nuggets-and-french-fries

[nuggets-and-french-fries]

10

With game night fast approaching, Kenzie was growing increasingly concerned about Jesse. She may have not known him for very long, but she knew that something was seriously wrong for him not to have responded to her texts and calls by now.

It was getting to the point where Kenzie wasn't sleeping very well, if at all. She was having nightmares of all kinds but specifically to do with Jesse. All in all, Kenzie had never been like this before with anyone.

"I don't know what to do, Zarah." Kenzie sighed as she rested her head in her left hand.

"About what? You haven't told me anything." Zarah replied, feeling lost on what her friend was talking about. They hadn't spoken in a few days to say the absolute least.

"I can't remember if I told you, but I met a boy about our age, Jesse, and we've gotten along awesome. Anyway, he's been helping me with things on this end and we had planned to have a game night tonight, and I told him that I'd text him the details and I did but that was a couple of days ago and I still haven't heard from him, and I don't know, something just feels off about the whole thing. I feel uneasy." Kenzie explained hurriedly and Zarah, who was trying to keep up with the information overload, took a deep breath.

"First thing is first; does he have social media? Instagram, Facebook, anything like that?" Zarah asked and Kenzie shrugged.

She hadn't even thought about that until now.

"Dunno." Kenzie answered. Zarah nodded and opened her laptop.

"What is his last name?" Zarah asked, after opening the search tab of her Instagram account.

"McGrier." Kenzie answered simply.

"And how do you spell that, exactly?" Zarah asked, never having heard of that name before.

"Capitol m, small c, capital g, small r, small I, small e, small r." Kenzie spelled out, feeling a

sliver of hope as she heard Zarah typing out Jesse's name.

It truly was amazing to Kenzie how much she could rely on Zarah in times like this where she felt helpless and had no idea where to even begin. Zarah was her rock and knew just

how to ground her.

"Ok, I think I found something but I'm not too sure." Zarah said, looking at an account that could belong to a kid their age with a bunch of random beach pictures and things of that kind.

"Anything out of the ordinary?" Kenzie asked.

"Not really but let me have a look at Facebook. With any luck, Jesse will be there." Zarah answered.

"Thank you for helping me." Kenzie said as Zarah's face contorted into her famous

concentrated 'I'll kill you' expression.

"I'll always be here to help you." Zarah replied as she scrolled through all the 'Jesse McGrier' accounts.

"Anything coming up?" Kenzie questioned.

"I see an account with the same profile picture as the one on Instagram, but it has a different name on it." Zarah said.

Kenzie furrowed her brows.

"What do you mean by a different name?" Kenzie wondered.

"First name says Jesse, but the second name says Brooks." Zarah explained. Kenzie wasn't sure that it was him, but it was worth the shot.

"Try that one." Kenzie told her friend.

"It's just loading." Zarah replied.

"Ok." Kenzie replied quietly. She hoped that this would be Jesse and that she could finally get a hold of him.

"Flaming peanuts! If this is him, he's hot!" Zarah shrieked as she quickly tried to flip the camera around so Kenzie could have a look for herself.

"Why is it always flaming peanuts with you?" Kenzie asked, smiling genuinely for the first time in a couple of days.

"Just is. This him?" Zarah returned and Kenzie let out a tiny sigh of relief. It was her Jesse...wait, no, not her Jesse...it was just Jesse. Not her Jesse.

"That's him." Kenzie said.

"I figured that it was but I'm glad that I now know for sure." Zarah said with a smirk growing on her face.

"How'd you know?" Kenzie asked, squinting at her friend.

"1. You lit up like a Christmas tree when you saw his picture and 2. You are redder than a tomato my friend." Zarah explained and Kenzie hid behind her hands.

"I'm red, so sue me." Kenzie spoke, though her voice was muffled through her hands.

"I'm only bugging you. Let me go to Instagram now and have a better look at his account." Zarah said.

"At least I know he has social media now." Kenzie replied, ignoring Zarah's comment.

"Yeah. It will give you more ways to contact him and a better chance of him seeing your messages." Zarah agreed.

"I hope he sees them. What's his Instagram?" Kenzie asked, now on her Instagram account.

"Jesse, dot, McGrier, dot, FL." Zarah replied, and Kenzie muttered a small 'thank you.'

"Oh wow, these pictures are incredible." Kenzie gushed, admiring Jesse's photography skills.

"Have you done anything with him yet? Like kiss?" Zarah asked, making Kenzie choke on her saliva at the out-of-the-blue and very random question.

Zarah chuckled at Kenzie's reaction once she knew that her friend was going to be ok.

"Where the hell did that come from?" Kenzie questioned once she had regained her breath a little better.

"Can you blame me for asking when he has a picture on here of you? Oh, no, make that two pictures." Zarah said, scrolling through all the images he had.

"Wait, what? Where?" Kenzie gasped, shocked.

"I'll send them to you." Zarah answered.

"Cool." Kenzie said, trying to think of what he may have posted.

"Ok, just sent them." Zarah replied.

Kenzie opened the DM and rolled her eyes at Zarah.

"These aren't me." Kenzie rebutted.

"Yes, they are. In the first one, you're looking out at the ocean with your back to the camera. I'd recognize that scar on your shoulder any day; and the second one is you at the bowling alley with your uncle and a woman, who I am assuming is Liz. You're all smiling in it." Zarah explained.

Kenzie took a good look at the pictures and sure enough, Zarah was right. They were of her, but the question was why?

"I don't know what to say." Kenzie said, feeling utterly speechless about what she was seeing.

"Read the captions." Zarah instructed but Kenzie was hesitant to do so.

"I'm scared to." Kenzie admitted and Zarah gave her friend a warm smile.

"Want me to read them to you?" Zarah asked and Kenzie nodded.

"Go on." Kenzie said, preparing herself for what she may hear.

"The first one where you have your back to the camera says: 'Sky above, sand below, peace within.' and the second one where you are at the bowling alley says: 'The best part of the job; seeing other people have what I don't.'" Zarah read and Kenzie's heart broke.

"What does that mean?" Zarah asked, confused.

"I'm not sure but it sounds like a cry for help." Kenzie said and Zarah agreed.

"I see why you're concerned." Zarah replied. She was beginning to worry about Jesse as well and she hadn't even met him.

"I need to find him, Zar." Kenzie announced.

"I'd start with the bowling Alley, someone there should know something. That's all I got for now." Zarah said, so badly wanting to help more.

"Thanks for all your help Zarah, I mean it. I was beginning to panic for a minute there." Kenzie said and Zarah chuckled.

"I could tell; but yeah, start there and keep me posted with what happens." Zarah replied.

"You bet." Kenzie said before both girls bid each other goodbye and hung up.

Kenzie felt grateful to have a friend like Zarah in her life.

=

"Well, I hate to say it, but you were right. She practically said the same thing as you." Kenzie said as she walked into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.

Jeff, who was reading a book while sitting on the couch with Annie at his feet, looked over at Kenzie.

"Does this mean you'll stop fretting?" Jeff asked and Kenzie shrugged and plopped down on the chair next to the couch.

"Possibly." Kenzie responded apprehensively as she scrolled through Jesse's account hoping to see that he'd posted something new, but nothing came up. She huffed and placed her phone in her lap so that she could take a drink of her water.

"Good, but Kenz, don't get your hopes up. He might not want to be found." Jeff said, knowing that Jesse was one to couch surf and probably didn't want Kenzie to know about it.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kenzie asked snarkily.

"He- it doesn't matter, forget it." Jeff said, closing his book, placing it down, and running his hands down his face in slight frustration.

"No, tell me what you mean by that." Kenzie instructed firmly. She wanted to know why Jeff was being like this suddenly. She thought Jeff could see that Jesse was a good kid after

having spent time with him the other day.

"I didn't mean anything by it, Kenz. I just don't want you to be heartbroken, that's all." The man explained, standing up and walking to the kitchen.

"Why would I be heartbroken? And why are you being weird?" Kenzie replied.

"I am not being weird. You are being immature and a stubborn ass." Jeff spat back at Kenzie, making her madder than she had ever been.

"If me being worried for my friend and wanting to find him makes me immature and a stubborn ass, then so be it." Kenzie snapped.

"Kenzie, you will find out in time why I'm not going to be telling you what you want to know.

It's not my place." Jeff replied and Kenzie felt her heart jump at his words.

Jeff knew something.

"Do you know where he is?" Kenzie asked, unsure if she wanted the truth on that.

Jeff looked at Kenzie and knew he had just put his foot in his mouth.

"No, I don't." Jeff replied, hoping that his poker face would fool her.

"Have it your way." Kenzie spat, standing up from the chair.

"What about game night?" He asked and Kenzie scoffed.

"Screw game night and screw you!" Kenzie shouted as she stormed out the front door and toward her bike. She had to get away from Jeff's stupid face and blatant lies.

Jeff just stood there feeling beyond guilty. He had no idea why he had just said all that to Kenzie. He had to find her and tell her what he knew, even if he thought it wasn't his place to do so.

=

Kenzie biked to the end of the street before she had to stop, unable to see through her tears. She was hurt that Jeff thought that she was being immature by wanting to help someone out. She thought that of anyone out there, Jeff would be on her side, but it would appear not. It was a situation where all she wanted was her mom. She knew her mom would be on her side; heck she'd even kick Jeff's butt for treating her the way he did.

Kenzie pulled her knees to her chest and placed her face in her arms, wanting to shield the world from the emotions she was feeling at that moment. It was private and just for her.... well, as private as it could be while sitting at the end of the street with her head in her arms while crying and appearing like an entitled idiot wanting attention.

"Whoa, Kenzie. What's wrong, honey?" A gentle voice asked as they stopped upon realizing it was her.

Kenzie lifted her head enough to see Liz crouching down in front of her. The teen didn't think twice about wrapping her arms around the woman. She needed a hug more than ever and Liz was more than happy to offer as many hugs as Kenzie needed.

"Oh sweetie, what's wrong?" Liz asked, standing up with the teen still safely in her arms so that neither of them toppled over.

Kenzie wanted to tell Liz everything, but she couldn't find the words. She was way too upset about what her uncle had said and how he acted. Instead, Kenzie just shook her head, letting Liz know that she didn't want to talk.

"OK, sweetheart. It's ok." Liz comforted as she hugged Kenzie close, knowing that the teen required that.

Liz and Kenzie hugged for a few more minutes before Kenzie started pulling away so that she could wipe her face.

"Here, take this." Liz said, reaching into her bag to pull out a tissue. She handed it to Kenzie who took it with a weak smile.

"Thanks." Kenzie replied.

"You're welcome." Liz said, adjusting the bag on her shoulder.

Kenzie was about to say something else, but she saw Jeff's truck heading towards them. She groaned and turned away so that she didn't have to look at her uncle.

"I don't want to see him." Kenzie told Liz but before she could reply, Jeff pulled over and rolled down his window.

"Too late kiddo, he sees you." Liz told Kenzie as she watched Jeff's body language. He was guilty of something which was made obvious when Kenzie voiced her disdain upon seeing

Jeff's truck.

"Come on Kenz, get in the truck." Jeff instructed softly. Kenzie turned to face him, but she did so with a scowl on her face.

"No." Kenzie replied simply as she picked her bike back up and started walking away with Liz following her.

"What'd he do?" Liz asked as she heard the truck following closely and slowly behind them.

"He knows what he did." Kenzie answered sharply, shooting daggers at the man behind her. Liz looked back at Jeff and saw the regret in his eyes.

"Kenzie, stop walking, sweetie. Tell me what happened." Liz said and Kenzie reluctantly stopped and faced her.

"He called me immature and a stubborn ass after I told him I wanted to find Jesse." Kenzie explained and Jeff hung his head.

"He's looking in a mirror there." Liz muttered, loud enough for Jeff to hear and look up at her.

Jeff wanted to reply but he knew better. What was happening now was about Kenzie and not them.

"Annie's in the back. You can sit with her but please get in the truck so that we can look for Jesse." Jeff told Kenzie, hoping that it would entice her.

"I'd rather walk." Kenzie replied, stuck on avoiding her uncle.

"What if I came along?" Liz said, offering to be the buffer and Kenzie thought for a minute.

If she sat in the back with Annie and ignored her uncle, it could work for her. Liz would have to sit in the front with Jeff and they'd have no choice but to communicate. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she got in the truck.

"Fine but only because Liz is coming with us." Kenzie said, glaring at Jeff.

"I'll get the bike." Jeff said as he got out of the vehicle to put the bike in the bed of the truck.

While he was doing that, Liz got into the front seat and buckled up and Kenzie plopped down next to Annie who was insistent on licking Kenzie's face, knowing that it would cheer her human up.

"Thanks, Annie." Kenzie said as she scratched the furball gratefully. Annie was another good buffer and someone who could keep Kenzie company while Jeff and Liz sat up the front.

"Ok, if you see him, let me know." Jeff said as he settled into the driver's seat and started driving again.

Kenzie didn't reply, instead, she just kissed Annie's head as the dog moved in closer to her.

"Kenz, ok?" Jeff tried again but it was no use.

"I don't think she's going to answer you." Liz noted.

"Nope." Jeff agreed against every fiber of his being.

"So, I take it game night is off the table?" Liz asked and Kenzie's eyes shot to her.

"How did you know about that?" She asked, even though she could take a guess that Jesse had invited her.

"I agree, how did you know?" Jeff added, looking at Kenzie through the rearview mirror, gauging her reaction, pretty sure that she was the one who had told Liz. Wrong!

"Jesse invited me. Said you two knew about it but I can see now that you had no idea." Liz said, shrinking back in her seat.

Kenzie smiled to herself.

"Jesse, ha?" Jeff muttered, earning displeased glances from both Liz and Kenzie; hell, even Annie looked like she was glaring at him too.

"And you wonder why your niece doesn't want to be around you." Liz told him and Jeff scoffed.

"She started it." Jeff pouted and Liz scoffed.

"Oh yeah, a 16-year-old girl who wants to find her friend despite her uncle's asshole attitude, started this. Makes perfect sense." Liz rebutted, turning to look out her window.

"I do not have an asshole attitude, thank you very much." Jeff defended.

"I'm not even going to respond to that but put yourself in Kenzie's shoes. How would you feel if a boy you like disappeared after being around you constantly? You'd want to find him and make sure he was ok, right?" Liz said and Kenzie groaned from the backseat.

"Hey! I do not like him, Liz." She replied and Liz sighed.

"The point is, you two, fighting won't help anyone. You need to work together to solve the issue at hand." Liz explained and Kenzie stared out her window. Liz had a point but why

couldn't Jeff and Liz take that advice?

"She's right Kenz. I shouldn't have done that to you and I'm sorry. I just don't want to see you get hurt in any way." Jeff told his niece.

"Meathead." Kenzie replied under her breath, but Jeff heard it and rolled his eyes, shaking his head. It was evident that she wasn't going to let him get off that easily.

"I deserved that." He said remorsefully.

Liz surprised both her and Jeff when her hand rubbed his upper arm sympathetically. She hadn't been thinking when she did that, but she would be lying if she didn't say that touching him made her see that she still felt things for him. Things she thought she'd moved on from.

The adults blushed and if Kenzie hadn't seen Jesse's bike, she would have laughed at their silly reactions.

"I SEE HIS BIKE!" Kenzie screeched, shaking her uncle by the shoulder vigorously, scaring him half to death.

"Kenzie, I'm driving." He hollered back as the truck came to an abrupt halt.

Kenzie didn't respond. She jumped out of the vehicle and ran toward the bike and to where she thought Jesse might be.

Nothing could prepare her for what she'd see though.

Jesse was lying on a putrid crusty old couch with holes in it where you could see the frame of the couch through the material. Nothing about it screamed comfort. Kenzie could hear his rapid breathing and knew instantly that he wasn't ok.

"Jesse?" She asked, softly, gently shaking him in case he was in pain.

"Is he ok?" Liz asked as she and Jeff walked up behind her.

"No. He's burning up and he's sweaty." Kenzie replied, feeling sick to her stomach.

"Let me have a look." Jeff said knowing that what Kenzie was describing was not a good thing.

Jeff took hold of Jesse's wrist so that he could check the boy's pulse and when he did, it was beating unlike anything he had ever felt before. It scared him even more than Kenzie screaming at him while he was driving minutes prior.

"Grab his bag and bike."Jeff instructed as he carried Jesse's body to the truck.

"What are you doing?" Kenzie frantically asked, doing what Jeff told her to do.

"Taking him to the hospital." Jeff replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Is he going to be, ok?" Kenzie asked as she and Liz helped Jeff get things moved around to accommodate another person.

"If we hurry." Jeff replied.

=

Two hours later, Jesse had been admitted to the hospital and seemed to be responding well to the treatment the hospital was giving him or at least that's what Jeff, Liz and Kenzie assumed with the fact that they hadn't been given an update on Jesse's condition yet; but Kenzie was still worried about him; even more than she was at the start of the day.

"He'll be ok Kenz." Jeff said as he noticed the girl chewing on her lower lip anxiously.

"How can you be sure? You said that before and he wasn't." Kenzie snapped, not meaning to.

"How many times do I have to say that I'm sorry for that?" Jeff questioned and Kenzie looked at him and for the first time, he saw just how panicked and fearful she was for Jesse.

"Stop telling me and just show me that you are sorry." Kenzie said, looking at her uncle. Jeff nodded.

"Come here kiddo." He said as he stood up from his chair. Kenzie stood up too and wrapped her arms around Jeff's torso tightly. She needed this.

Liz watched the pair hugging from her seat in the corner of the waiting room and smiled to herself. Jeff would have made a great father.

"I'm going to get some tea. Do either of you want anything?" Liz asked, feeling a little out of place.

"I'll get it. I need to do something." Kenzie replied, thankful for the distraction.

"Are you sure?" Liz and Jeff asked in unison. They looked at each other and smiled tenderly.

"I am. This is driving me nuts sitting here with no real news yet." She replied.

"Ok, sweetheart." Liz said.

"You want anything, Uncle Jeff?" Kenzie asked and he shook his head.

"No thanks, kiddo. I'm alright for now." He returned and Kenzie smiled at him before walking in the direction of the cafeteria.

"Man, I feel like shit." Jeff said when Kenzie was out of view.

"Me too." Liz admitted and Jeff looked at her confused.

"Why would you feel like shit?" He asked.

"Jesse stopped by my book trailer the other day just after I got back from coffee with Kenzie, and he looked unwell. I asked him if he was ok, and he insisted that he was. Had I pressed him harder, I could've done something to prevent this from happening." Liz explained and Jeff sighed deeply.

"Why am I not surprised that you had coffee with Kenzie." Jeff commented but there was nothing sarcastic about his words, instead, it was more like he was glad Kenzie had someone else to confide in other than himself.

"It was nice actually. She's a good kid; weird but good." Liz told him and Jeff chuffed.

"Weird how?" He asked.

"She's not your typical teen. She loves books, she doesn't party, she doesn't drink or do anything we did at her age and she's genuinely sweet and wants the best for everyone she comes across." Liz answered.

"She's very much her mother." Jeff said, thinking about Tracy and how introverted she was as a teen.

"I kind of see Tracy in her but I also see a lot of her father. Both her parents are sweet and kind people. She's been blessed with a family like yours." Liz complimented and Jeff smiled thankfully at her.

"She's certainly kept us on our toes." Jeff responded.

"I can see that, but she also brings out the good in you." Liz said and Jeff raised his brow.

"Yeah? How so?" He asked, intrigued.

"You smile more when she's around, you laugh, you joke around, and sure you may butt heads here and there, but she knows that at the end of it all, you'll always be in her corner; you would've made a good father." Liz told him and Jeff looked taken back at the last little

bit.

"You think I would've made a good father?" He questioned, wanting confirmation.

"I do and I'm sorry it never happened for you." Liz answered, feeling guilty.

"Did you ever have any kids?" Jeff asked, almost scared to know the answer.

"I wanted them, but my ex didn't and truthfully, having kids with him wouldn't have made things any better. It would have made them worse." Liz admitted to him, surprised at how easy it was to open up to him at this moment.

"That's too bad, you would've been a great mom." Jeff complimented, meaning every word after seeing just how caring and gentle she was with Kenzie earlier.

"Thanks, Jeff." Liz said, giving him another smile.

"Wow, you two are getting along." Kenzie noted after watching Jeff and Liz for a few minutes.

"How long have you been there?" Jeff asked, a light pink hue gracing his cheeks as well as Liz's.

"Long enough to know that neither of you had kids and that you both would've made great parents." Kenzie responded.

"Good, so the whole time." Jeff replied and Kenzie nodded as she handed Liz her tea.

"Pretty much, Romeo." Kenzie joked, making both adults chuckle.

"Excuse me, are you here for Jesse McGrier?" A nurse asked, appearing from down the hall.

"Yes, is he ok?" Kenzie asked, her tone going back to concern.

"He's awake now if you'd like to see him but we do ask that you keep it short as he needs to rest." The nurse answered.

Kenzie quickly walked over to the nurse with Jeff and Liz on her tail.

=

"Here we are. Just press the call button if you need anything." The nurse said as they all reached Jesse's room.

"Thank you, we will." Liz replied for not only herself but for Jeff and a hesitant Kenzie as well.

The nurse smiled and walked off to do the last of her rounds before her shift ended for the evening.

"Do you want us to go in with you?" Liz asked, noting that Kenzie was once again chewing her bottom lip nervously.

"Yes please." The teen replied.

"After you." Jeff said, encouraging his niece to go ahead.

"Hey." Kenzie greeted delicately as she saw Jesse glancing at her pitifully. He noticed the two other people in the room along with Kenzie and attempted a tired smile.

"How are you feeling, bud?" Jeff asked, breaking what felt like awkwardness in the air.

"Been better." Jesse wheezed in reply.

Kenzie watched her friend with sadness.

"Why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well? I could have helped you." She told him and Jesse weakly shrugged.

"Dunno." He replied and Kenzie smiled.

"I'll let that go for now, but you better tell me why when you're feeling better." She told him, pointing at him in a pseudo serious manner.

"Do I have to?" He asked, earning a chuckle from both Liz and Jeff.

"I was extremely worried, Jesse. You scared the crap out of me." Kenzie admitted to him, and he looked at her apologetically.

"I'm fine, creep." Jesse replied as a painful cough wracked his body.

"Oh sure, you sound fine." Kenzie said sarcastically, handing him some water when he stopped coughing.

Jeff and Liz watched on with a sense of Deja Vu. Seeing Kenzie and Jesse together reminded them of what they used to have together, and true, maybe Kenzie and Jesse wouldn't end up together, but it was the nostalgia they were giving the adults that made them question why they were bickering every time they were in the same room.

Maybe, just maybe, for the sake of Jesse and Kenzie, they could put their differences aside and try to get along like Kenzie wanted.

"How was game night?" Jesse asked and Kenzie scoffed.

"Let's just say that it's been rescheduled." Jeff said, looking at Liz.

"Why?" Jesse asked.

"It wouldn't be the same without you, that's why." Kenzie said, not bothering to bring up the fight that had happened. Jesse didn't need to know that.

"Thanks creep." He replied and Kenzie smiled.

"You're welcome." Kenzie said.

"I hate to break you two up, but we should go and let Jesse get some rest." Jeff said.

"You don't have to." Jesse replied, not wanting to be alone.

"We'll be back in the morning, Jesse." Kenzie said, sliding her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze to let him know that it was ok and that he wasn't going to be left behind again.

"Promise?" Jesse asked, looking up at Kenzie the best he could.

Kenzie smiled at him and felt her heart skip a beat which scared her. She'd never felt anything like that before and she had no idea how to react to it.

"Promise." She replied, pushing her thoughts away.

Liz saw the hint of apprehension in Kenzie's eyes and knew exactly what that look meant. She made a mental note to talk to Kenzie about it later.

"Ok." Jesse replied simply, feeling his body preparing for sleep.

"Rest easy, Jesse." Kenzie whispered, watching as his eyes fluttered closed.

"Come on Kenz, let's let him rest." Jeff said in a hushed tone.

Kenzie nodded and stood up but not before she leaned forward and placed a small kiss on Jesse's cheek, shocking even herself.

Jeff and Liz stood there with wide eyes trying not to smirk or make a big deal about the kiss. Kenzie saw their expressions and hurried past them while she tried to process what had just happened.

"Not a word." She told Jeff and Liz who looked at each other and chuckled.

=

Back in the truck, Kenzie petted Annie's golden fur while Liz and Jeff sat in the front still trying not to laugh.

"Ok, spit it out. Let's hear it." Kenzie said, knowing what their giggles were about.

"I thought you said you didn't like him?" Jeff said and Kenzie rolled her eyes.

"I don't. I don't know why I did that, it just felt right." Kenzie defended.

"It was a sweet gesture Kenzie and I know it meant a lot to him. You could tell he didn't want to be left alone." Liz replied.

"I just wanted him to know that he's not being left behind again. I don't know what's been going on, but I know that it won't continue." Kenzie said, determined that Jesse was going to have a family, even if it wasn't by blood.

"You are a firecracker kid and I admire that. Your friends are lucky to have you." Jeff complimented, making Kenzie beam proudly.

"Thanks, Uncle Jeff but something needs to be done about where Jesse is going to be when he gets out of hospital." Kenzie replied, beginning to give the man her puppy eyes but he stopped her before she could.

"Oh no, Kenz. I know what you're thinking, and I can't take him in." Jeff told her and Kenzie huffed.

"Why not? You have the space." She replied and he sighed.

"I would take him if I could but Kenz, you're in the only spare area I have and I know that your parents wouldn't like it if I let him stay in the same space as you." Jeff explained and Kenzie groaned. He was right, her parents would flip out if they found out.

"He's got to go somewhere safe Uncle Jeff and other than your place, I don't have any other ideas." Kenzie returned.

"He could always stay with me." Liz offered and Kenzie brightened at the idea.

"You mean it?" Kenzie replied and Liz nodded.

"Of course he can. I have the room and I wouldn't mind some company." She spoke.

"Thanks, Liz, I know he'll appreciate it; at least I hope he will." Kenzie responded, scratching behind Annie's ears.

"If you're sure that you want to take him in, we'll find a way to help out with everything." Jeff said and Kenzie shot him a surprised glance.

"Yes, you heard that right, Kenzie." Jeff said and Kenzie put her hand on his shoulder in thanks.

"Believe it or not kid, I'm always in your corner, even if it takes me a while to get there." Jeff admitted and Kenzie chuckled, squeezing his shoulder lightly.

"You're not so bad after all, Uncle Jeff." She told him as they headed towards home.

Maybe, just maybe this was going to work, and Kenzie could use this situation to her advantage with no more trials, tribulations, or interruptions.... fingers crossed! 

===

Tag List: @hauntedflamingo

#originalstory #uncle and niece #playing cupid #wattpad #archive of our own #tumblr

[nuggets-and-french-fries]

For those of you waiting for more info on the Dennis Severs mini series, I will be posting about it tomorrow so keep your eyes peeled👀

[nuggets-and-french-fries]

09

My journal friend,

It has been a couple of days since I texted Jesse about our game night this Friday and since I asked him if we could meet up after I had coffee with Liz.

I haven't heard from him, and I'm starting to get a little worried because normally he would get back to me by now, but there has been nothing.

I don't know; maybe he's just busy and I'm worrying for nothing, but I think that if I haven't heard from him by tonight, I'm going to go and see if he is home.

I just really hope that he's okay.

OK, bye.

P.S: Cross your fingers for Jesse, Jeff, and Liz. Shit is hitting the fan, and I don't like it in the slightest.

===

Tag List: @hauntedflamingo

#originalstory #uncle and niece #playing cupid #wattpad #archive of our own #tumblr

[nuggets-and-french-fries]

Are there any die hard Take That fans on here?

If there is, I need some help.

My friend has been a huge fan of the boys for years now (Since before I was born) and she graduates university in July and I was wondering if there was a safe and effective way for me to reach out to the band and ask them to write a little message for her or make a little video for her as a surprise.

I realize that this might be a big stretch and might not be realistic in any capacity but I just thought I'd ask and see if any Take That fans could help me get in touch with them.

Please message me with any and all details.

Thank you so much!

#take that #robbie williams #mark owen #gary barlow #jason orange #Take That #howard donald

[nuggets-and-french-fries]

08

From the moment that she could read, Liz loved books. She loved the worlds that the characters lived in and the adventures they got to go on that would save those that they loved and cherished the most. Above everything, though, she loved knowing that each book she'd read would take her to a whole new realm. Places that she could only dream of, and it was her adoration for literature that carried her on her life's journey, however painful and heartbreaking it had been.

Liz knew that she wanted to share the magic that authors created in their books. She wanted other people to see the beauty she saw every time she read new material.

Some would call her a loner who was living in her own odd world, but those who saw books the way she did would call her passionate.

Jeff was one of those people. Sure, he wasn't as well-read as Liz, but he loved how excited she became when she'd tell him about what she read. He loved that her eyes would sparkle and shine with joy; he loved that her voice would rise an octave each time she explained a plot; and he loved the way she wanted to share her passion with the world.

Books were Liz's life, and as she stood in her little book trailer admiring all the hard work she had poured into this project, she felt like her dreams were coming true. However, there was one problem. She had no one to share these new moments with.

Yes, she had gotten married to the man she thought would make her happy, but the hard truth was that he wasn't Jeff.

Liz tried to make it work, but in the end, it was better to get a divorce and finally chase after her long-desired dreams. Her book trailer and her first love, the grouch next door.

Liz was about to step out of the trailer when Kenzie popped her head around the corner.

"Oh, Kenzie, how are you?" Liz asked cheerily. Kenzie smiled and fully walked into the trailer.

"I'm good. How are you?" Kenzie asked in reply.

"Yeah, pretty good. About ready for a coffee, though." Liz admitted running her hand through her shoulder-length, wavy fox-colored hair.

"Would you like some company?" Kenzie questioned, and Liz beamed. Company was just what Liz needed.

"That sounds wonderful." Liz replied.

"So, how is everything going with the set-up?" Kenzie asked, making conversation as she and Liz walked toward the nearest café, Paula's.

"It's been hard here and there, but I'm looking forward to opening on Wednesday." Liz answered.

"I'm looking forward to Wednesday as well." Kenzie told Liz.

"You're planning on coming to the opening?" Liz asked with a hint of excitement.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I come?" Kenzie asked as though it were a no-brainer.

"I don't know; I guess I'm just not used to anyone being as thrilled as I am." Liz responded.

"Well, get used to it. I'm so happy for you, and I hope that it goes well for you." Kenzie said, and Liz felt a warmth come over her. It felt so nice to have someone in her corner, especially when it was someone like Kenzie.

"I appreciate it, Kenzie." Liz said as she and Kenzie sat down at a table with their drinks.

"You're welcome." Kenzie replied.

"What's your favorite book?" Liz asked after taking a healthy drink of her coffee.

"That's a tough question. I mean, there are so many good books out there." Kenzie answered.

"Ok, how about a favorite genre?" Liz asked instead, knowing exactly what Kenzie meant.

"Probably like old romance or something like that." She replied, and Liz nodded.

"So Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility. Books like that are what you enjoy." Liz said.

"Yeah, I guess so. Just something that takes me to a time I've never been to before." Kenzie explained.

"I'm the same way. I love books that can do that. It's always a welcome change to what we have to deal with in the real world." Liz agreed before taking a drink of her now-lukewarm coffee.

"You can say that again." Kenzie returned.

"Liz, can I ask you something?" Kenzie queried, knowing that this would be her only chance to get Liz's side of the story.

"You sure can, honey." Liz said.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but what happened between you and my uncle?" Kenzie questioned.

Liz took a deep breath and looked at the teen. She knew that Kenzie just wanted to know what happened, but the truth was that she didn't even know what had gone wrong between herself and Jeffery.

"Where would you like me to start?" Liz asked.

"From the beginning." Kenzie answered.

"We started dating in high school, and then after school, we moved in together, got engaged, and then things quickly ended from there." Liz said, and Kenzie sighed. It wasn't at all what she was hoping for.

"I know that there is more to it than that. Jeff seems to hate you for a reason." Kenzie admitted.

"He hates me?" Liz asked, feeling a little more than hurt at the admission.

"He sure acts like he does, so what's the real story?" Kenzie asked again.

"Truthfully, Kenzie, I have no idea what happened between us. We were engaged and about two months away from getting married, and something happened where I had to leave suddenly. I told your uncle that I had to leave and that I'd be back, and when I did come back, I found him with another woman." Liz explained.

"What happened that you had to leave so fast? Were you on the run from the cops?" Kenzie joked, and Liz chuckled.

"No, actually, my visa for the U.S.A. was about to expire, and I had to go back to my country for a little while so that I could do things the legal way." Liz admitted.

"Wait, you're not from here?" Kenzie asked, shocked. There was nothing about Liz that would give that away, not even a hint of an accent. Nothing.

"Nope." Liz said simply.

"You could have fooled me. In fact, you did. Where are you from?" The teen asked.

"South Africa." Liz replied.

"Oh cool. I've heard that there are some awesome vacation spots over there." Kenzie said, and Liz smiled.

"There are some amazing places, for sure. There is one place that I wanted to go to for our honeymoon, but that never happened." Liz said sadly.

"It still could." Kenzie said louder than she meant to. "What?" Liz asked curiously.

"Why not go there anyway?" Kenzie asked, saving her butt.

"It's not somewhere I want to go alone. I'd rather experience it with someone special." Liz told Kenzie, who nodded.

"I get that. I don't blame you." Kenzie replied.

"Did Uncle Jeff know that you wanted to go to that special place and about the visa too?" Kenzie questioned.

"I assumed he knew about the visa, but apparently not since he accused me of getting cold feet and not loving him anymore." Liz replied.

"He said that to you?" Kenzie gasped.

"It was when I came back and saw him with the other woman. I confronted him, and he said that to me, which hurt because before I left, he told me that he'd wait for me." Liz explained, and Kenzie shook her head disapprovingly.

"Did he know how long you'd be gone for?" Kenzie wondered.

"I told him that I'd be gone for a while but that I would tell him everything when I could. He agreed but didn't seem to stick to that as he ignored my calls and sent my letters back to me." Liz concluded.

"So really, he caused his own heartbreak by refusing to hear you out." Kenzie said, trying to process all this information she had just learned.

"Pretty much, which is why it confuses me why he is so hostile to me whenever he sees me." The woman answered.

"I would be confused as well. What a dumbass." Kenzie returned, feeling ashamed of her uncle's behavior.

"In a way, I can see why he'd be so upset, but in my defense, I did try to tell him, and he ignored me." Liz said.

"I feel awful that he did that to you." Kenzie said.

"Don't. It was so long ago, and I have moved on from it." Liz responded. Kenzie could see by the look of pain in Liz's eyes that the woman was still being affected by what happened and who could blame her.

"Do you still have those letters?" Kenzie asked, and Liz squinted at her in suspicion of what the girl was getting at.

"Why?" Liz asked.

"Well, if it was me and an ex did that, I would burn more than just the letters." Kenzie shrugged.

"You think I should burn them?" Liz asked.

"You said that it had occurred so long ago and that you had moved on. Why keep them if what you just told me is true?" Kenzie said as her phone buzzed.

<<Where are you?>> Jeff texted.

<<Be back soon. On the beach, catching some sun.>> Kenzie texted back as Liz finished the last of her coffee.

"Well, my dear, I should get back to the trailer." Liz announced as she scooted her chair back.

"I enjoyed our chat, and I'm sorry if I brought up any bad memories." Kenzie said, following Liz's action of scooting her chair back so she could stand up.

"Don't be sorry. It was cathartic, so thank you." Liz said as she pulled the teen in for a hug.

"You're welcome, and please, if you ever need to talk, you have my number." Kenzie replied genuinely.

"Thank you, sweetheart." Liz said, and Kenzie smiled.

Kenzie wouldn't forget this, and she wasn't going to go easy on her uncle, now knowing exactly what had transpired between Jeff and Liz. Oh, she was pissed, to say the very least.

<<Can we meet up? I found out what happened between Jeff and Liz. I'm so pissed.>> Kenzie texted Jesse once Liz had walked off in the direction of her book trailer.

The operation was about to intensify tenfold. ===

Tag List: @hauntedflamingo

#originalstory #uncle and niece #playing cupid #wattpad #archive of our own #tumblr

[nuggets-and-french-fries]

More of your niece, cupid will be posted tomorrow morning at 7:00am MST.

I hope you enjoy, there is lots more to come❤️

[nuggets-and-french-fries]

~Heads Up

More chapters of your niece, cupid (Operation Cupid) will be uploaded on here starting Wednesday, April 17th, 2024 at 7:00am MST.

[nuggets-and-french-fries]

More of Your Niece, Cupid coming soon!

[nuggets-and-french-fries]

Hello all,

Just a little update on the mini serious I want to write with Taron Egerton.

I have gone through a process of elimination and decided to make the mini series about Dennis and an ofc.

The ofc is an office worker, who lives in a house with no kids and has a serious injury which is how she meets Dennis.

Here is where I need your help.

Can you think of any non typical injuries that would need the use of fire fighters? They can be workplace injuries or at home injuries.

Please let me know if you think of anything I can put into the story.

Thanks guys. I look forward to sharing more with you all soon.

[nuggets-and-french-fries]

I'm thinking of doing a mini series with Taron as the central character. Do you have any suggestions on what I could write about him being involved in?

[nuggets-and-french-fries]

07

On Saturdays, Kenzie usually liked to sleep in and laze around in her pj's but when the deafening sound of a lawn mower started up, sleeping in was out of the question, and don't get her wrong, she was annoyed, but at the realization that it was Jesse mowing the grass, Kenzie decided to let it slide just this once.

She rolled out of bed, got herself dressed and went over to Jesse's to invite him to have breakfast with her since Jeff appeared to still be sleeping; and it honestly amazed her how Jeff could sleep through anything.

"Oi, noisy." Kenzie said as she walked over to Jesse who was emptying the mower bag into the designated garden bin. When he was sure everything made it into the bin, Jesse looked at Kenzie and smiled.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, you can. You see, I wanted to laze around and relax today but it seems like a certain someone and their lawn mower had other plans for me, so I'm forced to actually be active now." Kenzie told him and Jesse just starred at her like a stunned mullet.

"You poor, poor soul. How ever shall you go on?" Jesse sassed, bringing his now folded hands to his chest sarcastically.

Kenzie's jaw dropped at his actions.

"How dare you try to out sass me." Kenzie gasped in a playful tone.

"I Blame you. You're rubbing off on me." Jesse replied, pointing at her.

Kenzie crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips.

"I don't know if I should be offended by that or flattered." She told him.

"Seriously though creep, what do you want?" Jesse asked, looking at Kenzie for an answer.

"I came to see if you wanted to join me for breakfast and video games." Kenzie answered, making Jesse's brows rise.

"I suppose I could eat and play some games." He said as nonchalantly as he could.

"Ok, great. How does eggs and bacon sound?" Kenzie asked and Jesse nodded.

"Sounds good to me." Jesse replied and Kenzie smiled.

"Cool. Do you need any help putting things away?" She questioned, making Jesse become a little defensive.

"I don't need your help." He snapped, which took Kenzie by surprise. That was the last thing she was expecting from him.

"Whoa, Jesse calm down. It was just a question; you don't need to bite my head off." Kenzie defended, holding her hands up in surrender.

Jesse took a deep breath, composing himself somewhat.

"I know, but I can do it." He said in a calmer manner and Kenzie nodded slowly.

"Ok, well, I'll leave the front door open for you then. Just come by when you're done." She explained before they parted ways.

=

Tying her hair up so that it was out of her face, Kenzie stood in front of the kitchen sink peering out the window, wondering why Jesse got so snippy with her for wanting to help. She wasn't at all used to anyone becoming that defensive with her and it made her question why she had even offered in the first place.

After a minute of being in her own little world, Kenzie shrugged off the encounter and got to work pulling everything out that she needed for breakfast.

"Hi" Jesse greeted softly as he walked into the house and toward the kitchen where Kenzie cracked a couple eggs into a bowl.

"Hi." Kenzie replied, not knowing what to really say to him after what had just occurred.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you. I know you only wanted to help." Jesse said remorsefully, making Kenzie sigh.

"It's fine Jesse, I get it." Kenzie replied.

"You do?" He asked, not sure what she was getting at.

"Yeah, I mean my dad hates it when my mom offers to help with the mowing because he has a certain way of doing things and mom has a completely different way." Kenzie explained and it was Jesse's turn to sigh.

"No, it's not that. I'm just going through a lot right now and I'm not sleeping well, and I have too many people constantly telling me what to do and how to do things." Jesse started and Kenzie listened as she placed the eggs into the hot pan.

"Basically, with everything that's happening right now, I just feel like people think I'm stupid and need help because I can't do anything for myself, you know?" He concluded, leaning on the counter in front of him.

Kenzie felt bad that he saw others wanting to help him like that and granted, there will always be those that, no matter how capable you are, consistently treat you less than and like you have nothing to offer the world.

"I understand that, and I know that it can get annoying and be a bit much sometimes, but I only wanted to help because I saw the amount of equipment you had to haul back with you; not because I thought you couldn't do it." Kenzie replied and Jesse smiled.

"How about we just put this behind us and move on?" Jesse suggested and Kenzie was grateful for that.

"I'd like that." She replied as she finished cooking the food.

"Hey, before we eat, can I use the bathroom?" Jesse asked and Kenzie nodded.

"Sure, It's down the hall and on your left. Just be quiet though because I think my uncle is still sleeping." Kenzie instructed him.

"Will do, thanks." He replied as he headed down the hall.

When she was sure that he was out of sight, Kenzie quickly wiped away any dirt or grime she had on her shirt and straightened herself up, though she couldn't tell you why. Ok, maybe she could but she didn't want to admit that she was beginning to like Jesse, even if she had barely known the kid.

After straightening herself up, she plated their food and poured some juice into a couple glasses, setting everything on the table, ready for when Jesse came back.

=

Walking back to the kitchen, Jesse passed what was obviously Jeff's room. The teen could hear what sounded like moans and whimpers, almost like someone had been injured and was in worlds of pain.

"Is your uncle ok?" Jesse asked as he sat across from Kenzie at the dining table.

The girl thought it'd be better to eat there instead of the breakfast island. She wanted to be able to talk to Jesse face to face rather than side by side.

"I think so, why?" Kenzie asked around a mouthful of bacon.

"I thought I heard him moaning and whimpering." He explained and Kenzie cringed.

"Ok, ew." She replied and Jesse sniggered.

"Not like that, crazy head." Jesse started. "It was like he was in pain." He concluded.

Kenzie shrugged.

"Maybe he was dreaming about Liz." She said.

"Maybe." Jesse repeated.

"I hope that's the case because he needs to realize that he needs Liz in his life again. I can't do all the work. His psyche needs to pitch in too." Kenzie returned, making Jesse roll his eyes at her.

"Oi, don't you roll your eyes at me. It's been exhausting so far." Kenzie told him, squinting at him jokingly.

Jesse stuck his tongue out at her before going back to their conversation.

"How did he react after bowling the other night?" Jesse questioned.

"He was angry at first but as the night went on, both he and Liz seemed to be on better terms." Kenzie explained and Jesse smirked.

"You mean after you lectured them?" He asked with amusement.

"How'd you know about that?" Kenzie queried.

"Jenna, the person that came up to you and told you to keep it down, is a big mouth and complained about you." Jesse answered.

"I see." Kenzie replied simply as she lifted her cup to her mouth and took a drink of her apple juice.

"Yeah." Jesse said, following Kenzie's actions but with his own cup.

"Anyway, yes, it went better after the lecture but unfortunately, I promised my uncle that I would involve him in all future plans that involve Liz." Kenzie explained with a sliver of annoyance.

"Bummer." Jesse replied plainly.

"I know. It now means I have to go back to the drawing board with this whole thing." Kenzie responded.

"It could always be worse." Jesse told her and Kenzie gave him an unamused glance.

"How?" Kenzie questioned.

"I'm not sure but look on the bright side, you have better control over this little game." He told her.

"Example." Kenzie responded, ignoring his comment about this being a game.

"You could invite her over for dinner or for a game night where you could call it a night early, forcing them to be alone together." He suggested and Kenzie nodded slowly, processing his words.

"I like the way you think." Kenzie complimented, pointing at him with her fork.

"Thank you." Jesse replied with a hint of pink on his cheeks.

"You're welcome. Ok, now that we have that sorted, what do you say we bake some goodies." Kenzie suggested and Jesse's eyes just about bugged out of his head.

"We just ate breakfast, Kenzie." Jesse said a matter of factly, and Kenzie just shrugged.

"Boo, you party pooper, but I guess you're right, so, how about video games and then we bake." Kenzie suggested instead.

"You're on." Jesse said.

Both teens then stood up and cleaned the kitchen, so they had the space to bake when it came time to do so.

=

Playing video games is a good thing to do when you want to get to know someone. It allows you to see how the person you're with acts under pressure and see how they act when they lose.

In this case, it allowed Kenzie to see just how funny Jesse was and just how unserious he was when it came to shooting at the 'enemy.'

"Stop hitting me, you're supposed to be hitting the target." Kenzie said as she made her character run and hide from Jesse's.

"You are my target. You stole my donut!" Jesse replied as he shot at Kenzie with the toffee gun his character was holding.

"You stole mine." Kenzie defended.

"Ha, got you!" Jesse shouted triumphantly.

"Why do I hear a strange voice in my house?" Jeff asked as he walked into the kitchen, hoping to find something really strong to drink after the dream he had about Liz.

"It's not a strange voice. It's just Jesse." Kenzie told her uncle as she shot Jesse with her own dessert gun.

"Hey, that's not fair. You blindsided me." Jesse pouted and Jeff raised his brow.

To say that he was unimpressed that Jesse was in his house was an understatement.

"Kenzie, a word." Jeff said, motioning for her to follow him.

Kenzie looked at Jesse as she paused the game and silently apologized to him. Jesse lazily shrugged in response and pulled out his phone.

"Would you like to explain why that kid is in my house?" Jeff asked and Kenzie frowned.

"That kid, Uncle Jeff, is my friend and I invited him over for breakfast and video games." Kenzie explained.

"Without permission?" Jeff asked. He had a point, but did he have to be so rude.

"Can we please talk about this later?" Kenzie asked, not wanting Jesse to feel unwelcome.

"No, we can talk about this now. You promised me that you wouldn't let any more strange people into my house, and I walk into the kitchen to see him here." Jeff returned and Kenzie rolled her eyes at him.

"Technically, I promised that no other strangers would come to the house while you were gone." Kenzie sassed through a smirk.

"Don't sass me, missy. You promised me and you broke that. I'd like him to leave my house, now." Jeff told her and Kenzie's face dropped.

"But we were going to bake after our game and besides, I'd be bored without him." Kenzie all but begged.

"Kenzie, I don't want that hoodlum in my house." Jeff said and Kenzie grew angry.

"What is your problem? He is not a hoodlum. He is my friend and I want him to stay." She rebutted but Jeff wasn't backing down.

"You may be on vacation kiddo, but you are still in my house which means you follow my rules; you don't get to make them." Jeff lectured.

"You can always bake with us, that way you can keep an eye on things if it makes you uncomfortable to know your niece has friends other than Zarah." Kenzie suggested and Jeff frowned.

"Kenzie, no." He replied and Kenzie huffed.

"Why?" Kenzie asked.

"Because I said so, that's why." Jeff answered.

"Fine, I'll ask Jesse to leave and go over to Liz's and ask her if she'd like to bake some treats with me." Kenzie said, knowing that this would get Jeff to back down and let Jesse stay.

"Why can't you ever take no for an answer?" Jeff questioned with disdain.

"Because dummy, I have you wrapped around my little finger, and I always will." Kenzie said, holding out her little finger.

Jeff rolled his eyes and walked back to the kitchen with Kenzie trailing behind him.

"I love you Jeffrey." Kenzie said sarcastically.

"Love you too, you little butt munch." He replied through a slight smile.

"Everything ok?" Jesse asked when Kenzie sat back down next to him.

"Yup. Just Jeff being Jeff." She replied, pressing play on the game again.

Jesse wasn't so sure though. He had heard everything Jeff said about him, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't at least a little hurt. Jesse knew he wasn't a bad kid like so many people thought, he was just someone looking to belong.

=

Kenzie stood at the oven sliding in the muffins and Jesse, who was in charge of adding in the ingredients for the next batch of goodies, dumped a couple cups or so of flour into a mixing bowl.

"How many cups of flour do we actually need because I feel like this might be a bit too much?" Jesse asked as he peeked into the mixing bowl.

"Flour?" Kenzie asked, shocked.

"Yeah, you said that we needed some." Jesse told her and Kenzie chuckled.

"We don't need flour for the peanut butter cookies. We only need one egg, 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of peanut butter. We need flour for the brownies though." She told him and Jesse's face fell. He felt bad and afraid that he was about to get reprimanded for not listening.

"My bad." He replied quietly and Kenzie smiled kindly at him.

"It's alright. We can just use this bowl for the brownies instead." She replied but Jesse was still waiting for her to get mad.

"You sure?" He asked and Kenzie looked at him, confused.

"Jesse, are you ok?" Kenzie questioned, seeing the hidden fear in his eyes.

Jesse cleared his throat, stood up straighter and put his shoulders back while puffing out his chest.

"Why?" He asked, sounding like he was getting defensive again.

Kenzie had no idea what was going on with Jesse, so to break the unneeded tension, she did the only thing she could think of and reached into the bowl to grab some flour before throwing it at him.

It hit Jesse in the chest, and he stood there astonished at what she had just done to him.

"You did not just throw that at me." He said and Kenzie burst out laughing.

"I did it because you are acting really weird today and it's kind of freaking me out." She admitted to him.

Jesse couldn't blame her. His behavior was even freaking him out. He didn't really know why he was acting all macho today.

He wasn't normally like that, so maybe, it was the fact that the person Jesse had been staying with recently, kicked him out of their house that morning and his mind was spinning with all kinds of things like where he was going to sleep that night.

"There, now we're even." Jesse said as a handful of flour collided with Kenzie's face, causing her to sputter.

"That was a lot more than what I threw at you." She said as she wiped some of the powder away from her eyes.

"Was it? I hadn't noticed." He replied snarkily.

"This is war." Kenzie said as she threw more ingredients at him.

Before too long, the kitchen looked like a bomb of baking ingredients had exploded and both teens were in hysterics as they catapulted things at each other.

"What the hell is going on?!" Jeff shouted firmly.

He had been trying to get some work done and the noise that was being made wasn't helping in the slightest.

"We're just baking." Kenzie replied and Jesse laughed at Jeff's expression.

"It looks more like you are destroying my kitchen." He stated.

"You're right. We're sorry." Kenzie said as she slowly approached her uncle.

"Oh no you don't." He said as he moved to get away from her, however, he moved right into Jesse's path.

"Throw it." Kenzie said, looking at Jesse as she hugged Jeff.

"I just washed these clothes." Jeff whined as the teens attacked him with a mix of cocoa powder, flour and baking powder.

"Looks like you'll have to wash them again." Kenzie said through her laughter.

"I guess I'm joining this war after all." He said as he joined in on the fun.

=

An hour and a half later, the kitchen had been cleaned, muffins, brownies and cookies were cooling, and Jeff and the kids were on the couch having lunch.

"Thanks for making lunch, Uncle Jeff." Kenzie said and Jesse hummed in agreement.

"Who knew that BBQ sandwiches could taste so good?" Jesse said and Jeff smiled.

"I'm glad you guys are enjoying it." He replied.

He had forgotten how fun it was to be involved in childish games like food fights and how fun it was to be involved with baking.

It was something that everyone needed, and it meant a lot to not only Jeff but to Jesse as well as it had been a very long time since he had experienced anything this fun and familial.

"Can I help with the dishes?" Jesse asked as Jeff took the dinner wear to the kitchen.

"It's alright, Jesse. I'll just put these in the dishwasher." Jeff said as he put everything in the sink for now.

"Ok, well, I should probably get going." Jesse said, looking at his phone.

"Do you have to?" Kenzie asked and Jesse smiled at her. He really enjoyed her company and spending time with her today made him feel good; like he was a part of something.

Jeff took note of their interaction, and it made him feel heartbroken. He and Liz had that once and not that he'd admit this to anyone, but he really wanted to have that with her again.

"I wish I could stay longer but I have work." Jesse said.

"Maybe next time then." Kenzie said, looking at both Jesse and Jeff.

"You're welcome to come back any time." Jeff said, taking both kids by surprise.

"You mean that?" Kenzie asked and Jeff nodded.

"I do. It's been fun and who am I to keep friends apart?" He replied.

"I appreciate that." Jesse said genuinely and Kenzie looked at him with a cheeky glint in her eye.

"How about a game night next Friday?" Kenzie queried and Jeff thought for a minute.

"That could be fun." Jeff replied and Jesse smirked at Kenzie. He knew what she was doing.

"Awesome. I'll text you about it closer to the day?" Kenzie asked Jesse and he nodded.

"Ok." He replied.

"Good." Kenzie replied and Jeff smiled at the pair as he took it upon himself to package up some brownies, muffins and cookies for Jesse to take with him.

"Right, these are for you." Jeff said, handing Jesse the container.

"Really?" He asked and Jeff shrugged.

"Of course. There is plenty, in fact, maybe we'll give some to Liz as well." Jeff said, knowing that that's why the kids had baked so many tasty treats.

Kenzie looked at her uncle with disbelief.

"You thought I wouldn't notice the quantity that you two made, right?" He told both Kenzie and Jesse who smiled sheepishly.

"Maybe." The kids replied in unison.

"I thought so." Jeff responded.

Kenzie was about to reply but her phone rang. She groaned and looked to see who it was. It was her dad.

"Gotta take it?" Jesse asked, noticing the annoyance on Kenzie's face.

"No, it's just my dad. I can call him back later." She replied and Jesse shook his head.

"Answer it and text me later." He told her. Kenzie smiled and answered the phone, running to her room.

"Let me walk you out, kid." Jeff said, walking to the door with Jesse.

"Listen, I heard what you said about me earlier, and I just wanted to let you know that I'm not as bad as everyone thinks I am. They just never give me a chance to prove myself to them." Jesse told Jeff.

"I can see that now and I wanted to apologize for misjudging you." Jeff said, owning up to his actions.

"Thanks." Jesse replied with a tight-lipped smile.

"I meant what I said, Jesse. You are welcome here, any time." Jeff reiterated.

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks." Jesse responded and Jeff pat Jesse's shoulder.

"We'll see you on Friday, Jesse." Jeff said as the boy began to walk away.

"Oh, tell the creep I said goodbye and thanks for today." Jesse said from the end of the driveway.

"I sure will. Enjoy the goodies." Jeff replied as he waved to Jesse.

"See, he's not so bad." Kenzie said as Jeff walked back into the house, getting Annie's water bowl so he could fill it again.

"Kenz, you really pissed me off today with going behind my back again, but I will admit, you were right. He is a good kid." Jeff told Kenzie as he placed the bowl on the ground.

"He really is." Kenzie replied, giving Jeff a hug.

===

Tag List: @hauntedflamingo

#original story #uncle and niece #playing cupid #wattpad #archive of our own #tumblr

[nuggets-and-french-fries]

06

If you were to pull Kenzie aside and ask her where her favorite place in the world was, she would probably tell you that it was anywhere with a beach. Other than the soccer field, the beach was where she felt like she could be herself and forget her worries. It was her safe haven and as she sat on the warm sand waiting for Jesse to arrive, she watched the tourists swim in the crystal-clear water, play in the sand with their kids and watched as some laid on their towels with their backs toward the sky, hoping to work on their tans.

The teen listened to the laughter and happy squeals of children as they ran from the waves, as they chased each other and as they drove their parents insane with how little they were following their instructions.

Kenzie chuckled as she saw a little boy running away from the person looking after him. The adult was obviously feeling very exasperated; and as they caught up with the kid, you could see the look of sadness on the little one's face when they were being reprimanded for not listening.

"You'd be surprised at how many kids run off." Jesse said as he sat down next to Kenzie who jumped when he spoke up.

"Dang it Jesse, you really need to stop doing that." Kenzie said as she held her hand to her chest, hoping that it would calm her erratic heartbeat.

"Stop doing what?" Jesse asked, genuinely confused as to what she was referring to.

"Scaring me so badly." Kenzie replied.

"Stop giving me reasons to scare you." He responded and she chuckled a little bit.

"Whatever." She said and went back to people watching.

"So, are you finally going to tell me what your one condition is?" Jesse asked, still wanting to know what the heck this girl had up her sleeve.

"Promise to hear me out before giving me your answer?" She asked and Jesse reluctantly accepted.

"I'll try." He told her.

"Ok, I'll tell you, but first, I packed us some lunch." Kenzie said as she opened her bag and pulled out a sandwich for each of them as well as a bottle of water to go with their food.

Jesse looked at her with utter surprise. He barely knew this girl and she was already making food for him. He didn't outwardly show it, but it meant a lot to him as he wasn't at all used to anyone showing him kindness.

"It's just a sandwich Jesse. It won't bite you." Kenzie said as she watched him, waiting for him to take the food from her hands.

Jesse carefully took the items from her as though he was afraid she'd take it back and tell him that it was all a prank.

"Thanks." He said softly and Kenzie beamed, happy that he accepted the lunch.

"You're welcome. I hope you like ham, cheese and lettuce." She replied, opening her sandwich so that she could take a bite of it.

"It's great." He said and tucked into his food.

"Alright, now that we have that out of the way, my one condition is that you help me set my uncle up with his old flame." She told Jesse and he stared at her mid bite.

"What? Why?" He questioned as a little piece of lettuce escaped his mouth and landed in the sand between them.

"Long story short, the woman that moved into your neighborhood recently, she used to date my uncle and I know they miss each other, so I'm making it my job to get them together." Kenzie said, giving him the short explanation.

"What makes you think that's what they'd want?" Jesse asked and Kenzie just looked at him in confusion. Why wouldn't they want to be together?

"Gut feeling." Kenzie answered simply.

"What if you're wrong and they'd rather be apart? What if there's a reason they broke up in the first place?" Jesse asked. Boy he was making Kenzie second guess all of this.

"Enough questions. Are you in or out?" Kenzie asked as she felt her head about to burst, knowing that she hadn't thought about Jeff and Liz not wanting to be in each other's life again.

"One more question, what's in it for me?" Jesse asked as he took a drink of water.

"The satisfaction that you brought two people together." Kenzie replied. Truth was she wasn't sure what she herself would even get out of all of this.

"You haven't really thought about it have you?" He asked and Kenzie shook her head.

"If I'm being honest, the only conclusion that I've come to is that this mission will work out and that they will ultimately get married." She answered.

"I see. Well, what happens if I say that I don't want to be a part of any of it?" He responded and Kenzie hummed in thought.

"I am here for the entire summer so I could come up with ways to make you regret it." She told him and he laughed.

"What are you going to do that would make me regret it?" He asked and Kenzie smiled at him mischievously.

"I've got to keep some things to myself." She replied teasingly.

"Yeah, ok Kenzie." He said and she playfully shoved his shoulder with hers.

"What do you say, Jesse, will you help me?" She asked after a minute of him not speaking.

"I could use a friend, so yeah, I'll help you." He agreed but unknowingly made Kenzie feel sad at his admission of not having any friends.

"Good, but now I need help deciding where Jeff and I can 'run into' Liz." Kenzie said as Jesse stared out at the water in ponder.

"Have you talked to either of them yet about where they went on dates or anything?" Jesse asked.

"Kind of. I mean, Liz did come by the house the other day and we talked about school, friends and...Other things." Kenzie said, suddenly feeling a little awkward about the subjects they had been discussing.

"Boys?" Jesse asked, side eyeing her.

"Yup." She replied through a slightly embarrassed sigh.

"And? What did she say?" Jesse asked, ignoring the fact that Kenzie's cheeks had turned a light shade of pink.

"She didn't name anyone specifically, but she said that she did go on one date to a bowling alley and that's where she got her first real romantic kiss." Kenzie told him which made Jesse feel embarrassed and moderately uncomfortable.

"I did not need those details or images in my head, thank you." He grimaced and Kenzie tried not to laugh at his reaction.

"When I talked to my mom about Jeff and Liz, she told me that they had their first date at a bowling alley." Kenzie said, attempting to change the subject but failing when Jesse picked up on her hidden meaning.

Jesse clumsily cleared his throat before taking another drink of his water as if washing away the unwanted images in his head.

"Sounds like you're going bowling then." He responded and Kenzie agreed.

"Only one problem though; I have no idea what bowling alleys are the best for dates." She admitted, looking at Jesse, silently asking him for help.

"Way ahead of you, creep." Jesse spoke, showing her the logo on his work shirt.

"You work at a bowling alley?" Kenzie asked with delight.

Jesse smirked at her and shrugged his shoulders animatedly.

"I could reserve a lane for you, if you want." He offered.

"You would do that?" Kenzie asked, astonished at his goodwill.

"You said you needed my help with this, so I'm helping." He told her and Kenzie thanked him.

"What time do you think will work the best for this?" Kenzie queried.

"Give me your number and I'll text you the time I've reserved for you." Jesse said as he held out his hand.

Kenzie turned to her bag again, grabbed her phone and opened a new contact before giving the device to Jesse, who filled everything out and texted himself so that he could save Kenzie's number to his phone later. Once that was all done, he handed her back the device.

"Thanks." Kenzie said as she slid her phone back into her bag.

"You're welcome." Jesse replied as he looked down at his watch.

"Gotta get back?" Kenzie asked as she saw the look of bewilderment on his face.

"Yeah, but hey, thanks for lunch. It was good." Jesse said as he and Kenzie both stood up and dusted the sand off themselves.

"You agreed to meet me here so it was the least I could do." She told him happily, walking beside him to where their bikes had been chained up.

"I'll text you and let you know when I've booked that lane." Jesse said as he hopped on his bike.

"Thanks Jesse. I mean it." Kenzie told him sincerely.

Jesse smiled at her and nodded one last time before he peddled off in the direction of his workplace.

"Nice kid." Kenzie muttered to herself as she headed in the direction of her uncle's house.

=

About an hour after coming back from the beach, Kenzie sat on the couch next to Jeff as she played video games and waited for Jesse to text her.

"Why do you keep looking at your phone?" Jeff asked from his spot next to Kenzie on the couch.

"Checking the time." Kenzie replied a little too quickly, making Jeff raise his brow at her in suspicion.

"Checking the time? Really?" Jeff quizzed and Kenzie nodded, not taking her eyes off the tv.

"That's exactly what I'm doing." Kenzie said but Jeff wasn't buying it.

"Spill it kid, what aren't you telling me?" Jeff replied, pausing their game as he turned to face Kenzie.

"Spill what? There is nothing to tell, I was just checking the time." She told him with a shrug.

Jeff was willing to drop it but when Kenzie's phone buzzed with a notification, he grew more intrigued.

"Nothing to spill? Why are you smiling then?" Jeff said in a teasing manner and Kenzie glanced at him, trying not to smile even wider.

"I'm not smiling." She insisted.

"Who are you talking to?" Jeff asked, wanting to know what his niece was up to.

"Zarah." Kenzie replied, proud that she was able to make that sound convincing, or so she thought.

"Yeah right, I've seen you talking to Zarah. Who'd you meet on the beach?" Jeff asked and Kenzie just looked at him.

"Shall I paint your nails while I tell you?" She replied, hoping that it would get Jeff off her back. She didn't want him knowing what she was up to because then the cat would be out of the bag.

"Ok snippy, I'm just curious." Jeff said as he got off the couch to get another soda.

"I'm not being snippy, you're being nosy." Kenzie told him and Jeff raised his brow at her.

"It's not being nosy if I want to make sure that you aren't getting into trouble while you are here." Jeff explained.

Kenzie let out a huff.

"You are starting to sound like my parents." Kenzie said as she placed her phone back down after texting her reply to Jesse.

"I know you hate that, but we just want to keep you safe. You are still young, you know." Jeff spoke and Kenzie scoffed.

"If I promise you that I'm not getting into trouble, will you get off my back?" Kenzie asked and Jeff sighed.

"What's his name?" Jeff asked and Kenzie scoffed.

"Jeff, come on. What's this really about?" Kenzie questioned, knowing that Jeff had another motive.

"Alright, you caught me. I just don't want you getting hurt." Jeff responded and Kenzie shook her head.

"I know you don't, and I do appreciate that, but you need to trust me. I'm not getting into trouble or looking to cause any. It's just a text between friends." Kenzie told him and that seemed to work for Jeff, at least for now.

"I'm trusting you kid." He said.

"Good. Now, what do you say we go bowling tonight?" Kenzie asked him and Jeff smiled.

"Get ready for me to kick your butt." Jeff said and Kenzie burst out laughing.

"I like your confidence uncle Jeff." Kenzie chuckled as she pat his shoulder as if already comforting him.

"Oi, I can totally beat you." He defended.

"Sure you can, Jeff." Kenzie said, picking up her phone again to make it look like she was booking the lane.

"Rude." Jeff playfully snapped.

"How does 6:30 sound?" Kenzie asked, ignoring his remark.

"Sounds perfect but right now, are you coming with me to pick Annie up from the groomers?" Jeff wondered.

"You ok if I stay here and start getting ready?" Kenzie asked, noticing the time.

"Fine with me but no mischief, missy." Jeff said instructively as he jokingly squinted his eyes at her.

"Aye Aye, captain!" She shouted, sarcastically saluting him.

"Little bugger." He said as he got himself together to collect his dog.

"Love you, Jeff." Kenzie said goofily.

"Love you too, Kenz." He replied as he left the house.

Kenzie waited for a couple minutes after Jeff left before rushing next door to Liz's to ask if she wanted to join in on bowling that night. Of course Kenzie left out that Jeff was going bowling too but that was merely because she knew that the adults might say no otherwise.

Liz seemed pleased to be invited and said that she'd join Kenzie at about 7:00 pm as she had a couple things to do first. Kenzie had a good feeling about bowling, but she knew that it could go south as well, and things may not work. She could only hope though.

=

Later that evening, Jeff pulled up to bowleros bowling alley with Kenzie and was ready to beat his niece at bowling for once.

Kenzie was a good bowler, well, her bowling skills weren't great as you could still see the writing on the ball as it slowly rolled down the alley toward the pins but for some reason, the teen managed to get strikes and spares all the time, and it truly perplexed those bowling with Kenzie on how she was able to do that. She'd always tell them though that it was a matter of aiming small and missing small. However, not even Kenzie knew how she managed all of that.

"Ready to do this?" Kenzie asked through a smirk.

"You got it bud." Jeff replied keenly, rubbing his hands together, warming them up for the night ahead.

"Let's go Morrison." Kenzie said as they walked into the building.

=

"Good shot, Uncle Jeff." Kenzie said, rather impressed that the man was finally able to score a spare.

"Oh, be quiet." He said as he sat down next to her.

"What, I'm just congratulating you on a good shot." Kenzie said with a hint of pseudo snarkiness.

"Alright smart alec, your turn." Jeff said through a chuckle.

"Before I do, you don't need anything to cry into when I get another strike, do you?" Kenzie teased.

"Just bowl." Jeff replied gesturing to their lane while making a face at her.

Kenzie beamed at him eccentrically and went for it; sure enough she got another strike and Jeff shook his head and let out a breath of disbelief.

"You are too good at this kiddo." Jeff said.

"I know." Kenzie replied.

"What would you say to some food?" Jeff asked, feeling his stomach gurgle with hunger.

"I'd say that sounds good." Kenzie replied and Jeff nodded.

"What would you like?" He asked and Kenzie sat for a minute, thinking about what she'd like.

"Let's see, what's going to give me extra strength to win?" Kenzie said as she stroked her chin for added effect.

"Ok, miss competitive. Just answer the question." Jeff directed.

"Whatever you are having sounds good but I'm not having beer." Kenzie said and Jeff laughed.

"Uh, excuse me, who says I'm having beer?" He asked and Kenzie looked at him.

"You're being beaten by a girl, and something tells me that you need a drink to cope with that." Kenzie leered. She knew Jeff a touch too well.

"Yeah, yeah. What do you want to drink?" Jeff countered.

"Coke please." Kenzie answered and Jeff smiled.

"Despite all the teasing and competitive digs, I am having fun tonight." Kenzie told her uncle genuinely.

"I am too sweetheart." He replied as he got up and left to get their food.

Kenzie knew that their night might not go so well now that she spotted Liz walking toward her.

"Hi Kenzie." Liz greeted warmly.

"Liz. I'm glad you could make it." Kenzie told her as she got up and hugged her.

"Thanks for inviting me." Liz said and Kenzie grinned.

"You're welcome." Kenzie replied as she and Liz sat down.

"How was your day?" Liz asked curiously.

Kenzie was about to reply when Jeff came back, glaring daggers at her. He knew that she was the reason Liz had shown up to the alley.

"Kenzie." He said as he handed the teen her food and coke.

Kenzie glared right back at him. She wasn't about to let her uncle act like a jerk to Liz again. Liz was welcome here just as much as anyone and her uncle was going to learn that.

"Thanks." Kenzie replied, just as cooly, letting him know that she wasn't happy with him or his behaviour.

"I know me being here is a sensitive matter, so I think I'm going to go." Liz announced and Jeff piped up.

"Maybe you should." He said disdainfully, crossing his arms in defiance.

"Both of you park it." Kenzie commanded, pointing to the chairs.

"No one is leaving so I suggest that you both suck it up and try to get along." Kenzie told them, mainly looking at her uncle.

"Is there a problem here?" A worker asked as they came up to Kenzie.

Kenzie turned to face them and smiled as politely as she could.

"Everything is fine, thank you. Just adults acting like children." Kenzie explained and the worker gave her a tight-lipped smile.

"Keep it down. It's disruptive." The worker remarked.

"Tell me about it." Kenzie replied as the worker walked away.

"Can we please just have a good night with no fighting or meanness?" Kenzie asked.

Liz looked at Jeff and saw the redness on his face. She wanted to burst out laughing at the fact that he just got in trouble from a 16-year-old.

"I'm willing to put the past in the past." Liz agreed.

"Jeffery, are you going to be nice?" Kenzie questioned.

Jeff couldn't fault his niece for wanting the night to go nicely and for everyone to get along, but the truth remained, Liz had hurt him deeply and he wasn't willing to let that go so easily.

"I guess." He begrudgingly agreed under his breath.

"Fantastic. Liz, can Jeff get you anything to eat or drink?" Kenzie asked.

"I'd love a beer." She answered.

"You can manage that, can't you Uncle Jeff?" Kenzie responded and if looks could kill, she'd be more than 6 feet under.

"Sure, but why don't you come with me." Jeff responded and Kenzie cleared her throat. She excused herself from Liz and apologized briefly as she and Jeff walked over to the food counter.

"What the hell was that?" Jeff asked, not at all pleased with how his niece behaved back there.

"I could ask you the same thing, Jeff. Why do you insist on making her feel unwelcome all the time?" Kenzie asked him, genuinely wanting to know what his problem was.

"I don't know what you are up to, but it needs to stop. I don't want you meddling in my life." Jeff told her.

"Grow up Uncle Jeff. I invited her to come bowling with us because I thought she could use some fun. It's not that big of a deal." Kenzie returned and Jeff softened marginally.

"You really expect me to believe that?" Jeff asked.

"Look, I know that she hurt you and I know that you want to hate her but please, stop acting like a child and try to get along. It's only one night." Kenzie spoke.

"I think you are forgetting one thing." Jeff responded and Kenzie gave him a sideways glance.

"I know, I am the child here but then you need to act like the adult." Kenzie said and Jeff hummed in response.

"Jeff please, don't be cruel. I mean, if she hurt you as much as you say she has, why let her see that? Be the bigger person." Kenzie told him and he sighed again.

"Does it mean that much to you?" Jeff wondered out loud.

"Yes, you big dope, it does. I just don't understand why you would let her win. You always tell me to be strong and shower people, especially those you don't like, in kindness but from what I've seen so far, you really need to take your own advice." Kenzie said as she and Jeff finally got to the front of the counter.

Jeff ordered a beer for Liz and stepped to the side to wait for it.

"I guess I could suck it up for tonight." He told her with disgust as he rolled his eyes.

"Thank you but you know what that means right?" Kenzie asked him and he pulled a face.

"No." He replied.

"Yes." She answered.

"No." He told her.

"You don't want to hurt my feelings by making this new memory a bad one, do you? Dear sweet Uncle Jeff." She said, pulling her best puppy eyes at him.

"Oh come on, that's not fair." Jeff said but the smile on his face gave his true feelings away.

"That smile on your face says otherwise." Kenzie countered with a smile of her own.

"Alright fine, just promise me that you will stop doing things without asking first." Jeff queried.

"Does that mean I can ask you if Liz can join us for things and you won't be a butt head?" Kenzie asked and Jeff scoffed out a chuckle.

"If it makes you happy, then yes." He answered and Kenzie beamed.

"That's all I want." She said as Jeff was handed the beer.

The pair of them walked back to where Liz was sitting and feeling bad.

"Here you go Liz." Kenzie said as she and Jeff sat down.

"Thanks." Liz replied smally.

The woman took a drink of her beer and while she did that, Kenzie gave her uncle an encouraging look.

"Liz." Jeff said through a very slight grimace. Kenzie rolled her eyes but didn't say anything.

"Yes Jeff?" She asked.

"I'm sorry for how I treated you earlier and I would really like it if you could join us tonight." He told her and Liz smiled at him.

"Thank you Jeff. I'd like that." Liz replied and Kenzie smiled happily. She was feeling proud of herself.

"Whose a good boy." Kenzie cooed as she ruffled Jeff's hair.

Jeff grunted in annoyance and swatted her hands away, making Liz chuckle at their antics.

=

"How's it going?" Jesse asked as Kenzie joined him at the arcade after being able to sneak away from her uncle and Liz who were actually having a civil conversation.

"No one told me that it was going to be like pulling teeth. Painful and exhausting." Kenzie told the boy and Jesse sniggered.

"Shall I say I told you so?" He asked her and Kenzie glared at him playfully.

"Technically you didn't tell me anything." Kenzie sassed, flicking her hair over her shoulder, causing Jesse to raise his brow at her and purse his lips while shrugging. Yeah, she had him there.

"Anyway, I owe you money for the reservation." Kenzie said as she pulled out a wad of cash for him.

"Don't worry about it Kenzie." He told her and Kenzie's eyes practically bugged out of her head.

"Jesse, you're out $162. Please let me pay you." She said, just short of begging.

"I used my discount so it's no big deal, creep." He admitted.

"It's going to make me feel guilty if you don't take it Jesse." Kenzie said and he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't feel bad. It was my choice to help you. Keep the money." He told her and Kenzie took a deep breath.

"Can I make it up to you at least?" She asked and he smiled at her.

"You already have." He responded and Kenzie furrowed her brows in confusion.

"How?" She questioned.

"Kenzie, not many people like me or want to be my friend but you're different. You seem to want to be around me and be my friend. That's thanks enough." He explained and Kenzie wanted to hug him. She felt bad, but she was happy that he saw her as someone that he could be friends with.

"Well, thanks for helping me out bestie." Kenzie told him.

"You're welcome, but hey, what are friends for?" He replied and Kenzie chortled.

"I better get back to the 'children'. I'll see you later though?" She asked.

"See around, creep." Jesse said as they parted ways.

This summer was already shaping up to be fun in an eventful way, especially since she now had two friends helping her wrangle the so-called adults. Oh boy was that proving to be difficult. It would be rewarding though, and Kenzie that's all that Kenzie was hoping for.

===

Tag List: @hauntedflamingo

#originalstory #uncle and niece #playing cupid #wattpad #archive of our own #tumblr

[nuggets-and-french-fries]

05

Since writing in her journal about her plan for the summer, Kenzie's mind was spinning with possible outcomes and ideas that could help aid her in her mission. She knew that she had to be sneaky about everything as Jeff was pretty smart and she knew that he might catch on if she acted any differently than normal. It was going to be hard as she was excited for what was to come; so excited that as soon as her phone read 6:30 am, she pulled up Zarah's contact info and pressed the call button.

Kenzie sat and waited for what felt like ages before Zarah answered the phone. She wasn't at all happy to be woken this early.

"One good reason and I won't murder you," Zarah grumped as she put her phone to her ear.

"Would you settle for an I miss you?" Kenzie asked with a hint of teasing in her tone.

"No. What do you want?" Zarah replied and Kenzie gasped dramatically.

"I am wounded that you think I want something," Kenzie told her friend as a small chuckle escaped her lips.

Zarah rolled her eyes and pulled the phone away from her ear as she felt a yawn coming on.

"You just rolled your eyes at me didn't you?" Kenzie asked, knowing her friend all too well.

"Just tell me what you want so I can go back to bed," Zarah responded.

"Ok, ok. I need your help with something," Kenzie said and Zarah took a deep breath.

"You get rejected by someone?" Zarah questioned sarcastically.

"Hey, I will have you know that I am a great catch," Kenzie defended and Zarah burst out laughing.

"That's a good one, Ken," Zarah said through her laughter.

"Seriously Zar, I am, but no, I need your help with something else," Kenzie told her.

"Alright, jokes aside, what is so important that you need to call me this early?" Zarah asked as things settled down and she could sense her friend's eagerness.

"So the other day Uncle Jeff was teaching me how to surf and-" Kenzie started just before Zarah cut her off.

"I bet you fell over," Zarah said out loud without meaning to.

"Oi," Kenzie replied.

"Sorry, go on," Zarah said.

"I was knocked off my board by someone and I sprained my ankle. Anyway, we went home after that and when we got back to Jeff's, there was a moving truck in the driveway next door," Kenzie explained.

"So you did fall," Zarah answered, making Kenzie roll her eyes this time.

"Really? That's what you took from that?" Kenzie asked, somewhat dumbfounded but not entirely surprised.

"Kenz, it's me you're talking to. Yes, that's what I took from that," Zarah responded.

"You're right. I shouldn't be surprised at this point," Kenzie joked.

"Hilarious. Anyhow, what does a moving truck have to do with you needing my help?" Zarah asked.

"Zar, the person moving in was my uncle's old flame, Liz," Kenzie said, finally getting to the point.

"Are you serious!?" Zarah shouted a little too loudly. She quickly covered her mouth and both girls remained quiet for a minute just in case Zarah's parents came into Zarah's room and told the girls to get off the phone.

"I'm not kidding and get this, Mom told me that Jeff and Liz had talked about getting married at one point," Kenzie said as a burst of energy coursed through her veins.

"Holy crap, that's big," Zarah replied.

"I know. I'm still a little shocked cause he never struck me as the type to want to get married," Kenzie told Zarah.

"What did he do when he saw her?" Zarah asked, curious of Jeff's reaction.

"He just stood there staring at her while she got a box from the truck and when she went inside, he scurried toward his place. It was the fastest I've ever seen him move." Kenzie explained.

"I can see that. Has he spoken to her at all yet?" Zarah questioned.

"Well, she came by yesterday with some baking she had done in the hopes of getting to know her new neighbors while Jeff was out, and I invited her in. She seemed nice but when Jeff came home, he stood there like a goober and frowned at us. He made everything awkward, and she rushed out the door," Kenzie explained, feeling the annoyance with Jeff resurface.

"That's not cool," Zarah noted, and Kenzie nodded.

"I know right? I told him what I thought, and he didn't like that cause he stormed out of the house," Kenzie added and Zarah shook her head incredulously.

"What a weenie," Zarah replied, and both girls burst out laughing.

"He is, but once he came home, he filled me in on a couple of things. It was quite interesting," Kenzie replied after the laughter had died down.

"I bet," Zarah said as her neck cracked from the way she turned her head as she stretched.

"The most interesting thing was that when we were talking, he had the same look on his face that Liz had when we were in the kitchen talking about friends, school, and boys," Kenzie said and Zarah's eyes went wide.

"Do you think they miss each other?" Zarah asked and Kenzie shrugged. She didn't know for sure but if she had to take a wild guess, then yes, she had a strong feeling that they missed each other in more ways than one.

"I think so. This is where I need your help though." Kenzie answered.

"What do you need me to do?" Zarah wondered.

"I'm going to get Liz and Jeff together once and for all and I need you to be my sounding board. You up for the challenge, Turner?" Kenzie asked and Zarah nodded enthusiastically.

"Hell yes!" Zarah responded and Kenzie beamed.

The girls spent the next couple hours getting ideas compiled and by the time they were done talking, Zarah's parents were up and so was Jeff.

"Call me if you need any more ideas and if I think of any today at work, I'll text you," Zarah told Kenzie.

"You're the best Zar. I owe you one." Kenzie said and Zarah hummed in agreement.

Kenzie bid her friend goodbye and was about to hang up when Zarah stopped her.

"Hold on, I need the details of how you fell off the surfboard," Zarah said, and Kenzie rolled her eyes.

"Dude, I didn't fall off, I was pushed off," Kenzie replied sarcastically unamused.

"Yeah, ok kenz," Zarah said, and Kenzie raised her brow.

"It's true." Kenzie defended.

Zarah was about to reply when her father knocked on her bedroom door and told her that it was time to get off the phone and get ready for work or she'd be late.

=

Walking into the main kitchen after her call with Zarah, Kenzie found Jeff on the laptop assaulting the keyboard as he typed away. She smiled to herself at the look of concentration on his face. It was very much the same concentrated look her mother got when she was doing something that she didn't particularly want to do.

"Morning." Kenzie greeted as she took one of the Banana chocolate chip muffins Liz had made off the platter given to them and warmed it in the microwave for a couple of seconds.

Jeff barely looked up from the laptop as he gave his niece a mumbled reply.

"What are you doing?" Kenzie asked and Jeff glanced at her briefly.

"Why?" He asked as he continued attacking the keyboard with his vigorous typing.

"I asked you first," Kenzie replied as she popped a piece of the heated muffin in her mouth.

She was hoping to get more of a conversation out of him, but it was useless. He was too far into his task to respond with more than one-word answers.

"Kenz, please." He replied, needing to focus on the amount of inventory, orders, and bills he had to take care of for the bait shop.

"Fine, I'll leave you alone, but I do have a question," Kenzie said.

Jeff sighed and gave her his full attention, though the look on his face told her that he wanted to be left alone to work.

"What?" He asked.

"Do you have a soccer ball?" She questioned.

Her foot had begun to feel better, and she wanted to test its strength by kicking a ball around.

"I do but you need to rest that foot." He said sternly.

Kenzie wasn't the best for letting herself heal after an injury. She was usually up and walking around within a couple of hours if she was able to.

"It feels a bit better, but I just want to see if it's up to kicking standard." She told him.

"I'd rather you not and give your foot more time to heal," Jeff answered, even though he knew she wasn't going to listen to him.

"It's fine Uncle Jeff," Kenzie replied, feeling confident in her ability.

"It's your foot, kid. Ball's in the garage." Jeff replied before going back to the laptop.

"Thank you," Kenzie said as she took her food into her room so that she could get herself together before heading out to kick the ball around.

=

Kicking the ball around felt good. Her foot still hurt of course but it was nowhere near as painful as it was when it first happened. It made Kenzie happy to know that she was right, and her ankle was healing nicely.

"Kenz!" Jeff called from the backdoor. Kenzie looked over at him and walked over to him.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"I'm heading to the bait shop; do you want to come with me or stay here?" He questioned. He knew her answer already but he wanted to check just in case.

"I want to stay here." She told him. This was perfect. She could work on things while he was gone and out of earshot.

"Alright, call me if you need anything but please try to stay out of trouble," Jeff replied, and Kenzie smiled goofily.

"Me? Get into trouble?" She teased and Jeff rolled his eyes.

"Yes, you," He responded, and Kenzie chuckled.

"Don't worry about me. I'm just going to kick the ball around a little more and then maybe play some video games," Kenzie said.

"Ok. I will see you in a little while," Jeff answered.

Kenzie waved goodbye to him and went back to kicking the ball but just as she did that, Jeff reappeared.

"No more strangers in my house while I'm gone," Jeff said as pottery could be heard smashing from the backyard next door, followed by a slight high-pitched scream and an over dramatic gasp.

"My pot!" The person shrieked.

"Kenzie!" Jeff shouted in both shock and warning.

"My bad," She called to the person next door, but no reply came.

"Be more careful with that thing," Jeff cautioned, and Kenzie nodded.

"Safe to say my foot's ok," Kenzie said, attempting to change the subject.

"Inside missy," Jeff replied, moving to the side so that Kenzie could get past him.

"Why?" Kenzie asked.

"So you don't break anything else and because you've been on your feet for too long," Jeff told her, and she couldn't argue with him. She was feeling tired.

"Okie dokie," She responded, walking inside.

Kenzie plopped herself on the couch next to Annie whose tail was wagging enthusiastically.

"Right, I'm leaving now. Call me if you need anything and no strangers in the house while I'm gone and no more breaking things." He reiterated as he grabbed his keys, Annie's leash, and his hat.

"I will and as for not breaking anything else, I'm not promising anything." She replied and Jeff shook his head. What was he going to do with Kenzie?

Kenzie had to laugh at his response to that.

"Come on Annie," Jeff said, encouraging his four-legged friend to come to him so that they could leave.

"Bye," Kenzie told them as they hurried out the door. No reply came as Jeff was practically in his truck and pulling away already.

Kenzie waved to him through the window and when he was out of sight, she went next door. She was going to apologize for breaking whatever it was but as she put her hand on the doorknob, someone knocked on it, making Kenzie jump.

"Flaming Cheetos!" Kenzie shouted with panic as her heart thumped wildly in her chest. She assumed that the person at the door was her uncle, but it wasn't.

Kenzie opened it and came face to face with a kid around her age. He stood a few inches taller than her. He had reddish brown hair, and blue/green eyes and wore an exasperated look on his face.

"Think this is yours," He said as he handed her the soccer ball. Kenzie took it and tried not to laugh as his scream echoed through her head.

"Anyone ever told you that you scream like a girl?" Kenzie asked. She couldn't help herself.

"Do not," He defended.

"Yeah, you do," She told him and he huffed at her.

"No, I don't," He answered.

Kenzie was having too much fun pestering him.

"What were you doing back there anyway?" Kenzie asked, moving on from playfully insulting him.

"What's it to you?" He questioned in reply.

"I believe your exact words were and I quote: My Pot!" Kenzie said, raising her brow at him, silently asking him what he meant by that.

"Not that it's any of your business but I was planting something," He begrudgingly answered.

"You garden?" Kenzie questioned, letting a chuckle escape her lips.

The boy in front of her blushed and glared at her. He wasn't appreciating the fact that she was picking on him.

"I don't need this. Just keep your bloody ball out of my yard," He snapped and walked away.

Kenzie felt guilty for mocking him, so she called for him to stop.

"Wait!" She hollered and he did. He turned to face her, but she could tell that he wasn't impressed.

Kenzie carefully trudged over to him, trusting that he wasn't going to leave her alone.

He just stood there watching her as she inched closer to him.

"Going to keep bothering me?" He asked and Kenzie shook her head.

"I was going to ask if you needed help with gardening," She replied, hoping that he'd forgive her and let her help him.

"Thanks but you should put your foot up." He told her and Kenzie looked at him in surprise.

How did he know that she had injured herself? Unless.....

"You," She said, pointing at him.

"Call it even?" He suggested with a shrug and sheepish grin and Kenzie remained in her spot for a minute contemplating her answer.

She could hold this over him if she wanted to and keep making him miserable, but she could use a friend while in Boca, so she decided to give in to his suggestion......Kind of.

Kenzie pondered and pursed her lips at him while allowing her eyes to roam his body up and down, making him sweat a little bit.

"On one condition," Kenzie said. She had a feeling this kid could help her execute her plan of playing Cupid.

"I'm afraid to ask but go on," He replied.

"I'll let you know eventually. For now, however, I'm Kenzie," She introduced, holding out her hand for him to shake.

He looked at it for a second, unsure of what she was planning but he knew that if he wanted to stay in her good graces and not be the target of her insults any longer, his best option would be to place his hand in hers and reciprocate the handshake.

"Jesse," He responded simply.

"Great. Well, I should go back in," Kenzie told him, pointing in the direction of her uncle's house.

"Aren't you going to tell me your one condition before you go?" He queried.

"All in due time, Jesse, all in due time." She said in a tone that freaked him out a bit.

He gave Kenzie a worried glance and she smirked at him.

"Tell you what, meet me at Pete's burger shack on Wednesday afternoon and I'll tell you," Kenzie said but Jesse grunted, not feeling satisfied with her reply.

"I work on Wednesday," He told her and Kenzie squinted her eyes and bit the inside of her cheek as she struggled to come up with another idea.

"Where do you work?" She asked him.

"I'm not telling you that," He replied warily.

"Eh, fair enough," She responded. She had to give it to him, he seemed like a tough nut to crack, and she would get through to him one of these days; she just had to be patient at least for now.

"I could meet you at the beach on my lunch break," He offered, and Kenzie smiled at him.

"Sounds good," She said, staring at him once more.

Jesse didn't mind it at the beginning as it didn't feel judgmental like the first time she eyed him but then he started to feel like he was under a microscope again and he didn't like it.

"Stop staring at me," He told her and Kenzie looked away.

"Habit, sorry," She said genuinely.

"It's fine, it's just creepy," He replied, drawing a laugh from her which made him smile.

"I'll keep that in mind," Kenzie countered, and Jesse nodded.

"I'll see you on Wednesday, creep," He said as he walked back to his house.

Kenzie chuckled to herself in disbelief knowing that she had just made a friend.

When Kenzie felt confident that Jesse was inside his house, she pulled her phone out of her pants pocket and pressed Zarah's contact info.

<<Call me ASAP! We need to talk.>> Kenzie typed as she texted her friend.

She couldn't wait to tell Zarah about the kid she had just met and was about to recruit.

===

Tag List: @hauntedflamingo

#orginal story #uncle and niece #playing cupid #wattpad #archive of our own #tumblr

[nuggets-and-french-fries]

04

My journal friend,

I know that it's been about a week since I've written anything, but I promise that I have a good reason. Before I tell you though, let me fill you in on what's happened this week.

As you know, mom agreed to let Uncle Jeff teach me how to surf, so long as I am uninjured and returned in one piece. Well, that didn't last too long. You see, Uncle Jeff was showing me how to get balanced on my board before we went on the water when all of a sudden someone knocked me over and onto the burning hot sand. The wind was knocked out of me for a minute or two, and Uncle Jeff got snippy with them (it was like he knew the person that had run into me), which made them quickly apologize and run off in the opposite direction. (Real cool Jeff, real cool). It was ok in the end, but I did sprain my ankle, so right now surfing is on hold, which sucks.

When Uncle Jeff and I got back to his place after the ankle fiasco, we saw a moving truck in the driveway of the house next door. It wasn't a surprise for either of us to see because everyone in the neighborhood knew the house had been sold. What did surprise me was Uncle Jeff's reaction to the woman that walked out the front door and to the truck to collect more boxes.

Jeff told me later that evening that the woman, Liz Gilmour, was an old friend of his. Of course, I knew there was more to it by the way he spoke about it. I made a note to ask Mom about him and this 'old friend' when we talked on the phone that night but before I could do that, I had to tell her about my ankle first. Needless to say, she was not happy. I quickly changed the subject to Jeff and Liz and what mom told me was interesting.

She told me that back in the day they were something of an item. She also told me that they had been together so long that they had even talked about getting married. That surprised me because Jeff didn't seem like the husband type. I asked mom why they didn't get married, but she said she didn't know.

Our call went well, but boy was my mind spinning with all this new information.

After mom and I ended our call, Jeff and I decided to order burgers for dinner, and we watched a movie while we ate. The movie we watched was one I hadn't seen before, and I quite enjoyed it.

It was about a brother and sister who make up a plan to set their dad up with a woman. It made me laugh but it also got me thinking how it would work in the real world and this is where my main reason for not writing comes in.

I have decided to play Cupid!

It may have taken me a couple days after watching that movie to get to this point but with the reaction Jeff gave me that day, let's just say this summer is about to get interesting.

Anyway, I woke up this morning to a note taped to the front of my door from Uncle Jeff saying that he was at the bait shop and would be back later to check on me and make sure that I was ok. He also said that he left the dog at home because he thought I could use the company and because Annie refused to move from her bed that morning.

After reading the note, I hobbled over to Annie to check on her before hobbling to the kitchen to make myself breakfast. Just as I put my hand on the egg carton, I heard a knock coming from the front of the house.

I was hesitant to answer at first but then I heard a female voice say that they had just moved in next door and that she wanted to introduce herself.

I hurried over to the front door as fast as my dumb ankle would allow and when I opened it, I saw Liz. She was smiling warmly at me and properly introduced herself before she handed me a plate of baked goods and crap, did they smell good.

I thanked her for her kindness and invited her in for a cup of tea and a chat. I would have made coffee but since I'm not supposed to have it, I'm not good at making the liquid gold as dad calls it.

While talking with Liz, I learned that she had a little trailer that she turned into a mini bookstore that she was about to open, and she invited me to stop by when I was able to get around easier. I was about to thank her when Uncle Jeff walked through the door.

When Jeff saw us talking, he froze and frowned slightly, making both Liz and I feel awkward. Liz thanked me for the tea and rushed out the door without another word.

I was annoyed at Jefferey for acting so lame when Liz just wanted to get to know her neighbors. We got into an argument and then Jeff stormed out of the house and didn't return until about an hour ago.

I did talk to him about it all when he got home, and he filled me in on so much more than what mom knew and had told me.

Uncle Jeff said that Liz was his person and because of what happened between them, he never got close to getting married after that because he was afraid of getting hurt again. He also told me that he never stopped loving Liz and seeing her now brought back so many memories...Memories that still pained him.

I couldn't blame him. I could see it in his eyes and in fact, the look that he gave me when explaining everything was so sad and I swear it was the same look that Liz gave me when we were talking about friends, boys and the misery of high school.

Personally, I think they miss each other.

All of that said, my mission this summer is to get them together once and for all.

As this mission is so big though, I think I'm going to need Zarah's help; but it's too late to chat now, so I'll have to call her in the morning and begin the planning stages for what I'm going to call Operation Cupid...At least I think that's what I'm going to call it, I'm not sure yet.

Hopefully Zarah can think of something better when I talk with her about everything later.

OK. Bye.

P.S: This mission may be a rocky one, but I think I can do it, especially if I've got Zarah by my side and maybe Mom and dad as well but we'll see about them.

===

Tag List: @hauntedflamingo

#originalstory #uncle and niece #playing cupid #wattpad #archive of our own #tumblr

[nuggets-and-french-fries]

Just wondering if…

-You’d want to be apart of an updated and permanent tag list? If yes, please comment 🏷️ below to let me know.

-You’d be interested in reading more of Your Niece,Cupid (now titled: Operation Cupid: Kenzie’s guide to happily ever after.) on here? If yes, please comment 🐠 below so that I know to schedule some more chapters.

Thank you for taking the time to not only read this post but for taking the time comment on it as well.

Your input really helps😊

[nuggets-and-french-fries]

03

The next morning, Kenzie woke up with a start as the sound of a blender was heard echoing through the entire house. Soon after that, Jeff could be heard shouting all sorts of profanity as he realized he had burnt the chocolate chip pancakes as well as the eggs. Kenzie groaned loudly and snatched the pillow out from under her head and placed it over her face as the shouting and clanging continued. It was way too early for all of this.

Eventually, Kenzie climbed out of bed and begrudgingly trudged into the kitchen only to be greeted with a cheery Jeff.

"Good Morning." He greeted as Kenzie glared at him and sat herself at the breakfast island.

"Too early." Kenzie mumbled, looking at Jeff with slight annoyance.

"Yeah well, I thought I'd make breakfast before we head out for the day." Jeff explained as he plated up the food.

"Make it or burn it?" Kenzie asked as she poked at a piece of somewhat blackened egg. Jeff let out a breath of air and waved his hand at his niece.

"It's not that bad." He replied with a playful pout. Kenzie wasn't convinced though.

"Why aren't you eating it then?" Kenzie sassed with a smirk.

Jeff simply shrugged as he took a drink of the smoothie he had made as well, but he instantly regretted it as the sour and tart flavor attacked his mouth with a vengeance which made Kenzie laugh at his reaction.

"I am so sending this to mom." Kenzie said through her laughs as she took a video of her uncle jumping around as though he was on hot coals, trying to absorb the brutal sour attack.

Jeff grunted at Kenzie in protest but he'd probably do the same thing if he was in Kenzie's position. It was pretty damn funny.

It took a minute before Jeff was able to calm himself and when he was standing still again, Kenzie handed him a cup of water so that he could rinse his mouth out.

"Thanks." Jeff said, before downing the rest of his water. Kenzie nodded and leaned against the counter.

"I'll tell you what, why don't we pick up breakfast and then eat it on the beach. My treat." Kenzie offered and Jeff smiled gratefully.

"I like the sound of that but you save your money. I'll buy it." Jeff countered and Kenzie smiled.

She appreciated all that he went through that morning trying to make breakfast for the both of them but he didn't need to. She was happy to just be spending time with him after being apart for so long.

"I'll go change and I'll meet you outside." Kenzie told Jeff, taking note of the fact that Jeff was already dressed and prepped for the day.

"Ok kiddo but please don't take too long." Jeff said as Kenzie moved away from the counter. She began walking away but then she stopped and turned back around to face Jeff again.

"Oh and don't worry about making breakfast for the rest of the summer, I'll do that." Kenzie said and before Jeff could reply, Kenzie hurried off to get ready.

=

A little while later, Kenzie and Jeff had eaten their breakfast and enjoyed catching up even more as they watched the beach dwellers go about their activities. When they had had their fill of talking and people watching, they headed towards Jeff's bait shop.

The bait shop was a quaint little building and fit in nicely with the other businesses and it was interesting to Kenzie why her uncle wanted to open it rather than the cafe he had told her about when he first moved to Boca.

He told Kenzie that he saw how many food places there were and he saw just how popular they were and decided that he wanted something quieter, so he chose a bait shop since it was mainly all the older people that wanted to fish and do something that wasn't too crazy.

"I can see that." Kenzie said as she snacked on a pack of cool ranch doritos.

"It's a lot nicer and sure beats feeling panicked at how many people are demanding service and telling you that their food is too whatever and so on." Jeff explained. Kenzie nodded and sighed.

"How many people usually come here?" She asked.

"On a good day, probably about-" He started, trying to think of a reasonable number before Kenzie interrupted him.

"You have no idea do you?" She asked. Jeff chuckled and shook his head.

"Not in the slightest Kenz." He replied.

Kenzie was about to reply when the bell above the door opened and someone called out for her uncle.

"Be right out Simon." Jeff called as he set his snacks down on the table.

"I'll be back soon. Feel free to look around some more." Jeff told Kenzie as he stood up and walked out to greet Simon who was looking at the selection of fishing hooks.

"Thanks." She replied but she wasn't sure if Jeff heard her as he had disappeared around the corner.

=

While Jeff was out the front conversing with some customers, Kenzie wandered around the shop checking it out, hoping to find something to do but it was no use, there wasn't much to do. Well, she knew she could help Jeff and restock some shelves but since she didn't really know where things went yet, she decided to return to the room in the back of the shop.

She sat back at the table and pulled out her phone from her bag and it was there that she saw a missed call from Zarah.

Kenzie took a drink of her coke and then pressed Zarah's number to call her back.

"Meet any cute guys yet?" Zarah asked dramatically as she answered the device, making Kenzie burst out laughing.

"I've not been here long enough for that and besides, I'm in a place right now that only old people come to." Kenzie replied and Zarah chuckled.

"I heard that." Jeff called from the front as he grabbed some of the items that needed restocking.

Kenzie pulled the phone from her ear and leaned back in her chair so that she could make sure Jeff  heard her more clearly.

"Sorry." She remarked goofily, making Jeff grumble in response.

"How is your uncle?" Zarah asked and Kenzie shrugged.

"He's good. Pretty much unchanged." She answered and Zarah hummed.

"How's spindles?" Kenzie asked, taking a sip of her soda.

"He's alright. I gave him a couple fresh flowers and now he's cleaning himself." Zarah replied.

"That's good. Thank you for looking after him for me." Kenzie said with a smile.

"You're welcome. It's been fun." Zarah replied before her mother called for her to come downstairs.

"Bummer, gotta go." Zarah announced and Kenzie grunted in annoyance playfully.

"Fine. I'll call you if I find anyone." Kenzie told her friend suggestively and Zarah laughed.

"You're damn right you will. I want every detail bro." She said.

"Bye." Kenzie replied as she and Zarah hung up.

Kenzie smiled to herself. She was glad that her bee was doing well and she was glad that Zarah seemed to be doing well too.

The girl went to put her phone back in her bag when something in a hidden corner of the room caught her eye...surfboards. Kenzie had no idea that her uncle knew how to surf and to her, knowing that Jeff could surf added a whole new level of cool to him.

She had always wanted to learn how to surf but living hours and hours away from the beach made it a little difficult....until now that was.

"Hey, uncle Jeff?" Kenzie called as she walked to the front of the shop in search of him.

"What's up Kenz?" He called back as he restocked the last set of shelves.

"Can you teach me how to surf?" Kenzie asked, full of hope.

Jeff looked at her unsure. He didn't know if Scott and Tracy would appreciate that. He knew that Tracy had always wanted to teach Kenzie to surf and he didn't want to take that from his sister.

"I don't know Kenz. Your mom wanted to teach you." Jeff told her.

"I know but that was two years ago and she's not here." Kenzie said, whining slightly.

"Tell you what, ask your mom tonight when you call her and if she says it's ok, we'll start first thing in the morning." Jeff suggested.

"Or, we could just surprise her and you teach me anyway." Kenzie tried but Jeff wasn't budging on this and Kenzie could see that so she gave Jeff her best and biggest puppy eyes, hoping that they would work in her favor.

"Don't use those things on me." He told her but Kenzie ignored him and kept doing it in the hopes that the puppy eyes would work their magic eventually.

"Kenz, stop. I said talk to your mom first." Jeff said as he walked over to the counter with Kenzie hot on his tail.

"Please? She's not going to find out." She tried one last time but the stern look from Jeff made her stop and huff.

"Fine." Kenzie mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance.

=

Later that night, Kenzie sat on the little couch in the compact living room in her granny flat picking at the skin around her nails as her mother spoke to her about what she and Scott had done on their first day.

"Alright missy, you've been more interested in your hands which is not normally like you so tell me what's on your mind." Tracy said, feeling irritated at Kenzie's lack of attention.

Kenzie dropped her hand in her lap and sighed.

"Uncle Jeff won't teach me to surf without talking to you first." Kenzie mumbled indignantly.

"Well I appreciate him wanting us to talk about it first but I really don't have any issue with you learning. I know it's something you've been wanting for a while." Tracy told her daughter.

"I told him that but he kept going on about how you wanted to teach me yourself and that he didn't want to hurt your feelings by going behind your back with it." Kenzie replied and Tracy nodded.

"Well I did want to teach you myself but you are at the beach so why not?" Tracy said, just as Jeff knocked on Kenzie's door.

"Just a sec mom." Kenzie said and Tracy smiled.

"Yes?" Kenzie called to Jeff.

The man opened the door and walked in with a plate of food for her. Kenzie looked at him the way she did that morning when she saw the blackened food.

"Don't worry, I didn't cook." Jeff said and Kenzie raised her brows at him and reluctantly took the plate he was holding out to her, not realizing what the plate had on it.

"Oh, it's leftover pizza." Kenzie said happily.

"I may not be able to cook but I can heat things up." He replied to the teen.

"Really Jeffery, pizza?" Tracy said, listening in on Kenzie and Jeff's exchange.

"What? She just got here. We were celebrating our reunion." He told his sister sassily.

"Just make sure she gets proper food as well." Tracy replied.

"Um, does a surf and turf breakfast wrap count as proper food?" Kenzie asked, thinking of the food they had consumed for breakfast.

"Surf and turf wraps for breakfast? Do I really want to know?" Tracy asked in reply.

"Oh that reminds me, I have a video to send you. It will explain the breakfast choice." Kenzie said as she placed her plate on the coffee table so that she could send the clip to her mom.

Almost instantly, Tracy got it and watched while Kenzie waited for her reaction and Jeff cringed at the thought of how stupid he looked jumping around like an idiot standing in a prickle patch with no shoes on.

"Good grief Jeffery." Tracy said through her laughter.

"Yeah yeah." He replied with an eyeroll.

Tracy's laughter continued for a few minutes before it died down and she could speak coherently again.

"So Jeff, Kenzie told me about the surfing thing." Tracy said.

Jeff looked at Kenzie who smiled goofily at him.

"You told me to talk to her about it and I did." Kenzie told him. He couldn't argue with that, he did tell her to talk to her mom and it was now clear that she had done just that..

"Good, I'm glad, but did she tell you she tried using those puppy eyes on me after I told her no?" Jeff asked.

"Kenzie, you know better than that." Tracy reprimanded and Kenzie's shoulders dropped while her eyes looked at her lap.

"I really wanted him to say yes though." Kenzie tried to defend but Tracy wasn't having it.

"I feel like I should say no now." The mother said and Kenzie's eyes shot back to the camera in pleading.

"Oh come on, that's not fair." Kenzie whined.

Jeff and Tracy looked at each other

"Come on sis, ease up. It's not that big of a deal." He told Tracy.

"Alright, fine. You can teach her but please send her back to me in one piece." Tracy teased. Kenzie beamed at this and Jeff let out a chuckle at his niece's reaction.

"Thanks mom, you're the best." Kenzie said before she and Jeff said their goodbyes to Tracy and Scott so that they could all get some well earned rest.

=

'My trusty journal friend,

I'm going to learn to surf......I'm beyond excited!

Ok, bye.

P.S: Even though I gave him a hard time today, uncle Jeff is still the cool uncle I remember.'

===

Tag List: @geo-winchester @stilessbaseballbat @astralmctive

If you'd like to be tagged as well, please let me know😊

#originalstory #uncle and niece #playing cupid #wattpad #archive of our own #tumblr

[nuggets-and-french-fries]

02

By the time that Kenzie and her parents reached the airport, Kenzie was well and truly ready to board her plane and get away from all the giddiness her parents were displaying.

Don't get her wrong, she was happy that her parents got to spend time together as they were always busy with work etc. but their excitement was becoming a little, how shall I say it, nauseating, shall we say.

"Well, this is it." Zarah said, feigning tears as she walked beside Kenzie, their arms linked together.

"Yup, Boca, Here I come." Kenzie squeaked, making Zarah chuckle.

"I'll miss you too." Zarah sassed.

"Come on you two." Scott called as he and his wife were already in line to check in.

"Hold on, we're saying goodbye." Kenzie answered.

Scott and Tracy rolled their eyes but it did nothing to hide their amusement at how dramatic the girls were being.

"Oh yes, she's going off to war, you know." Tracy said sarcastically and dramatically as her hand rested on her chest.

"Really?" Kenzie said, giving her mother an unimpressed and annoyed look.

"It's how you are acting." Tracy said with a smirk.

"Alright, I get it but at least I have friends." Kenzie remarked.

"Gee, thanks." Mr. Turner playfully huffed.

Kenzie gave him a very sarcastic smile.

"Sorry Mr. Turner." She told him.

Mr. Turner burst out laughing. He was a jolly man and loved a good joke. He knew that Kenzie meant nothing by her comment but it sure made him laugh.

"Seriously though, please come line up, we need to check in and get to our gate." Tracy said as she glanced at her watch.

"Wait here." Kenzie said as she walked over to her parents and joined them in the line.

Zarah walked over to where her mom was sitting and plopped down next to her.

"You ok?" Victoria asked as Zarah laid her head on her shoulder.

"Yeah, just tired." Zarah said.

In truth, Zarah was going to miss Kenzie a lot. Kenzie was her only friend after all.

"It will be ok, sweetheart. I promise." Victoria said, knowing how her daughter felt. She didn't have many friends either.

A few minutes later, Kenzie and her parents were all checked in. They all made their way over to where the Turners were waiting.

"Well, I guess this is it." Zarah said as she stood up.

Kenzie nodded and started walking toward security, following behind her mom who was now feeling more frazzled and rushed as she never liked being anywhere late and this time, they were all cutting it very close.

"I will text you as soon as I'm on the other side." Kenzie said, seeing the look in her friend's eyes.

Zarah smiled, nodded and hugged Kenzie tightly.

"Is she going to be ok?" Tracy asked Victoria, seeing how Zarah's demeanor had changed within the span of a minute or two.

"I think she just feels like Kenzie will forget about her." Victoria said.

"Well, listen, if she's really missing Kenzie and you're concerned at all, I'm sure Kenzie would love to have a friend in Boca." Tracy said, handing Victoria Jeff's information just in case.

Victoria smiled at the thoughtfulness and generosity of her friend.

"Thank you. I will keep that in mind." The woman said, hugging Tracy.

"Tick tock mom." Kenzie said, teasing her mother.

"Right, yes." Tracy said as she grabbed her belongings, said goodbye to Victoria and Harrison and hurried to where Scott and Kenzie were waiting for her.

=

Saying goodbye to her parents was bittersweet. Kenzie was going to miss her parents but the sooner they boarded their plane, she could board hers and plan out how she was going to greet Jeff when she landed in Florida.

She wasn't sure what she'd say but she knew that for sure she was going to give him the biggest hug she could muster.

Speaking of hugs, Kenzie's mind wandered to Zarah and how she was holding up. She knew that Zarah had a hard time with goodbyes and it made Kenzie feel sad to know that Zarah wouldn't have anyone to talk to while she was gone. I mean sure, she would have Spindles but what good is having a pet bee going to do.

Kenzie sat down in an empty chair and pulled out her phone to text Zarah like she promised.

<<Just said goodbye to mom and dad. They barely made it to their gate. They are good though.>> Kenzie typed out before sending.

Zarah's reply came quickly after.

<<Glad they boarded safely. I'll miss you.>> She said.

Kenzie smiled sadly and opened her camera.

<<I miss you already.>> Kenzie replied, sending a picture of herself making a sad face. Bottom lip jutted out and all, hoping it would make Zarah laugh.

<<Doofus!>> Came Zarah's reply. Kenzie chuckled and was about to reply with a long message when her flight was called and she had to board. That didn't stop her from sending at least a short message.

<<Boarding now. Love you!>> She typed before pocketing her phone and lining up.

=

Roasted Peanuts, how did one discover that roasting peanuts tasted good, heck, who discovered the peanut and thought it would be a good thing to have on airplanes one day?

These were all things going through Kenzie's mind as she tried not to listen to the man next to her aggressively chewing his snack as though his life depended on it. Sure she had her earphones in her ears with music playing relatively loud to block out the sound but the facial expressions he was making and the occasional moans escaping his lips made Kenzie feel sick. It was disturbing to say the least but even she knew that people had their quirks; she figured that eating the way the man next to her did, was his quirk.

Boy oh boy, this particular flight was full of quirky people then if that was the case.

The person sitting behind Kenzie had the weird quirk of putting their shoe clad foot on the back of her arm rest. Kenzie was slightly annoyed at this but instead of saying anything to them, she simply put her arm on the rest far enough back so they had to remove their foot. It worked for at least a few minutes but then, came a sweaty sock clad foot. It was damp and disgusting and made Kenzie want to gag. Again, her response was to move her arm further back on the arm rest but this time, she did it a little more forcefully.

The person behind her let out an annoyed huff and Kenzie rolled her eyes but kept to herself as best she could.

It seemed to work for maybe 10 minutes until a bare foot touched the back of her arm. Kenzie frowned and with all the strength she could muster, elbowed the person's foot, having had more than enough of their travel manner. It was beyond gross at this point and Kenzie had had enough.

Sure, she could have turned around and politely asked the person to stop but she knew that speaking wouldn't get the message across so elbowing the person was the best option and thankfully, the message got through.

Was that all that happened on the one hour flight though? No, of course not, why would that ever be all?

At about 30,000 (most likely higher than that though) feet in the air, turbulence hit and became too intense for Kenzie to handle and normally when things scared her, she would listen to music or turn to her journal for support but unbeknownst to her, she had packed her journal in the wrong bag. It was in her suitcase instead of her backpack. She huffed in defeat and sat back in her seat, turning back to her music.

However, when she went to play her music again to help calm her, the stupid thing had died.

'Great, just my luck.' Kenzie thought to herself.

The next best thing she could do was to close her eyes, grip on to the armrests and breathe as they surfed the turbulent forcefield.

Lucky for her, the turbulence didn't last for too long and she was able to open her eyes again and release her death grip from the armrests and when she was calm enough, she removed her earphones from her ears and put her phone in her backpack before leaning back and looking out her window. She was so thrilled to see Florida down below, for soon she could kiss the ground and thank the travel gods that she had made it in one piece, albeit a little tired from the adrenaline rush.

Soon enough the plane began to descend and Kenzie's smile grew tenfold. This was it!

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our destination of Fort Lauderdale. At this time, the aircraft has not come to a full stop so we ask that you remain seated with your seatbelts securely fastened until your captain has turned off the seatbelt sign. We also want to thank you for flying with us today and we hope that you enjoy your stay." A flight attendant said as the plane landed and taxied the runway, making its way to whatever gate it was supposed to stop at.

Kenzie watched as other planes took off, as people loaded luggage onto other planes etc. It made her so happy to know that after everything this trip had entailed thus far was over and she would soon be at her uncle's where she could take a shower and cleanse herself of peanut breath particles, sweaty foot residue and the smell of air travel from her clothes, body and hair.

"Land ho." Kenzie whispered to herself once the seatbelt sign was turned off. Very quickly, Kenzie got her things together and booked it through the airport to arrivals.

On the way to the arrivals area, Kenzie spotted the restrooms and sighed with relief. She hurried inside and used the toilet. When she was done, she obviously washed her hands but then when she looked in the mirror and saw how disheveled she looked, she rummaged through her backpack to look for her toiletries and her spare clothes.

Once she found what she was looking for, she freshened up and changed so that she felt less tired and less cranky.

She looked in the mirror afterwards and when she deemed herself ready, she packed up and walked to where her uncle was waiting and getting increasingly worried with each person that walked past him.

"Uncle Jeff!" Kenzie shouted as she saw him looking down at his phone with concern.

Jeff looked up and smiled as he let out a relieved sigh.

"There you are kiddo. I was getting worried." Jeff said as Kenzie catapulted herself into his arms, happy to see him after all these months.

"I'm sorry, I would've texted but my phone died on the plane." She replied, pulling away from their hug.

"It's alright. I'm just glad that you are ok." Jeff said as he and Kenzie walked over to the luggage carousel.

=

'Oh sweet journal, how I have missed you so.

I accidentally packed you in the wrong bag and had to forgo writing in you until now. Ok, let me rephrase that....I went a certain amount of time without getting to journal and it was torture. Yeah, that sounds better.

Anyway...

I got to Boca in one piece, praise the heavens above for that. The trip on the plane wouldn't have been so bad had I not been sat next to peanut man and Thing from the Addams family's cousin, sweaty foot *insert puke emoji here*. It was gnarly, especially when we hit turbulence and my phone died. Speaking of which, I'll be right back, I gotta charge my phone so I can call mom and dad after venting to you.

.

.

.

Ok, I'm back. Where was I? Oh yeah, the plane *insert grimace emoji here* I just hope the journey home is a lot smoother than the journey to Boca.

Other than all of that awfulness, getting to uncle Jeff's was fun. We bought so much junk food for the drive to Boca and it was great. I got gummy worms (but not the sour ones. You know I don't like the sour ones), Doritos and uncle Jeff even let me get a coffee. It tasted so good, even though it was decaf.

And before you ask, of course I'm not telling mom and dad about the coffee. They'd flip out and tell me what they always do when I ask if I can have coffee......."Kenzie, you know that stuff isn't good for you. Why don't you have some tea instead or the green juice you begged me to buy for you so you could try it when your friends said it was the latest trendy thing to be a part of."

By the way, that green juice was disgusting! Remind me to never beg for 'trendy' liquid again.

Anyway, moving on from that,

Uncle Jeff and I ordered pizza for dinner and then we decided to watch movies. It was fun until uncle Jeff fell asleep and started snoring. I left him on the couch obviously but I did lay a blanket over him so he could be more comfortable. That's where he is now and I'm in my room....in my very own granny flat!

How cool is that!....It is connected to the house though which is good in case I need anything. I won't have to walk very far which comforting.

With that said, I should probably go and call mom and dad so that I can get some sleep. I'm exhausted after all but ecstatic to be at the beach and of course, with uncle Jeff.

Let the summer break begin......

Ok, Bye.

P.S: I'm looking forward to tomorrow when I can go exploring with Jeff and see all that this town has to offer. 

===

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