𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐬 ✧ 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜

chapter six.

after getting bidded on by mrs edna for $500, cole joined jackie and i back at the walter cider cart, cleaning up the orange peels and spilled cider.

grace let her hands slam down on the counter, "hey! skylar's saving us a spot at monty's. im starving." she let the last word drag out and sent her pupils up to the clouds.

i had not seen the girl since she had run off in the middle of bidding, screaming that she was going to find an atm.

"i could go for some pizza." cole appeared in between jackie and i, all three of us now peering out of the window of the cart. his job was to sweep around the place, but he dropped his broom to the side.

"you... wanna hang." grace spoke slowly, "with us?"

cole smirked, and while doing it so quickly, i almost missed his eyes flickering over at mine.

"she means the more the merrier." jackie nodded, and leaned in front of cole to catch my eyes, "harps? you down?"

i let my eyes show my disgust. even when cole turned his head my way, his nose just inches from my own. close enough to see that the breath caught in my lungs, but i forced it out in a groan.

"cmon, harper gray," he leaned back as far as he could, but gripped the counter in an effort to stretch out his arms, "have some fun."

and again, his dashing smile was thrown over my way.

you did not just call him dashing, i scolded myself, no way.

but jackie was smiling at me too, and grace was sending me certain eyes, one i couldnt read the expression of.

convincing myself that the only reason i was going was to get more out of school hours for my GoPP, and that cole's glance in no way communicated that he had cared if i showed, i forced out another groan for good measure, and said "yes."

i, at least, wouldnt let myself act like there was something inside, poking at me, making me wanted to go.

it was already dark by the time we finally got a seat at monty's pizza.

i was so hungry, after skipping lunch for the homecoming huddle, that the smell of pizza grease and tomato sauce had begun to make me nauseous.

"finally," jackie huffed, sitting down and picking up a menu, "im starved." i nodded in agreement and looked over the menu with her, leaning my head on her shoulder out of fatique.

surprisingly, cole hadnt even shown up yet. with his afternoon with mrs edna being right after the huddle, we had told him we would stay at monty's until his arrival. but now, the wait for our table being hours after our arrival, he had shown up just as we had ordered our drinks. i believe i had heard him promise to help jackie finish and pick up the walter cart tomorrow afternoon, after some game they all were going to, but alex helped us pick up just a few things before we left the town square. to help make tomorrow's load a bit lighter.

i felt myself getting woozy as cole finally walked into the pizza shop. grace had been right all these years, my body would literally rather pass out then to not say something judgmental, or force my usual grunt, toward a walter. but with the lack of food in my body producing the lack of an ability to do so, all i could do was stare.

he found us over to the side, and sent a hand up, heading over.

i had failed to notice that the cheerleading squad was here, but realized upon erin collins, stopping cole in his tracks.