Cook ~2

Tess was bored shitless and it seemed everyone else was too. JJ was obsessively fiddling with his buttons, Katie was re applying her lip gloss for the fourth time, Effy was just staring into space and Naomi was awkwardly tapping her hand on the table.

"What's he even doing out there?" Tess finally said, voice slicing through the lull like a blade.

"Most likely having a cigarette," JJ awkwardly laughed

Katie scoffed. "Cook? Polite enough to smoke outside? He'd do it on the bloody table if he was."

Naomi, losing patience, sighed. "So what, we just sit here all night doing nothing?"

"I thought we were going to do more... bad things," Pandora whispered to Effy, hopeful.

Effy didn't blink. "So did I, Panda."

Silence again. Like the walls themselves were giving up.

Then Freddie's phone buzzed.

"Sorry. Gotta take this," he mumbled and stepped outside.

Pandora groaned. "Great. Now they're both gone."

"I'm still here!" JJ grinned brightly.

Katie stood up abruptly. "Right, not wasting another second in this funeral parlour. You coming?" She looked at Tess.

Tess grabbed her bag, already halfway to the door. "Yeah alright. Not wasting this outfit for nothing."

They pushed the creaky door open and stepped out just in time to hear raised voices. Freddie and Cook, mid-squabble.

"Listen to me, Cook, we're not going," Freddie snapped.

"We're going to that party alright?" Cook said, then noticed the girls.

"Leaving so soon, ladies?" he grinned.

"Trying to," Tess said, flatly.

"Aww, come on," Cook whined. "It was just getting good."

Tess gave him a look. "Cook, this place has been dead since we walked in."

"Only 'cause it's missing a little Cookie magic," he smirked.

Katie scoffed, already unimpressed. "Magic? In this crappy place!"

Tess chimed in, "C'mon let's go,"

Cook wasn't having it. "Oi, oi, hang on a sec. There's still time for this to turn around. Just need the right vibe, yeah?" He leaned in, raising his eyebrows suggestively at Tess.

"Unless you've got a secret rave in your pocket, we're out."

Cook smirked suddenly, his eyes lighting up with an idea. "Alright, then, how about we crash another party?"

Effy, who had just wandered out, raised an eyebrow. "Where?"

"Freddies sister's mate is having an engagement thingy. Shit's bound to be better than this, right? Free booze, better tunes, and probably less elders." Cook's grin widened as he looked at the group expectantly.

Freddie groaned. "Cook no! We talked about this absolutely not"

Tess let out a short laugh. "Free drinks sound like an upgrade from whatever this was supposed to be."

Katie nodded. "Anything's better than this."

"Yeah, fuck it," Naomi added. "Let's go."

"I love weddings!" Pandora squealed.

—-

As the group wandered down the damp harbour streets, the mood still felt flat. Cook drifted beside Tess, nudging her arm with a grin.

"Knew you'd come round," he said.

Tess pulled her arm away, not breaking stride. "Don't flatter yourself. It's four o'clock on a Saturday and I have nothing better to do."

Cook smirked. "Trust me, this'll be worth it."

"You always say that right before things go to shit."

He leaned closer, voice low. "Come on, princess—"

Tess stopped short, eyes narrowing. "Do you know how many times I've told you not to call me that?"

Cook blinked. "What? 'Princess'? I call every bird that."

"Exactly," she said, cold.

He held up his hands. "Alright, alright. No need to bite my head off Tessy."

"And don't call me Tessy, either."

"You're makin' this hard, y'know," he muttered, half-laughing. "Like—hard to flirt, not—well, actually—"

"Finish that sentence," she warned.

He grinned. "What? I was gonna say it's hard to keep up with your standards."

Cook shrugged. "I'm just tryna have a laugh. You love it, really."

Tess shot him a glare. "Say that again and I'll show you how much I don't."

"Alright, alright, no need to get your knickers in a twist."

Freddie, just ahead, looked over his shoulder. "Mate, give it a rest."

"Oi, what's with the hostility?" Cook complained, looking between Tess and Freddie. "I'm just trying to lighten the mood, yeah?"

Pandora, just wanting to be included, shouted out "It's alright, Cook! You just... have your own way of talking, don't you?"

Cook grinned, clearly back to his usual self. "Exactly, Panda. It's all in good fun."

Sick of Cook, Tess drifted to the back with Emily, who was fiddling with the sleeve of her jacket.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this," Emily muttered.

"Could be fun?" Tess offered, trying optimism.

Emily shrugged. "It's just... weird, isn't it? All of us together like this. Feels like one of those forced school group projects where you're paired with people you barely know."

Tess nodded. "Yeah. And Katie's being more civil to Naomi. That's new."

Emily's face tensed, eyes fixed on the pavement.

Tess hesitated, lowering her voice. "Hey Ems, just ignore her, yeah? When she says that stuff about Naomi—"

Emily cut in. "I don't know how that concerns me, okay?"

Tess blinked. "Okay then."

Up ahead, Cook suddenly lit up like a kid spotting a toy shop. "Lads, we found it!"

The venue was a boat decorated with tacky lights and a dramatic red carpet adorned with ropes leading to the entrance. There was a slightly scary looking bouncer standing next to the door.

Tess heard Cook mutter, "Fuckin' hell," before swaggering up to him.

"Not coming in mate," the bouncer said, before Cook even opened his mouth.

"What? Why not?"

"Private party. Plus underage. Plus don't like the look of you" He said firmly

"Listen to me, robot. You may rank way above me in terms of strength and size, but at least I can love. Now can you let me in?" Cook argued, his boldness cringeworthy

"Not. Coming. In." He said again

"Fate has brought me here. Do you understand? Fate just wants a couple of drinks, a little dance. And fate is actually also desperate for the toilet." Cook protested. Tess rolled her eyes at his patheticness

"How about fate fucks off" The guard shouted clearly getting more and more irritated

"How about you're a fucking cock? I'll fucking break your fucking face, mate!" Cook shouted.

"Cook!" Freddie jumped in, blocking him. "You'll get your head kicked in here!"

"Fucking prick" Katie groaned shaking her head

"I don't think he's gonna let us in" Naomi added

"Yeah no shit" Katie said sarcastically

"Nah he's gonna let us in. he's just an obstacle, fate will sort it out" Cook insisted

"Brilliant plan Cook" Tess said bluntly.

Then two girls approached. Loud, glittery, and very orange.

"Freddie? What the fuck are you doing here!" The girl had a shiny pink dress and long brown hair. She was alongside a blonde who Tess thought had applied a bit too much bronzer this morning.

"Hi Karen" Freddie said flatly

Tess assumed this was Freddie's sister

"You can't come in. It's private' She informed

"Aw don't be like that sis, it's Cook's birthday!" Freddie pleaded

"Unless you've got drugs, fuck off, and take your friends with you." She replied

Cook chimed in, walking over to her "Come on Karen!"

"Look it's not my decision," she said, glancing at her friend. "It's her party."

"I'm getting married," The girl bragged. Jesus Tess had already decided she didn't like her. She was exactly like some of the girls at school, daft, dumb blondes who only cared about boys and their popularity.

Cook leaned in and snogged her. Tess blinked. Jesus. He was disgusting.

"Will you let us in, sweetheart?" Cook asked, an undeniable hunger in his eyes.

Miraculously this utterly disorganised plan of Cooks had worked. The girl- Kayleigh had agreed to let them in for drugs but it wasn't what any of them had expected.

The second they stepped inside, Tess immediately regretted it.

The colourful lights blinked like they were glitching. The smell was a blend of body spray, vodka, and smoke. Loud shrieks bounced off the walls. It was filled with old men in bright tracksuits and ladies with far too much lip filler dancing around the room.

Freddie looked around in horror. "When she said party—"

"You thought she meant an acid-fuelled sex rave without the Mancunians." Katie interrupted

"This is more..." Tess started

"Jelly and ice cream," Effy finished.

"Oh my god, look at the cakes!" Pandora squealed.

At least someone was having fun.

—--

The music blared a mix of cheesy pop and old-school anthems, obnoxious decorations that hurt her eyes and one of those stupid pink drinks people customised with their faces on it.

Tess found herself half-heartedly engaging in small talk with Kayleigh and Karen, their conversations shallow and painfully uninteresting. Cook was right about one thing though- free drinks.

"Christ I hate Champagne" Cook announced loudly before letting out a disgusting burp

Tess didn't even flinch. "Then why the fuck are you drinking it?"

"It's free," he shrugged.

Tess shook her head, taking a small sip of her own drink, but her attention was pulled away by Kayleigh, who called out to someone, "Dad!"

Tess turned just in time to see a man swagger over, his appearance instantly setting off warning bells in her head—greasy hair, cheap white tracksuit, badly inked tattoos. He looked like every washed-up wannabe hardman she'd ever seen.

As he got closer, he looked more familiar. Everyone else seemed to be clocking it too.

"Kayleigh-kins," the man drawled, voice grating, before kissing her far too close to the mouth. Tess winced.

Completely unfazed, Kayleigh beamed. "Dad, this is Cookie."

What followed was less an introduction and more a weird flex—Kayleigh's dad sizing Cook up and tossing some cryptic, vaguely threatening warning his way before disappearing into the crowd.Before she could dwell on the strange familiarity, Karen piped up, breaking the uneasy silence. "You twat, didn't you know?"

Cook just laughed, "Fuck it Im just getting started"

"What's the fuss?" Emily asked

"It's Johnny White. the gangster" Effy replied, unfazed

"I knew I recognised him," Tess said, finally placing the itch in her brain.

"Yeah, legend," Cook grinned.

"Legend? Really?" Tess snorted, glancing at Kayleigh, who looked bizarrely proud. "No offence."

"He murdered those two nuns over a pint of Guinness," Freddie pointed out, his face wrinkled in disgust.

"Allegedly!" Kayleigh protested

"I heard he once stabbed a policeman in the neck with a stuffed guillemot," JJ added hesitantly, his voice small amidst the rising tension.

"That is so not true! It was a puffin" Kayleigh corrected, as if that somehow made it better.

Cook clapped his hands. "So who's for narcotics?"

—--

Before she could protest, she was already following Katie into the dingy little bathroom.

Inside, the mirror buzzed with flickering fluorescent light. The room stank of hairspray and cheap perfume. Tess stared at herself, her reflection pale and unimpressed. Behind her, Cook caught her eye and smiled—that same devilish grin she knew far too well.

"I can't believe this is what today's come to," Katie muttered.

Cook pulled out a small bag. Tess watched as Katie expertly poured the powder onto the counter, her hands moving with a practiced ease. Tess hesitated. She'd told herself she wouldn't do this again—but boredom and that familiar ache in her chest made the choice for her. Effy and Katie were already bent over the sink.

"Fuck it. This day couldn't get any worse," Tess said and leaned in.

Karen hovered, uneasy. "What is it?"

"Uncle Keith's special blend," Cook said proudly. "Hallucinogen, opiate, stimulant. Four hours of THC giggles and MDMA highs—with a transcendental kicker."

"Sounds fun," Kayleigh smirked.

But then Cook, foolishly, handed the bag to Pandora.

Eager to be part of the moment, she tipped her head back and swallowed the lot.

"What the fuck, Panda?" Tess shouted, stunned.

"Wait—hang on—what are you doing?" Karen said.

"What? Was that wrong?" Pandora whimpered.

Cook looked horrified. "Did you just swallow my drugs?"

"She's finished it, for Christ's sake!" Karen snapped.

"It tastes horrible!" Pandora wailed.

"Well what did you expect?" Katie snorted.

"You're not supposed to eat it, you twat," Kayleigh said, rolling her eyes.

Tess was truly worried about Panda but as uncle Keith's special blend hit her system the world around her just got more and more blurred. The bathroom warped around her—lights stretching, music dulling into a low hum. She leaned on the sink, breath shallow, guilt swirling with relief. Effy and Katie were already collapsed in laughter on the floor.

Eventually, they stumbled out together, floating toward the dance floor. The music throbbed through Tess's chest. She let herself go, limbs moving on their own.

Somewhere near the edge of the room, JJ stood awkwardly like a fish out of water.

"Hey JJ," Tess slurred drowsily, stumbling over to him with a dazed smile.

"Oh, hello Tess," JJ replied, his voice awkward and a little too loud over the pounding music. He chuckled nervously, glancing around as if unsure of what to do with his hands.

Tess blinked slowly, her mind sluggish but oddly fixated on how jittery JJ seemed. "You alright, JJ?" she asked, her words slurring together, though the concern was genuine.

He fidgeted, nodding. "Y-yeah, just... you know... parties, not really my thing." His awkward laugh followed, but his eyes flickered toward something—someone.

Tess lazily followed his gaze, her drugged-up state making it hard to focus. As her senses started to zone in, she caught the tail end of a heated exchange nearby.

"You shagged Effy?" Freddie's voice cut through the hazy room, and Tess found herself eavesdropping without meaning to, drawn in by the sudden tension between Freddie and Cook.

Cook didn't deny it. "Oh, come on, Freds."

"When?"

"First day I met her," Cook said, like it was no big deal.

Tess stopped in her tracks, her stomach twisting slightly. She wasn't the only one reacting. Freddie looked like he'd been punched in the gut.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Freddie's voice was tight with frustration.

Cook's smirk didn't fade. "Because, apart from those times when my cock is up your arse, you've got no reason to worry about where it is the rest of the time."

Freddie didn't laugh. "But... JJ likes her."

"I—I was gonna ask her out," JJ said quietly. "Thought she liked me."

Tess turned away, suddenly sick of it all.