HAUNTED || chris sturniolo

𝟎𝟐𝟏. down bad

CHAPTER 021 -
╰┈➤ ' down bad ' ♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧
「 real life 」

─ real life ᰔᩚ

THE HUM OF CHATTER FILLED THE CAFETERIA, trays clinking and sneakers scuffing against the linoleum floor. adriana sat at the far corner table, her usual spot near the window where the sunlight streamed in just enough to make everything feel a little less suffocating. she picked at her salad absentmindedly, eyes scanning the room without really focusing.

"hey! scoot over."

cecelia's voice jolted adriana out of her haze. before she could react, cecelia slid into the seat beside her, setting her tray down with a loud thud. the grin on her face was borderline blinding, and her eyes practically sparkled.

"you good?" adriana asked, a smirk tugging at her lips. "you look like you just won the lottery."

cecelia rested her chin on her hand, letting out a dreamy sigh. "oh, better. way better."

adriana arched an eyebrow. "oh no. what happened now?"

"zayn," cecelia said, drawing out his name like it was the sweetest thing she'd ever tasted.

adriana rolled her eyes, fighting back a laugh. "you've been talking about zayn for weeks. what did he do this time?"

"first of all," cecelia said, pointing her fork at adriana, "it's not 'just talking.' this is serious. and second, he—" she broke off, her cheeks flushing as she grinned. "he asked me to go see that new comedy movie with him on saturday. just the two of us."

adriana blinked. "wait. just you two? no group, no one else?"

"no one else!" cecelia practically squealed, her fingers tapping excitedly on the edge of the table. "it's basically a date, right? like, he didn't say the word 'date,' but come on. it totally counts."

adriana couldn't stop the smile spreading across her face. she leaned back in her chair, arms crossing loosely over her chest. "yeah, that counts. zayn doesn't just ask anyone to hang out one-on-one."

cecelia nodded vigorously. "exactly! and he was so casual about it, too. like, he just leaned against the lockers, looked at me with that stupid, smug smile, and said, 'you free saturday night?'" she sighed again, her eyes glazing over. "i swear, i nearly melted right there."

adriana snorted. "you are down bad, cecelia."

"oh, i know," cecelia said unapologetically. "and i don't even care. have you seen him?" she leaned in closer, her voice dropping conspiratorially. "he's like... effortlessly hot. and funny. and, like, weirdly thoughtful in that low-key way."

adriana rolled her eyes playfully. "alright, alright. you're gonna run out of adjectives."

"nope," cecelia shot back, grinning. "i've got a whole dictionary of them when it comes to zayn." she paused, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. "but seriously, it's not just about the looks. he's just... easy to be around, you know?"

adriana's smile softened. "yeah, i get it. he's a good guy."

cecelia's expression turned thoughtful. "it's weird. i didn't expect to get this close to him. we've always hung out with the same people, but lately, it's like... i don't know. we just click." she glanced at adriana. "you ever feel that? like, you didn't see it coming, but suddenly someone's just there, and it makes sense?"

adriana's gaze dropped to her tray, her fingers tightening slightly around her fork. chris's face flashed in her mind, uninvited, but there all the same. she swallowed and forced a small smile. "yeah, i guess i know what you mean."

cecelia must have picked up on the shift in her tone because her expression faltered for a second. "hey," she said gently, nudging adriana's shoulder. "sorry. i didn't mean to, you know, bring up any bad memories."

"you didn't," adriana said quickly, shaking her head. "it's fine."

there was a brief pause before cecelia's grin returned, though it was a little softer now. "well, forget about that. we need to focus on me and my inevitable, glorious romance with zayn."

adriana laughed, grateful for the change in topic. "inevitable, huh?"

"absolutely inevitable," cecelia declared, flicking her hair over her shoulder dramatically. "i mean, look at me."

adriana smirked. "you two would actually be kinda perfect together. you'd keep him on his toes."

"damn right i would," cecelia said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "and he'd probably drive me insane, but in the fun way."

adriana shook her head, chuckling. "i can't believe you're already planning your future with him."

"hey, a girl can dream." cecelia leaned back, stretching her arms above her head. "besides, life's too short to play it cool all the time. if you like someone, go for it. right?"

adriana's smile wavered for just a second before she nodded. "right."

"besides," cecelia added with a smirk, "zayn's definitely worth the risk."

"just don't tell him that," adriana teased. "his ego's big enough already."

cecelia laughed. "yeah, you're probably right. but, you know, maybe i like that about him."

adriana shook her head, a genuine smile finally breaking through. "you're ridiculous."

"and proud of it." cecelia shot her a wink before grabbing her soda. "now, enough about me. what about you? any chance of you getting back out there?"

adriana's smile faded a little, but she shrugged, keeping it casual. "not really thinking about that right now."

cecelia studied her for a moment, then nodded. "fair enough. when you're ready, though, you'll know."

"yeah," adriana murmured. "i hope so."

the bell rang, cutting through the conversation. cecelia jumped up, grabbing her tray. "come on, let's get to class before mr. harper loses his mind."

adriana laughed, standing up and following her. as they walked toward the cafeteria doors, cecelia was already launching into another story about zayn, her voice full of excitement. adriana listened, half-distracted but content, letting the noise of the world fade behind them.

evie speaks
boring chapter guys sorry