A Daydream Away

Chapter 3: The Letter

Stella^^^

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"You know. The pizza here sucks." Travis voiced. He was eating the slice with a disgusted look on his face and began waving it around.

Stella and I exchanged a look. "You've been getting that exact pizza for the past three years and you just now realized you don't like it?" Stella asked with raised eyebrows. "Idiot." We all have been coming to this pizza joint since freshmen year which is why the waiter knows what we get. We always ordered the same drink, sat in the same booth next to the window to the side parking lot, and ordered the same food. He can't ruin tradition and order something else. The waiter would be so confused.

"Shut up and deal with it." Tanner said with a mouthful of pepperoni pizza.

"You tell him Tan-tan." Reese said punching Tanner in the shoulder giving him a coughing fit. Travis rolled his eyes and mumbled something about going to order something else and walked up to the ordering counter. Reese waits until after Travis is gone from the table and turned towards us. "So guys," he began. "I think I like Tiffany Rowe." He said biting his lip.

Tanner, Stella, and I all choked on our food. "You like that bitch?" Stella yelled across the table drawing attention to our table from the other people in the restaurant. "She made our freshman year a living hell." Stella said earning a nod from Tanner and I. She wasn't joking either. First of all, she was the girl Jake cheated on me with, she made up a rumor about Stella being pregnant with a teacher's kid which almost cost the dude his job and made Stella the "freshman slut". Not to mention Tiffany was dating Tanner when she slept with Jake which broke Tanner's heart. So, this came as a shock to us that Reese would like someone like that. Travis came back to the table and we explained what Reese just said earning a gasp from Travis.

"Stella. Chill. She's changed. I promise." Reese promised which didn't convince any of us.

"You can't go from a heartless bitch to a nice girl." I pointed out. I then saw his face and sighed. "But I trust your judgement Reese, so if she's really changed, why doesn't she sit with us at lunch tomorrow?" I asked the table. Everyone looked unconvinced, so Reese made his puppy dog eyes and gave a 'please?'.

We all rolled our eyes and laughed agreeing to the idea.

After finishing our meal, I dragged Stella to my car to go back to my house. I just want to go to sleep tonight so I can just wake up and read that God-forsaken letter. It has been bugging me since Monday night when my dad laid it on the counter. I'm surprised I have lasted this long not opening it because I am usually not a patient person. Everyone should be proud of me.

"Excuse you. I was in the middle of a very important conversation." Stella complained to me. She crossed her arms and looked out the window clearly trying to give me the silent treatment.

"I'm sure a conversation with Tanner about koala bears was very important." I shot back.

"It was!" She responded and then went back to ignoring me.

I sighed and turned the radio up to fill the silence. I drove for a few more minutes until I saw my house in the distance. I pulled into the garage and turned the car off. When I made it the front door, all three of my cats were laying down on the porch begging for someone to let them in. I chuckled and unlocked the door letting them in. Stella came in shortly after with her overnight bag in hand and went up to my room to drop it in there. She came downstairs and began making food for herself.

"Do you want any?" She asked me. I knew she'd be the first to crack the silence.

I smiled and nodded. She made us ramen noodles and we sat on the couch to watch a movie. Stella fell asleep halfway through the movie, so I took our bowls to the kitchen and put them in the dishwasher. The letter on the counter caught my eye. I looked at the clock to see that it was already past midnight so I was officially seventeen. I smiled and thought about whether or not I should read the letter now. I technically could now, but I decided against it and would read it after school.