Everything In Between

one

ONE

 Meera could smell snow from an entire country away if need be, but that morning, she smells it from under her comforter because she had accidentally left her window cracked open overnight. And by smell, it is meant that she could feel it, because she definitely couldn't feel her toes.

In jerky movements, Meera forces herself out of her bed to witness the coldest state her bedroom has ever been in. Tightly wrapping herself into a robe that hasn't been washed in approximately a ridiculously long amount of time, Meera trudges down the stairs and flops down onto the couch, face forward. Her mom looks up from where she sits at the kitchen table, working on her latest editing project.

"Wow, what a surprise to see you up at this ungodly hour," Amma says, glancing at Meera's prostate self with her eyebrows raised up. "Tell me, would you rather have lunch or dinner, right now?"

"It's only twelve a.m.," Meera rolls her eyes, face still pressed into the cushion so her mom can't see it anyway.

"I've been up since six."

"God knows why," Meera mutters under her breath. She lays where she is for a few more moments before lurching up and towards the cabinets to find it completely void of cereal. She cries out. "Amma!"

"Yes, shona," her mom says absentmindedly.

"Where the hell are the Coco Puffs?"

Amma tsks, shaking her head.

"First of all, watch your language--"

Meera throws her arms up in indignation

"Second of all, maybe if you woke up even a little bit earlier, you would have had some."

Meera throws her arms up in exasperation.

"I'm going to Theo's house," Meera says, heading for the garage to find some shoes high enough to not let snow in.

"Not in that, you're not," calls Amma, over her shoulder. "Put on a big coat! And a scarf, and a hat! And those gloves I bought you, they weren't for nothing, Meera!" With a sigh, Meera throws on a jacket to humor her mom, and tugs on some boots over her pajama pants.

"Amma, he literally lives, like, two houses away."

"You know what boys and girls your age do, Meera?" With a strangled cry she grabs some earmuffs and yanks open the door, even though she knows exactly what her mom is about to say. "They have sex. Some have babies. You want babies at seventeen? No? That's what I thought. You need all the layers you can get between you two. And you will stay warm in this weather, it's a win-win." With a mix of a snort, groan, and laugh, Meera slams the front door behind her.

It really is an incredibly short walk to Theo's house, but Meera still manages to slip six times. The snow had stuck and accumulated a few inches over night, and it's starting to fall again. She catches a couple flakes on her tongue before knocking on the door with a numb fist. She should have listened to her mom and worn those damn gloves.

When no one answers the door after five seconds, she knocks again, harder. Mr. and Mrs. Maverick are gone for a few days and Theo's older sister is probably out from last night, so Meera has no qualms about making as much noise as needed to wake up the laziest boy on the face of this planet. She pounds against the door again, and it suddenly swings in, mid-knock.

"What. The. Fuck. Meera." Theo mumbles, unsmiling, hair mussed. With a grin, Meera messes it up a bit more on her way in. He barely moves out of the way, and she shoves past him.

"I'm here for your cereal. You should go shower."

Theo frowns and sniffs at his armpit. He shuts the door, following Meera into the kitchen to grab a bowl and wait next to her very impatiently until she pours some Coco Puffs into it. He tops both off with milk, then trails her to sit down on the couch in front of the television. Meera makes a noise and points at the remote with her spoon. Mouth full, Theo rolls his eyes and switches the monitor on. He lazily flips through the channels before settling on the food channel.

"Wait, so did you need something? Other than my cereal?" Theo asks after twenty minutes of nothing but chewing. Meera stretches her arms over her head and rests her feet on the coffee table. Brows furrowed, Theo kicks her legs off. "Stop putting your feet up everywhere, my mom always yells at me." Meera smirks at him and he scowls, lines drawn into his winter-pale forehead. She pushes down the urge to smooth them out with her thumb.

"Why do you always think I'm using you? Can't I just be here for the pleasure of your company?" Meera huffs, and Theo throws her a look.

"My ass."

"Yes, yes, it's a very nice one, it's how you get all the ladies, okay we get it."

Theo tosses a pillow at her head, and it smacks into the side of her face.

"Yeah, you're right, I literally only came for your cereal. Thanks, though!" She pounds his fist on the way out of the living room. Something is pulled out of her pants and she screeches with a start. "What the hell?" Theo is right behind her and she bumps into his chest. He grins.

"Your robe was stuck in your pants."

"Whatever," says Meera, with a roll of her eyes, a flush on her brown cheeks, and a very, very vague tumble of her stomach. 

// wow so if you're thinking this is a lil cringey, that's because it's a lot cringey, but I LITERALLY HAVENT WRITTEN ANYTHING FOR LIKE AN ENTIRE YEAR AND IM V RUSTY SO PLS BEAR WITH ME WHILE I GET A HOLD OF MYSELF

also, yes, i did just actually update. a new story. fuck. i better fucking finish this one yikes. 

thanks for reading!! it'd be awesome if you could leave me your thoughts x

- ana