Better than Friends

Chapter 4: Let me finish

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"If you're sad, add more lipstick and attack."

- Coco Chanel

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"Scream themed?" Teddy ventured with a hopeful smile.

I gave him a look that immediately had him shutting his mouth tight, pressing it into a thin line when he realized I wasn't amused. I was in the middle of studying for finals which was coming up as well as brainstorming ideas with Teddy over lunch for our blood drive pubmat.

It had been three days since I had received that single message from Dawson, deciding that not replying would be better for our relationship, or lack thereof. I knew already that he was going to ask again about my answer to his proposal yet I couldn't bring myself to even consider it.

Cassidy was my friend and I couldn't go behind her back like that. Not to mention, Marcus and Cass were in a loving relationship that from the surface level looked like nothing was wrong with it.

"We've been here for hours."

I rolled my eyes. "Hyperbole. We've only been here for one hour."

Teddy had started getting frustrated that I kept turning down his ideas for a theme but when the suggestions were all slasher film inspired, I just couldn't have it. The blood aspect of the event seemed to put Teddy in a mood to discuss his obsession with old classics like Friday the 13th, scream, and urban legend. All good films, however, since it was my goal to finish this task within the next hour in order to focus on studying with finals, I was barely amused.

"Focus," I said to Teddy, keeping my eyes on my laptop screen that was opened on Canva. Teddy's little icon, a picture of the teddy bear owned by Mr. Bean, peaked at me cutely.

Teddy thought hard before looking at me with playful, narrowed eyes. "Why aren't you thinking of ideas?"

I looked up at him and tilted my head to the side. "I am."

"What are your ideas?"

I went silent.

"Uh huh," Teddy scoffed with a small chuckle, resting his chin on the palm of his hand that was propped lazily on the table by his elbow. He looked kind of cute, leaning in closely to me with a smug look due to the fact he caught me in a lie.

It wasn't that I hadn't thought of an idea but more so on the fact I didn't have any good ideas. I wanted to suggest a vampire theme but who hasn't done that already for a blood drive? But it's not like we were trying to be original.

"Shut up," I muttered under my breath and then huffing as I began typing on my computer, searching for some ideas.

"I think we're just going to have to do a Christmas theme." Teddy's suggestion had already been discussed between the two of us, unfortunately, we had scrapped it early on thinking it was too obvious. But, with the way things were going, we were going to have to use it.

"We probably have to," I admitted with a sigh as I listed it down as an idea.

As I typed away on my computer, I hadn't noticed the sound of the cafe door opening that signaled the arrival of newcomers. I also hadn't felt the presence of the boy who had been invading my mind since his return home approaching me from behind, accompanied by a person from the past.

It wasn't until my laptop was closed shut, nearly snapping my fingers, did I bother to look up with an angry, annoyed look. My lips thinned when I saw who it was.