Flashed

Chapter 2

"Hey flasher, how's it going? Have fun doing science?" Cooper asks, all grins and jokes as he lounges around outside the lab, leaning against the railing as he waits patiently for me.

"No. It's always shit in the lab," I frown.

"It was a joke silly," he says and throws his arm around my shoulder, steering me away from everyone before I have a chance to say bye.

I wave to Alice quickly as Mallory and Nicola glare at me. Bet they wish they had Cooper Grey's arm around their shoulders...

"Right. Missed that one somehow," I reply, walking in step with him, very conscious of the side of his body pressed against mine, warm and soft.

"It wasn't that great."

"Hey can I just ask, what's with you being so friendly all of a sudden? We haven't really talked for almost a year and now you have your arm around my shoulders," I ask, wondering the answer to my question.

"What can I say? Must've been missing you flasher," he winks. Again.

I roll my eyes and say, "Whatever. She doesn't park that side," I say as Cooper tries to tug me to the car park on the opposite side of the uni to where mum's parked.

"Oh does your mummy park in the other one?" he asks cheekily and automatically gets his body back in swing with mine, his upper legs rubbing against my hip as we walk, making me blush a little.

"Shut up."

There's a pause in our conversation before he picks it up again.

"I was going to ask you too, how drunk were you planning on getting tonight?"

"I..." I stutter, unwilling to admit that I haven't exactly been to a party that's had any alcohol involved, or that I've wanted to.

"Don't tell me you haven't drunk at parties before?" he asks, stopping walking at the top of the stairs leading down to the car park.

"Well to be honest I haven't really been invited to any that've had alcohol before."

"Ok that settles it then," he says and starts walking again, this time without his arm around me and I instantly notice how I much I miss his warmth. Yeah, guys, it's a pretty well-known fact that I'm kind of boy crazy at the moment. I spent the last hour before lunch fangirling about Leonardo di Caprio because he's in Romeo and Juliet, the film the librarians decided to play before class started this morning.

He's so beautiful! My baby...

"What settles it?" I ask just as his hand brushes mine and we both instantly pull away, ignoring the awkwardness.

"You can spend the night at the house. Technically the party finishes at midnight but I'm letting a few people that're too hammered to go home stay and you can be one of them. I want to be there when you get drunk for the first time," he grins slyly, and I wonder just what he's got hiding up his sleeve.

"Alright. Just don't tell my parents that. I'll tell them I'm spending the night at someone else's after the party. They've kind of heard some bad rumours from your mum and I don't think they'd want me spending the night at your house. I didn't even tell them it's your party. If they ask, it's Lailani's, ok?" I tell him.

"Sure thing babe."

Another wink.

"Babe? Where the hell did that come from?" I ask as we stop next to mum's car.

"Guess you're growing on me flasher," he smiles before opening the car door in the back and climbing in, squishing up next to Ivy, my youngest sister, before I get in next to him.