After school and the whole literature practice, I came back home tired and hungry. The moment I stepped inside, the smell of something… unusual hit me. It wasn't bad, exactly, but it was a mix of burnt toast, something sweet, and the faint scent of laundry detergent. My guardian—Uncle David, who had adopted me when my parents had to move abroad for work—was somewhere in the kitchen, muttering to himself.
I stuck my head around the corner. "What's that smell?" I asked cautiously, not wanting to startle him.
He was hunched over the stove, holding a wooden spoon like it was a magic wand. "Experimenting," he said without looking up. "Breakfast… lunch… maybe dinner. It's hard to tell when you get lost in flavor."
I blinked. "Experimenting?"
"Culinary evolution," he corrected, his voice serious. "I'm on a mission, Tasha. A mission for greatness."
I snorted, trying not to laugh. Uncle David had a way of saying the most ridiculous things in the most serious tone, and somehow you were supposed to just accept it. I started up the stairs, towards my room but paused midway to ask uncle David a question.
"Are you going to eat that?" I asked, nodding from the distance toward the half-charred pancake sticking out of a frying pan.
"I might. Or I might start over. Decisions are hard, you know." He turned dramatically toward me, spoon raised like a sword. "But I am committed to the art of cooking."
I rolled my eyes. "Committed to burning the kitchen down, maybe."
He grinned. "Details, Tasha. Details."
I sighed and continued up the stairs. Immediately I got to my room, I fell dramatically on the bed and dropped my bag next to it. My eyes wandered across the room. It wasn't a huge space, but it was my best place in the house. It was where I slept... Obviously, even ate sometimes. I had a study table and chair at one corner of the room, and a huge lamp for my night studies.
I immediately remembered I had to practice for my literature group presentation.
As I dug around for my notebook, a sudden panic hit me. "Oh no," I whispered. My stomach dropped. I wasn't with my notebook. I quickly rushed downstairs to see if I had dropped it on the glass centre table.
Uncle David who was still in the kitchen, paused mid-stir. "What's wrong?"
"My literature notebook…" I muttered, slapping my hands to my forehead. "I left it at school. I really need it for tomorrow. I… I don't even know what to do."
He tilted his head thoughtfully, then rubbed his chin. "Huh. That's… a problem. You need it for school?"
"Yes!" I groaned. "I can't just make up what we did today. And Lara and Jade aren't in my literature class, so I can't even borrow theirs."
He snapped his fingers. "We can solve this. Aha! Plan A: I can call the school."
I blinked. "You want to call the school? What would you even say?"
"That my niece needs a rescue mission," he replied, voice dramatic as always. "They'll understand."
I groaned. "They'll probably tell me to come get it myself."
Uncle David shrugged. "Then Plan B." He reached for his phone, but instead of dialing, he pulled out a small notepad and pen from his pocket. "We write them a note."
I stared at him. "A note?"
"Not just any note," he said, waving the pen like a wand. "A persuasive note. One that inspires action."
I slumped back into the couch cushions. "Or, hear me out… I just go back in the morning and grab it myself."
He squinted at me. "But what if the school has been overtaken by… chaos? You never know. This could be your heroic moment, Tasha. Braving the halls, facing the dangers of lockers, dodgeballing with backpacks…"
I buried my face in my hands. "You're not helping."
He chuckled. "I am helping, dear child. I'm helping you see the adventure in misfortune."
I groaned, trying to think of a better solution.
When I couldn't think of anything, I decided to distract myself. I pulled out my phone, scrolling through notifications. There were a few messages from Lara about meeting up later for snacks, and Jade's calm reminder about a project we needed to plan. I smiled faintly, feeling comforted by the routine. At least some things didn't require heroic feats.
A quiet knock at the doorframe pulled me from my thoughts.
"Can I come in?" Nora's voice floated in softly.
I blinked. Nora? She wasn't part of my literature group, and we hadn't spoken much beyond polite hellos. It wasn't the first time she was coming to my home though, the last time she came was about a year ago when we were paired together for our last literature presentation, but there she was, standing with that calm, confident posture of hers. She tilted her head slightly, her soft blonde hair catching the light from the window.
"Uh… yeah," I said, shifting slightly on the couch.
She stepped inside, holding a stack of papers neatly in her hands. "I hope I'm not interrupting."
I shook my head. "Not at all. Just… dealing with life crises." I gestured vaguely at Uncle David, who had now moved on to tasting the pancake. "Well, one person's life crisis, anyway."
Nora glanced at him, eyebrow raised ever so slightly, and I couldn't help but notice the faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She didn't say anything, just placed the papers carefully on the coffee table and sat down opposite me.
"So," she began, folding her hands neatly in her lap. "Tasha? I saw you at school earlier. Literature group?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Just the three of us—me, Ryan, and Ethan. Lara and Jade tag along for moral support sometimes."
Nora tilted her head, studying me. "Interesting," she said softly. You seem… comfortable with them."
I blinked. "I guess. I mean, we've been working together a while, so it's easy now."
She smiled again, "I stopped to say hello, it's been a long time since we had a real chat. I came to greet uncle too, and give him some papers"
We chatted for a while about small things—school, homework, weekend plans—but I couldn't shake the lingering worry about my notebook. I explained my problem, and Nora listened carefully, nodding as if she understood everything at once.
"You could ask Ryan or Ethan to snap a photo of the pages you need," she suggested quietly. "Or maybe borrow the copy from the library for a while."
I blinked. "I… hadn't thought of that."
"They're solutions," she said simply, voice steady. "No need to panic. You'll manage."
I smiled at her, at least she wasn't offering dramatic rescues or ridiculous plans, her calm made me feel like this mess was manageable. Maybe it was.
Uncle David suddenly chimed in, holding up his burnt pancake like a trophy. "I declare… edible victory!"
I groaned. "Please, no. Not now."
Nora laughed softly, then stood up to leave, stacking the papers carefully and giving it to uncle. "I should get back, this is for you uncle David." she said, her tone light.
Then facing me, "Good luck with the notebook situation. You'll figure it out."
I nodded, still smiling. "Thanks."
She glanced at Uncle David, who had now moved on to balancing the spatula on his finger like it was a baton. "And good luck with… whatever that is," she said politely.
Uncle David puffed his chest up. "Thank you, young lady. A master chef must be appreciated!"
Nora chuckled and left, closing the door softly behind her.
I sank back onto the couch, finally letting out a long breath. Even though the notebook situation was still unsolved, something about the afternoon felt… lighter. The house felt less chaotic, the smell of slightly burnt pancakes wasn't so bad, and even Uncle David's ridiculous antics seemed more amusing than stressful.
For the first time all day, I felt a small, steady calm settle over me. I still had homework to do, routines with friends, and a missing notebook to panic over.
I glanced at the clock. Evening was creeping closer. I quickly took my phone from the table and sent a message to our literature group chat. A few minutes later, Ryan responded and I quickly swung into action. I copied my line of the presentation from the notes Ryan sent, and continued practicing.
I still had to make something small for myself to eat before I slept.
I had survived school. I had survived the gym. And now… I had to survive whatever it is now.
And maybe, just maybe, tomorrow would be better than today.
But for now, I was okay.