Chapter 7 - The Pizza Fiasco

“Here we are!” I sang, pushing the old door open.

 

The entire hallway was exposed. The living room was on the left, the kitchen on the right. The grand staircase was at the back of the hallway, a mere twenty meters or so from the door. Portraits and pictures hung all along the peeling walls, mostly drawn by my grandmother before she got arthritis. There were two pictures of my grandpa, one of my mom, one of my dad and one of my mom and dad and me hanging on the walls in the hall. Every time I saw the family one, something broke a little in my chest. But I never told grandma to take it down.

 

I stepped into the hallway, making room for my guests. I shuffled my feet on the deep red welcome mat, and discarded my shoes. I invited everyone else to do the same. Skye and Chase did with comfort and ease, but Annabelle did awkwardly, like she knew she didn’t belong in the setting.

 

“Andrea?” my grandmother called from the top of the stairs.

 

“And company!” I yelled back.

 

I heard her timid shuffling as she hurried down the stairs. She grinned ear to ear when she saw Skye and Chase.

 

“Skye-girl! Chasey! How wonderful to see you!” Grandma had acquired nicknames I did not approve of for my friends.

 

Skye rushed at my grandma, but slowed down just before she reached her. They bear hugged, and it was very cute. I was feeling all warm inside as Grandma and Chase hugged pitifully compared to the way Skye and her had.

 

“And who’s this?” she asked, eyeing Annabelle. She blushed.

 

“This is Annabelle, Chase’s girlfriend.”

 

“Oh!” my grandma exclaimed. “You’re the girl Andrea has been telling me about!”

 

She was lying. I’d never once told her about Annabelle. I don’t even know if she knew Chase and Skye had broken up. But she knew how to make someone feel less awkward in a group. And that’s what she was doing.

 

“Oh.” Annabelle blushed, but was beaming.

 

“Can they stay over tonight?” I asked.

 

“Why not? Wendy’s not staying here tonight. She’s with Phil Dewitt.”

 

I swallowed the hard lump in my throat. Phil Dewitt was her escape route. She took refuge at his house whenever it was apparent that she wasn’t welcome at home. I nodded.

 

“Okay. Great.”

 

I turned back to my guests. “Let’s get this party started.”

 

 

 

We ordered pizza, we rented three movies, we got our jammies on. Well, everyone threw on my pajamas since they didn’t have their own, but whatever. The four bags of popcorn were popped. We were all geared up and ready to go, and were just waiting for the pizza to arrive. We were all curled up in front of the TV in my basement. Annabelle and Chase were extra close, and Skye was extra pissy. I was extra nervous.

 

The doorbell rang.

 

“Coming!” I shouted up the stairs as I leapt up.

 

I raced up the stairs to the door. I yanked it open, a little out of breath, and was greeted by a strangely familiar face. And I knew who it was even before he spoke, because of the red welt on his cheek.

 

“Hey, Andrea! Fancy seeing you here.” Nate winked at me. I was a bit surprised he’d remembered my name.

 

Embarrassed, standing there in my pajamas, I grabbed the box of pizza in his hands and slammed the door. He knocked hard the second it closed.

 

“You didn’t pay!” He screamed.

 

D****t. I mentally kicked myself for being so dense. I opened the door and shoved a twenty in his hands. They were still warm.

 

“Keep the change.”

 

“That’s like eight cents.”

 

“What? One pizza can’t cost nineteen bucks.”

 

“It does when you order everything on it on one side, the other plain pepperoni, super-sized and fifteen minute rush.”

 

I was slack-jawed. I looked like an idiot, and I wasn’t making it any better.

 

I snapped out of it. “Well sorry, but all I have is a twenty.”

 

“What if the pizza had been $20.01?” he asked mockingly, raising his eyebrows at me.

 

That’s when I really looked at him. I’d kind of only skimmed over him until then. I shouldn’t have looked. He was cute. And I mean cute. His golden hair fell into his gray eyes, but not so much that he looked stupid. His smile was dimpled and easy and stretched across his entire face. His cheeks were pinkish, except for the spot where my hand had wreaked havoc. That was red and looked tender, like if I touched it softly it would begin bleeding again.

 

And then I noticed I had been staring without speaking for much too long. “What?” I asked intelligently.

 

He repeated his question.

 

“I would’ve given you a pepperoni and then slammed the door on you again.”

 

Nate laughed and something in my stomach churned. I wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad churn.

 

“Well, see you around.”

 

“Bye.”

 

Just as I was about to close the door, Nate yelled, “By the way, the pizza was really only nine bucks. Thanks for the giant tip!”

 

I banged my head against the door, one word echoing in my mind: stupid, stupid, stupid. 

Author's Note

a less serious chapter (and short) but i felt it necessary. i'm really having fun writing this, and i hope your liking it:) and Nate's back...YAY.

Reviews

[selkietales]

I like nate!! He's really funny and his way of tricking her out of her money was great~

[Jasmine Thousand]

LOL so Andrea likes Nate! :) Cool! Do you mind sending me a read request for every single chapter that I haven't reveiwed?
~jasmine thousand~

[Caitlyn Murray]

Woow. This chapter was good. I was happy to see you added some not as serious. I love the beginning of this chapter with Andrea's grandmother. Grr I have homework to do but I really want to read on so I guess that can wait XD

[Eversea]

For some reason the other half of my comment was rejected. *sad face*
It was something helpful too, I hope.
I've noticed you start a lot of sentences with "I". So instead of saying things like: I mentally kicked myself for being so dense. I opened the door and shoved a twenty in his hands.
You could say: Mentally kicking myself for being so dense, I opened the door and shoved a twenty in his hands.

[Eversea]

No! Nate come back! When will i see you again! That was a sneaky trick! And "Says what intelligently"

[TheKaylaPup]

Yay, Nate! yum, pizza. i am a bit worried though, you have so many good chapters that now I am afraid something terrible is going to happen (Don't tell me anything!)

[Robbie~xoxo~]

This is very good... I really love this story! You have written this in such a way that "Andrea" is charming and full of clever personality. Great job!

[BloodyMary]

I want to stuff Nate in closet.

[SwagMaster]

More, finish it, quick!!! I might die from good book deprevation!! Lol:)

[Sarah E. Pearson]

Loving this book. Love this chapter.