Fifteen: MTOABB

MTOABB

Mornings are never really my favourite, I don't jump up, run to the window and chirp to the birds outside my window - although I doubt people actually do that.

"You're finally awake," Chloe says, entering her room in which I slept in last night.

"Tell me already, I'm itching to know everything," I say hoarsely.

"Just go brush your teeth and get some coffee into your system," Chloe says.

"But--,"I argue.

"Morning breath is a thing, I'm not getting near you," she warns and I roll my eyes.

I fumble out of bed, dropping my phone on the floor. I groan, stretching down to pick it up. It lights up and Zack's text message dances on the notification bar.

Do you still want to talk _Rossita

I text as I make my way towards my room.

I quickly brush my teeth, jump into the shower and put on a fresh pair of sweatpant and a matching sweater.

"Why don't we head to BJ's Cookies and Cream for some breakfast - my treat," Chloe says as she pops her head in at my door.

"That sounds very delightful, but don't think I've forgotten," I say.

"I know let's go." She dangles her keys in my face.

My Type of a Bad Boy

The waitress, Kirsten places our order on the table and I smile in gratitude. I grab my cup of hot chocolate and quickly blow on it before taking a sip

"Last night I was with Brody," Chloe says and my eyes pop up to analyze her face.

"You're joking right?" I say.

"No, I'm not."

"Brody is in New York and mom said you were with Gomes."

"Gomes came to fetch me because I asked him to and he just dropped me off somewhere." She grabs her coffee.

"Somewhere-," I narrow my eyes at her "-where?"

"Stop talking and let me continue with telling you the story," she says and I zip my mouth shut.

"He asked dad for a few days off."

"So you two have been in touch?" I ask and she nods.

"Gomes has been playing the middle man, trying to get me to Brody and back home in time."

"Why, because he fucked you?"I ask, annoyed.

"Rossita, you are seriously being a child," she says, not pleased.

"But that's basically why he feels like he needs to be there for me. I somewhat cried after we did it," she adds.

"You cried? Was it not good?" I ask, placing my one hand on my chest.

"It wasn't that, I was just so emotional. He sort of allowed me to use him. I should be the one that feels like I owe him," she says.

"So this happened recently?" I asked.

"Of course not, I wouldn't do that to you."

"To me?" I ask.

"Yes, to you - you confessed that you like him," she says, smirking.

"I did no such thing." I stare at her bewildered.

"So how did you two meet then?" I ask.

"Remember last year when we went to Miami with dad for vacation?" She asks and I nod, remembering how I spent the first 2 weeks locked in my room reading Jodi Picoult's 'Off the Page' novel, while she was mostly out and about.

"I sort of met him at the beach and we started hanging out."

I could have met Gomes at the beach too, if only I tagged along with Chloe when she asked me to.

"So you two hooked up at his house?" I ask curiously.

"No - come to think of it, I never actually saw his house. He took me to the Biltmore Hotel and we first dined at Palme D'Or before going upstairs."

"So he fed his prey before attacking, are you sure he wasn't using you too?" I ask.

"It doesn't matter, the point is he's a great guy," she says.

"Clearly, he took you to a very expensive restaurant."

"His uncle owns it so he didn't have to pay."

"A rich family, I see," I say.

"His family is complicated."

"All the rich families are," I say and she somewhat agrees by saying,"I guess so."

"So Brody is here in our small town?" I ask. "Doesn't he miss the big city?"

"I'm his big city." She winks and we both laugh, throwing our heads back.

I take my last bite of my toasted cheese sandwich, leaving the plate with specks of burned crumbs.

"What are the odds that I would be seeing you here today?" I hear her ask as I turn to put a face to the voice speaking to me.

"One out of one," I tell her, smiling.

"Rossita, this is Holly." She gestures to the girl next to her. "Holly, meet one of my friends, Rossita," Cass says and I stand up, waving awkwardly as an attempt to greet her.

Still as pretty as she was in that picture on Cassandra's wall.

They're both holding onto their fruit smoothies with Cass's hair tied into a messy bun and her's tied loosely to the back.

"Were you two coming from a run?" I ask curiously.

"Yeah, had to cut it short though, Holly here is needed at home." She elbows her friend on the arm.

If Gomes is with Molly then why would he be waiting for Holly? A question I would rather keep to myself then utter out loud.

"Oh," I say.

"She leaves tomorrow morning so I want to make sure she gets the most experience out of this little town of ours."

She's been here for at most a minute and it's her town too? I snicker internally at my own mental comeback.

"That's true. Let me not keep you two waiting," I say and they turn to leave right after.

"Looks like Gomes is a cheater," I say, sitting back down.

"I doubt it, but why do you say so?" Chloe asks.

"He's with Molly, but now he's fooling around with his sister's friend, Holly -- and why are their names so similar," I ask, clearly irritated.

"Is somebody jealous?" She teases.

"Who? Me? Impossible," I say.

"Sure."

"The most important question is, when do I get to see Brody again?" I ask.

"Tonight," Chloe says and I sit there with a baffled look on my face.

"You're kidding right?" I ask.

"No, Prinse will come fetch us tonight."

"Isn't mom still mad?" I ask.

"He brought cupcakes this morning as a form of apology and mom loved it," Cass says.

"Mom already knows that Brody is here?"

"No, Rossita, listen. Prinse brought the cupcakes."

"But he did nothing wrong," I say, even more confused.

"Like I said, he feels like he needs to be there for me."

Meet me tonight at the park _Zack.

"Zack wants to meet tonight, what do you think I should tell him?" I ask Chloe.

"Tell him okay, Gomes will drop you at the park once you have had your 5 minutes with Brody," she says.

Okay _Rossita

"I need another cup of hot chocolate to go," I tell the waitress and Chloe narrows her eyes at me.

"What?" I ask. "You said it was your treat. I can't leave with having only one cup," I defend and she smiles.