Cinderella in Reverse

Eighteen - Cold Pizza Talk

Tori lay peacefully on the ground of our apartment. As I went to close the front door behind be, I nudged her arm with my foot.

"Tori, wake up." she murmured something before proceeding to rub her eyes, in a typical, post-sleep fashion.

"Is class over already?" she asked.

"I left early because I just couldn't concentrate with all that racket," I explained. "Oh god, I sound like an old lady!"

She let out a giggle and crossed her arms deep in thought. We both stood there in a comfortable silence, and we shot each other thoughtful looks.

"Pizza?"

"Pizza." I nodded.

Tori let out a low chuckle. "Maybe pizza will be our always."

I volunteered to go pick up the pizza whilst Tori ordered our favourite – pepperoni. Who doesn't love a classic pepperoni?

Changing into a spectacular outfit that will 'surely attract every guy ever', I put on an orange tracksuit jacket and grey sweatpants, sliding on the oversized glasses and the UGG boots Ashley gave me. Personally I thought the messy bun I wore really brought the whole outfit together. Totally attractive.

"Hurry up and get it, Soph! I'm STARVING!"

I rolled my eyes as I grabbed my keys. "Quit complaining, woman! I'm going!

~~~

"Makin' my way downtown, looking like crap, carrying pizza, while I'm hung-over ...doo-doo-doo doo-doo-doo doo..." I sang, describing my current situation. Note to self: Never become a recording artist. Ever.

I walked through the plaza near the campus and I caught the attention of many people. Old ladies shot me death glares, peppy girls whispered to their friends about me and hot guys walked away from me in disgust.

But I didn't care – I had pizza.

"Sophia!" someone had called out. I froze. Someone recognised me! Abort mission! Abort mission!

Turning around, I faced Austin Phillips, the guy I kissed at Sienna's party. Act cool, act cool!

"Uh...h-hey, Austin." I said coolly, tucking a hair behind my ear. Yup. Nailed it.

"I thought it was you," he said, grinning at me. Looking at me up and down, he smirked. "Nice work, Soph."

I sighed in defeat. I guess it wasn't like I was trying to hide anything anyway. Except my eyes. Ow!

Austin stepped closer and removed the sunglasses from my face and I squinted at the sunlight. "It burns!" I winced.

He chuckled. "Hangover?" I nodded. "Especially on the first day? Solid effort, Soph. Solid effort."

"I must look like a total wreck," I said, attempting to smooth my messy bun.

Austin folded his arms and smirked. "To be honest, I think you look pretty hot." OH MY GOD. Austin FREAKING PHILLIPS CALLED ME HOT! BREATHE IN AND OUT AND- "You look super relaxed. It's really refreshing to see a girl who's not going over-the-top with their outfits."

My cheeks turned crimson red. I was far from relaxed. "T-thank y-you."I stared up at his complexion in awe. I couldn't help but admire his godly features; his jawline, his cute dimples, his tousled black hair, everything. No wonder so many girls fawned over him.

"So, do you want to go see a movie sometime?" He asked. "I didn't really get to know you that much at Sienna's party."

"S-sure." I said, still dazed at the fact that someone like Austin would actually ask me out.

"Awesome-sauce." he said coolly, causing a giggle to escape from my mouth. "I'll pick you up at seven on Saturday?"

Nodding in agreeance, we exchanged phone numbers, and I left with the pizza box getting colder and colder as time went on.

~~~

"No freaking way! You ran into Austin Phillips?!" Tori shrieked, after demanding an explanation for why the pizza was cold and why I took so long.

I nodded in reply, taking a bite out of the doughy goodness. "We're going out to the movies on Saturday."

Tori squealed in delight and wolfed down another slice of pizza. "That's amazing, Soph! Now you can finally move from...from...uh...F-"

I shot her a reassuring look. "You can just say Finn, I don't mind. It's not like we had anything going on between us in the first place, right?"

"It's just that, I'm so happy that he's out of the picture now. You can finally live a happier life with Austin." Tori said.

"That's the problem though, Tori." I sighed, grabbing another slice of pizza. "I could talk with Austin for days on end, whereas Finn makes my heart race twenty zillion beats per second, and I always feel really self-conscious around Finn."

Tori put down her pizza. "In my opinion, I think being with someone that makes you self-conscious isn't healthy. Being with someone who you can connect with sounds like the better option, to me."

She did have a point. However it was really hard for me to reassess my feelings for both guys, even if the whole situation did feel a bit petty.

Would you rather be with someone who is comfortable with you, is kind, loyal and understands you? Or would you rather be with someone who drives you crazy in both good and bad ways, makes you experience a rollercoaster of emotions, and makes life thrilling for you?

For me, it was like picking between fried chicken and brownies - something hot or something sweet - a decision that proved to be really difficult.

"Hey, it's not a game show, Soph. You don't have to decide right away. Take your time, do whatever you think is right." Tori reassured.

I let out a humourless laugh. "It's almost as if you think I still have a chance with the 'almighty' Finn Callahan."

She shrugged. "Hey, you never know. Maybe Prince Charming will realise that he misses you and that there is a hole in his heart that is solely reserved for you and you only."

"How poetic," I deadpanned. We laughed at how cliché the situation was, before devouring the leftover pizza.

A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! What do you think of Sophia's movie date with Austin? Will sparks fly?

Don't forget to vote/comment and follow me for swanky updates! I promise I don't bite!

You've now reached the end of Part 1 of the story, and if you're still reading this, there will be a short message explaining why released very SOON........

Love,

schoolgirlcrush x