The Hooded Girl (on hold)

||Chapter 17||

Cecelia

As soon as I got inside I got a call from River asking me what I was doing and how the rest of my day was. My day had never been this busy. I was beginning to wish I had just kept my hood on.

Weeks later 🗓

River and I had been hanging out more and more it was weird, Tate had been seeing my friends more than I had since he started hanging out with Bianca. I felt like I had no idea what was going on in their lives since I took the hood off, which is exactly why we needed this girls night. It was almost the end of term and we only had a few more weeks until everyone went off on holiday.

We were having it at Augusts house, which was ideal considering my mum had taken Liv to Bali for the long weekend to surprise my dad. Unfortunately for me I still had school and my persuasion skills we'rent the best yet.

I wave goodbye to Sergio as I skip up the stairs to August's house. I loved August's moms house it was the kind of house I wish I'd grown up in. No nosy neighbours, unrealistic expectations to look a certain way all the time, no embracingly extravagant houses, this was the area all the upper class kids who weren't snobs lived.

I admire the street a little more before lightly knocking on the door. I'm greeted by August's mom Lynette's welcoming smile "Cecelia I haven't seen you in so long" she says embracing me in a warm hug. I'm surprised August hadn't opened the door "August just popped over next door, but you're welcome to go straight to the living area everything's almost set up" I just nod and smile following her into the house.

"You can get changed into your pyjamas in Augusts room. I'll just be in the kitchen" she smiles before leaving me.

I grab my clothes from my bag and walk up stairs to August's room.

As I approach her bed I see a pair of Pyjama shorts and a jumper sprawled on it. I read the writing on the jumper to see it was a football jumper like Tate's, but with Tristan's number on the back. I shrug my shoulders before quickly getting changed.

After getting changed I walk down the stairs. Once I reach the bottom I hear the door bell ring. I peep my eye in the hole to see Bianca and Mar on the other side. I smile and pull the door open "Liaaaa" they squeal embracing me in a hug. I hug them back and enjoy the moment of peace I had with them "I've missed you guys" I say still sandwiched between them "Likewise" Mar says as we let go of each other "Where's August?" Bianca asks as we turn and walk down to the living area "She's next door" I say shrugging my shoulders having no idea what that meant "Oh righhht" Mar says as her and Bianca exchange looks before bursting out in laughter . "What is it?" I ask feeling left out "Oh nothing August can explain when she gets here" Bianca says wiping tears from her eyes. I must admit I was a little jealous they had inside jokes without me.

I shrug it off and sit with them in the living area talking about mainstream topics like fashion, celebrity gossip, school drama etc... since they wanted to wait till everyone got here to catch me up properly.

A few minutes into talking about tv shows August came back and said her hello's then they went upstairs to change.

As I sit downstairs waiting for them I hear the door bell ring. I jump up from the pillows and skip to the door. Tess was late as usual. I smile as I open the door. My face drops as I'm met with someone else. Tate.

"Oh uh..." he scratches his head nervously "Hi" he finally lets out. Since when was he the shy one? "Hi?" I say confused as to why he was here "Is Bianca here?" He asks taking small steps side to side. I guess I was somehow making him uncomfortable "Yeah she is, she's just upstairs right now. I can go get her" I say trying to quickly escape, as his awkwardness was becoming contagious "NO" he almost shouts "no it's fine could you just let her know she left this in my car" he says handing me Bianca's pink overnight bag "Sure" I say taking the bag "You uhh...you look good" he says trailing off "Thanks" I say smiling awkwardly as we stare at eachother.

"Well..." I break the awkward silence. He looks softly into my eyes for a few more seconds before replying "Well...goodnight Elena" he says smiling "Night...Tate" I say closing the door. Ughhhh the tension.

I run Bianca's bag upstairs to see them all laughing and looking through albums "Oh hey Lia" August says turning to me as I walk into the room "Hey uh Tate dropped your bag off" I say holding it up "Oh right I left it in his car no wonder I couldn't find my pjs" she giggles taking the bag from me. They close the albums and stand from the bed quickly. The door bell rings again "It's Tess finally" Mar says rolling her eyes as we all hop down the stairs.

We open the door to be met with Tess. Not her normal happy self but a red puffy eyed version of our best friend "Tess what's wrong?" I ask as she wipes tears away "You guys were right" she falls into our group hug as we rub her back.

I exchange looks with Mar and August. Mar looked sympathetic while August looked ready to kill. We take her into the living area and sit her down on a pile of pillows "Tell us everything" Mar says rubbing Tess's back "He said he wanted to go on another break and I knew he wasn't doing it to focus on football, trials haven't even started you guys were right" she says between tears "Yes they have? That's where Xavier's been going after school" Mar says correcting her we all look at Mar. I raise a brow. River was the quarterback and captain he normally dropped me home after school so there was no way he was missing training everyday and getting away with it "Actually I don't think they have" I say now correcting Mar "What do you mean you don't think they have?" she asks getting defensive "I mean Rivers the quarterback and captain and he's not missing practice everyday to drop me off home?" I reply "Well maybe he is we all know you have him wrapped around your finger" Mar says folding her arms "Who has who what?" Bianca says walking in wearing Tate's jumper. I try to stop my jaw from hitting to the floor "River and Lia" Mar says rolling her eyes "Great we're talking about River" Bianca says sarcastically as she sits down "What's that supposed to mean?" I ask her "I mean" she puts and emphasis on her words "you shouldn't have strung Tate along if you were gonna go running back to River the second he snapped his fingers" she says shrugging her shoulders "I did what??" I ask now annoyed "Don't act so innocent Cecelia" did she just call me Cecelia? "First of all you are way out of line Tate and I were just friends and River and I are just friends now" I slightly raise my voice "Tell that to Klowi" she says in a harsh tone "Klowi? Since when did you care about Klowi?" I ask confused "She's actually a really sweet person if you get to know her" She counters "I have known her and do you know how I know her because I've been bullied by her and her friends for the past five years" I almost shout back I was so angry "That was all Kaylee and Audrey. Brianna and Klowi didn't do anything and you could've avoided it if you just took your hood off" I look at her like she's stupid which is how she was acting "oh and I suppose you guys are all best friends now?" I ask "I've gotten to know them on the Pom squad and I've seen them a lot more than you in the past 6 weeks" I raise a brow "You joined the Pom squad?" I ask confused "Yeah and I was gonna tell you tonight before all this started" I huff attempting to cool off "Do you all hate River?" I ask looking at each of them August shrugs her shoulders while everyone else nods even Tess who had red puffy eyes "Why?" I ask confused. They didn't even know him. "You say you hate The pom squad for what they did to you yet you let River get away with it when he's the one who ripped your hood off and took part in the tormenting as well. I don't get it" Mar says hitting me with the truth "And what you did to Tate wasn't cool" Bianca says in a now softer tone "I didn't mean to string him along" I say still confused what she meant "He was the one who stopped replying to me I asked him if we could be friends and he ghosted me" I reply "That's not what he told me" Bianca says looking just as confused as I was "He said you felt you belonged with River and you wanted him to give you guys space?" She says confused. What? I never said that? Why would be even... "I think we should put some face masks on and release all the tension and hostility in the room and focus on our lives without boys" August says smiling at Tess before standing up and walking to the mini fridge in the corner getting out a stack of face masks.

We each apply our masks and help eachother smooth it out. Before lying with the tops of our heads forming a circle. We all lie with your eyes closed and breathe.