Sweetly & Home Economically ✔

Tasty Talk & Stale Popcorn

Tasty Talk & Stale Popcorn

~¤°*°*°*°¤~

"I have one regret about getting suspended," Theo said when I answered my phone.

I was laying on my bed, staring at the ceiling before he called. It was late, but too early to fall asleep. Even with the likelihood of getting laughed out of the  office, I still went to the principal and tried to get Theo back to school or at least shorten his suspension.

He commended me for 'trying to protect' my friend, but refused to believe I was capable of decking a football player. He said he had to base it on what he had seen personally, and all the evidence pointed to the 'back-talking, disrespectful miscreant.'

I nearly gave him a dose of real back-talking, but it would have done no good for me to get suspended too. I was still upset about it and wished I could do more to help Theo.

I missed him already and smiled when I heard his voice on the other end of the line.

"And what would that be?" I asked, skipping the lecture of taking a fall for a crime he didn't commit.

"Two words, Sugar." He paused for effect. "Peach. Cobbler."

The news travelled fast and I suspected Eli was the express delivery boy. "You heard about that, huh?"

"I bet it was hot."

"The cobbler?"

"You."

I snorted, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks in spite of my sullen mood. "You are whipped like cream, cupcake."

His deep chuckle made goosebumps rise from my ear down to my neck.

He hummed and tried to sound sexy when he said, "Talk tasty to me, baby."

I couldn't not laugh at that because it was so unexpected and cheesy coming from him.

"That's better," he said about my laughter. I could hear the victorious grin in his voice because he cheered me up.

We spent a few more minutes on the phone. I asked him about his day, but he didn't have much to say and asked me about the rest of mine. When we said goodbye, I discovered it was easier to relax and go to sleep after talking to him. I could be back to my bitter self when I woke up, but I would enjoy the sweet feeling he gave me for the rest of the night.

¤°*°*°*°¤

It was the longest two weeks of my life.

Theo's absence was not the only reason.

As more days went by with no real progress made for the bakery, the more I sank into a deeper pit of despair. I must have been difficult to be around too, because my friends seemed to have no time for me anymore. Or I used to be just as busy as them and only now noticed since I have nothing to do, but I had my doubts that was the reason.

I didn't think much of it when Eli wasn't present for lunch one day, but then he missed two days in a row. I decided to ask if he was ok when I saw him in the hall between classes.

"Eli!" I called out as I caught up to him.

His head turned in my direction and he smirked when he saw me. "Hey there, beautiful."

"Are you doing alright? We've missed you at lunch these past couple of days."

"Aww," he cooed, tapping under my chin with his knuckle. "Don't tell T, but I miss you too."