Khloe snorts and walks back over to the couch. She grabs a blanket, drops onto the cushion beside Max, and throws the blanket over her legs. “I was promised snacks and boy talk, thank you very much,” she says with a smirk. “Rom-coms are fine as long as someone gets dumped dramatically or ends up kissing in the rain.”
I laugh as I make my way back into the living room, settling into my spot on the couch beside her with my iced coffee in hand. “All of that sounds perfect—except maybe the rom-coms. I was leaning toward cheesy horror, but I know Tess can’t stomach it.”
Tessa shoots me a look, playfully defensive. “Horrorparodiesand low-budget ridiculousness are fine. As long as there’s no over-the-top gore or jump scares, I can deal.”
Khloe and I lock eyes, mischief blooming instantly. “Okay,” I say, grinning. “Killer Klowns from Outer Spaceor?—”
“Scary Movie,” Khloe cuts in, practically bouncing with excitement. “Classic.”
“Ooh, both good options.” I nod, trying to gauge Tessa’s reaction. “Killer Klowns from Outer SpaceorScary Movie? Choose your fate.”
Tessa groans dramatically. “Ugh, I hate clowns—so I guessScary Movie. But if I have nightmares, I’m blaming both of you.”
“Deal,” Khloe and I chime simultaneously, grinning as Tessa passes me the remote, then rounds the coffee table and takes a seat beside me. She settles into the couch, folding her legs under her as I scroll through the apps on our smart TV.
After a few seconds, I find and click on Paramount Plus, waiting through the brief loading screen. Once it’s up, I type “Scary Movie” into the search bar and hit play without hesitation. The familiar opening music starts, and I drop the remote into my lap before fishing my phone out from the waistband of my leggings.
“Alright, Khloe—snack commander, it’s your time to shine.” I hand her my phone, already open to the food delivery app.
She takes it like she’s receiving a sacred artifact. “Death to your wallet, babe,” she cackles, immediately diving into the app like it’s her life’s mission.
Twenty minutes into the movie, a knock sounds at the door.
“I got it.” Khloe springs off the couch like she’s been waiting for this moment. The sudden movement startles Max from his nap. His head jerks up, ears twitching as he blinks around in mild confusion.
I rise with her and whistle softly. “Max, c’mere,” I call as I make my way toward my room. He lumbers off the couch, still groggy, and trots after me. “Sorry, buddy. You know how you get when food shows up,” I whisper as he glides past me into the room. He hops onto the bed with a softfwump, circles once, settling with a sigh. I close the door gently behind me and head back into the living room.
The sight that greets me stops me in my tracks.
“Jesus, what the fuck did you buy?” I blurt, eyebrows shooting up as Khloe, looking way too pleased with herself, starts unloading the bags onto the coffee table.
“She bought the whole damn app, that’s what she did,” Tessa quips, still curled up in her spot on the couch. Her laughter spills out as she sees the pure disbelief on my face.
Khloe snorts and flips her hair over one shoulder with mock offense. “Excuse me, I exercisedgreatrestraint. It’s just Taco Bell, Crumbl cookies, and a few absolutely necessary survival items from 7-Eleven. You’re welcome, by the way.”
I glance down at the growing pile taking over the coffee table: six soft tacos, a pile of sauce packets, a large Crumbl box, several plastic bags filled with candy and chips, and three bottles of Vanilla Coke.
“That’s your definition of restraint?” I raise a brow as I grab one of the tacos and peel the paper back. “Remind me never to hand you my phone while you’re hungry,” I say as I take a bite.
Tessa doesn’t wait either. She reaches for two tacos, selects a couple of sauces, and pulls a bottle of Vanilla Coke from the bag, arranging everything neatly on her lap. “Shouldn’t have trusted her with your phone, Rae,” she says with a mischievous grin. “This is on you.”
I roll my eyes, but there’s no real heat behind it, and grab one of the bottles from the bag before flopping back onto the couch with the taco.
“Lesson learned,” I mutter through a chuckle. I set my taco down in my lap and crack open my bottle, taking a long, satisfying swig. After a few seconds, I close the bottle and shove it between me and the cushion and take another bite from my taco.
Khloe hums happily to herself, then flips open the Crumbl cookie box like she’s unveiling a crown jewel. The smell alone makes my mouth water. Nestled inside are six oversized cookies—two classic chocolate chip, two churro cookies with gooey Nutella centers, and two frosted pink sugar cookies that look almost too perfect to eat.
“Holyshit,” I mumble mid-chew, eyeing the cookies like I’ve just been handed proof that heaven exists.
“You’re welcome,” Khloe replies smugly, plucking a churro cookie for herself and sinking back into the couch like a queen surveying her feast. She tugs the blanket over her lap again and grabs her drink.
I reclaim the remote from the arm of the couch and unpause our movie. The film picks up with the group of friends stripping the body of the man they thought they killed and tossing him into the water, the tone just as ridiculous and darkly hilarious as I remember.
We settle in again, laughter already spilling between bites of food and sips of soda.
By the timeScary Movieends, we’ve polished off all the tacos, half the Crumbl cookies, and all the Vanilla Coke while the bags of chips and candy lie untouched on the table. After a short debate about what to watch next (and Tessa’s puppy eyes), we queue upClueless. The second it starts, the whole room softens, lulled by the nostalgia of it all. The face masks we’d talked about earlier? Completely forgotten. Too much work. We are content with being lazy, wrapped in fleece blankets, and gossip.
The boy talk kicks off about twenty minutes intoClueless, right after Cher strolls into class late, batting her lashes and somehow still managing to win over the teacher. Khloe, unsurprisingly, is the first to take the floor—and she does it with her usual dramatic flair.
