H O T T E R T H A N H E L L

A loud crash sounded on the table next to him as an inordinate number of textbooks and papers slammed down. He looked over, startled, to see Merit plop down and cover his face with his hands. Sky took a long sip of his water as he studied the other guy, unsure if he should say something or not. Merit was clearly stressed. He looked haggard, which Sky never thought he’d get to call the man. Swallowing, he screwed the plastic cap back on the bottle and set it to the side. “Long day? The worst part is that it’s only noon.”

A vindictive laugh escaped Merit’s lips as he shook his head. “That’s one way of putting it.” He placed his backpack on the lunch table and dug around, pulling out a smashed granola bar, bruised apple, and sports drink. His nose wrinkled at the sight of his formerly pristine lunch. He knew better than to have packed it with his textbooks, but his mind was busied that day. Merit sighed in defeat. The wrapper came off the granola bar and an AP Physics textbook flipped open. Merit hurriedly scanned the pages to focus his mind and study for the exam next period.

Sky watched his acquaintance and ate in silence. The towering stack of books was intimidating. There was no way he’d be able to handle that class load along with everything else Merit put himself through. Regular classes and auto tech were taxing enough. Sky finished his pizza and pushed the Styrofoam tray to the middle of the table. He was almost disgusted with himself for managing to finish the affronting meal. Almost. “Where’s your girlfriend?” he spoke, taking another drink of water to wash the cardboard taste from his mouth. “It’s not like Cori to miss class. Last month she was so hungover she could barely walk, and still managed to sit and ace an AP Euro History exam.”

A small smile flickered on Merit’s face when Sky mentioned his girlfriend’s resilience. It disappeared soon as he realized there was a question that needed answering. Merit shut his textbook and pushed it away. Physics suddenly seemed far less important. A heavy sigh passed his lips as he faced his friend. “I don’t know,” he answered truthfully. “Cori said she had a doctor’s appointment. She’s been feeling like shit for a few months but kept pushing it off. She thought she’d be back by third, but I guess the doctor told her to stay home.” Merit took a half-hearted bite of his granola bar before tossing it aside. His appetite was gone. “She hasn’t been answering my texts or calls. I’d go visit her, but I’ll get suspended for this week’s game if I miss lacrosse practice.”

Merit paused, daring a glance at the mountain of textbooks on the lunch table. “Hey, Sky, could you do me a favor? Can you drop her homework off? I’ll meet you at your car and give you the rest of her work after school? I don’t have the time to run across town to her place?” He raised an eyebrow, hoping his curly-haired friend would agree. Merit knew he’d never hear the end of it from Cori if her work didn’t make it to her. Her irritability had been more intense than ever in recent weeks, and he didn’t want to be on the receiving end if he could help.

“Yeah, I guess. I’ve got nothing better to do.”

Skylar grunted as he lugged the mountain of textbooks from his car. It baffled him, how Cori managed to do all this work, much less ace it, and party like she does. He barely saw the phone screen in his hand under the pile of papers, but enough to see the read receipt and no reply. He understood Cori was sick, but a simple reply letting him know if the door was unlocked or not would have been great. A vigorous shake of the handle let him know the latter was the case.

Sky braced the books between his hip and the door and hit the phone beside the girl’s name. He let himself go to voicemail three times and gave calling her one last shot. On the last ring, he heard her pick up. Before he could get in a single word, Cori’s voice screeched through the speaker. “What the fuck do you want?! Why can’t you take a hint that I don’t want to talk to you!”

“Cori, just unlock the door. I have your homework and these books are fucking heavy,” he cursed. He pressed harder against the books, desperate to keep them from falling to her porch. Sky opened his mouth to make another smart comment but was cut off.

“Fine.” A buzz sounded, signaling Cori had unlocked the door. “I’m in my room. The door’s open.” She sounded placid, more resigned. He guessed the little outburst had worn her out, especially if she was as sick as Merit thought. It didn’t surprise him, considering her lackadaisical attitude over the last several weeks.

He returned his phone to his pocket, precariously balanced the books, and entered the looming house. Sky’s footsteps echoed in the lonely rooms as he weaved his way to Cori. He traversed through empty foyers and up winding staircases, remembering the route from the many times she had snuck him in. Only one of many doors opened to the hallway. Vague sniffles and muffled noises floated from the room. The sounds made Sky furrow his brows and he slowly progressed, beginning to think Merit was right about Cori being ill.

Peeking his head around the doorway, Skylar was met with an unfortunate sight. Cori was dressed in her rattiest pajamas and surrounded by piles of used tissues. Even from his spot, he could see puffy eyes and red skin. He moved her keyboard on her desk and dropped the heavy load of books. His arms screamed in relief as the textbooks hit the glass. A small cough cleared his throat and he regarded the girl with wary eyes. “So, uh, you’re not contagious, are you?” Sky frowned, not wanting to catch whatever had put Cori West out for the count.

Cori narrowed her eyes at Sky. “I’m not fucking sick,” she retorted, voice scratchy and raw. She wiped her running nose across the sleeve of her pajamas, earning a grimace from her friend. “I’ve just been crying.” The girl refused to meet Sky’s gaze. A storm of self-hatred churned in her core. Faltering, crying, being weak. Those were things she never did. Sky witnessing her breakdown was almost too much to take. Sniffling all the while, Cori preoccupied herself with picking up the used tissues scattered about her comforter and tossing them into her wastebasket.

That scared Sky more than the possibility of a highly-contagious disease. In the two years he had known Cori, never once had she cried. He took a cautious step forward, like approaching a cornered animal. As much as he wanted to comfort the girl, he didn’t know how. “Are you okay? What’s going on, Cori?” he asked, unsure if he really wanted to know the answer.

Cori’s lower lip wobbled at the question. Tears prickled and threatened to fall. Cori dared a quick glance at Sky. She simply shook her head and laid face-first into her pillows. Sky could see her back heaving as she tried not to cry once more. “M’ prmt,” came a muffled reply, words mangled by the pillow in her face.

“What? Cori, I can’t understand you,” Sky sighed. He trudged over and took a seat on the expansive, lush bed, bouncing before the mattress settled. “You want to try telling me again without a pillow in your face?” He pulled his legs under him and regarded her form. Cori was dramatic, this everyone knew, but never like this. Her reaction was beginning to try his patience. He didn’t know whether to keep being worried or allow frustration to wash over him. Whatever had her unwound to this must have been bad. That, or she had mixed too many chemicals and it was messing with her head.

Cori heaved a heavy sigh and turned her head, looking at Sky over her shoulder. “I’m pregnant,” she reiterated, speaking distinctly. She thought that maybe, just maybe, saying those words out loud would lift the crushing weight off her. Instead, they burned her mouth and made her stomach churn.

All color drained from Sky’s face at Cori’s admission. Her odd behavior the last few weeks made sense, the realization slapping him across his face. His mouth suddenly felt dry and swallowing was an impossible task. He gaped at his friend with benefits sprawled out on her bed, unable to believe what was happening. There was a large chance that child was his. The thought was sickening. “I-I thought you were on birth control?” Sky stammered, remembering all the times he asked to double check and all her yesses in return.

“I thought I was too, but now I’m two months pregnant,” Cori sighed, sitting up. She crossed her legs and faced Sky, unable to meet his eyes. She could hear the sheer terror in his words, reflecting the turmoil she was trying to shove down. “My doctor called during the middle of midterms saying I needed to go back in for my shot. I didn’t write it down, thinking I’d remember, but I was so fucking stressed with all my exams and my dad breathing down my neck, I forgot,” Cori told her friend. “I’ve royally fucked up. The worst thing? I don’t even know if it’s yours or Merit’s. I was so stressed, I’d sleep with you one day, him the next, and occasionally both of you hours after the other. Just to take my mind off everything.”

“What are you going to do?” Sky asked, picking at his cuticles to avoid looking at Cori. The mere thought of a child, especially if he was the father, had his heart hammering wildly in his chest. He didn’t want a kid, not now. There was so much left to experience and do before being tied down by a tiny person. Sky hoped Cori felt the same. His stomach somersaulted at the alternative, causing him to look as green as the girl next to him.

“There’s no way in hell I’m keeping it,” Cori spoke, blunt as ever. She heard Sky release a sharp breath and turned to him. “But I’ve got to tell Merit first. He’ll be upset, he’s talked about starting a family after school, but he won’t argue about what I choose to do with my body. I’m certainly not mother material.”

“Oh thank god.” The weight of the world fell off his shoulders. He was relieved to find out Cori hadn’t completely lost her mind. Skylar wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close. “I was beginning to worry there for a moment.” His hand drew patterns on her arm and he felt the comfortable weight of her head hit his shoulder. They sat there, listening to the sound of nothing when he let out a snort.

Cori pulled back, startled, and shot Sky a puzzled glance. “What are you laughing at?” A smile tugged at the corner of her lips, his growing laughter contagious.

“Just the idea of us being parents. It’s so unfathomable. I mean, look at us.” He gestured between them and bit back another fit of laughter. Sky watched as Cori’s nose crinkled from laughter and a wide grin spread across her face. The sparse freckles that dotted the tops of her nose and cheeks were visible, this being a rare occasion she didn’t wear makeup. He caught glimpses of the bright green of her eyes as they opened and closed from fits of giggles. Sky brought his hands to either side of Cori’s face, bringing it to his for a kiss.

Cori kissed Sky back without hesitation. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she pressed her body against his. Their actions became more heated, more desperate as each second passed. Their old habit of using each other as stress relief began rearing its ugly head. She pulled herself into his lap, legs straddling Sky’s waist as her hands played with his curls and he peppered her neck with bruising kisses. A smirk played on her features as she pulled back. “Isn’t this how I got pregnant in the first place?”

“It’s a little late for that now,” Sky shrugged. He grabbed her thighs and lifted Cori’s body, laying her back as he hovered above. One hand ghosted the pale, cool skin of her stomach as the other held himself up. Sky wasn’t shy about the placement of his mouth and fingers, urged forward by the sounds coming from Cori.

Her eyes fluttered shut and she basked in the sinful things Sky did to her. Cori’s fingers raked through his curls, eliciting a moan from his throat. She tugged harder, trying to coax him down her body. Her concentration faltered when her phone rang, ruining the atmosphere they had created. “Ugh, it’s my boyfriend,” Cori groaned, looking at the name flashing on the screen. She flicked her gaze between Sky and the phone, a smirk playing on her lips. “Sky, don’t stop,” she instructed, pushing his head back down with one hand and answering her phone with the other.

“Hey, Merit,” Cori said coolly, trying her best to stay composed. “Yeah, I’m feeling a lot better. I’ll let you know what the doctor said after practice, but I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, focus on the game.” She bit her lip, holding back a moan as she tugged Sky’s hair harder. “He did bring my work, and I’ll tackle it in a bit. Okay, babe, I’ll see you when you get out of lacrosse practice. Mhmm, love you too. Bye.” She quickly hung up and tossed her phone to the side, letting out a groan in the process. “Fuck, Sky. Just like that!”

Sky buttoned his jeans as Cori pulled her pajama top back over her head. While he would never apologize for sleeping with his friend’s girlfriend, a pang of guilt stabbed his chest. He hated to admit that Merit, of all people, didn’t deserve to be strung along. “So, when are you going to let him go?” Sky muttered, trying his best to play it off as a joke, grabbing his shirt off the floor.

“You know it’s not that simple,” Cori frowned, her afterglow ruined by Sky’s pestering. “I don’t have much say on whether or not I get to be in a relationship with him. You know our parents have it all planned out. Sue me for having some fun with you while I can.” She stood off the bed, walking to her door to unlock it and see Sky out. “Thanks for bringing over my work.”

“No problem.” Sky grabbed his car keys and bounced them in his hand. “Let me know how things go with-” he gestured at her midsection, unsure what to say.

“I will,” she nodded. “I’d take you with me instead of Merit, but that’s pushing our luck a little too much.” Cori managed a small laugh before pecking Sky on the cheek. “Now shoo, not only Merit, but my dad  will be here soon. I don’t think you want to run into him again.”

He suppressed a shudder at the mention of Cori’s menacing father. Never once had he been scared of a person, but Glenn West certainly cut it close. Sky smiled and made his way out the door. “Bye, Brooklyn. I’ll talk to you later.”

Cori reached out and smacked Sky on the behind as a parting gift, smirking as she did. “I’ll see you around, Curly.”