing the ground beef onto the heated metal surface. You know I didn’t come over here to do your cooking. Jake signed with a smirk.
While he went about the menial task of pushing ground meat around in a hot pan, his sister had put away the rest of her groceries and was preparing the milk and water to be added, and caught movement in the corner of her eye. She focused on it by second nature, then chirped in a short peal of laughter, then signed back.
No, just to eat my food.
Yeah, pretty much. Its not my fault take out is so expensive! He signed back, rolling his eyes at his sister. Looking back down at the meat for a few more moments before deciding that it was pretty sufficiently cooked. Jake raised the pan from the heat and drained the grease before setting it back down on the stove and adding just a tiny bit of water and the seasoning.
His eye-roll directly resulted in one of her own, though Lei was still smirking pleasantly. She handed him the measuring cups, one by one. “I don’t understand how pouring water and milk in a measuring cup is too complicated,” she teased, consistently. Honestly, she liked cooking for her brother--most of the time. Made sure he ate more than greasy Chinese food or Taco Bell. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t pass up any opportunity to grate on him, though.
“Just is.” Jake mouthed at her simply, as his hands were full accepting the cups from his sister. Slowly, he began adding all of the cups he was being handed in the order that Lei was handing them to him. It wasn’t really that he found recipes complicated by any means, he just didn’t have the patience for cooking, he was an instant gratification type of guy.
Besides, you seem to enjoy it enough for the both of us he grinned a little, signing at her once he was done using his hands to cook. She snerked at him, but of course, with all the love in her heart.
Keep telling yourself that. She gestured back, then slid herself in front of the stove by way of bumping him out of the way with her hip. She plucked the spoon out of his hand in order to push the ingredients around in the pan. “So what was your day like?” Lei spoke, then looked up to see his answer, setting a lid over the skillet, then dusting her hands off on her jeans.
Jake just shrugged his shoulders at Lei, leaning against the counter near the stove. Same as everyday, kinda. Not nearly as exciting as yesterday at any rate. He laughed a little bit. But, I haven’t gotten into any fights yet, so the signs are good. How about yours?
Lei scrunched up one side of her face in an exaggerated smirk. Who, exactly, would you be fighting here? That last word was given an extra sharp movement by her hand, and she shook her head a little. This building was nothing but high-class rich people--not that Jake really enjoyed those types, but he was supposed to be guarding them... not pummeling them.
Once again Jake shrugged his shoulders. Never know. You got to know that I’m not the only thick headed guy in Destiny Falls... I think. Besides, everything happens for a reason or some garbage or something. He dismissed the whole thing with a single wave of his hand.
His sister just snorted at him, rolling her eyes playfully as she signed: Your grammar sucks. and brushed past him into the living room, leaving the Helper meal to cook. Jake followed behind her, letting himself drop into his previous position on her couch.
Good thing I’m not trying to impress you then, isn’t it. He signed rather carelessly, smirking just a little.