Just Kidding | ✔️

Chapter 15: Pizza Delivery

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    After ordering two large cheese pizzas, Riley, Chloe and I fall back into the plush couch in the living room. The euphoric feeling from the alcohol has worn off and now I'm just hungry and bored.

     "I think after high school I want to travel." Chloe rests her head near mine, curling up further into one of Riley's cheetah print blankets. "Where would you go?" I ask.

"Everywhere. As long as Chris is at my side I'll go anywhere." She smiles to herself at the thought. For a moment I'm envious of that. That loving look full of comfort and passion. I can't remember what that feels like.

"You still see yourself with him that far into the future? " Riley asks meanwhile flipping through the channels on the television. "I do. I really do. It's hard to explain but. . .he's it for me." Chloe admits and I pinch her cheek playfully in response. "That's what I love about you." I say. I always have admired her devotion. She's been in one other relationship in her past. It was middle school and that only lasted two weeks before we caught him behind the outside bathrooms with Gabrielle Johnson.

"Would you mind if I tagged along too?" I almost jokingly ask, a bigger part of me truly means it. Chloe's arm comes around to wrap around me. "Are you kidding? I'd love that."
"Hey, if you two are ditching this place then I'm in too. Forget college. Seeing the world with my best friends is an actual dream." Riley finally decides on a channel, carelessly jumping back onto the couch next to us.

We're thirty minutes into The Duff when Riley snickers, "I could imagine you and Cooper in this scenario." She peers over at me clearly waiting for a reaction.

     "Oh my God, please don't say that." I shriek. "The only thing Cooper feels towards me is a deep resentment and vice versa as you both know. There's nothing else."

"Come on. That dirty blond hair. Those eyes!" Riley groans and Chloe engages in the act, "It's a classic trope. Hate turns to love. It's so—" Riley continues. "Cliché" I snort.
"How much money do you want to bet they end up together?" Riley turns back to Chloe.
     "Fifty bucks." Chloe perks up.
     "You're on." Riley shakes hands with her and the bet is created.

     "You both are going to be very disappointed then." I roll my eyes, simultaneously the sound of the doorbell echoes throughout the house.

I jump up from the couch and slide across the hardwood flooring until I'm against the door, peering out of the peephole in hopes that it isn't a gang of robbers. Somehow It's much worse. It's Cooper Rhodes.

     I didn't know he delivered pizzas. Maybe because I hardly ever order it. "Open it you dingo!" Chloe lunges for the handle but before she can open it I stop her.
     "It's Cooper." I whisper.
     "What?" Riley gasps, peeking out the peephole "well this can't be good."

"It's just Cooper." Chloe rolls her eyes, reaching for the handle but I yank her back before she can grab ahold of it. The doorbell rings again. "He can't see me like this." I gesture to my white tank-top and ratty sleeping shorts patterned with unicorns.

"This is our pizza for crying out loud! I need it." Chloe whines and with seconds ticking by I finally nod. Once the door opens Cooper's eyes widen, darting from me to Riley to Chloe and back again meanwhile taking Riley's cash and handing us our food.

I can't help but continue to glance his way throughout the entire encounter and apparently it's equal for him. His eyes run up and down the length of my body before he adds, "cute pjs, Daniels."

"I know." I raise my gaze to the ceiling and try my best not to meet his familiar eyes again, I feel them on me and all over me still. I almost feel as if he can see underneath my clothes with some kind of X-ray vision. "Alright. See you Monday then." I don't have to watch him leave, I can hear him laughing as he struts down the path causing me to wonder: How long is he going to hold this over my head for?

"Oh, the bet is so on." Chloe and Riley shake hands as the door shuts behind him.

• • •

     The rest of the weekend along with the week passes by rather quickly. Monday was strange, Cooper never glanced my way nor brought up that night at Riley's. He and I simply continued with our project and traded off days with the doll. Although Cooper mainly held it captive in his home but I can't complain about that.

     Now on this overcast Friday morning I sit in my child development class with my partner wondering what pills he's been taking to make him so human. Today his timidness towards me has diminished and he's somewhat back to his old self. "You need to take the doll tonight I have a party to go to." Cooper demands, tapping his pencil against his chin.

     "What if I'm going to the party too?" I say, unsure why I said it at all. Cooper's pencil stops its movement and he lowers it to the desk, scrutinizing me. "You know this isn't like Rebecca's party right? It's a bit more. .rowdy."

     "I know." I lie.

     "Okay then, Daniels. I'm not stopping you." He leans back in his chair. Kicking his foot up on the desk he says "just remember that if you do see me there, by all means act as if you don't know me. I don't want people to think I'm associated with you."

"I would love nothing more." I grin, eventually letting my head fall to the wooden desk below as I shut my eyes and imagine a land of no worries.

Ever since Dawson slithered his way back into school it's as if sleep is foreign to me. I can't seem to figure it out or fall into it. I've been turning to home remedies such as soothing teas and melatonin, it didn't work a damn bit. Just the other day my grandma finally grew tired of watching me slowly decompose so she convinced me to refill my Hydroxyzine and in some way it's been helping. Just not enough. Although strangely enough I always seem to find myself sleeping the best in this class. In the presence of Cooper

"Kyla wake up." A familiar voice breaks through my subconscious and within seconds I lift my head to meet a stone faced Cooper. His hand gently slides off of my shoulder and he chuckles. "You know, with the amount of times you've fallen asleep in this class I'm starting to wonder if these tables are just incredibly comfortable." He jokes.

     "Im starting to wonder the same thing," I muster up a halfhearted laugh, Cooper quirks a questionable brow at this but doesn't ask as I continue to say, "I haven't really been able to get much sleep anywhere lately." I yawn. Stretching my arms above my head I wait as Cooper watches me almost intently. Deciding this is getting just a little too awkward for me I grab my backpack so that I can book it and soon as the bell rings I make my escape.

Departing from the classroom I almost immediately bump into a broad chest. I gasp, bouncing back from the impact but soon my shoulders slump back down when I notice the person in front of me is Bryce. "Are you alright?" He asks.
     "Yeah, I just can't seem to stay awake." I groan.
"Why? What's up?"
     "It's Dawson. He's in my nightmares, his face is around every corner, his words are in every sentence, his hands are in every accidental touch in the halls. I can't sleep knowing that he is this close to me again." I brace myself against my friend's shoulder as his hand comes up to circle my back.

When I'm almost completely relaxed, I stare ahead until I notice the sudden movement in the corner of my eye. I see Cooper now descending down the hall. He glances back and locks gazes with me; no emotion in those piercing gray eyes. Soon enough he's rounding a corner. Disappearing from sight.

     Was he there the whole time?