The Love Deal with Mr. Player

6. Rule 1. Cook and maybe, kill?

6. Rule 1 - Cook and maybe, kill

~Sometimes I look at you and remember what we could have been,if you haven't changed. But what it's are rather a hopeless meander.~

(Liana)

“Do you want to watch anything?” My voice was dripping with fake sweetness. I tried hard not to glare at him when he gave me a debasing look.

Actually it took a lot more of my patience than I really would’ve thought. It took all of me. My strength. This two months were going to be painful for me. Harry, the rat bastard!

He looked at me, his eyes confused and scratched his neck with a frown. “Umm, sure?” He stuttered. His green eyes looked baffled as they searched mine with the intent of finding the truth. But I refused to give up.

I put on a horror movie, made some salty popcorn and settled in. For once this amiable silence felt nice to me. The ever present hostility was not thick in the air as we watched the movie, like we were friends or something. But the truth was, we were neither. Not any more.

“Oh man, kill her already.” I laughed at the psycho killer who’s trying to kill a girl. His technique was not as awesome as mine. I’d use food and stuff it inside her nose to kill her. That was, if I ever killed anyone. Maybe Asher. I looked at him and he shook his head.

“You actually laugh when he’s trying to be scary and you’re asking the psycho from the TV to kill her fast? Are you for real?” He scoffed. "Weirdo."

I did have a weird sense of humor. I found horror movies more amusing than comedies.

Maybe my gene is a bit distorted, I don't know, not my fault though.

“What is the point in delaying anyway? After all he’s going to kill her, why postpone it?” After hearing my little speech, I was sure I saw him backing away a little on the couch. He threw a cautious look at me before turning back to the film.

“You are insane.” He muttered as he settled on the other corner and we watched until everyone was murdered.

***

After the movie ended, I walked to my bedroom to take a shower. I felt so untidy and I almost smelled like a rat. I rinsed my hair for the second time before stepping out of the bathroom. I wore my comfortable pajama, the one I had had for forever or so it looked like.

When I entered the living room, I knew Asher wasn’t here anymore. I took time to read the rules of winning over a boy’s heart and I still had my doubt about Asher’s heart and the availability of that organ in him.

Men love women who cook for them. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Cook them something nice and serve it with love.

'How the hell do you serve with love!?' I thought as I scrolled through the long, monotonous article.

I couldn’t cook for the life of me. All I had ever done was boil water for making tea and I really think I might have even over-boiled the water, if it was even a thing.

I shut my laptop, completely drained. I should just admit defeat, but the obstinate girl in me would never agree to that. She would take whatever she could to make Asher pay for whatever he did to her.

Yup, I know... I am strange, but... again, not my fault.

I watched television non-stop, just for the heck of it. When I looked at the clock, it was already late and Asher wasn’t still home. I instantly knew he wasn’t going to come home and he had decided to leave me alone in the house. That stung. I shrugged it away and walked to my bedroom and the silence was too much.

Even when we were not talking, I could hear him shuffle here and there and that was almost comforting.

Now, the night was too quiet and I had scary thoughts running through my head. s**t, I should not have watched that movie, I thought with a frown.

After ten minutes of making myself believe that there was no one lurking behind my window to kill me, I closed my eyes.

Pulling the cover up to my face, I hugged my teddy bear and whispered to the air,

“Oh Asher, you’re going to regret not coming home.”

He is...

***

Why thank you Google and your instructions, I woke up earlier than usual. I never devoted my sleeping time for anything and it was painful for me to wake up this early. So it better had some effect on him or I was so going to rip his stomach to dig out the food I was going to cook for him.

That’s how I ended up wearing my mom’s apron which said ‘Kiss the cook,’ in bold orange font contrasting the bright green color. I looked like a joker and I prayed that no one would find me here in this state.

But that is the only thing that I did right. Tying apron.

After that, everything went downhill. Steep, rocky downhill.

I decided to cook chicken for him. Riya had cooked new dishes often and it had always tasted so good. If she could do that by reading a recipe on the internet, maybe I could do that, as well.

I gave a mental pat to myself. I straightened my shoulders and walked purposefully to the stove, telling myself that it was going to be okay.

I took some frozen chicken, which smelled really bad, from the refrigerator.

Do they always smell like that?

I had never smelled one before cooking.

I added oil and dumped the chicken in the pan, closing my nose with one hand and looked at my laptop screen to see what I had to do next.

After adding olive oil, some pepper, salt and butter, I added cloves. After that I stopped. I didn’t know most of the ingredients, so I threw things that were close to my hands in the already cooking chicken. It looked kinda dead. Like someone had lit it over the pyre.

The chicken was brown in color and even I, the one who couldn't stand him most of the time, that I, I felt sorry for him.

It somehow sounded so easy when I read how to cook rice, though I came to know it was not that easy. Everything is so deceptively simple, yet so very hard when it actually came to cooking them.

When I finished cooking rice, it came out yellow and rubbery. But I was sweating by that time and I didn't care.

After everything was done, I stuffed it in the box and walked back to take a shower. When I came back it was already time for school. I hitched my backpack over my shoulders and walked to the bus stop.

My eyes burnt from the lack of sleep; he better eat everything I had cooked for him by himself or I was so going to forcefully feed it all to him.

“Asher, you’ll never know what hit you.” I grinned evilly.

***

I never spoke a word about my cooking with my friends. They’d forbid me from using Asher as the guinea pig to experiment my cooking and I couldn’t afford it. I didn’t waste two hours of my sleep for nothing. I walked to the cafeteria when lunch hour came, before my friends, so they couldn’t question me.

“Hi Asher.” His friends snickered when they noted me walking towards them.

Hank, one of his friends, whose brawn was bigger than his brain, gave me a wave. He was not bad for jock. Eh...

“What do you want?” He raised his brows. "Did you lose your way to geek corner?" Asher looked like he was enjoying this s**t.

His sidekicks laughed as if it was a big joke. But really? Lame.

I decided to act calm. I pushed my glasses up and glared at his friends.

"Can you all not keep grunting like dying pigs. No, I am sure they sound cuter than you all."

"Burn." Brock said. He had always been the only one who wasn't mean to me. Asher's other minions were the worst. "And guys, don't laugh when there is no joke in it. It is unattractive." He said and gave me a small wink. I looked at him with a grateful smile. He was really a nice guy. Too bad he was friends with Asher.

"Why are you siding with her? You are my best friend." Asher sounded whiny.

"I am siding with no one. And just because you are my best friend doesn't mean I have to back you up in every stupid things you do."

"I kinda like you, you know, you are a good guy. Don't know what you are doing with these guys who have peanuts as brain." I said and Asher glared at me.

"He doesn't like you. So..." Asher waved me off, looking too jealous.

"No. I like you, too, Lia. You are an amazing girl. Don't listen to these morons."

"Where were you two days ago?" He wasn't here when Asher humiliated me into accepting the dumb deal.

"Ah. I was absent and I am sorry you went through that. I can talk him out of it... " He said.

"You can't. Brock. What the hell, man?"

"You are an i***t. But don't come to me crying when it all became too much for you." He said to his best friend.

"She is the one who is going to cry."

I shrugged at Asher. "You have, at least one good guy on your side. Maybe all is not lost yet."

"Stop flirting with him." Asher spat at me. "And you, what is with you today? Why are you this chummy chummy with her?"

"You jealous?" Brock and I said at the same time and we laughed.

"Shut up you two and you, why the hell are you here?"

Now I faltered. I knew what would come next. More snickers. But thankfully I had Brock on my side.

“Umm, I cooked lunch for you.” I squeaked out and batted my eyelashes at hin. If I was going to humiliate myself, I should just do it all the way through.

I mean, that is how Emilia talks and he always smiles every time she talked, instead of choking the air out of her throat.

I always thought she sounded like a throttled chipmunk. Even chipmunks sounded better than her. Cuter, definitely, than her.

“What happened to you? Are you out of your mind? Why are you batting your eyes like that? Something in them?” He chuckled. The warm sound cradled my senses and I looked up at him with a smile. Sometimes I forgot that he was supposed to be my enemy. I composed myself as he cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable.

“You guys, you have to leave right now. I’ve to take care of Asher since I promised his mom, so shoo, now get away from this table.” They did as I had asked, not before throwing one last are you crazy look at me. I poked my tongue out at them, which earned another snicker from Asher. Brock stayed, but I wasn't heartless enough to feed someone who stood up for me.

“Here take it.” I pushed the box to Asher.

“What if I don’t?” He lazed against his chair and popped open the bottle of his orange juice.

“I’m calling your dad and saying that you did not come home yesterday night.” I smiled, completely pleased with myself. His face went pale and he choked on his juice

“So? Are you going to eat now?” I placed the box in front of him and Brock snickered.

He paled when he saw the dark pink box and stopped midway.

“Liana? I’m not sure about this.”

“But I’m. Just open it already.” I snapped at him.

His face turned further into a ghastly white as soon as he saw the contents inside the box. The box was the only thing that looked closer to normal.

His eyes went wide like saucers when he saw the brown mess inside the box, which looked like it was moving and the slightly yellow looking rice.

"Liana? You think it is a good idea?" Brock asked with a befuddled look.

"I don't know, but let's find out."

He laughed. Asher didn't.

My four best friends looked at me with questions clear in their eyes as they walked in. I gave them a thumbs up sign and they left the place after giving me a confused look.

“Eat Asher,” I said smiling at him. His eyes were still wide. He looked like he was searching for a way to escape, but he was trapped.

“No, please.” He looked like he was about to cry. Almost. "Brock, save me man."

"But this is sooo hilarious."

“How can I make you fall in love with me if you don’t accept anything I do? And if you don’t eat, I will call you dad, right now.” I glared at him and pulled out my mobile to emphasize my threat. For the first part, he gave me a snort, but the second part actually shut him up.

He ate it. He looked pained, actually and took a large gulp of water after every bite. I dragged his food tray to my side and started munching his burger away. For once, the cafeteria food was the better option.

“Liana? I think I can’t stomach it anymore.” He said after the fifth try.

“What’s your problem? Can’t you appreciate my hard work? A little thank you would’ve been nice, but you’re really rude.” I rolled my eyes when his eyes bugged out.

“Ok, here take it.” I handed his juice back and for once, he looked thankful.

“Say thanks or I am getting that back."

“Thanks.”

"That girl's got some move. Groove." Brock sang like a goof and I threw a fry at him.

"Shut up." Asher glared at his best friend.

"You shouldn't do that."

His mouth immediately clamped shut.

Asher was now my puppet and I could make him dance as long as I wanted.

Hahaha. *evil laughter*

***

The rest was epic. I got a call from Brock when I was in my Chemistry class.

When I reached the school infirmary, I gasped. Asher looked sick. Brock looked pained.

"I told you." He said when he saw me and I shrugged.

"I wasted two hours."

“He fainted in the gym. I think it is food poisoning and he said his parents are not here.” The nurse said as she pointed to Asher lying there. I hid my smile before turning to look at Asher. He gave me a murderous glare as he bared all his teeth at me.

Whoa. Someone is really mad.

“I know it IS food poisoning, Ms. Belle. She cooked. I said no, damn it.” He groaned, looking pained. I smiled at the nurse when she looked at me surprised. "You aren't my best friend." He said to Brock.

"I think I will go now." Brock said. "I have to be back at gym."

"Don't you dare leave me with her."

"Man, you know how coach would get. He asked me to be back after dumping you with Ms. Belle. His exact words. That is why I called Liana."

“Don’t worry Ms. Belle. He’ll be alright.”

"I am worrying." Asher said dramatically.

She gave me a note saying what he had to eat or should I say drink and what not to. His face scrunched in disgust whenever she added something else to the long list. She also prescribed medications if he felt tired or anything.

“Absolutely no takeover pizzas for at least a day.” She said and I nodded.

“Yes Ms. Belle, I’ll cook him some chicken broth.”

“Please, no.” Asher was quick to oppose to that idea. “Takeover pizza is much better than whatever home cooked by you.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.” I patted his hand.

“That is what I am worried about.” He said as he wiped his face.

“You are very funny.”

_ _ _