Cool Kids [p. parker] || SLOW UPDATES

FIFTY-ONE

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
( 'ARE YOU OKAY?' )

NICK WAS DRAINED. IN Evie's Bakery, all he could was lay in the booth near the back and stare at the ceiling, a warm cup of coffee balanced on his chest and a half eaten chocolate croissant on the table. After school he had went to his first therapy session around five, and it had lasted no longer than forty-five minutes; and it wasn't even emotionally charged.

Nick just talked about how he's been feeling lately and what's been happening, and at one point went on a sappy rant about Marty and then Peter and then Olivia, something they won't ever know about, but those forty-five minutes still somehow drained him of energy. And, really, he shouldn't be drinking coffee so late in the afternoon because he knows he won't be able to sleep at all, but here he is.

Tired, laying in a booth in the busy bakery, for once not minding any odd looks from strangers, and ignoring the buzz of his phone beside his head and the homework he needed to do that's sitting in his backpack on the ground under the table.

Sighing, he moved the coffee to the table and throws an arm over his eyes. He probably should go home and do whatever the fuck he's doing instead of staying in the bakery, but he was comfortable and, well, kinda lazy. Plus, he's thinking too much about the therapy session to do much of anything because somehow the therapist – Dr. Hanlon – think it goes back to his grandmother's death, which he finds weird to say the least, and Dr. Hanlon didn't exactly elaborate on it because the time was up but he promised to explain more during the next session in two weeks. Nick sighed again and removed his arm from his face to grab his phone, and looks at the messages from numerous of people.

A few from his dad, asking when he'll be home, and one from his mom genuinely wondering how the session went. Then there's a butt load from Marty and Anita from their group chat – seventy-three to be exact – and the conversation between the two went from Homecoming to DC Comics to bickering about what Pringles flavor is best and finally ending with them both typing Nick's name in all caps repeatedly in attempts to get his attention. He answers his parents – "later tonight" and "it was fine mom" – and then sends a simple hi to his two friends before moving on to the other messages.

There's one from Anthony Green asking why the fuck he's just laying in a booth in his mom's bakery, and Nick sends back, "because I fucking want to," and reads some messages from Ned saying they won the Decathlon tournament, even a few from Michelle Jones, Flash and Liz saying something along the same thing that they won. He quickly tells them congrats. Then, he's about to read some messages from Richie Dickerson but someone kicking his ankles causes Nick to lower the phone and look at whoever was there.

"Oh, hey, Olivia," Nick said.

Olivia smiled and fixed the strap of the duffel bag on her shoulder, and that's when Nick noticed that she's in gray sweat pants with a tank top and a thin zip up jacket. Her blonde hair was in a high bun with strands falling out that framed her face messily. "Hey, Nick," she greeted.