As it turned out, shopping for five people on a three hundred dollar budget was no small task—especially when starting from a barren pantry. Even more so when four of those people were college boys.

  Really, it's more like three guys plus me. Zach mostly keeps to himself, so I don't always have to account for him when I'm cooking. Still, though, better safe than sorry.

  Luckily, if there was one thing she had experience with, it was cooking for a crowd. Even with their appetites, keeping the guys fed would be a relatively trivial matter so long as she didn't go too crazy. Her current menu consisted of mostly pastas, curries, and stews, each with some sort of inexpensive protein like chicken or ground beef accompanying them. She also picked up a good amount of starchy vegetables and ingredients for bread and other baked goods. It wasn't the absolute healthiest selection she could have picked out. However, it was far from the worst. Especially considering what the guys usually ate.

  I could stop back at campus to raid the store there. I mean, I've got so many Cappy Credits that it's all practically free. But…

  After weighing the option for a moment, she shook her head. Nah. Not worth it. It's only a week or so before I get my signing bonus, and then it's all pretty much moot anyway. Besides, I don't really want to go back unless I've got a good reason to.

  After filling her cart with staples, produce, and protein, Kaitlyn's grocery run managed to clock in just under her budget. She loaded her haul into the trunk and headed home to get it all stowed away. As she pulled up—this time parking right out front, now that there wasn't any point in hiding her car—she spotted Vinny's newly-repaired bike sitting in the driveway. A few glimmers of polished chrome peeked out from below the black tarp covering its surface.

  Seems like he beat me back.

  Not that she'd expected any different. If anything, she would have been more worried if he hadn't.

  It took a few trips for her to bring all the groceries inside. She considered asking for help, but from the thunderous snoring she heard through the bedroom door, Vinny had fallen right back to sleep after getting home. The other guys also seemed to be out and about for the moment, meaning she was on her own. Not that she particularly minded. It just meant she had even more free rein to organize things as she saw fit.

  After putting everything in its place and enjoying a simple lunch of grilled cheese and tomato soup—made less simple by the assortment of seasonings and modifications she made to both—Kaitlyn got to work cleaning up a bit more with a few of the supplies she'd picked up on a whim. After that, she found that there was still plenty of time in the day before dinner needed to be prepped.

  Wow. I really should have brought a book or something.

  Without work to fill her time yet, there really was only so much she could do. She could bake something or start on dinner early, maybe, but that would only get her so far. Besides, she'd only picked up relatively basic baking supplies—nothing that would allow her to make the creations she really enjoyed. Plus, the guys lacked a whisk and plenty of other essential equipment, which drastically cut down on her options even further.

  Shrugging to herself, she eventually decided to do the unthinkable—take a break. She turned on Zach's PlaySphere and flopped onto the couch, watching the animated opening of Water Insignia play out on the TV.

  Honestly, it's not the worst idea. I'll probably have a lot less time once I start working and really get into the loop, especially if I try and take on new projects, so doing relaxing stuff like this is something that I'll only have a chance for right now. Well, unless I MAKE time for it. But I kinda prefer to keep it as a rare treat.

  And so, Kaitlyn immersed herself in the game, crunching numbers and calculating strategies in her head. It took a few hours before Vinny woke up and headed out again, giving her little more than a brief greeting before leaving her alone in the house for a while.

  It's been a while since I've played a game—other than Bash Bros, that is. Kinda weird to think about.

  Gaming was something that she'd always grown up doing for fun. It was one of her most consistent hobbies, one that had accompanied her through a good portion of her life and one that she greatly enjoyed. Yet even now, indulging in it felt… odd. Like there were other things she could and should be doing instead. Part of it was the driving need to move forward and make progress that always seemed to accompany her now. But that wasn't the whole picture. Part of it really was that there were just other things that sounded more fulfilling.

  I haven't left gaming behind. Not entirely. I clearly still enjoy at least one game. But the fact that I have a PlaySphere and barely touch it speaks volumes. If it didn't have some kind of relevance to endings and the like… well, who knows if I would still be playing Bash Bros, either?

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  It served as yet another reminder of how much things had changed. Of how she'd changed. And she wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.

  Eventually, she set down the controller and began to make dinner preparations. Chris, Ryan, and Zach got home as she got the carrots and potatoes in the oven, having carpooled to the Rosedale College campus earlier in the day. Their confusion and questions over who owned the Bowley out front once again made her seriously reconsider her decision to drive the thing.

  Maybe I should get a cheaper car. As nice as this one is, I'm really getting tired of all the attention it brings…

  It only took a moment of thought before she realized how absurd the idea was. Here she was, considering a second car because her first one was too nice. Not only was it absurd on its face, but it would also leave her with another problem—having two cars. Which was so much worse.

  She couldn't help but shake her head at herself in disappointment. These really weren't the kinds of problems she'd ever expected to deal with.

  Vinny arrived shortly after from wherever he'd been. Soon enough, the house was filled with the scents of freshly roasted vegetables, white rice, and glazed chicken breasts as she put the final touches on the meal.

  "Dinner's ready!"

  The call summoned the guys from their rooms like a magic spell. She set the table, letting them sit and serve themselves from the central platters of food as they came. As usual, Ryan and Chris both commented on how good everything smelled while Vinny and Zach simply gained hungry glints in their eyes.

  Everyone dug in. Kaitlyn waited a few minutes before attempting to make conversation. Otherwise, she couldn't completely discount the possibility of someone choking while trying to talk through a completely stuffed mouthful of food. But once they began to slow down, she cleared her throat. "So… we should talk. About me being here."

  Chris and Ryan stopped chewing. They exchanged a silent look at her words. The other two guys, on the other hand, just kept eating.

  "I know I kind of just… showed up all of a sudden," she began. "Showed up and didn't leave. Which, I really appreciate that you guys have let me stay this long. But going forward…"

  She paused for a moment, searching for the right words. Before she could continue, however, Chris swallowed and set down his fork. "Totally understand. I get it. It's been great having you around, but if you gotta go…"

  He gave her a tight smile, the expression tinged with genuine sadness. Kaitlyn's eyes widened as she shook her head emphatically. "What? No! That's not what I meant. I wanted to ask if I could stick around for a while longer."

  The guy blinked in surprise. "Wait, really?"

  "Yeah." She scratched her neck awkwardly. "I… just wanted to make sure that was ok. I don't want to just assume that I can stick around for however long I'd like. It is your house, after all."

  "Of course you can!" Chris hurried to reassure her. "Stay as long as you'd like! Seriously! How long are you thinking?"

  "I dunno. Maybe… a few months? If that's ok?"

  "Yeah, baby!"

  Ryan let out a sudden whoop of excitement. Kaitlyn startled in her seat as he clapped a broad hand on Vinny's shoulder. "Good job, my man, you sealed the deal!"

  The blonde speared another carrot with his fork. "What're you lookin' at me for? I didn't do shit."

  Ryan looked between him and Kaitlyn uncomprehendingly. "Wait, really? You mean… you two ain't sleeping together?"

  Kaitlyn coughed into her fist. She'd more or less expected this, but still. The suggestion made her cheeks color. "No, Ryan. We're not sleeping together."

  "Damn. Seriously?" The fratboy lowered his voice to a stage whisper. "You sure about that, man? There ain't a lotta cute chefs like her fallin' out of the sky. I mean, I've never said this in my life, but… she might even be marriage material."

  Kaitlyn nearly choked on a bite of chicken. "Ryan!"

  "What? I'm just bein' honest!" He grinned, leaning back in his chair. "You gotta lock that shit down, and fast. Otherwise someone else is gonna. Like me!"

  Vinny rolled his eyes as Kaitlyn's blushing intensified. Her mouth fell agape at the sheer forwardness of the guy. Worse, she didn't know how to reject him without making it awkward.

  "...Damn. Shut down," Chris chuckled. "That silence speaks volumes."

  "Hey! She didn't say no!" Ryan protested.

  "She didn't say it, but her face is screaming it." Zach shrugged nonchalantly, speaking up for the first time all meal.

  "Damn. Well, it was worth a shot." Ryan leaned back in his chair, seemingly unbothered by the exchange.

  It took her a moment to recover her wits. Shaking herself, Kaitlyn tried to navigate the conversation back to safer waters. "Anyway… we're cool, then? With me staying here, I mean."

  "Oh yeah, of course!" Chris reassured her. "I mean, we're not complaining. Though you don't gotta feel like you have to keep doing all the stuff you have been. Cooking every once in a while is more than enough to call it even."

  "It's ok. All this housework stuff is something I really enjoy doing. And besides…" she nodded to the empty plates in front of them. "It definitely feels like you guys appreciate it."

  Ryan leaned over to Vinny again. "I'm telling you, dude. Marriage material."

  Vinny smacked him in the back of the head.