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Chapter 4

Early the next day, Jewel woke up and took a shower. Then she put on her pink spaghetti top, denim shorts, and a pair of white sandals. She went down to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. She likes to work while listening to music, so she turned on the radio, making sure that the sound wouldn�t wake the guys up. She already has fried some eggs and bacon, made some French toast, and sliced some fresh fruits. Since she didn�t know what time the guys will wake up, she started eating. Halfway through her breakfast, she heard somebody greet her.
�Good morning, Jewel!�
She turned around and saw Ben standing by the kitchen door. He just had a shower and was wearing a pair of jeans and white shirt.
��Morning, Ben! Want some bacon and eggs?�
�Sure,� he got a plate, a knife and a fork and sat in front of her.
�Had a good night�s sleep?� she asked as he helped himself to the food.
�Oh, yeah. One of the best that I had.�
They continued chatting for a while, when Christian went down the stairs and headed for the kitchen.
�Hey, Chris,� Jewel greeted.
�Hey,� Christian said, getting some juice from the refrigerator. �Paul beat me to the bathroom. No wonder he took that room next to it.�
�Well, you could use the bathroom here.�
�There�s another bathroom?� he asked as he took a seat beside her.
�Yup! It�s down the hall, on the right of the stairs.�
�Oh. Well, I�ll take a shower later. I�ll have some breakfast first.�
�Help yourself.�
�Yeah,� Chris said, then noticing Ben, he added, �Looks like Ben already has.�
�Hey!� Ben said and Jewel laughed.
A few minutes later, Paul joined them, looking fresh in his beige sleeveless shirt and a pair of baggy pants.
�Good morning!� he said in a game show host�s voice. �Lovely morning, isn�t it?�
�Well, good morning to you, too, Mr. Sunshine,� Jewel said.
�Grab yourself a plate and have some breakfast,� Ben offered.
�Yeah, or Ben will finish them all,� Christian joked.
�Hey!� Ben said for the second time.
Paul took a seat beside Ben and started eating. �Looks like Mark�s still in Dreamland.�
�Probably,� Christian agreed just as they heard the front door open and then close. �Wait a minute. Don�t tell me that�s-�
�Hello!�
They all turned around to see Mark standing in the doorway.
�What�s for breakfast?� he went over to them and sat on the chair at the end of the table. �Bacon and eggs? Great! I�m starved!�
�And where have you been, mister?� Paul asked.
�To the park,� he answered. �I woke up early and decided to take a stroll before breakfast.�
�Must have been pretty early,� Jewel said. �I didn�t notice you when I woke up.�
�I was already downstairs when I heard the shower. That must�ve been you then.�
�Yeah. I probably didn�t hear you leave because of the water.�
�I better get going,� Christian suddenly said as he stood up.
�Going where?� Mark asked.
�To the bathroom,� he answered. �All this talk about the shower reminded me that I haven�t had one yet,� then he glared at Paul. �Thanks to Paul here.� Paul just grinned.
�Just leave your plate there,� Jewel said. �I�ll wash them later.�
�Oh, I�ll do the dishes,� Mark offered. �I�ll be the last one to finish here.�
�Alright. Thanks, Mark,� she smiled at him.
�No problem.�
�I�ll just take a walk outside.�
�Can I come with you?� Paul asked.
�Sure,� They both stood up. �See you guys later!�
�Bye!� Ben said as they went out of the kitchen. Then he gave Mark a knowing look and Mark just shrugged and smiled.

�Oh wait!� Jewel said, as they were about to go out of the door. �I�ll just grab my jacket.� She walked over to the closet by the stairs and pulled out a faded denim jacket.
�All set?� Paul asked.
�Yup!� she said as she wore her jacket.
They went out the door and walked towards the street.
�Hmmm,� she breathed. �Nice weather today. Want to try the park?�
�Sure. You know this place better than I do. Lead the way,� he said as he gestured with his hand.
�Alright,� she smiled.
�I can�t believe Mark already knew that there was a park here,� Paul said as they walked on. �We just arrived last night!�
�Well, he must have seen it from his window. You can see the park from our side,� Jewel explained.
�Mmm�� he nodded. �Hey! How did you know that Mark�s room is on your side?� He raised his eyebrows.
�I heard you guys talking last night. The rooms aren�t exactly soundproof, you know.�
�Oh, right.�
They continued to walk along the streets of Green Valley Estate. They passed by some houses, and some children are playing in their front yards.
�So, when are you guys going to start recording?� Jewel asked.
�In a week. We�ve already got a few songs ready, but we�re still going to need more.�
�I can�t wait for the album to be released!� she said excitedly.
�Well, you�re still going to have to wait for a while,� he smiled.
�If it�s as good as the first one, then it would be worth it.�
�It would be probably even better.�
�I sure hope so,� Jewel said.
They continued to chat as they walked towards the park. And when they reached it after a few minutes, they saw that there were only a few people there. They strolled through the park, enjoying its early morning atmosphere. They passed by a playground, and, due to Paul�s insistence, they played around for a while, in the swing and the seesaw. Then, acting like 8-year-olds, they chased each other around the park.
Jewel never had so much fun. Not a care in the world. All she used to ever think about is just her work. Yes, she would go to the mall and watch movies with Andi, but she never felt this carefree, and it has made her feel relaxed and laid-back. It�s amazing what simple joys can do to people.
After an hour or so, they decided to head back home. Paul was telling her funny stories about him and the boys that made Jewel laugh all the way home. Ben met them as they entered the living room.
�Jewel, a girl just called. She said her name�s Andi.�
�Okay,� she said as she removed her jacket. �Thanks, Ben.� She went over to the phone and dialed Andi�s number.
�Paul, can I talk to you for a minute?� Ben said.
�Sure.� They went to the kitchen. �What�s up?�
Ben lowered his voice. �So, how�s it going with Jewel?�
�What are you talking about?� Paul was surprised with Ben�s question.
�Oh, come on! You know what I�m talking about,� Ben raised one eyebrow. �You like her, don�t you?�
�Yes. She�s a nice girl,� he replied. �But it�s not what you think.�
�Yeah, right,� Ben said, sarcastically.
�We�re just friends, Ben,� Paul insisted. �Nothing more. We just met yesterday, for crying out loud!�
�Uh-huh,� he still doesn�t believe him.
�Fine,� Paul raised his hands up as if surrendering. �You don�t have to believe me. But I am telling you the truth. Jewel and I going to be just friends.�
Just then, Jewel came into the kitchen.
�Hey, guys-� then she stopped. �Am I interrupting anything?�
�No, not at all,� Ben replied.
�Well, I just want to let you know that I invited Andi over to meet you all. Then I thought we could all go out for lunch.�
�That would be great,� Paul said.
�Alright! She said she�ll be here in a few minutes,� she said. �Where are Mark and Chris?�
�They�re at the back. I think they�re finishing up the song that we composed,� Ben answered.
�Okay. I�ll just pop in to let them know,� and with that she went over to the backyard.
When she was gone, Ben gave Paul a look.
�What?� Paul asked.
�Nothing,� Ben shook his head. �I just have this feeling� Oh, forget it.�

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