Eva
“Can we playCrattegories?” Xavi’s face had only just filled my screen before the words tumbled from my mouth. Dinner was lovely. Necessary and a perfectly timed distraction. Only as soon as I left the restaurant, feelings of inferiority wrapped around me like smoke in a sealed room and they remained all the way home. It was with a complicated sigh that I arrived to an empty house, Cooper’s side of the drive vacant, dialling my friend's number as soon as I got into bed.
“Why do you think I waited up?” He replied with an eye roll, and I smiled, exhaling deeply. “Your letter is G, you ready?”
I nodded, tucking my knees up to my chest, my chin resting on them, mint tea cradled firmly in one hand.
“Something you’d cook for Coopy Poopy to woo him?”
“Green eggs and ham,” I smirked, instantly feeling a little better.
“That was a terrible answer,” he scowled with judgement which only widened my grin.
“As the co-inventor of Crattegories, I say it's excellent,” I declared.
“As the co-inventor slash namesake of Xavier Cratt’s,Crattegories, I say it sucks,” he shot back, causing me to shake with silent laughter.
“A nickname for your new boss?”
I hummed, internally rattling off every word beginning with the letter gee until deciding.
“Grinner,” I sighed, and Xavi’s eyes widened excitedly.
“I can’t wait to meet this man of yours. Something you wish you could do to your new roommate?”
“Referring to him by different titles does not make you appear clever,” I proclaimed, causing him to scoff.
“Minus four points for ridiculing the judge,” he exclaimed, wiggling four fingers to really push that life-ruining digit home.
“Fine!” I acquiesced. “Glareinto his eyes and tell him his parents are elitist scumbags, and I hope they choke on theirGrandiose. Ha! Double points,” Xavi used his finger to draw two ticks in the air before rattling off his next question.
“Two things you could do with a giant pencil.”
“Finally, something unrelated to my brother’s friend,” the diversion was calculated as Xav knew me too well. “Ummm,Gougepeople’s eyes out orgraffiti,” I offered weekly.
“Yawn. Minus two for that boring answer. An excuse for being late to work, when your boss is also your roommate and your fake fiancé?”
I paused, closing one eye as I pondered an answer. “Got stuck in the shower… thinking about him…” I said seductively and he hollered while I reached to lower the volume on my headphones.
“Finally, you little tease. Took you long enough to give me something juicy. Now we’ve broken the ice, tell me everything,” he said, knowing I wouldn’t need much coaxing. He was my favourite sounding board because he was as rational as he was irrational while also making me laugh with his hilarity.
My sigh was heavy. “Long story short–” I began, and he quickly cut me off.
“Nope. I want short story long. Paint me a detailed picture because I will need to make sure I have the right people when I golooking for a new place, withvery specificrequirements,” he pursed his lips, and I cackled.
“Oh my God, don’t you dare,” I said, imagining the sadistic things Xav would do and say to Preston if given the opportunity.
“Too late, I hate them already on your behalf so at least tell me the reason so I can justify shitting in the bathroom of an open home and not flushing,”
The image was so unexpected and vivid, my laugh so sudden that I nearly spilled my tea. He was outrageous sometimes and always knew just how to hit me with a brutal dose of reality.
“Basically, I think they bought the whole couple thing–”
“Was there touching?”
“Yes,” I answered honestly.
“Was there kissing?”
