Pizza, Anyone?

Chapter Five : Déjà vu

THREE DAYS LATER

“Everett! Can't reach, could you answer the phone please?” yells Hadleigh, over the buzz of customers talking. I nod and move over to it, picking up the receiver the minute my hand makes contact with it.

“Hello, Cady's Pizza, how may I help you?”

 There's a pause.

 “Malia?” asks a doubtful voice.

I frown; All my friends call my phone, not the one at work!

“Um yeah, this is?”

“Hi Malia, Lys here!” answers the now cheerful voice. I feel the corners of my mouth turn up. His cheeriness is infectious.

“Hey, Lys. Ordering tonight?”

“Yep! Sorry if I scared you, just had to make sure it would be you. You know the address; don't think I have to tell you, do I?”

It's quite hard keeping up with him because of both the noise at Cady's and the speed at which he's talking.

“Uh, no you don't have to. What would you like?”

There is some chatter in the background and then he speaks again.

“This is a long one, sorry! Andy's a tad hungry!” and he laughs.

I smile, not really surprised. “I'm all ears.”

***

I walk up the driveway and ring the bell.

“Who is it?” yells a voice, just like the first time I was here, only a few days ago.

“Your pizza!” I answer, almost like Déjà vu.

“You aren't going to eat it, are you?” asks Noland, opening the door, a grin on his face. I smile, shaking my head.

“Not this time, no. But if you see a slice or two missing, you'd know who'd have eaten it.”

 He laughs.

“What time do you get off, Malia?”

 I look at my watch.

“In an hour, tops. Why? Thinking of ordering more, Mr. Hungry Hendricks?” I ask, grinning.

“Hm, the name has a certain ring to it. But that would be a no; I was thinking maybe we could hang out or something?”

I tilt my head to the side, contemplating.

“Are you asking her out, Noland?” asks a familiar voice and once again I'm looking at 2/5 of T2E.

Colour rises to Noland's cheeks.

“No, as friends. Right, Malia?”

He looks at me, waiting for my response.

“Yep. As friends.” I give Noland a smile, which he happily returns.

Lys watches us, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Well then you wouldn't mind if we tag along too would you?” he asks, one eyebrow going up slightly. I now understand why practically millions of girls like him so much. He is quite the heartthrob.

 “Uh, sure, I guess?” I answer, looking back at Noland, since it's his idea, after all.  

“Yeah, I guess you guys could come too..” he trails off, shrugging. It seems pretty clear that he doesn’t like the sound of his bandmates crashing his um, date (!!!).

Just then my phone rings, Immortals by Fall Out Boy blaring out. I pull my flashing phone out of my pocket.

“Sorry guys, give me a minute...” I turn away and answer the phone.

“Hello?”

“Malia, have you seen my purple clutch?”

“Why, good morning to you too, sister dear. What do you want it for?”

“I'm going out, and I don't know where it is.”

“You haven't heard of something called searching?” 

“Ugh, I was just asking, you don't have to be so rude!”

I roll my eyes, thinking that she's probably rolling hers too.

 “Sorry. Check my closet, it might be there. Might. I'm working, got to go. See you later.”

“’Kay. Bye.”

She disconnects, and I turn back around to the guys, smiling apologetically.

 “Sorry 'bout that, just my sister being annoying.”

“Younger sister?” asks Lys. He probably understands, since (from what I've heard from my T2E Wikipedia of a sister) he has one of his own.

 “By 6 minutes, yeah.” I answer, slipping my phone back into my pocket.

“Oh, so you're twins?”

 I nod.

“Identical or fraternal?”

“Identical.” Unfortunately.

“Must have caused some mix-ups huh?” asks Noland, leaning against the door frame.

I grin, “Sure did! We exchanged classes in school once, and didn't get caught! Poor Mrs. Bosworth. Little did she know it wasn't me in her Drama class that day.”

Lys raises his eyebrows in amusement. He has really nice eyebrows, now that I think about it. (I don’t care how weird that sounds. I appreciate nice eyebrows okay?)

“Okay, yes, very silly, but I didn't like theatre back then.”

 My eyes suddenly get a glimpse of my watch, and I do a double take. Fudging hell. I have to get back!

If Shenae found out....There's no point in finishing that sentence, because I'm screwed anyway.

“Hey guys, I need to get back to work now. But I'll be back once I'm done, yeah? To hangout.”

I say hurriedly, handing over the boxes of pizza to Noland, who takes them like I've given him a newborn baby to hold or something. I can't help but thing again of how much he must love pizza. He’s nothing on Andy, though, cos  (apparently) that boy could eat a truckload of pizza and still feel hungry. AND still be skinny. Life can be so unfair, sometimes.

“Okay, see you then.” replies Lys, saluting. I salute back, even though I don't know why he saluted. 

“Bye Lys, Noland.”

“Bye!” says Noland as I turn away and start to walk back.

“Bring your sister if you can.” Lys calls out.

 I turn quickly. “My sister? Uhh, not a good idea! She'll go bonkers, especially when she sees Noland. She's a 'Chemist'. Maybe next time?”

He laughs.  “Sure. See you.”

I wave and sprint towards my bike, smiling to myself. It's been a long time since I've hung out with guys...And definitely the first time with The Tyndall Effect.

Poor Acacia. I hope she doesn't find out.