Freddie~3

Tess didn't really know why she had agreed to hang out with Theo. She didn't really know the guy and it's not like he was exactly the type of person she hung around. But there was something strangely easy about him. Calm. Predictable, in a way Cook never was.

The midday sun streamed through the trees as Tess wandered into the park, spotting Theo lounging on a bench. He looked completely at ease, his long legs stretched out and his head tilted back as though he hadn't a care in the world.

"You're late," he said.

"You're lucky I showed up," Tess shot back. "Ready to go, or are you glued to that bench?"

Theo stood, brushing off his jeans. "Lead the way, bossy."

They ambled through the park before heading to a nearby record shop that Theo insisted had "the best collection of forgotten masterpieces." Inside, Theo flipped through vinyl records with a practiced hand while Tess browsed, occasionally commenting on the cheesy album covers.

"How many girls have you brought here?" she asked, holding up a record with a ridiculous '80s hair band cover. "Feels like a go-to move."

Theo paused mid-flip, looking up at her. "What move?"

"You know," Tess said, gesturing vaguely at the shop. "The whole, I'm not like the other rich kids, I listen to vinyl and have a personality bit. Bet you bring girls here all the time."

Theo chuckled, leaning his elbows on the edge of the rack. "I'd be offended if you weren't so predictable."

"Predictable?" Tess shot back. "Says the guy with a secret stash of Smiths records and probably a list of deep questions you ask girls."

That earned a grin. "You're pretty smug for someone judging me off one record store."

"Fair," Tess admitted. "But I'm not wrong."

He finally glanced over at her. "Alright, fine. I've brought one person here before. She hated it."

Tess raised an eyebrow. "And you thought I'd be more impressed?"

Theo leaned against the rack, tilting his head. "You haven't walked out yet."

She smirked, eyes lingering on him a second too long before moving on.

The afternoon went on and the two went for a late lunch at a cafe much too fancy for Tess's liking. 

"So, you've got a sister, right?" Theo asked, stirring his coffee.

"Michelle," Tess confirmed, leaning back in her chair. "Older sister. Basically perfect. Mum's favourite."

"And you're...?"

"The one Mum doesn't know what to do with."

He didn't laugh. Just nodded. "That sucks."

Tess blinked, surprised by the simplicity of his response.

"What about you?" she asked. "Perfect family, I'm guessing?"

He snorted. "Hardly. Mum's alright but she just sits around waiting for my dad to get his act together. He doesn't even see it. She just keeps pretending things are fine, and he keeps not noticing. They're stuck. I think they've forgotten how to actually talk to each other."

Tess studied him for a moment, a faint surprise flickering in her eyes. She hadn't expected him to open up about his family, especially not with the way he'd come across earlier

Tess studied him. "Didn't peg you for someone who noticed that kind of thing."

Theo shrugged. "I notice more than people think."

She gave a small nod, filing that away. "Siblings?"

"Too many. I've got three. one older brother, two younger."

"Three brothers?! What a nightmare" She grimaced, "Although it explains a lot." 

By the time they parted ways, Tess realised she'd spent most of the afternoon with him without checking the time once.

--------

Tess walked through the quiet streets of Bristol, her hands shoved deep into her pockets, her boots clicking against the pavement. She was just looking forward to getting to the pub, meeting up with Katie and Emily, and getting through this night. Emily had practically begged her to come along, claiming she couldn't bear being alone with Naomi and Katie. Fair enough.

She was just about to round the corner when she spotted Katie and Emily up ahead, walking toward her. Katie was already grinning, no doubt excited for the trivia night. Emily, on the other hand, looked like she might die of social anxiety any second.

"Tess! Your late.. again" Katie called out as Tess approached.

Tess rolled her eyes. "Sorry, sorry. I got held up."

Katie gave a dramatic sigh. "Held up with what?"

"You know that guy from Pandas party?" Tess revealed reluctantly, waiting for Katies reaction.

Emily glanced over at Tess, raising an eyebrow. "Theo?"

"Yeah, Theo Kent," Tess replied, her voice a little too casual, even though the mention of his name still sent a small jolt of unease through her. "I was just... you know hanging out with him."

Katie snorted. "Theo Kent? Seriously? He's a knob, Tess."

Tess frowned. "What do you mean, You don't even know him."

"I know people, Tess," Katie said with a smirk. "And according to a couple of people I know, his vibes are off."

Tess felt a rush of irritation well up inside her. "That's not fair. You don't even have any reason to say that. Just... 'not good vibes'? What kind of judgment is that?"

Katie shrugged nonchalantly. "I trust my gut."

Tess snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, I don't get good vibes from Danny." she muttered under her breath. 

Katie stopped walking for a second, her gaze sharpening. "Danny's different. You know that."

"Yeah, and Theo's different too," Tess shot back, more irritated than she meant to be. She didn't really know why she was defending him, after all she wasn't so sure about him either.

They reached the pub, and Tess could already hear the low hum of conversation spilling out from the open door. Inside, the usual mix of people filled the space, some familiar faces, some not so much. JJ and Freddie were already sitting at a table, looking uncharacteristically serious as they chatted.

"Great, the dream team's already here," Katie said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Katie was already on her way to join JJ and Freddie at the table.

"We're joining your team," she called over the pub to their table.

Tess watched her go, a slight grin forming on her face, but the smile quickly faded when she saw someone else walking toward them from across the room.

Cook. Of course.

The last person Tess wanted to see right now. He had that cocky grin on his face as he weaved through the crowd, holding some beers. Tess felt the tension rise in her chest, and before he could reach them, she snapped, "Actually, we aren't. We can be our own team."

Cook raised an eyebrow at her, his grin widening. "Oh, really? You're going to take on me and the guys? Good luck with that."

"I think anyone could beat you Cook" Katie scoffed.

JJ perked up, "Not with me on their team!"

"Katie. Seriously." Tess shot her friend a knowing look, raising her eyebrows. 

She grabbed Katie's wrist and yanked her toward a quieter table at the back of the pub, away from the trio.

As they sat down, Katie gave her a questioning look. "What was that about? You and Cook?"

Tess sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It's nothing. We had a fight, that's all."

Emily looked between Tess and Katie, her eyes narrowing. "And you're just... going to avoid him? After everything?"

Tess shrugged. "It's easier this way. I don't feel like dealing with him tonight."

Just as she finished speaking, Naomi walked in. She glanced around the pub, her eyes landing on Tess for a brief second before she walked straight toward their table.

Naomi wasn't stupid—she could tell there was a divide.

"Not joining the others?" Naomi asked, slipping into the chair next to Tess without waiting for an invitation.

Katie sighed "Ask Tess, but she's got this whole 'don't talk about it' vibe whenever Cook's name comes up."

"Ahh I see. You two still fighting then?" Naomi asked. 

But something in Katie clicked. "Still? What d'ya mean by that babes?"

Naomi's gaze flicked between the two girls, her voice matter-of-fact. "Like they've been giving each other the very mature silent treatment for about a week now."

Katie's expression turned serious. "How come I haven't been updated about this yet, but she has?" she asked in a low voice, almost accusatory.

Tess felt a pang of guilt. "Well, I haven't seen you all week, you haven't been at school, and—"

"Whatever," Katie interrupted, brushing off the explanation with a flick of her hand. "The trivia's starting."

The pub buzzed as Keith banged on the bar with a battered pint glass to get everyone's attention.

"Alright, you lot, shut your gobs!" Keith's raspy voice cut through the chatter. "Trivia's about to begin. First round: General Knowledge."

At the back table, Tess was still tense, ignoring Katie's occasional side-eyes as Naomi casually leaned back in her chair, looking amused.

"Right, question one: What's the capital of Latvia?"

Naomi's hand shot up, jotting down "Riga" without a second thought.

Katie blinked. "Alright, nerd. Calm down."

"It's basic geography Katie," Naomi retorted with a shrug.

Meanwhile, across the room, the boys were making their usual ruckus. Cook's loud laugh echoed as he argued with JJ and Freddie over the same question.

"I'm telling you, Latvia doesn't even have a capital. It's, like, too small," Cook declared, leaning back confidently.

Freddie groaned. "Please shut up, Cook."

JJ, ever the trivia enthusiast, looked scandalised. "Of course it has a capital! And it's Riga. I'm 100% sure."

"You're making that up, J," Cook teased, but even he couldn't keep a straight face.

Back at Tess's table, Naomi leaned in closer. "You're gonna have to talk to him eventually, you know."

Tess stiffened. "I don't have to do anything."

Naomi raised an eyebrow. "You can't avoid him forever. Especially not in a pub this small."

Tess opened her mouth to reply, but Keith interrupted with the next question.

"A swan is the only bird with a penis, but how long can a cockroach live after you've pulled its head off?" Keith cackled

Tess's face scrunched up "What kind of a question is that?"

But unfortunately they just got more and more complex and odd. Very odd. 

"The only man in Britain to survive three attempts to hang him was John Babbacombe Lee at Exeter Jail. On what dates were the attempts made?"

Naomi groaned "Keith, what's up with these questions?" 

Keith's eyes narrowed "Do you want to be disqualified? What. Were. The. Dates."

Emily snorted, covering her mouth with her hands instantly as Naomi bergrudingly returned to the paper. 

Effy eventually showed up, though Tess noticed her right away—she wasn't alone. Trailing behind her was a slightly older, rugged guy who looked like he'd been plucked straight out of some dodgy house party — to be fair that's probably exactly where Effy found him . Effy's makeup was smudged beyond her usual style, and her eyes were heavy with exhaustion.

"Hey, Eff," Tess said, motioning for her to sit.

Naomi studied the guy with thinly veiled suspicion. "You alright?" she asked Effy carefully.

"Yeah, fine," Effy answered flatly, her tone betraying her words.

Tess glanced at Katie, who was clearly judging. "Who's this, then?"

Effy turned to the guy, her voice low as she whispered, "What is it again?"

"Mike," he supplied.

"Romantic," Tess said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Effy didn't stay long anyway. She and Mike drifted toward the bar, sitting completely away from the group. Effy had been distant lately, more so than usual, and tonight felt like just another layer of the wall she was building between herself and everyone else.

The trivia dragged on for far too long. Tess found herself cleaning her nails. She had nothing better to do, it's not like any of them knew these far too obscure questions. Tess occasionally saw JJ furiously scribbling down answers- of course he would know them, or Cook running up to the bar to get more drinks but one particular conversation she overheard interested her even more.

"If you find her so reprehensible, why did you have sex with her?" JJ's face froze. "Wait. That was supposed to stay in the vault. Wasn't it?"

Tess perked up, trying to catch a name, but the rest of the table erupted before she could.

Freddie's calm demeanour cracked like a fissure. "You shagged my sister?" he spat, his voice low but venomous.

Cook's grin faltered, replaced by a sheepish shrug. "You know what I'm like... Half a bottle of grappa, and I turn into a fucking machine gun."

"You fucked my sister?!" Freddie screeched, loud enough for the entire pub to pause momentarily.

Tess sighed, rubbing her temples as the chaos continued. By the end of the night, her team had barely made it out of last place, and the tension between her and Cook was still unresolved

 Great.

—---- 

Tess opened the front door and was greeted by the sound of the TV blaring from the living room. She kicked off her boots and wandered in, dropping her bag by the door. A sick Michelle was sprawled across the couch in her pyjamas, spoon-deep in a tub of chocolate ice cream, her eyes glued to a rom-com playing on the telly.

"Rough night?" Michelle asked, barely sparing her sister a glance as she popped another spoonful into her mouth.

Tess sighed dramatically and flopped onto the couch next to her, sprawling out with her head near Michelle's feet. "Yep."

Michelle finally looked down at her, grinning around the spoon in her mouth. "What could possibly be so interesting about a trivia night?"

"Exactly," Tess mumbled, covering her face with her hands.

Michelle nudged her with her foot. "Come on tell me then, I live for your messy little drama. My life's boring right now."

Tess rolled her eyes but took the tub, scooping out a bite before launching into it. "Fine. Cook shagged Freddie's sister. Freddie found out during trivia, lost his shit- again and now they are probably just gonna keep on fighting for fuck knows how long."

Michelle's eyes widened "Fucking gross."

Tess nodded, licking the spoon. "I know his excuse was something about grappa turning him into a fucking machine gun."

Michelle dissolved into laughter, clutching her stomach. "God, he's such a dick. Why do people let him get away with this shit?"

"Don't ask me," Tess muttered.

Michelle leaned in, narrowing her eyes. "Are you and Cook...?"

Tess groaned, pulling a cushion over her face. "Nothing."

Michelle yanked the cushion away. "Is it that Theo thing again?"

Tess hesitated, biting her lip. "Kind of." She exhaled heavily. "It's just... the other day mum dragged me out and stopped off at a co-workers, turns out it was Freddie's house and Cook and J showed up and it seemed like he had maybe forgiven me...not that I had anything to be sorry for-"

Michelle stared at her confused "Forgiven you for what?"

"For the Theo thing." Tess stated like it was obvious, urging her sister to keep up. "Anyways I got pissed because he also slept with Panda — just before Thomas came back. Then we fought, and now he's acting all weird. Like, he's pissed off but also acts like he doesn't care."

Michelle nodded sagely, her tone dripping with amusement. "Ah, the classic chaos cycle. He's jealous but won't admit it. Textbook."

"I don't even care if he's jealous," Tess said, frustrated. "I just want him to stop being such a dick."

Michelle tilted her head, studying Tess. "Do you even like Theo? Or is this just you running from whatever you've got going on with Cook?"

Tess shot her a glare. "I like Theo. He's nice. Normal. Not a walking disaster."

Michelle gave her a knowing smirk. "Nice, normal guys aren't really your type, though, are they?"

Tess groaned. "Can we not do this?"

"Nope." Michelle took the ice cream back, scooping another bite. "Look, you don't have to admit anything to me, but you've got to figure out what you want. You keep bouncing between 'I hate Cook' and 'I can't stop thinking about Cook.' It's exhausting just watching it."

Tess slumped back onto the couch. "I don't know what I want."

Michelle softened, giving her a nudge with her foot. "Ice cream?"

Tess smiled faintly. "Thanks, Chelle."

Michelle grinned. "Now, shut up and watch this. The guy's about to run through the airport to declare his love, and it's so cringe, but I can't look away."

Tess laughed softly, finally letting herself relax as the movie played on.

------ 

Tess had been growing increasingly annoyed with her friends so for the rest of the weekend she had decided to stay in- and it seemed Michelle had similar plans. Paul was out that night and Tess certainly wasn't complaining.

She wandered into the living room, kicking off her socks as the faint hum of her mum's singing drifted in from the kitchen. It seemed Michelle hadn't moved since last night, still in her pyjamas, now clutching a bowl of popcorn.

Tess plopped onto the couch next to her, immediately grimacing at the TV. "Oh, come on. Please tell me we're not watching Sexxbombz again."

Michelle barely glanced at her, eyes glued to the screen. "What? Nooo. It's the final!"

"Why do you even like this crap?"

Michelle grinned. "I don't like it, but it's so entertaining, right? A bunch of girls doing slutty dances to win over some American coke addict? Perfect combo."

"You've got serious issues."

"Yeah, yeah," Michelle waved her off. "Karen's routine's coming up next. You're gonna want to see this one."

Before Tess could retort, their mum wandered in from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a tea towel. "What are you two yelling about now?"

"Michelle's got us watching this garbage," Tess complained, gesturing toward the screen.

"Oh, Sexxbombz?" their mum said, her face lighting up as she sat down on the armrest. "I've seen bits of it. They're very... flexible."

Michelle smirked. "It's art, Mum."

Their mum chuckled. "If you say so. Tess, what are you doing home tonight? I thought you'd gone out?"

"Gee, thanks, Mum," Tess said dryly, tossing a piece of popcorn in her mouth. "I needed a break. My friends are doing my head in."

"Well, you're here now," her mum said, leaning over to ruffle Tess's hair. "And I've got chocolate cake in the kitchen if you want some later."

"Thanks mum" Tess said with a faint smile.

Michelle turned back to the TV, pointing as the announcer introduced the next contestant. "Oh, here we go."

Tess sat up, suddenly paying attention. Karen strutted onto the stage in a dazzling, pink sequined outfit, her confidence oozing through the screen. The music started, a sultry bassline echoing as she launched into a fierce routine, flipping her hair and nailing every step.

"Wow," their mum said, eyebrows raised. "She is good."

"Look at that crowd. They love her." Michelle said, quietly singing along to the song.

Another commercial break passed and Tess found herself stuck watching it, she just had to know who won now...

"I'm calling it she's gonna win. The judges are practically eating her up." Michelle declared. 

"Freddie won't be too happy then. He'll have to do more of those disastrous interviews"

The three contestants lined up on stage, waiting like their life depended on it. The host came back on to declare the winner. Michelle sat up straighter, her excitement palpable.

"And the winner of Sexxbombz is... Jemma!" He announced, even he sounded unsure with the result. Everyone thought it was going to be Karen.

Tess blinked. "Wait, what?"

Michelle stared at the screen, her jaw dropping. "Are you kidding me? They were shit compared to her!"

Their mum frowned, crossing her arms. Even she was involved now. "Those judges don't know talent when they see it."

Karen's face on screen was a perfect mask of composure, but Tess could see the slight twitch in her jaw as she clapped for the winners.

"Well," Tess said, standing up, "that was... anticlimactic."

Michelle groaned, tossing a handful of popcorn at the screen. "Absolute robbery. I'm writing a letter." she huffed. Though Tess wasn't sure if she was entirely joking.

Tess snorted, heading toward the stairs. "Yeah, you do that."

—----

Tess trudged up the stairs to her room a familiar mess of CDs, clothes, and half-empty mugs. She slid a CD into her stereo, letting the music fill the air as she sat by the window, cigarette in hand. She dragged on it slowly, letting the smoke curl around her as she stared out at the street below.

Her thoughts were a blur—trivia night, Cook, Karen's weird loss, and the ongoing mess of her life. She couldn't stop thinking about it all, but exhaustion was starting to tug at her. After doing her nails lazily and sorting through a new pile of clothes that had appeared on the floor, she threw herself onto the bed, pulling the covers up, but her mind was too loud. She tossed and turned for what felt like hours, unable to fall asleep.

Then, a loud thunk against her window made her jolt upright.

She peered out, squinting through the dark.

Freddie.

He was pacing back and forth, his hands running through his hair, face twisted in frustration. She didn't know what the hell he was doing out there, but the way he was storming around, looking like he was about to explode, made Tess's stomach tighten.

Another rock hit the window, and she couldn't ignore it any longer.

Tess opened the window and let Freddie climb in. He didn't waste any time—his face was flushed, jaw tight, and his eyes blazing with anger. She stepped back to give him space as he stormed into the room.

Freddie's eyes flickered to her. "It's Cook. He—he fucking did it again. They  fucked me over again."

Tess watched him carefully, already sensing where this was going. She didn't even need him to explain further—she could tell by the way his words were laced with exhaustion and a bitter anger.

"What do you mean?" Tess asked, trying to keep her voice steady...though she already knew where this was going.

"Cook and Effy..." Freddie ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "They hooked up again. And I—fuck, I can't keep doing this."

Tess felt her heart sink at the words. She wasn't surprised. Not really. But the sting of it still hit her, sharp and bitter. She crossed her arms, a sense of anger bubbling inside her. How many times was this going to happen? How many times would Cook and Effy mess with his head?

Freddie was pacing now, unable to stop himself. "Effy, one minute she's all over me, the next minute she's with Cook. I'm so fucking tired of this. I don't know what she wants anymore. She's just flipping between us like it's all a game, and I—" He broke off, throwing his hands up in frustration. "They don't even like each other!"

"How do you know?" Tess asked, her voice quiet. She could feel the sadness creeping in her chest.

Freddie stopped pacing and stared at her, his face a mixture of confusion and frustration. "We kissed the other day, Tess. And now this? I don't get it...What's the fucking point?"

He paused, his hands dropping to his sides as if all the energy had drained out of him. "Not to mention... Cook clearly fucking wants you."

Tess froze. The words hung in the air like a cold slap to her face. Her body tensed, her chest tightening. She didn't want to hear it, otherwise she might be too tempted to go back. "What?"

Freddie glanced at her, eyes filled with guilt. "I know you know... it's obvious, Tess."

She shook her head, her voice low, almost warning. "He doesn't." The words slipped out without her even thinking. "He doesn't, Freddie... He can't. Otherwise, he wouldn't of done all this shit to me."

There was a sharpness in her voice as she said it, a defensive edge. "If Cook- or Effy really cared they wouldn't keep doing this, wouldn't keep pulling us back in only to push us away."

Freddie's eyes softened slightly as he took in her words, but the pain in his expression didn't fade. He looked like he was on the edge of breaking down. Tess could see it, feel it in the way he held himself, like everything was too much to hold in anymore.

Without thinking, Tess stepped toward him. Her hand reached out, and before either of them could think better of it, she pulled him into a tight hug. Her arms wrapped around him as she felt his body stiffen, then slowly relax against hers.

It wasn't romantic. It wasn't some grand gesture. It was just two people who had been burned, two people who understood the weight of carrying someone else's mistakes. It wasn't about fixing anything—it was about the shared exhaustion, the frustration, and the broken pieces they both had to carry.

After a moment, Freddie pulled away, his face flushed with emotion. He wiped his eyes quickly, sniffing, and Tess couldn't help but feel a small pang of sympathy for him. She didn't know how to make it better, but she was here. That was the one thing she could offer.

"You're not the only one," Tess murmured, voice soft but firm. "I get it, Freddie. I'm so fucking tired of them too."