Pandora~3

The guy was leaning against the far wall with his mates, all loud laughs and expensive jackets, like they'd just strolled off the pages of some smug catalogue for trust fund twats. Tess clocked him immediately—tall, tousled blond hair, confident grin that hinted he knew how to charm his way through life. She looked away, annoyed at herself for even noticing.

She took a long sip of her drink, hoping it might dull the sharp edge of the night. But then her eyes, almost unwillingly, drifted across the room again.

There he was. Cook.

He was lounging across the room with his usual effortless ease, completely at home in the chaos. He was laughing, arms draped around a few girls who seemed utterly captivated by him. The sight made something in her twist painfully, and she forced herself to look away.

Still, something petty and reckless stirred in her chest.

So when she saw the blonde guy from earlier now making his way toward her, she didn't look away this time.

"You look like you're in need of some company," he said, voice low and smooth, that smirk still dancing on his lips.

She raised an eyebrow, slightly amused. "Yeah? You here to save me?" she said sarcastically.

"Maybe," he said with a shrug. "You're the one standing here in pyjamas with Sexy Poo across your chest. Hard to ignore that."

Tess rolled her eyes, fighting the small smile that crept onto her face. "You gonna give me grief for this too?"

He leaned against the counter beside her, nodding toward her top. "Look, I've seen some bold fashion choices, but that? That's pretty out there."

Tess snorted. "You think I picked this? Pandora's mum handed it out. There's a Panda Poo, another sexy poo and a Brainy Poo floating around here too."

The guy laughed. "Well, you wear it well. Embrace the chaos."

"I don't think that's a compliment."

"Oh, it is. Trust me."

"Im Theo by the way," His smirk softened, and for a moment, she let herself enjoy the flirtation, the easy banter.

"Tess." She responded,

"Tess," he repeated, like he was trying it on for size. "Nice. So what's your excuse for being at this beautiful trainwreck of a party?"

"Friend's party. Was supposed to be a chill girls' night. Twister, cake, all that." She paused, "Got crashed by that wanker," She nodded towards Danny who was now doing something ridiculous on the coffee table.

"What about you? You look like you should be anywhere but here," she teased, eyeing his outfit—expensive, perfectly put-together in that. "You don't strike me as a 'Danny's friends' kind of guy."

Theo chuckled, leaning back against the counter casually. "Well, you're not wrong. My friend's cousin invited me. We had nothing better to do."

Just as she started to relax, she caught sight of Cook across the room, his gaze fixed on them. He wasn't laughing now; instead, he was staring them down with a look she couldn't quite decipher, his jaw tight.

Maybe trying to make Cook jealous was the most transparent, high school-level move she could possibly pull. But after everything tonight—Effy's hands in Cook's hair, his grin like none of it ever mattered—maybe she just wanted to feel wanted. Even if it was petty. Even if it didn't mean anything.

Let him see it.

Theo followed her gaze. "You alright?"

She turned back to him quickly. "Yeah. Just... long night."

His brows lifted slightly, but he didn't push. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm glad I came. Definitely didn't expect to meet anyone with your level of taste in loungewear."

Tess rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah, thanks. I'll be sure to wear it more often so it really sticks."

By now Cook's annoyance was becoming more and more obvious — and Theo seemed to notice too.

Theo frowned, his voice lowering slightly. "What's up with him?" he asked, eyes narrowing. "That guy giving you the death stare?"

Tess's heart sank a little. She could feel the tension creep back up her spine. She didn't want to get into it, but Theo's curiosity was evident. He wasn't about to drop it.

"Just Cook," She said, trying to keep her tone neutral, "From school."

Theo's eyebrows arched. "Cook... sounds familiar. You two have history or something?"

"No. Not really" Tess muttered, keeping her eyes on Cook as he leaned against the wall, still watching them. It made her skin prickle, but she forced herself to keep her cool.

Theo didn't seem convinced. "That doesn't look like 'just school' to me."

Tess hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. "Trust me it is."

Theo smirked, eyes glinting with mischief. "Are you sure? Because he's been eyeing you like ever since I came over."

"It's just Cook being Cook. He's all about control, but I'm not giving him the satisfaction."

Theo nodded slowly, his smirk turning into something more thoughtful. "Good for you. Can't stand the guy already."

Tess glanced at him, surprised by the sudden change in tone. "Really?"

"Yeah. He's got 'bad news' written all over him." Theo's eyes flicked over to Cook again. "I like to think I can spot trouble from a mile away." He said, half joking.

Tess shot him a look unsure of where this was going, I mean after all Cook was still her friend.

"Maybe you're right."

Theo gave her a sideways look, clearly sensing there was more to the story than she was letting on, but he didn't press. Instead, he just shrugged, the smirk returning. "Well, if you ever need someone to distract you from all the drama, you know where to find me."

Tess felt a small flicker of gratitude . She wasn't sure what to make of it, but she wasn't really thinking clearly anyway.

Still, she couldn't let Theo off that easily.

"Mm, you're not all that hard to find, Theo. I bet your rich-kid friends are pretty easy to spot." She waved a hand toward his group across the room.

Theo raised both brows, clearly amused. "Rich-kid? Really?" He leaned closer, his voice low, teasing. "I can't help it if I have good taste. It's a curse, really."

Tess crossed her arms and leaned in, a smirk of her own spreading across her face. "Right, sure. Must be so hard going to some fancy school and using your parents credit cards for everything."

"Guess you go to Roundview then?" He smirked

"Yep. If you spent a day there you'd realise how lucky you are" She said rolling her eyes, "Not that I'd ever want to step foot in the posh school,"

Theo grinned, clearly amused. "I wasn't gonna argue that. Still, Roundview?" He shook his head, his smirk never faltering. "What's it like in that glorified circus, anyway?"

Tess shot him a look. "Oh, it's real fun. You'd love it. Loads of awkward kids pretending to be unique, bunch of Chavs. Fires. Public nudity. Occasional emotional breakdowns in the lunch hall." She leaned in a little closer, mock-sweetness in her voice. "I'm sure you'd fit right in."

Theo laughed, shaking his head. "Can't say I've ever had the pleasure of hanging around that crowd."

"It's...entertaining that's for sure," she mumbled.

"Hey, your friend's coming over here," Theo muttered, tilting his head toward the hallway.

Cook was weaving through the crowd, a half-empty beer in one hand, his swagger a little more exaggerated than usual. Tess felt her jaw tighten.

"Brilliant," she muttered, more to herself.

"Hey, Tessy," Cook drawled, slurring the nickname just enough to make her skin crawl. "Where'd everyone go?"

Tess turned slowly, setting her beer down with deliberate calm. "Let's see. JJ got locked on, so Freddie had to bolt over here and deal with that because you were too busy trying to get a shag to notice. Pandora's locked herself in the bathroom crying because her night was ruined and her boyfriend just got deported. Effy's gone home because everyone's mad at her. And Katie's out back screaming at her boyfriend. So, yeah—great fucking idea, crashing this party."

Cook raised an eyebrow, clearly not appreciating her bluntness. "It wasn't my fault, you know. Reds' mates are out of control."

Then he glanced at Theo, eyes narrowing in instant distaste. "And what's with you talking to this posh wanker anyway?"

Theo gave a slow, amused smile, completely unfazed. "Because, unlike you, I'm actually capable of holding a decent conversation," he replied smoothly, his voice a little too calm to be completely casual.

Tess rolled her eyes at both of them, but there was a flash of something dark in her expression as she watched the tension crackle between the two boys.

Cook's lip curled. "Tess, were we not making fun of guys like this a couple days ago?"

"Just leave it, Cook," she warned, her voice low, clipped.

She turned to Theo. "Let's get out of here," she said tightly, grabbing his wrist and walking toward the front door without waiting for a reply.

Behind her, Cook's voice snapped out like a whip. "You seriously just gonna walk off like that? With him?"

Tess stopped, her grip on Theo tightening. She didn't turn around.

"Oh, what now?" she muttered.

"Running off with some bloke from the other side." Cook laughed bitterly, clearly not thinking straight. "Miss untouchable—fuck me,"

That did it.

She spun around, eyes blazing. "Fucking hell, Cook! You hook up with a new girl every other day and I'm just talking to someone— How is that different?"

Cook stepped closer, the space between them crackling with something angry and raw. "Because it's not the same. You know it's not. I get what I want, and right now? I want you. And no matter how many girls I fuck, it's always been different with you."

He smirked, as if it was some kind of twisted game. "But I guess you've moved on, huh? Too good for me now?"

 The words hit her like a slap. And worse—part of her wanted to hear them. Had waited for them.

But he'd said it too late. And said it like this, like it was a weapon instead of a confession.

"You don't get to say that now," she said, her voice trembling with anger.

Theo stepped forward, tone colder now. "You wanna keep throwing tantrums, mate, or are you done embarrassing yourself?"

Cook laughed, sharp and bitter. "Go on, then. Take her. See how long that lasts."

She always knew there was something between her and Cook, everyone else could see it too. But hearing it out loud made it real—Cook wanted her just as much as she had wanted him. But now? It was too late. Why the hell did he have to be such a dick about it? Tess was done with the games. She wasn't going to chase someone who couldn't even respect her.

Tess didn't respond. She just turned and pushed through the door, the cold air hitting her like a slap.

She didn't speak for a block, barely aware of her own footsteps until Theo glanced sideways at her.

"You alright?"

She nodded once. "Fine," she said finally.

Her mind kept wandering back to Cook's words. She knew Cook was intense but he had never been that rude to her before. I mean she had seen him treat other people like that but never her.

Tess was snapped back into reality by Theo's voice, "My place is a bit of a trek, but it's quiet. We can grab more drinks on the way."

Tess raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? And you promise not to try to kiss me the minute we walk through the door?"

Theo threw his head back and laughed. "What, do I look like I'm that predictable?"

Tess shot him a sly grin. "You'd be surprised."

Tess couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief as they put more distance between themselves and Cook, who was probably stewing in his own anger back at the party.

They kept walking in silence for a while, the city buzzing around them, but Tess felt... better. She didn't know where this was going with Theo or what she was even looking for tonight, but for now, she didn't really care. All she knew was that she needed to get away from the mess—and Theo and his rich boy act wasn't the worst company.

--------

Tess groaned softly, blinking herself awake, still tangled in Theo's arms. Her mascara was already a lost cause, smudged beneath her eyes like bruises. For a split second, everything was still—the hangover haze, the warmth of someone else's bed, the ache of too much and not enough.

Then she looked at Theo, peacefully asleep, and it all came flooding back:The brownies.Danny.The sex tape.The chaos.The way Cook had looked at her like.

Quietly, she lifted Theo's arm and wriggled free, careful not to wake him. Her clothes were strewn in random corners. She paused at the mirror, trying to scrub the black streaks from her face with the sleeve of her shirt, and for a moment, she barely recognised herself.

She suddenly felt out of place, out of sync, and tired in a way that sleep never really fixed.

She dressed quickly, feeling a strange mix of shame and frustration. She'd outgrown these flings, hadn't she? But Cook made her feel crazy and she didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing.

Tess left Theo's place just as the first light began to creep over the city. She hadn't bothered to say goodbye, slipping out the door in silence. It was easier that way—avoiding awkwardness and the guilt she felt.

Theo's neighbourhood would be considered nice, the kind of posh area she'd always found dull. Clean streets, identical houses, the faint sound of birds waking up. She pulled her jacket tighter around herself, thinking about Pandora. Last night had been a nightmare for her, and the least Tess could do was check in and it felt like something grounding to focus on.

As she got closer to Pandora's place, she slowed down. The street was quiet, though a few lights were still on, flickering through the early morning haze. Tess stepped around the corner, only to stop dead in her tracks.

Cook and Pandora walked out of the house together, laughing softly, Pandora leaning into him.

Tess froze.

She couldn't hear it all—just scraps of Cook's gravelly voice,but she heard enough to know what she'd just interrupted. And then Cook kissed her.

Cook zipped up his fly with one hand and tugged his shirt up with the other.

Tess felt like the pavement dropped out from under her. Her whole body went cold. Her breath stuck somewhere in her throat, and her brain screamed at her to look away—but she couldn't. The image was burned in.

Tess felt a sick twist in her stomach. She could brush off his antics any other day, but seeing him there, close to Pandora, with that familiar look on his face, hurt in a way she hadn't expected. She'd never thought Cook would cross this line. Not with Pandora.

Thankfully she hadn't been seen but Tess didn't move from her spot. She leaned against the neighbour's mailbox watching Cooks back as he disappeared from her view. Why would he say things like he did last night and then do that? She didn't understand this boy in the slightest.

After a good few minutes of sulking Tess began the familiar walk home but just as she made it halfway up the street a figure began sprinting towards her with excitement.

"Tess! It's me, I'm back, I came back!"

Tess turned abruptly, eyes wide. "Thomas?"

There was something almost absurd about it—Thomas, of all people, appearing now, beaming at her like everything was fine. Like the world hadn't just tilted.

Her voice cracked. "H–how... how are you back?"

Thomas grinned, totally unaware of the storm behind her eyes. "My mother gave me another chance! I promised I'll be good this time, so I can stay. For Panda!"

Tess forced a smile, though her lips trembled, heart aching. "That's... that's great, Thomas. She'll be really happy to see you. She missed you."

"I missed her too. I will go surprise her now!" he said earnestly, already turning toward the house.

Tess watched him go, her heart thudding with something that felt like dread. She didn't stop him.

She couldn't stop herself from walking away, either.

She didn't know what was worse—seeing Cook like that, or realising she still cared enough to be hurt.