The creek in Capeside

Study Partners

The sun began creeping through the edges of my bedroom curtains, teasing me out of my deep sleep. I stretched my arms up over my head and then out to the sides, smiling with the relief I felt as my bones clicked back into motion. I sat up in bed and picked up my book: The Great Gatsby, one of my classic favourites. The spine was warped out of shape from being read over and over, 'just one chapter then I'll get up and make my cup of coffee'. I drifted into a world of 1920's glitz and glamour and felt safe following the tales of Nick, Jay, Jordan and Daisy.

Startled by a peppy knock at the front door, I felt my heart race from the interruption. I marked my page with a strip of leather and yawned while clambering out of bed. As I shuffled towards the door I saw the letterbox lift open and a pair of lips revealed on the other side.
"Hellooo?"
I rolled my eyes and unchained the door and opened it a few inches, until I saw that it was Pacey on the other side, I should've recognised his voice- soft but with a sardonic tone. I opened the door halfway, "Can I help you?" I said wide-eyed with annoyance.
"Y/L/N! You didn't need to get all dressed up for me." He said with that cheeky grin plastered on his face. It was then that I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror by the side of the door, my hair skewed off the side of my head in a messy bun that had been loosened as I tossed and turned in bed. Then my dad's old button up shirt was hanging off one of my shoulders; I only wore underwear underneath it.

I tried to brush this off, but hid part of my body behind the door frame, hoping he wouldn't look to hard at me.
"What do you want Pace? We aren't supposed to meet at the library for another few hours."
"Well Y/L/N, Pop being that loving and caring town sheriff we all know him to be has told me I have to tidy his office and wash all the squad cars today. And as much as I revel in the pleasure of ignoring him, I think I've had my ass beaten one too many times this week already. So I thought we could shift up our study session to this morning."
"Fine, come in then, but I'm just going to get dressed first. Set up at the kitchen table." I say whilst rolling my eyes and gesturing dramatically with my arm to direct him inside.

I throw on a pair of black sweats under the shirt, and brush my hair back up into a neater bun and go into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I walk back into the kitchen, sliding on my flip-flops as I pass them in the hall. Pacey was sat at the table with his legs stretched across one of the other chairs and his hands resting behind his head. He was asleep.

"PACEY! There is no way you came over here at 7am to starting on our project because YOU were too busy the rest of the day. And now you're sleeping instead of getting stuff ready?!"
He jolted forward and stared at me in a mixture of dazed confusion, blinking repeatedly to try and regain consciousness.
"Hey, Hey I'm sorry alright? Look I brought over the assignment, aren't you proud?" He winked at me. I shrugged, rolled my eyes back and then let out a small giggle.
"Let's just get started ok?"