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Chapter Fifteen
"Hey Panda, it's look good," Colleen said with a smile as she walked into the kitchen, looking at the pasta, salad, fruit salad and fresh bread that was waiting to be placed on the kitchen table.
"Thanks sis," Shannon said with a grin. "So glad I have your approval."
"Oh shut up," Colleen replied as she sat down. She snagged a piece of bread and started munching on it.
"Work up a good sweat?" Shannon asked as she got out a pitcher of water from the fridge. Colleen nodded as she swallowed her piece of bread.
"Yeah, it felt really good. I've gotten so fat though," Colleen groaned.
Shannon snorted. "Yeah, so sure you've gotten fat. I guess that's why you are wearing that huge BVD t-shirt," she said, rolling her eyes.
Colleen threw a piece of bread at her. "You know I have to watch it. I wouldn't want to gain back those thirty pounds, now would I?" she asked, pointing her finger at Shannon. Though Colleen had never been fat, six years ago she had been a little chunky and not in shape. But cutting out the majority of junk food and tae kwon do helped her lose it and shape up to the shape she was in today.
Shannon shrugged. "You just need to get back to your daily exercise and healthy diet and you'll be fine," she said as she leaned against the counter, snagging a piece of bread for herself.
Colleen nodded. "Yeah. So anyway, was everything okay while I was away?" she asked. Shannon nodded.
"Yeah, everything was fine once we got the fire under control," she said casually.
"WHAT?" Colleen yelled as her sister started laughing.
"Yeesh, I'm just joking. Everything was great." Shannon got a glass and poured herself some water. "Want some?" she asked, gesturing with the jug.
Colleen nodded and Shannon got another glass.
"No, everything was fine," she said. "How was everything over in Maryland?"
Colleen smiled and raised her eyebrows.
Shannon shook her head. "I mean other than meeting certain five hunky guys," she said exasperatedly.
"Oh," Colleen murmured. "No, everything was fine. Ryan and I hung out like usual, talking to three in the morning, going shopping, reading nonstop. Well, actually we didn't read as much because of the guys, but we got some in."
"Well, of course you got some reading in. I would be shocked if you hadn't read at all. I mean that's the main thing you and Ryan do together is read," Shannon stated. Colleen nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. It was funny though. There was a couple times when Kevin and Brian got annoyed because they would be playing basketball or something, and did something they wanted us to see but when they turn to see how we reacted, we were reading," she commented with a grin. "They are really good pouters."
Shannon was listening to her sister talk when she suddenly got a look upon her face as she remembered something. "Oh you know, something weird did or is happening," she commented. Colleen's face turned concerned.
"What?" she asked.
"Well, the day after you left we started getting some person calling and then hanging up. We first wrote it off as prank calls but we kept getting them, a couple a day ever since you left. I'm actually surprised that the guy hasn't called yet," Shannon informed her.
Colleen's face was thoughtful. "Strange."
"Also, things were moved around the house. Like I would leave the hedge clippers in one spot and would go to get something but when I got back, the clippers were five feet from where they were laying before. Kendall and Morgan had similar things happen to them," she continued. Colleen thought about it a moment. "Hmmm, well I don't know what's up with that. I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens," she commented. Shannon sighed.
"Yeah. I should probably call everyone in to lunch, " she said and she walked to the patio doors.
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"Let's go to the pond," Ryan suggested and Kendall nodded. They walked across the huge lawn, heading towards a huge pond with a little dock and beach.
"We swim in here all summer long," Kendall said. "The pond's twenty feet deep in the middle," she informed them.
"Cool, we've got to go swimming later," Nick stated, he loved any type of water.
"Hey, you guys wanted to know why we call this place Rose cottage. That's why," Ryan told them pointing at the edge of the property. They turned to see that the girls' five acres of land was fenced by high rose hedges with every type of rose growing in abundance. Lilac bushes were interspersed throughout, making for the most gorgeous type of fence imaginable.
"So that's were all the fresh roses came from," A.J. commented. Ryan nodded.
"Yeah, that and the bushes in the maze," she affirmed.
"Maze?" Kevin asked. Ryan and Kendall nodded.
"Yeah, come on," Kendall said leading them back to the gardens. She pointed behind them to the high green- and copper-leaved European beeches that grew in a huge hedge. Two ten foot tall wooden gates led into the maze.
"Bill planted the maze as a tenth anniversary present to Anita," Ryan informed them. She and Kendall knew all the history and grounds of the house because of how many times they had stayed there.
"Is it a hard maze to solve?" A.J. asked.
Kendall nodded. "Oh yeah. We got lost the first time we went in there but finally Colleen told us the secret of the maze, so we don't get lost anymore."
"Oh cool," A.J. said looking at the other guys, each thinking the same thing. Meet back here tonight and try the maze.
"Well that's pretty much the place," Kendall continued, with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Wait, there's the tree house," Ryan reminded her. "It's this really big treehouse, it's awesome," she said. "I've never seen anything quite like it."
"Well, let's g . . . " Nick was interrupted from his wish to see the tree house by the voice of Shannon calling everyone in to lunch. Quickly food replaced the thoughts of the treehouse and they all turned to the house.
They walked through the patio doors, pushing and shoving each other playfully.
"Well, the retards arrive," Colleen murmured to Shannon and they both laugh.
"What did you say, Colleen?" Ryan said with her eyebrow raised. Colleen looked upwards.
"Nothing, just talking to one of the voices in my head," she replied.
Nick stared at her. "You're weird," he stated.
Colleen threw a piece of bread at his head. "You're just jealous because the voices don't talk to you, though they would have more room in your empty head," she retorted. Nick threw some bread back at her.
"Before my lunch is ruined by a food fight, let's eat," Shannon said forcefully. They all sat down and noisily began to eat.
"So what are we going to do tonight?" Brian asked from a mouthful of pasta.
"Well pig," Kendall said with a smile referring to his talking with his mouth full. "We are doing nothing. The girls are having our traditional girl's night, right girls?" she asked looking around the table. They all nodded.
"Girl's night? What's that?" A.J. asked.
"We just have this tradition that on the first night that we are all together, we have a slumber party," Ryan said in the middle of slapping Brian's hand and fork away from snatching a strawberry from her fruit salad.
"Ow!" he replied, shaking his hand.
"Keep your dirty mitts off my food," she said with glower.
"So what are we supposed to do while you girls gossip and do your hair?" Nick asked.
Four girls simultaneously turned and gave him dirty looks. The rest of the guys just shook their head as they had already learned a long time ago not to make sexist remarks like that.
"What?" Nick asked, having no clue as to what he did wrong.
"Is that all you think we do? Gossip and do our hair?" Kendall asked disgustedly. "You know it's male chauvinists like you who kept back the progress of women throughout history."
"Whoa. Sorry, I didn't mean it like," Nick said apologetically, not wanting to die just then.
Kendall was pacified. "Okay, just don't let it happen again," she stated.
"So anyway, what are we supposed to do?" asked Howie.
"I don't know, order pizza or something," Morgan said with a roll of her eyes.
"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Howie asked.
The girls looked at each other and said in one word, "SHOPPING."
A.J. and Howie looked excited. "Great, we love shopping," A.J. said with a grin. "I've been wanting to get some new sunglasses," he said. Then he added. "And a box of hair dye."
Colleen looked at his flame red hair. "What color?" she asked.
A.J. shrugged. "I don't know. Any suggestions?" He looked around the table.
"I think you would look good blonde," Morgan suggested and everyone looked at her, shocked that she hadn't insulted him.
"What? I can be nice, you know," she said defensively. A.J. looked at her.
"You know, that sounds good. Blonde it is," he declared.
Colleen looked up. "Oh and A.J., how about shaving the goatee thing? I hate when guys have bleached blonde hair and then dark beards. It looks retarded."
A.J. nodded. "Okay. I've learned to take your advice in the looks department. Look at Howie and Nick. They are almost okay looking after their new haircuts and dye jobs," he said with a smirk. Howie smacked him in the back of the head in reply.
Colleen looked at her finished plate. "I think I'm going to go swing on the swing," she announced as she stood up and placed her plate in the sink.
She turned and walked out the patio doors. Kevin stood up and did the same.
"I think I'm going to go hang with Colleen. Thanks for lunch Shannon," he said and he walked after her.
"Great lunch Shannon, thanks." Brian said and then he turned to look at Ryan. "Hey Rye bread, want to play Nintendo 64 with me?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Sure goofball," she replied and they exited.
"Yeah great lunch, Shan." Nick turned to Kendall. "B-ball?" he asked with a smile.
Kendall shrugged. "Sure, let's go." And they walked out after placing their dishes in the sink.
Shannon stood up and started putting away things, Howie helping her.
"Well, they were helpful with dishes," Howie said sarcastically.
"Oh no problem. It's my day to cook and clean the kitchen," she explained.
"We split up the duties like that so they don't need to help with the kitchen."
Howie nodded. "Oh well, I'll help you out though."
Shannon smiled. "Thanks."
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