lust for life • james cook - skins

21 - eve

School is finally finished for the summer. This school year has been the craziest, most frustrating year of my life, but it was also the most fun. I made new friends, fell in love with someone who doesn't seem to want me back, you know, the usual.

We're all headed to Naomi's for a celebratory barbecue - bring your own drink and drugs. I have a shit load of weed in my bra and a litre of vodka in a brown paper bag.

Emily is strolling beside me, Katie a bit behind, moping a little. She still has slight bruising on her face from that dreaded camping night where Effy attacked her.

Speaking of Effy, she cleared off shortly after we got home from Cook's dad's. That was about a week ago now.

"Do you know who will be there?" I casually ask Emily as we turn the corner onto Naomi's street.

"If you mean Cook, then I'd say he'd most likely be there," Emily smirks, nudging me. "He never misses a chance to get off his head, we know this."

Katie groans from behind us, and picks up her pace so that she's now beside me, the two redheads flanking me. "Why does he always have to fucking come?"

"Because we're friends with him?" I respond, adjusting the bag in my hand so that it's resting in my elbow now.

"Cook hasn't got any friends," Katie laughs. "Especially not after that night. He's really fucked it for himself."

I shrug, not responding. Emily squeezes my arm in order to try comfort me.

"Cook is always forgiven," Emily smiles. "I guarantee you everyone will forget about it as soon as we're all drunk."

"I won't be forgiving or forgetting," Katie mumbles under her breath.

I raise my eyebrows as I exhale heavily through my nostrils, not wanting to deal with Katie today.

"Here we are!" Emily announces with a flourish, and takes the lead going up the path leading to Naomi's front door.

She doesn't knock, as Naomi instructed us to just walk in when we arrive. We file through her cramped house, toward the backdoor.

Naomi and Freddie are both fiddling with the grill, while JJ is opening packets of sausages and rashers and laying them neatly out on a plate nearby.

Naomi waggles her fingers at us in greeting and everyone else says their hello's as we enter the garden.

As I turn around to leave my bottle down, I jump at the sight of Cook, sprawled out on a small foldable camping chair, a joint in his mouth and sunglasses covering his eyes.

"Hi," I mumble, ducking my head to hide my blushing face. I start to hurry toward the grill, to pretend that I'm busy, but Cook reaches out and gently grabs my wrist.

"Stay," he smiles, taking of his glasses and passing me the joint.

I smile sheepishly back at him, as I accept the spliff and take a long pull. I glance around as I pass it back to him. "There's nowhere for me to sit."

"Yes there is," Cook chuckles, motioning toward his crotch. "Right here."

I roll my eyes at him, but I'm considering it. Effy's out of the way, she's god knows where, so I might as well seize the opportunity while I can.