fuck you, peachy | skins

16. Pandora

Having gone looking for Effy and then having run into Cook, Ayla had completely forgotten that she promised Panda she would be right back.

"Panda, please let me in!" she begs, knocking on the bathroom door frantically, her head throbbing from both the MDMA and the extremely loud music pumping downstairs. Panda doesn't let her in.

"Go away. You'd said you'd come back right away and you didn't" she sobs from the other side of the door. Danny and his friends turning up and starting a full-fledged party had made her even more upset.

"Panda, I'm sorry I had to look after Effy, but I'm here now!"

"Everyone always boggin looks after Effy" Pandora cries. "Go away". Ayla sighs, planting herself back outside the door waiting for her to come out. Effy walks out of Angela's room, seemingly a little happier.

"Just leave it, Ayla," Effy says referring to Panda. "Come downstairs". Ayla shakes her head. "Your loss" scoffs Effy as she bounces down the stairs and into the party. Ayla begs for Panda to come out for a little while longer without success before she decides to fuck off home. If she knew Cook was still there she would've stayed.

-

Effy dances with a bunch of Danny's friend as she watches Freddie storm through the house desperately ushering JJ outside. JJ had been looking for Cook for hours and hadn't found him. Now he was super locked on. Effy hesitates before running out the door after Freddie and JJ.

"Freddie," she calls out. Freddie turns on his heel and looks at her. "You came. Cool"

"JJ gets locked on. You have to look after him." Freddie replies his arm around JJ who is shaking.

"I thought..." Effy trails off, taking a few steps forward.

"Where's Cook?" Freddie asks bluntly.

"I haven't seen him tonight," Effy says, trying her hardest to soften Freddie's anger. She wanted Freddie to care about how SHE was too.

"Really, I'm surprised."

"Well Cook's your friend, I thought he'd be with you"

"I think Cook's your friend, isn't he?"

"Not necessarily." Effy replies, furrowing her brow. Freddie turns on his heel and continues ushering JJ further down the road before Effy calls out again. "Hey, you'll never guess what Pandora's Mum..."

"We're going home, Eff." Freddie cuts her off sternly, continuing to walk down the street. Effy hesitates for a second before she calls out once more.

"I didn't mean to fuck everything up. My parents are splitting up." she gulps. Freddie stops walking but doesn't turn around to face her. "I'm sorry. I got trashed."

"I'm sorry about that. It's shit." Freddie bites his lip before he continues walking JJ further down the street back home. Effy's eyes follow them for a moment before she turns on her heel and starts walking the opposite way down the long windy road.

Just as she leaves, Cook jogs out of Pandora's house with a cigarette. Looking up and down the street, he calls out to Freddie and JJ who stop walking as Cook jogs up to them.

"Freddie. JJ" Cook nods at both of them a little puffed out. Freddie sighs.

"You need to look after JJ, Cook"

"Well, I was busy with the misses" Cook replies. "Ayla's starting to budge, just like Eff did"

"Ayla doesn't like you Cook" Freddie looks Cook dead in the eye, fed up with his bullshit.

"The girl drools when she looks at me of course she does." Cook chuckles, taking a long drag from his cigarette. "But how's Effy? Is that going well for you? Don't fucking look like it do it. Fucked the girl you like first didn't I" Cook continues, chuckling a little more as he pinches Freddie's cheek. Freddie flinches and pulls away.

"So did I" he replies bluntly. Cook's face drops.

"What"

"How is it any different to you fucking Effy?" asks Freddie. Cook shifts his weight, looking down at the road before back at Freddie.

"Its different cos of what I told you on the boat..."

"What? That you like her?" Freddie scoffs, moving closer to him. "Grow up Cook. The first fucking day of College you could tell I liked Effy and you went and fucked her anyways".

"Oh, so this is what it's about." Cook raises his eyebrows and chuckles at Freddie's immaturity. "You fucked Ayla to get back at me?". Freddie doesn't say anything. "Hm. Thought so." Cook nods at him. Freddie gulps as he turns around, his arm still around JJ's shoulder as they continue walking home.

"Leave Ayla alone Cook. She doesn't like you"