Run, Run as Fast as You Can
Title: Run, Run as Fast as You Can
Rating: PG for language
Players: Sam, Cat, and Brooke
Summary: The girls decide to make some Christmas cookies
Disclaimer: I don't own them, but I certainly wish I did. Damn
Ryan Murphy and his unrivaled genius. Also Cat is a made up
character that belongs to Mary (
ladykerradine).
A/N: This is the fic Mary asked me to write this. So this is really
for her. This ficlet is unbeta'd so excuse any typos please.
Caitlin McPherson took a deep breath before knocking on her twin sister’s door. She didn’t understand why she was suddenly so nervous. She and Sam were beginning to get close again. Things were finally dying down at the Palace, and their mom seemed genuinely happy. That was when the three teenagers living in the house weren’t at each other’s throats. Sighing, she knocked.
“Sam, it’s me. Can I come in?”
She could hear Sam scrambling around. “Sure come in.”
Cat opened the door and leaned against the frame. She took a moment to survey the mess that was Sam’s room. When they’d first moved into the McQueen house, it’d been weird that they’d no longer be sharing a room. As she looked around now, at least one thing had been confirmed. Sam really was the messy one.
“Are you just going to stand there or are you going to tell me what’s up?” Sam asked, arching an eyebrow.
“Right, I was, uh, just wondering if you wanted to go downstairs and make a surprise for mom,” Cat replied, fidgeting with her hands.
“What kind of surprise?”
“I was thinking…gingerbread cookies. You know, as a peace offering. I think we need to extend the proverbial olive branch, especially after last week’s awesomely, disastrous dinner.”
Sam visibly shuddered at the mention of the horrible ‘family dinner’ in which Brooke had left the table practically in tears. Though the thought of making cookies seemed to brighten her mood.
“I’m all for extending branches. Plus it will give me a chance to show off my superior cookie-making skills.” Sam stood from her bed and walked out of the door.
“Excuse me? I think you are mistaken. Mom always said that my cookies were the best,” Cat countered, quickly shutting Sam’s door, before following her down the stairs.
“Yeah, she always told you that because she was afraid you’d burst into tears. When you weren’t around, she told me it was mine she loved best,” Sam said in a haughty tone as they made their way to the kitchen.
“I believe that was just because she didn’t want to see you pout and mope about,” Cat replied with a smirk.
“Yeah, whatever you have to say to make yourself feel better.” Sam tied an apron around herself before throwing another one at her twin.
The two worked in companionable silence, gathering the ingredients they needed to get started. Sam took down the mixing bowls, while Cat fiddled with the radio trying to find the station that play non-stop Christmas music. Pretty soon they were dancing around and singing into wooden spoons. It was just like old times again.
That was the scene that greeted Brooke as she walked into the kitchen. After an exhausting day spent listening to Nicole bitch about Christmas decorations and charitable donations, the last thing she needed was another run in with Mary Kate and Ashley’s evil counterparts. Though as she took a moment to watch them laughing and singing through the door, she was a little jealous of the closeness the two of them seemed to share. She’d grown up an only child and had always wondered what it would be like to have a sister. Brushing those thoughts aside, she walked into the kitchen.
The sisters stopped in their tracks as the blonde entered the room. Sam didn’t know why Brooke’s presence always put her on edge. She felt like she had to constantly defend her every thought and action, and that angered her. Her whole ‘be the bigger person’ attitude always failed her where Brooke was concerned. Even now, having yet to say words to each other, Sam had to bite back about twenty insults that were fighting to get out.
Cat could practically feel the tension radiating from her sister. She definitely did not want this to turn out like dinner last week. Things had been going so well up until this point. It was almost like things hadn’t changed between her and Sam, and she wanted to do anything to protect that. Stepping in between the two girls that were now glowering girls, she plastered on a bright smile.
“Uh…hi, Brooke,” Cat said cautiously, hoping to dispel what she knew had the potential to be a catastrophic situation.
Brooke blinked. She was taken aback by the girl’s suddenly warm greeting. She searched the younger brunette’s face for any signs of insincerity. When she couldn’t find any, she gave a small smile of her own. “Hi, Cat. What are you guys up to?”
“Oh we’re just making gingerbread cookies.”
Brooke chuckled. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she’d heard Cat say they were making cookies.
“What’s funny about that?” Sam growled.
Brooke shot the girl a smug look. “Nothing. Except, I’m pretty sure that just last week you scorched a pot trying to boil water.”
Cat closed her eyes as soon as the words left Brooke’s mouth. This is so not going to end well, she thought.
Zen be damned. Brooke got under Sam’s skin like no one else ever had. What makes her think she’s in any position to judge me?! “I’m sorry. We can’t all be perfect like the Queen McQueen. Tell me Brooke, what has brought her highness out today? Are you here to keep the peasants in line? I could have sworn you have henchmen to do that-”
“Actually Brooke, making gingerbread cookies is sort of a McPherson tradition,” Cat said, interrupting her sister. Fighting wasn’t going to get them anywhere.
Brooke could see the younger girl trying to ease the tension decided to take the bait. She’d just spent the morning doing the same with Nicole and could sympathize. “Oh?”
“Yeah, actually Sam and I are kind of gingerbread men experts,” Cat said with a relieved smile. “We usually spend the day baking with our mom.”
She wasn’t sure why, but the words made Brooke feel like an outsider intruding on a private bond. “I’ll, um just leave you two to your baking. Just remember that the fire department is speed dial number three,” Brooke half-heartedly joked as she made her way to the stairs.
Sam couldn’t say she wasn’t relieved to see the blonde go. Maybe now they could get back to their regularly scheduled bake off. She was determined to prove once and for all that her gingerbread men were the superior ones.
Cat wasn’t certain, but she was sure she’d caught the look of lonely sadness in the blonde’s hazel eyes. She knew what it was like to feel like you didn’t fit in, even with your own family. Maybe the olive branch needed to be extended to more than just her mother. “Um Brooke…would you like to stay and you know…make cookies with us?”
Sam fixed a surprised glare on her younger sister. What was she doing? Spending the afternoon subjected to her arch nemesis in close quarters seemed like cruel and unusual punishment. Cat turned pleading eyes to her twin, begging Sam to just go with it. Sam knew that look well. She was determined that it wouldn’t work this time. There was no way she was going to willingly spend more time in Brooke’s presence.
Brooke was again surprised and a little warmed at the invitation. Cat’s eyes had held no animosity. She actually looked hopeful, but Brooke had seen the daggers Sam was now shooting at sister. She clearly didn’t want Brooke to stay and that hurt. “Oh…no…that’s okay…” Brooke stammered. “This is your and Sam’s thing…I don’t want to intruded.”
Then leave because that’s what you’re doing, is what Sam wanted to say, but something was stopping her. A larger part of her was reminding her that she wanted to be the bigger person. That coupled with her sister’s silent pleas caused her to crack. Before she knew what she was saying the words “You wouldn’t be intruding,” tumbled out of her mouth. Damn, betrayed by my own subconscious.
The blonde didn’t know what to say. Sam had said that she could stay, though the look on her face said that she wish Brooke would just go away. Cat on the other hand had turned pleading eyes on her, and she couldn’t seem to find a reason not to stay anymore. “Sure, okay…sounds like fun.” She turned and walked back down the stairs. Grabbing an apron and tying it around herself, she decided to make the most of this impermanent truce. “Where should I start?”
“You could take a long walk off a short cliff…”Sam mumbled. Cat elbowed her sister before answering Brooke’s question.
“Why don’t you measure out the flour? We need six cups.”
Brooke frowned. “Six cups? That’s a lot. Do guys sell them or something?”
The sisters laughed. “No we don’t sell them. The original recipe called for only 2 cups. Only Sam doesn’t know how to share. So after about three years of listening to us complain, Mom just doubled up. And since you’re here…well you get it,” Cat explained.
“More like Mom got tired of Catie bursting into tears every time her men came out all lopsided. Then she’d blame it on me, saying I had more dough.” Sam countered, a playful smile gracing her delicate features.
Cat stuck her tongue out at her older sister.
Brooke chuckled at the girl’s antics and the story she’d just been treated to. It was nice to see the two interact in such a relaxed environment. For the first time since they’d moved into the Palace, Brooke felt like she’d been let into the inner circle. “So you guys make like four batches of cookies every year?”
“Yeah and then we have a contest to see who’s are better. Only Mom will never pick, so then our friends come over and pick,” Cat answered.
“So far we’re tied, but I get the feeling this year will be my year,” Sam added with a confident smile.
Brooke grinned. “Who won last year?”
Cat looked away as guilt and shame filled her. She’d really hurt a lot of people with her actions last year.
Sam smile gave way to a grimace. “We, uh, there wasn’t a contest last year,” she quickly replied.
One look at Sam’s sullen face let Brooke know not to press for the reason behind last year’s break in tradition. “So why a contest with gingerbread men?” She asked instead, hoping to bring back the lighthearted banter.
Thankful for the pardon, Sam got a sort of wistful smile on her face as she spoke. “When we were about six, our mom really wanted to teach us how to make Christmas cookies like she’d done when she was small. Only whenever she tried to teach us, we’d always fight over who got to do what-”
“Correction, you would shove me out of the way whenever Mom asked for a helper,” Cat interrupted.
“Oh yeah? Prove it, Catie. Now can I finish my story? Anyway, she got pretty fed up with our petty arguing. So one night our dad sat us down and told us that not only would Santa not come to us that year if we didn’t stop fighting all the time, but that he only brought the really good presents to kids that made him special cookies every year. He told us a unnamed source had let it spill that Santa’s favorite were gingerbread men.”
“Little did he know the monster he’d created. That year things went pretty smoothly. I got the doll I’d been asking for for months and Sam got this toy computer that she thought looked a lot like our dad’s. So one day we’re playing in our room and Sam says that she clearly got the better toys from Santa because the cookies she’d helped make were better. Let’s just say that led to huge fight that ended with toys being thrown. Our dad had to come in a separate us. The next year I was determined to beat her. It just kind of went from there,” Cat finished, smiling warmly over at Sam. “What about you Brooke do you have any traditions like that?”
Brooke looked up from the ingredients she’d been measuring out. The smile that had been planted firmly on her face since they’d started telling the story waned a little. “Well certainly not that colorful. But, um, actually my dad has never been good with the cooking, and before my mom left she wasn’t really the, uh, cookie making type,” Brooke answered quietly.
“Right…sorry,” Cat said awkwardly.
“No, it’s okay. My dad and I always wait until the middle of December and then ride around the neighborhood. We like to look at all of the decorations,” Brooke said.
“Well that sounds like fun too,” Cat offered lamely. She sighed as an awkward silence fell over them.
Clearing her throat, she decided to follow her own advice and actually be the bigger person and grant the blonde a reprieve. “So Brooke, are you up for a little friendly competition?” Sam asked. Her expression was smug and her brown eyes seemed to dance with a challenge.
“You’re on McPherson. Any opportunity to knock that smug look off your face is always welcomed.”
For the next couple of hours the girls worked diligently on their creations. Each sure theirs would be the ones chosen as the best. They sang and told little stories as they worked. There seemed to be no room for their petty differences in this place, and each girl was secretly grateful. Every now and again eyes would peak over shoulders, only to be blocked by the person working. By the time Mike and Jane made it home that evening, they were all putting the finishing touches on their works.
“Good…Mom and Mike you’re home just in time to help judge the gingerbread men competition,” Cat said as they walked through the door.
“Gingerbread men competition?” Mike repeated quizzically. He looked over at Jane, who just shrugged.
“Yes, every year Sam and Catie…sorry hon, Cat have this competition. I thought you two were too old to still play this game.” Jane took the fact that the girls had spent the day making cookies as a good sign. She’d had her doubts after dinner last week. Still she wondered if all the competitiveness was healthy.
“Humor us, Mom,” Sam said defensively. She tried to bristle at the fact that her mother had just spoken to her like she was a petulant third grader in front of Brooke. “Besides, sibling rivalry never gets old.”
“You too, Brooke?” Mike asked as he noticed his daughter standing there in an apron of her own.
Brooke shrugged. “It looked like fun. Plus any way I can get one up on a McPherson, I’m all for,” she said with a smug grin.
“Keep dreaming, Blondie. I have this contest in the bag,” Sam countered, arching an eyebrow.
“We’ll see, Sammy.”
“Well, I’ve never been one to turn down a cookie,” Mike said. He shrugged out of his coat. He took a seat on at the breakfast bar.
“Those are famous last words,” Jane warned as she sat on the stool next to him.
Cat gave them each one of her cookies. She held her breath as she waited for their response.
“Mmm…that’s really good,” Mike said as he took another bite.
“Yeah sweetie, I think you’ve outdone yourself this year,” Jane said with a smile and a wink.
“Hey, hey, no winking from the judges is allowed,” Sam protested as she quickly shoved her cookies in each other their hands.
“Mmm…well Sam you certainly made it a tough decision. This is really good too,” Mike said.
Okay that was so not the response she’d been hoping for, and she knew her mother would never give her a fair ruling. It looked like she’d have to call Lily, Carmen, and Harrison over again this year.
“Sam you really brought your ‘A-game’ this year. I don’t think I can make a fair decision,” Jane added, just like Sam knew she would.
Brooke was nervous as she presented her two cookies. She hadn’t been lying when she’d told them that she’d never baked gingerbread men before. She just hoped she’d mixed all the ingredients together correctly.
“Wait, before you take a bite, I just want to say that this is my first attempt at making gingerbread men, so hopefully the judges won’t be too harsh.”
At least I won’t lose to Brooke, Sam thought with a smirk.
“Oh honey, don’t like Sam and Cat intimidate you. They’ve been working on this recipe for ten years. I’m sure whatever you made will taste wonderful,” Jane said with a warm smile.
Cat smiled at her mother. She was always good at giving those warm, ‘mom’ compliments. The brunette thought Brooke needed something soft to land on when the “Fearless McPherson Twins” crushed her.
Jane took a bite of the cookie. “Ohmygod…”
“Ohmygod…bad?” Brooke asked, her eyes big with worry.
“No, ohmygod …amazing. That must be the best cookie I’ve ever tasted,” Jane said between bites.
Mike took a bite of his cookie and closed his eyes. “I’m with Janie on this one.”
“Yes?” Brooke asked as a huge grin split her face.
“Yes,” Jane replied reaching for another cookie. “What is that…hint of …I don’t know what it is, but it’s amazing.”
“I added a little vanilla and confection sugar,” Brooke replied.
“Great job, girls,” Jane said as she and Mike stood and proceed up the stairs.
Sam stood there in disbelief. Not only had she lost, but she’d lost to Brooke, who’d never even made cookies before.
“Aww, better luck next year, Sammy. I guess I should have mentioned that while you were in shop class wiring that hideous lamp, I was acing home ec. Thanks for a fun afternoon ladies,” Brooke said with a smug smile. She disappeared up the stairs behind their parents.
The end…
Rating: PG for language
Players: Sam, Cat, and Brooke
Summary: The girls decide to make some Christmas cookies
Disclaimer: I don't own them, but I certainly wish I did. Damn
Ryan Murphy and his unrivaled genius. Also Cat is a made up
character that belongs to Mary (
ladykerradine).
A/N: This is the fic Mary asked me to write this. So this is really
for her. This ficlet is unbeta'd so excuse any typos please.
Caitlin McPherson took a deep breath before knocking on her twin sister’s door. She didn’t understand why she was suddenly so nervous. She and Sam were beginning to get close again. Things were finally dying down at the Palace, and their mom seemed genuinely happy. That was when the three teenagers living in the house weren’t at each other’s throats. Sighing, she knocked.
“Sam, it’s me. Can I come in?”
She could hear Sam scrambling around. “Sure come in.”
Cat opened the door and leaned against the frame. She took a moment to survey the mess that was Sam’s room. When they’d first moved into the McQueen house, it’d been weird that they’d no longer be sharing a room. As she looked around now, at least one thing had been confirmed. Sam really was the messy one.
“Are you just going to stand there or are you going to tell me what’s up?” Sam asked, arching an eyebrow.
“Right, I was, uh, just wondering if you wanted to go downstairs and make a surprise for mom,” Cat replied, fidgeting with her hands.
“What kind of surprise?”
“I was thinking…gingerbread cookies. You know, as a peace offering. I think we need to extend the proverbial olive branch, especially after last week’s awesomely, disastrous dinner.”
Sam visibly shuddered at the mention of the horrible ‘family dinner’ in which Brooke had left the table practically in tears. Though the thought of making cookies seemed to brighten her mood.
“I’m all for extending branches. Plus it will give me a chance to show off my superior cookie-making skills.” Sam stood from her bed and walked out of the door.
“Excuse me? I think you are mistaken. Mom always said that my cookies were the best,” Cat countered, quickly shutting Sam’s door, before following her down the stairs.
“Yeah, she always told you that because she was afraid you’d burst into tears. When you weren’t around, she told me it was mine she loved best,” Sam said in a haughty tone as they made their way to the kitchen.
“I believe that was just because she didn’t want to see you pout and mope about,” Cat replied with a smirk.
“Yeah, whatever you have to say to make yourself feel better.” Sam tied an apron around herself before throwing another one at her twin.
The two worked in companionable silence, gathering the ingredients they needed to get started. Sam took down the mixing bowls, while Cat fiddled with the radio trying to find the station that play non-stop Christmas music. Pretty soon they were dancing around and singing into wooden spoons. It was just like old times again.
That was the scene that greeted Brooke as she walked into the kitchen. After an exhausting day spent listening to Nicole bitch about Christmas decorations and charitable donations, the last thing she needed was another run in with Mary Kate and Ashley’s evil counterparts. Though as she took a moment to watch them laughing and singing through the door, she was a little jealous of the closeness the two of them seemed to share. She’d grown up an only child and had always wondered what it would be like to have a sister. Brushing those thoughts aside, she walked into the kitchen.
The sisters stopped in their tracks as the blonde entered the room. Sam didn’t know why Brooke’s presence always put her on edge. She felt like she had to constantly defend her every thought and action, and that angered her. Her whole ‘be the bigger person’ attitude always failed her where Brooke was concerned. Even now, having yet to say words to each other, Sam had to bite back about twenty insults that were fighting to get out.
Cat could practically feel the tension radiating from her sister. She definitely did not want this to turn out like dinner last week. Things had been going so well up until this point. It was almost like things hadn’t changed between her and Sam, and she wanted to do anything to protect that. Stepping in between the two girls that were now glowering girls, she plastered on a bright smile.
“Uh…hi, Brooke,” Cat said cautiously, hoping to dispel what she knew had the potential to be a catastrophic situation.
Brooke blinked. She was taken aback by the girl’s suddenly warm greeting. She searched the younger brunette’s face for any signs of insincerity. When she couldn’t find any, she gave a small smile of her own. “Hi, Cat. What are you guys up to?”
“Oh we’re just making gingerbread cookies.”
Brooke chuckled. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she’d heard Cat say they were making cookies.
“What’s funny about that?” Sam growled.
Brooke shot the girl a smug look. “Nothing. Except, I’m pretty sure that just last week you scorched a pot trying to boil water.”
Cat closed her eyes as soon as the words left Brooke’s mouth. This is so not going to end well, she thought.
Zen be damned. Brooke got under Sam’s skin like no one else ever had. What makes her think she’s in any position to judge me?! “I’m sorry. We can’t all be perfect like the Queen McQueen. Tell me Brooke, what has brought her highness out today? Are you here to keep the peasants in line? I could have sworn you have henchmen to do that-”
“Actually Brooke, making gingerbread cookies is sort of a McPherson tradition,” Cat said, interrupting her sister. Fighting wasn’t going to get them anywhere.
Brooke could see the younger girl trying to ease the tension decided to take the bait. She’d just spent the morning doing the same with Nicole and could sympathize. “Oh?”
“Yeah, actually Sam and I are kind of gingerbread men experts,” Cat said with a relieved smile. “We usually spend the day baking with our mom.”
She wasn’t sure why, but the words made Brooke feel like an outsider intruding on a private bond. “I’ll, um just leave you two to your baking. Just remember that the fire department is speed dial number three,” Brooke half-heartedly joked as she made her way to the stairs.
Sam couldn’t say she wasn’t relieved to see the blonde go. Maybe now they could get back to their regularly scheduled bake off. She was determined to prove once and for all that her gingerbread men were the superior ones.
Cat wasn’t certain, but she was sure she’d caught the look of lonely sadness in the blonde’s hazel eyes. She knew what it was like to feel like you didn’t fit in, even with your own family. Maybe the olive branch needed to be extended to more than just her mother. “Um Brooke…would you like to stay and you know…make cookies with us?”
Sam fixed a surprised glare on her younger sister. What was she doing? Spending the afternoon subjected to her arch nemesis in close quarters seemed like cruel and unusual punishment. Cat turned pleading eyes to her twin, begging Sam to just go with it. Sam knew that look well. She was determined that it wouldn’t work this time. There was no way she was going to willingly spend more time in Brooke’s presence.
Brooke was again surprised and a little warmed at the invitation. Cat’s eyes had held no animosity. She actually looked hopeful, but Brooke had seen the daggers Sam was now shooting at sister. She clearly didn’t want Brooke to stay and that hurt. “Oh…no…that’s okay…” Brooke stammered. “This is your and Sam’s thing…I don’t want to intruded.”
Then leave because that’s what you’re doing, is what Sam wanted to say, but something was stopping her. A larger part of her was reminding her that she wanted to be the bigger person. That coupled with her sister’s silent pleas caused her to crack. Before she knew what she was saying the words “You wouldn’t be intruding,” tumbled out of her mouth. Damn, betrayed by my own subconscious.
The blonde didn’t know what to say. Sam had said that she could stay, though the look on her face said that she wish Brooke would just go away. Cat on the other hand had turned pleading eyes on her, and she couldn’t seem to find a reason not to stay anymore. “Sure, okay…sounds like fun.” She turned and walked back down the stairs. Grabbing an apron and tying it around herself, she decided to make the most of this impermanent truce. “Where should I start?”
“You could take a long walk off a short cliff…”Sam mumbled. Cat elbowed her sister before answering Brooke’s question.
“Why don’t you measure out the flour? We need six cups.”
Brooke frowned. “Six cups? That’s a lot. Do guys sell them or something?”
The sisters laughed. “No we don’t sell them. The original recipe called for only 2 cups. Only Sam doesn’t know how to share. So after about three years of listening to us complain, Mom just doubled up. And since you’re here…well you get it,” Cat explained.
“More like Mom got tired of Catie bursting into tears every time her men came out all lopsided. Then she’d blame it on me, saying I had more dough.” Sam countered, a playful smile gracing her delicate features.
Cat stuck her tongue out at her older sister.
Brooke chuckled at the girl’s antics and the story she’d just been treated to. It was nice to see the two interact in such a relaxed environment. For the first time since they’d moved into the Palace, Brooke felt like she’d been let into the inner circle. “So you guys make like four batches of cookies every year?”
“Yeah and then we have a contest to see who’s are better. Only Mom will never pick, so then our friends come over and pick,” Cat answered.
“So far we’re tied, but I get the feeling this year will be my year,” Sam added with a confident smile.
Brooke grinned. “Who won last year?”
Cat looked away as guilt and shame filled her. She’d really hurt a lot of people with her actions last year.
Sam smile gave way to a grimace. “We, uh, there wasn’t a contest last year,” she quickly replied.
One look at Sam’s sullen face let Brooke know not to press for the reason behind last year’s break in tradition. “So why a contest with gingerbread men?” She asked instead, hoping to bring back the lighthearted banter.
Thankful for the pardon, Sam got a sort of wistful smile on her face as she spoke. “When we were about six, our mom really wanted to teach us how to make Christmas cookies like she’d done when she was small. Only whenever she tried to teach us, we’d always fight over who got to do what-”
“Correction, you would shove me out of the way whenever Mom asked for a helper,” Cat interrupted.
“Oh yeah? Prove it, Catie. Now can I finish my story? Anyway, she got pretty fed up with our petty arguing. So one night our dad sat us down and told us that not only would Santa not come to us that year if we didn’t stop fighting all the time, but that he only brought the really good presents to kids that made him special cookies every year. He told us a unnamed source had let it spill that Santa’s favorite were gingerbread men.”
“Little did he know the monster he’d created. That year things went pretty smoothly. I got the doll I’d been asking for for months and Sam got this toy computer that she thought looked a lot like our dad’s. So one day we’re playing in our room and Sam says that she clearly got the better toys from Santa because the cookies she’d helped make were better. Let’s just say that led to huge fight that ended with toys being thrown. Our dad had to come in a separate us. The next year I was determined to beat her. It just kind of went from there,” Cat finished, smiling warmly over at Sam. “What about you Brooke do you have any traditions like that?”
Brooke looked up from the ingredients she’d been measuring out. The smile that had been planted firmly on her face since they’d started telling the story waned a little. “Well certainly not that colorful. But, um, actually my dad has never been good with the cooking, and before my mom left she wasn’t really the, uh, cookie making type,” Brooke answered quietly.
“Right…sorry,” Cat said awkwardly.
“No, it’s okay. My dad and I always wait until the middle of December and then ride around the neighborhood. We like to look at all of the decorations,” Brooke said.
“Well that sounds like fun too,” Cat offered lamely. She sighed as an awkward silence fell over them.
Clearing her throat, she decided to follow her own advice and actually be the bigger person and grant the blonde a reprieve. “So Brooke, are you up for a little friendly competition?” Sam asked. Her expression was smug and her brown eyes seemed to dance with a challenge.
“You’re on McPherson. Any opportunity to knock that smug look off your face is always welcomed.”
For the next couple of hours the girls worked diligently on their creations. Each sure theirs would be the ones chosen as the best. They sang and told little stories as they worked. There seemed to be no room for their petty differences in this place, and each girl was secretly grateful. Every now and again eyes would peak over shoulders, only to be blocked by the person working. By the time Mike and Jane made it home that evening, they were all putting the finishing touches on their works.
“Good…Mom and Mike you’re home just in time to help judge the gingerbread men competition,” Cat said as they walked through the door.
“Gingerbread men competition?” Mike repeated quizzically. He looked over at Jane, who just shrugged.
“Yes, every year Sam and Catie…sorry hon, Cat have this competition. I thought you two were too old to still play this game.” Jane took the fact that the girls had spent the day making cookies as a good sign. She’d had her doubts after dinner last week. Still she wondered if all the competitiveness was healthy.
“Humor us, Mom,” Sam said defensively. She tried to bristle at the fact that her mother had just spoken to her like she was a petulant third grader in front of Brooke. “Besides, sibling rivalry never gets old.”
“You too, Brooke?” Mike asked as he noticed his daughter standing there in an apron of her own.
Brooke shrugged. “It looked like fun. Plus any way I can get one up on a McPherson, I’m all for,” she said with a smug grin.
“Keep dreaming, Blondie. I have this contest in the bag,” Sam countered, arching an eyebrow.
“We’ll see, Sammy.”
“Well, I’ve never been one to turn down a cookie,” Mike said. He shrugged out of his coat. He took a seat on at the breakfast bar.
“Those are famous last words,” Jane warned as she sat on the stool next to him.
Cat gave them each one of her cookies. She held her breath as she waited for their response.
“Mmm…that’s really good,” Mike said as he took another bite.
“Yeah sweetie, I think you’ve outdone yourself this year,” Jane said with a smile and a wink.
“Hey, hey, no winking from the judges is allowed,” Sam protested as she quickly shoved her cookies in each other their hands.
“Mmm…well Sam you certainly made it a tough decision. This is really good too,” Mike said.
Okay that was so not the response she’d been hoping for, and she knew her mother would never give her a fair ruling. It looked like she’d have to call Lily, Carmen, and Harrison over again this year.
“Sam you really brought your ‘A-game’ this year. I don’t think I can make a fair decision,” Jane added, just like Sam knew she would.
Brooke was nervous as she presented her two cookies. She hadn’t been lying when she’d told them that she’d never baked gingerbread men before. She just hoped she’d mixed all the ingredients together correctly.
“Wait, before you take a bite, I just want to say that this is my first attempt at making gingerbread men, so hopefully the judges won’t be too harsh.”
At least I won’t lose to Brooke, Sam thought with a smirk.
“Oh honey, don’t like Sam and Cat intimidate you. They’ve been working on this recipe for ten years. I’m sure whatever you made will taste wonderful,” Jane said with a warm smile.
Cat smiled at her mother. She was always good at giving those warm, ‘mom’ compliments. The brunette thought Brooke needed something soft to land on when the “Fearless McPherson Twins” crushed her.
Jane took a bite of the cookie. “Ohmygod…”
“Ohmygod…bad?” Brooke asked, her eyes big with worry.
“No, ohmygod …amazing. That must be the best cookie I’ve ever tasted,” Jane said between bites.
Mike took a bite of his cookie and closed his eyes. “I’m with Janie on this one.”
“Yes?” Brooke asked as a huge grin split her face.
“Yes,” Jane replied reaching for another cookie. “What is that…hint of …I don’t know what it is, but it’s amazing.”
“I added a little vanilla and confection sugar,” Brooke replied.
“Great job, girls,” Jane said as she and Mike stood and proceed up the stairs.
Sam stood there in disbelief. Not only had she lost, but she’d lost to Brooke, who’d never even made cookies before.
“Aww, better luck next year, Sammy. I guess I should have mentioned that while you were in shop class wiring that hideous lamp, I was acing home ec. Thanks for a fun afternoon ladies,” Brooke said with a smug smile. She disappeared up the stairs behind their parents.
The end…