bloom baby bloom
andrew cody x original female character | mdni 18+ | Part 1/?
When Winnie Fletcher first moves to Oceanside to help a friend out, she crosses paths with Andrew "Pope" Cody and finds she has a hard time staying away. Back in town a few years later, not only have both she and Andrew changed but with Smurf out of the picture, she's not going to let the chance to see if there is something real between them slip away.
content: alcohol consumption, banter, aggressive flirting, swearing.
a/n: Ahh so excited to share the first part of this fic with you all! Let's hold hands as we close our eyes to any glaring inacuracies and remember we're all here to have a good time ËâĄË
ďš .°Ë.â âď¸ â.˰. ďš
Winnie was sure her brain was dying, wiping at a stubborn water stain on the glass in her hand for seemingly the fourth time that day. She was 22, had barely graduated college and was spending the summer working at the local diner, same as sheâd spent most of her summers. The days blurred into each other, the customers all one boring predictable blob of blah.Â
Her phone buzzing in her pocket pulled her out of her self pitying reverie. It was a text from Kat, one of the former waitresses that sheâd met while in college. Kat had moved back home to California a few days after graduation, she was one of those friends who stuck- always checking in, texting updates, scheduling catch up calls.Â
She swiped up on the message, expecting another detailed account of her new nightmare roommate.
SOS, the crazy bitch actually moved out!! I know we joked about you moving out here with me but do you want to? Like seriously, I have a room and need help with the rent!! Also I miss you!!!
Winnie smiled down at her phone, biting at the corner of her thumb. There wasnât anything keeping her here really, her parents were fine, her younger brother had graduated high school and was moving away for college. Would it make much of a difference if she was waitressing here or in California?
Sounds fun, Iâm in! She quickly texted back before putting the offending glass back in the dishwasher for another round. Unwrapping the apron from around her waist, she slowly walked towards the manager's office in the back. Peeking her head in, she saw Dora the day-shift manager poring over inventory sheets.
âHey Dora, you got a second?â she asked, a guilty rock settling into the pit of her stomach. Sheâd been working at The Pinewood Diner since she was 16, and had known Dora even longer.Â
âSure kiddo, whatâs going on?â She looked up smiling but her expression changed once she saw the way Winnie was fidgeting in the doorway âOh no, donât tell me Iâm going to lose you too!â
âIâm sorry, Kat just texted and her crazy roommate- I told you about her right? She refuses to flush! Anyway she just up and moved out and Kat needs a new roommate and Iâm...â she was rambling and waving her hands around.
âBored and taking the chance,â the older woman said, affixing her with a shrewd gaze.Â
Winnie huffed and shrugged, crossing her arms over chest while refusing to meet her gaze.Â
âFine. Of course you should go, get out there! See the worldâ she stood up and pulled Winnie into a bone crushing hug before pulling back.
âOkayâ Winnie said, laughing âOkay well I guessâŚI guess I have to go explain to my parents that Iâm leavingâ she rubbed her hands up and down her jean clad thighs.
âYouâre going to be fine kiddoâ Dora said, smiling at her gently âIâll hold onto this for you, just in caseâ she said, tapping the apron that Winnie had laid on her desk.
âThanks Doraâ
âAnytimeâ
ďš .°Ë.â âď¸ â.˰. ďš
In the end, her parents had been supportive- they were always supportive. They were at every game, every birthday, every event that their kids found important. No request was too much. Did this mean that Winnie and her brother may have grown up a little more spoiled than others? Maybe, but even Winnie knew when to push back, like at the airport counter when her Dad was holding the ticketing agent hostage while trying to convince her to let him upgrade her ticket.Â
âDad please, I do not need to fly business class!â Winnie said, rubbing her eyes and shooting an apologetic look at the ticketing agent.Â
âAre you sure honey? Itâll be so much more comfortableâ he murmured.Â
âThe flight is less than 4 hours, Iâll be fine! No need to waste your money on that.âÂ
âAre you sure you donât want me to come with you?â her mother asked for the third time that morning. âI know you said the other girl left the furniture behind but we could go to Ikea, you love Ikea!â
âIâm sure momâ she said, smiling as the agent sent her a sympathetic smile before handing her boarding pass back. âYouâre all setâ she said and Winnie smiled gratefully as she ushered her family away from that poor woman's line.Â
She had allowed them to follow her into the airport, a rookie mistake. She should have said her goodbyes in the parking garage. Her parents were looking weepy with their arms around each other so she turned to her brother instead.Â
âWinifredâ her brother said, pulling her into a bone crushing hug.Â
âFitzgeraldâ she responded, clapping him on the back as they pulled apart âYou gotta keep our name in good standing around here, the people need to remember that you donât fuck with the Fletchersâ
âIâll do my best.â He said, voice a little thicker than usual and suddenly he wasnât 18 and going off to college at the end of the summer but 8 and crying in their parents driveway while she went off to summer camp. She pulled him into another hug and whispered âGonna miss you Gerald.â
âGonna miss you too Freddieâ he whispered back before pulling away, puffing his chest out and trying to look too tough to miss his big sister.Â
She gave her parents one last kiss goodbye and a half hearted promise to call regularly before hopping on the plane. This would be the first time she was more than a 3 hour drive from her hometown, she couldnât wait.Â
ďš .°Ë.â âď¸ â.˰. ďš
Kat had taken on a job as a bookkeeper at a local firm in Carlsbad âThatâs the nice side of townâ sheâd explained to Winnie after picking her up at the airport in San Diego. âWeâre living in the nicer side of Vista, which is basically the less nice side of Oceansideâ she explained the way the three cities wove into each other while driving them to their apartment.Â
âThis is it!â Kat said, giddy to show her around âItâs nothing special but Iâm sure we can make it look good and Iâm honestly so glad youâre here nowâ she squeezed Winnie into a side hug before depositing one of her suitcases in the bare room. âThis oneâs you, thereâs the guest bathroom across the hall and then Iâm on the other side of the living room.âÂ
Winnie surveyed the room as she put the suitcase she was holding down, it was sparse but it had a bed, dresser and night table. âItâs perfect, thanks Roomieâ she said, grinning at Kat.
âRoomie!â she squeezed Winnieâs hands âIâll let you get settled in and then we gotta get some burritos.â
âOh god yes, the ones with the fries you keep talking about.âÂ
Finding a job had been the first thing on Winnieâs to-do list once she had settled in, sheâd briefly considered a few postings at the bars in downtown before seeing that a diner a few blocks from their apartment was hiring. She had spent most of her free time working at the diner back home, but remembering the anxiety that working at a bar for a week in college gave her she decided to stick to what she knew.Â
She could see from the second she walked into âPollyâsâ that she was dealing with a team that knew exactly what they were doing. Aside from a few summer hires the crew had all been there at least 10 years. And they were nice. Winnie turned the charm up to 100 and walked out of there 15 minutes later with a job and a slice of the best Tres Leches cake sheâd ever had.Â
The girls slipped into a comfortable routine almost immediately. They were both fairly tidy and enjoyed spending time together while also respecting each otherâs need for private time. Kat had roots here and was more than happy to show Winnie around town.Â
She fell in love with Oceanside immediately; the vast skies over the sea, the breeze down by the pier. The cute local markets and dingy dive bars- you could be driving through the most California McMansion neighborhood of all time and five minutes later be stuck in the swampy boondocks of the inland neighborhoods.
Kat was the one who introduced her to the Cody boys, having grown up in and around their orbit. She had mentioned them offhand before, the parties that theyâd thrown while growing up and the dominating matriarch who ruled over them.Â
She had been trying and failing to teach Winnie to surf for the better part of the morning, a few weeks after her arrival in Oceanside. The two of them were sitting on their boards after Winnie had wiped out for the seventh time in a row, catching their breath.Â
âHey Kit-Kat, long time no see!â a loud voice boomed from behind them before Kat was unceremoniously flipped into the water.Â
âCraig you degenerate!â she sputtered, pulling herself back on the board before flipping the tattooed brunette who had paddled up next to her off his.Â
âOoh degenerate, look who learned fancy words at collegeâ the brunette that she assumed was Craig said, treading water before hauling himself back onto his board.Â
âIgnore him, heâs just jealous because he didnât even make it out of high schoolâ said the blonde who had paddled up on Winnieâs left, leaning past her to smile at Kat. âGood to see you again Kat.â
âHey Deran, you too. This is my roommate Winnieâ she said, grinning and nodding in her direction. âWin, this is Deran Cody and this dumbass is his brother Craigâ she jerked a thumb over her shoulder at Craig, who put a hand up to his heart as if wounded.
âNice to meet you guysâ Winnie smiled at the pair before letting loose a yelp and gripping onto the board with her hands as a swell rocked the group.Â
âFirst time on a board?â Deran asked, looking her over and not even trying to hide his amusement.Â
âWhatever gave you that idea?â she huffed, sitting up straight once again though finding herself unable to loosen her grip.Â
âThe way you keep eating shitâ Craig said, earning him a smack from Kat.Â
âShe is doing her best!â Kat insisted.Â
âIf thatâs the case, Iâd hate to see her worstâ Craig said, paddling away to catch the next wave.Â
Winnie snorted âYou know what, thatâs fair. At this point Iâm just here for the aesthetics. Iâll stick to watching surf movies insteadâ
âIt's fun once you get the hang of it,â Deran said, grinning at her.
âThat's what they say about meth and I'm gonna pass on that tooâ she deadpanned.Â
They all laughed and that was that, she attached herself to Deran almost right away, the youngest Cody reminding her so much of her own brother. Craig was closer in age but mentally 15 and she slotted him into the annoying but harmless category.Â
She had the distinct displeasure of meeting Barry, or âBazâ as the others called him at the first party she went to at the Cody house. Baz was a creep, she could see it in his eyes and the fact that he kept calling her âbabeâ when he clearly had a wedding ring on. She spent the rest of the party pointedly turning her back to him anytime their paths crossed. Â
Meeting Smurf at the same party was the most intensely terrifying two minutes of her life.Â
âJust smile and youâll be fine.â Kat said, though she was doing a bad job at hiding the fact that the matriarch of the Cody household set her on edge. âHi Smurf! Itâs so nice to see you againâ She chirped, her smile wider than normal as she dragged Winnie over by the elbow to greet the older woman.Â
âHi Kitty-Kat, glad to see you around again.â She was sitting at a table outside surrounded by party goers like a queen at a feast. Her tone was warm but her eyes were sharp as she took in the pair standing before her.Â
âThis is my roommate Winnie, she just moved here a few weeks ago.â shoving her in front of the older woman like a sacrificial lamb, Winnie felt every ounce of the woman's appraising gaze raking over her.Â
âArenât you a pretty thing, did you meet my boys yet?â she asked, taking a sip of the cocktail in her hand, dark eyes sparking under her raised eyebrow.Â
âYes maâam, theyâre all greatâ Winnie gave Smurf her best smile, and had to fight to keep it on her face when she watched her eyes narrow. âY-you have a lovely homeâ she stammered.Â
âOh you can just call me Smurf, baby. Maâam makes me sound oldâ there was a sharpness to her tone even while she spoke with a smile on her face. âYou two make sure you behave yourselves.â she said, standing suddenly âPretty girls like you can get into all kinds of trouble around hereâ she warned the pair with a wink that felt less chummy than her words implied before making her way inside to refill her drink.Â
âWow, sheâs intense.â Winnie said, turning to look at Kat with raised eyebrows.
âI canât believe you called her Maâam, I wanted the ground to open up for you!â
âShut up, you know my parents were strict on manners!â rubbing her hands up her arms, Winnie followed Kat across the yard to the tiki bar where Craig was handing out drinks.Â
âWinnie needs a shot, she just met Smurfâ Kat announced, grabbing the beer that Craig offered.
âOh yeah, howâd that go?â he asked, reaching into the bag of plastic shot glasses beside him and pulling out three before pouring them each a shot.Â
âI called her Maâamâ Winnie grumbled, sitting on one of the bar stools before downing her drink, Kat following suit.Â
Craig let out a bark of laughter and poured another shot for her âFor that, you get two.â he said, tapping his fingers on the bar.Â
âI appreciate thatâ nodding solemnly, she took her other shot and he followed suit. She shook her head âI swear, Iâve never felt more like a bug under someone's shoe than when she called me âpretty thingââ
âOh yeah, thatâs Smurf.â Kat said âI remember one summer, she wouldnât let me come over and use the pool because Iâd âblossomedââ she said, using her fingers to put the word in air quotes âLike, it was my fault that I got boobs?â
âGreat boobs.â
âShut up Craig.â
âSeriously? How does that work when your parties are like this?â Winnie asked, gesturing at the assembled crowd of scantily clad people.Â
âIt wasnât the boobs, it was Pope.â Craig said, shrugging.Â
âYouâre catholic?â Winnie asked, eyebrows almost disappearing into her hairline. Kat cackled beside her.Â
âNo! Popeâs our brother. HeâŚâ Craig rubbed at his face âI donât even know how to explain Pope to someone whoâs never met him.â
âHe has a staring problem?â Kat provided.Â
âRightâ Craig said pointing at her âand Smurf is overprotective of him. Bet she saw him checking you out and sent you packing.âÂ
âRight, like Iâd ever try to get with Pope.â Kat scoffed. âShe only let me back once she found out I was into girls though, so you may have a point.âÂ
âIs he here now? How come I havenât met him?â Winnie asked, twisting around in her seat to look around the yard, scanning the crowd.Â
âHeâs not one for parties, probably hiding out in his room or wandering the streets somewhere.â Craig shrugged again, finishing his beer with a loud belch.Â
âHard to believe you didnât give Craig a chance before swearing off men forever.â Winnie said, grimacing at Kat.Â
âYou give me the chance Kit-Kat, Iâll make you feel things you wouldnât believe.â Craig lowered himself to rest his arms on the bar, smirking at Kat.
âDespair, disgust, disappointmentâ she ticked off on her fingers âI had my seven minutes in heaven with Craig Cody and learned all I needed to know.â
âThat was sixth grade! Iâve gotten better.â He pouted at her before turning his attention to Winnie, raising an eyebrow and gesturing at the house with his head. âYou wanna?â
She snorted and hopped off the barstool to go mingle with Kat, leaving Craig to try his charms on the girls taking their seats.Â
ďš .°Ë.â âď¸ â.˰. ďš
As it was, the oldest Cody brother suddenly materialized at the next party she was at. Winnie zeroâed in on the stranger immediately, her eyes catching on his crossed arms and the frown on his pretty face. Taller than her, dark curly hair, freckles she could only just make out in the dimmed lights. Brooding in the corner, his narrowed eyes were taking in the crowd gathered at the house with a hostility that told her he wasnât just a regular out of place guest.Â
âWho is that?â Winnie asked, not being able to drag her eyes away from the mysterious figure.
âOh that's Pope.â Deran said, following her gaze. âDidnât realize he was home tonight.â
âThatâs Pope? How come no one mentioned that he was so cute?â she cocked her head to the side âWhatâs his deal?â she asked, turning her gaze on Deran.Â
âDon'tâ Deran warned her laughing.Â
âIt's just a questionâ she responded innocently, running her hands through her hair.Â
âYou're playing with your hair, that's your flirty tellâ Deran pointed out, having seen her work her charms before.Â
Dropping her hands, she rolled her eyes at the blonde next to her âCome on, it's my birthday! Let me have some fun with your brotherâ she whined.Â
âI don't even want to think about that,â he shuddered, âand technically itâs not your birthday until midnight,â he pointed out.Â
âSo what youâre saying is, give it 40 minutes?â She was grinning wickedly now and Deran laughed, shaking his head before firmly planting a hand on her back and steering her away from the kitchen and into the backyard âTrust me, you should stay away from him. Popeâs got some issues.âÂ
Winnie couldnât resist looking over her shoulder in the eldest Codyâs direction, and to her delight she found that his intense stare was already focused on her and Deran. She kept her eyes locked on his until the crowd got between them, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.Â
After all, a staring problem is only a problem if you don't like the attention.Â
ďš .°Ë.â âď¸ â.˰. ďš
Andrew knew he made people uneasy, like when you saw an animal that you werenât sure was friendly or not and you didnât want to take your eyes off it. They did not maintain eye contact however, their eyes would always jump away guiltily when he would stare back at them.Â
Whoever Deran was talking to didnât, he had felt her eyes land on him a few moments ago and observed the pair out of the corner of his eye. Whatever she had said had Deran laughing before he was leading her outside.Â
With their backs to him, Andrew adjusted his gaze to take in the unfamiliar figure. Long hair, shorter than Deran and an even shorter skirt. Another friend of his brothers heâd have to kick out of the house in a hungover stupor in the morning. She looked over her shoulder as Deran led her outside, her eyes catching his and not looking away until she had to. It was unnerving.
He shook his head and looked around the house disgustedly, already trash was beginning to pile up. He made his way to the kitchen and began gathering the discarded cups and bottles there, methodically working his way around the interior of the house while the party went on around him. Eventually he made his way outside and began the same process there.Â
He could see Deran and the girl sitting on the sun loungers by the side gate, he couldnât make out what she was saying but she was gesticulating wildly while Deran shook his head and laughed. Craig joined them and brought the girl a shot which she downed immediately. Her head turned as she was looking around the party, her posture stiffening for a moment when she locked eyes with Andrew again, refusing to look away again.Â
Dropping the bottles he had in his hand in the almost overflowing outdoor trash, Andrew turned and made his way back inside. He had tried to take a look at the guest bathroom before but it was occupied. Seeing the door now opened he made a beeline for it, hoping to get in and give it a once-over before the party devolved into not so clandestine hookups. He was standing in the doorway when he heard someone walk up behind him.Â
âWhat the fuck?â Andrew grunted as he was unceremoniously shoved further into the guest bathroom. He turned around, hands fisting at his sides at the intrusion. It was Deranâs friend.Â
âHi sorry for shoving you like that, you're just like, really hot.â She had closed the bathroom door behind her and was leaning against it, a smile tugging the left corner of her mouth up.Â
Up close, he could see why she had been invited. She was pretty the way all the girls that his brothers spent their time with were; light wavy hair, bright eyes, short dress, strappy heels. His eyes snapped back up to her face where he found sheâd started biting her lip while he assessed her.Â
âWhat?â he asked after a moment, her words registering in slow motion. Â
âHot, like the freckles and the curls and stuff- that frown!â She said pointing at his forehead in delight âReally hot, almost bordering on dangerously cute.â She took a step towards him and Andrew took a step back, bumping into the bathroom counter.Â
âWhat are you doing?â he asked, blinking at her slowly.Â
Shrugging, she took another step towards him, keeping him trapped against the bathroom counter before cocking her head to the side âIt's my birthday.â Her eyes were shining and glassy under the bathroom lights. Why was she looking at him like that?
âHey!â He startled as her hands suddenly reached out to slide up his chest, he pressed himself further into the counter âStop that.â
âItâs my birthdayâ she was whining now, her lips turned up in a pout.Â
âAnd why does that mean you're trying to get your hands under my shirt?â Andrew huffed, grabbing at where her hands were suddenly scrambling to get under the hem, the color already rising high on his neck at having an unfamiliar person- let alone a clearly intoxicated girl- touching him.Â
âBirthday kiss!â She crooned, smiling even wider and trying to get her hands out of his grip. He was careful not to squeeze her hands too tight but he was not going to let go while she was staring up at him with that look in her eyes.Â
âWhat?â He was beginning to get exasperated, where was Deran?Â
âItâs after midnight, which means It's officially my birthday which means I get a birthday kiss and you get to give it to me.â She explained, as if that was a perfectly reasonable explanation for cornering a stranger in a bathroom.Â
âGet to?â Andrew asked, releasing her hands and giving her a gentle push to put some distance between them.Â
âIt's an incredible honor actuallyâ her left hand reached into her hair and she twirled a strand of hair around her fingers âback in my hometown the men fight for the privilege.âÂ
âIs that right? Where are they now?â He looked over her shoulder at the door, trying to gauge if he could step around her without touching her. Noticing his look, she took another step back and leaned against the door, blocking his exit plan with a raised eyebrow.Â
âCan't afford the gasâ she quipped, flicking her hair over her shoulder âCome on Pope, you didn't even get me a gift.â she pouted. Â
âI didn't know you existed until about 2 minutes ago.â Andrew retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. âBefore you accosted me in this bathroom.âÂ
Shaking her head slowly, she licked her lips and said âThat's not true, I saw you watching me earlier.â Â
He flushed to the tips of his ears and looked away, focusing on the corner of the bathroom and counting the number of tiles from the bottom of the shower to the top twice in quick succession to quiet the buzzing in his brain before looking back at her and finding her eyes still on his face.
âYouâre even cuter when you blush.â she commented, cocking her head to the side once again.Â
âWho are you anyway?â Andrew ignored her comment, determined to get through this interaction as painlessly as possible.Â
âWinifred, but you can call me Winnie.â
âThat's a grandma's name.â he frowned, looking her over. She had to be close to his brother's age.Â
âOkay wow, you're actually going to have to stop being mean to me or I am going to fall in love with you.â She was smiling widely at him now, this was the most someone had smiled at Andrew in years, it was beginning to do something very uncomfortable to his insides.Â
âYou're weird, â Shaking his head, he rubbed a hand over his face. âand drunk and holding me hostage.â
âIâm a little tipsy but definitely not drunk!â She said indignantly. âAnd if you give me one little smooch right hereâ she tapped her lips âI promise itâll be good luck.â
Andrew observed her cooly, no one had ever been so direct with him before âGood luck for who?âÂ
âThe world. Don't you want the crops to prosper?â She pouted up at him again, fuck when had she stepped closer.Â
âReally? You magic or something?âÂ
âOnly one way to find out.âÂ
Would it really be so bad to kiss a pretty girl? The thought came to him unbidden, floating up from somewhere he refused to acknowledge. She was still standing in front of him, waiting for an answer with a smile on her lips. His hands twitched at his sides.Â
He took a deep breath but was saved from having to answer by a sharp rap on the door and then Deranâs voice cutting through the too small space. âWinnie, you in there?â
Her eyes went wide and she clapped a hand over Andrews mouth. He grunted as he felt her soft fingers press into his lips, the smell of her perfume invading his nose. His hands gripped the edge of the counter, she was definitely too close now. Â
âYep, Iâm in hereâŚdefinitely aloneâ Her eyes widened innocently as Andrews narrowed.Â
âReally? Because Craig said he saw you shove Pope in here.â Deran said dryly from the other side of the door.Â
âHmm, Doesnât sound like me- he must have confused me with some other beautiful girl trying to have her way with your brotherâ she said, feigning confusion and looking up at Andrew through her eyelashes. To his absolute horror he felt his mouth twitch as if to smile under her hand. She must have been able to feel it because she squeezed his face lightly, eyes bright.Â
âPope? You in there man?â Deran asked, sounding exasperated now.Â
The girl- Winnie- raised her eyebrows at him but made no move to remove her hand from his mouth. He knew he could easily remove it, he knew he should, knew that staying in this bathroom with this girl would be a bad idea. A bad choice.Â
Sensing his hesitation she pitched her voice down and let out a gruff âNoâ that he could only assume was meant to be an impersonation of him.
This whole situation was absurd. He was being held hostage in a bathroom by a drunk girl begging for a kiss while Deran stood outside the door, and now she was pretending to be him, or more accurately pretending to be him pretending he wasnât in there with her. Before he knew what was happening, Andrew felt laughter rising up his chest and pushing out through her fingers in a muffled wheeze, his shoulders shaking with the effort to keep the sound contained.Â
âShhhâ Winnie whispered, though the delight was evident on her face.Â
âWhat the fuck?â Deran asked, banging the door open and taking in the sight of his oldest brother pressed against the bathroom counter, his knuckles white from gripping onto the counter, red-faced and shoulders shaking with Winnieâs hand on his mouth. âWhat the hell are you doing? Take your hand off of Popeâ he said, frowning.Â
âOh you meant this Pope? Your brother? I thought you meant The Pope, I was like âwhy would I be in the bathroom with The Pope, thatâs crazyââ She said, releasing her hold on Andrew and smiling innocently at Deran as she turned around.Â
âYou know what, I donât even want to know what you were doingâ running a hand through his hair, Deran grabbed Winnie by the arm and dragged her out of the bathroom. âI told you to stay away from Popeâ he heard him scold her as he led her away.Â
âHeâs a big boy, he was fine.â She rolled her eyes at Deran before looking over her shoulder at Andrew still red-faced in the bathroom âSee you around!â she called, blowing him a kiss with the hand that had been over his mouth.Â
Andrew rubbed at his lips, skin tingling from where her fingers had been pressing into him.Â
It was only later, while he was sitting on his bed not sleeping as the party wound down around him that he was able to admit to himself that maybe if Deran hadnât knocked when he had, maybe she would have got the kiss she wanted out of him. Maybe.Â
ďš .°Ë.â âď¸ â.˰. ďš
Waving goodbye to the car full of girls that had dropped her off after leaving the Cody house, Winnie sighed and made her way into the apartment she shared with Kat. In the few weeks theyâd been roommates they had spent a considerable amount of time making the place feel more homey. There had been one incredibly successful thrift trip where theyâd found a good sized rug for the living room, some pictures for the walls and a large crochet blanket for their couch.Â
Glancing towards the door that led to Katâs bedroom, she saw the light on under the door and could hear faint giggles. Apparently the date that had kept Kat from joining her at the party had gone well.Â
She went into the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water before grabbing some aspirin out of their medicine cabinet. Swallowing them down, she leant against the counter as she thought about her encounter with Pope. She hadnât really had an idea what to expect when Craig and Kat had first mentioned him. There was definitely something intense about him. But he was also incredibly cute, seeing his freckles and the auburn glints in his curls in the bathroom light up close had almost sent her over the edge. Sheâd always been a sucker for a cute guy, especially when she had a few drinks in her.Â
Katâs door opened and she came out looking disheveled but satisfied, followed by a girl that Winnie recognized from the bar theyâd been at last week. They waved to each other as Kat walked her out, saying their goodbyes outside the door.Â
âYou know, youâre as bad as Craig.â she said to Kat when she came back in, the swagger in her step noticeable.Â
âNah, Craig would blow off a girl to go to a party. I am always about the ladies first. Happy Birthday! Did you have fun?â Grinning, she joined Winnie in the kitchen and gave her a hug.Â
âThanks! I did actually, I got to meet the mysterious Pope.â She told her over the rim of her glass.Â
âOh, howâd that go?â
âI shoved him into the bathroom and begged him for a kiss.â she said with a shrug.Â
Katâs mouth dropped open âYou what?â She breathed, eyes wide.Â
âIn my defense, I was a little bit tipsy and no one warned me that he was that cute!â
âI think you might be the first person to call Pope Cody cute.â Opening the fridge, Kat grabbed one of the bottles of Kombucha that she was fond of and took a sip.Â
âHe did seemâŚoverwhelmed by my affections.â She bit her cheek remembering the way he blushed anytime she came too close.Â
âWait, like he was into it? He kissed you?â Now Kat looked alarmed, grabbing onto Winnie's arm.Â
âNo! Deran kiss-blocked me before anything happened.â She rolled her eyes âI could tell he was thinking about it though. I was this close.âÂ
âYou realize heâs like crazy?â Kat said plainly, putting one hand on her hip.Â
âWhat do you mean?â
âLike, he used to get into fights all the time. Up all night, wandering around. Plus the whole staring thing is creepy. Did he do the staring thing?â
âWe locked eyes like twice, I donât think Iâd call it staring.â
âAnd then you justâŚfollowed him into the bathroom?â
âYep.â
âWow, brave. Did Smurf see you?â She couldnât hide the impressed tone in her voice.Â
âNo, she wasnât there.â
âOk good, Iâm telling you sheâs real weird about Pope and girls. Iâd stay away.â She twisted the top back onto her bottle and popped it back into the fridge. âBirthday Brunch at Curbside tomorrow?âÂ
âOh yes! The coffee cake is calling my nameâ she agreed, draining her glass and placing it in the dishwasher.Â
Kat gave her another quick hug before they parted ways. Picking up her purse from where she'd left it when she walked in, Winnie went to her room.Â
After dumping her purse and shoes, she grabbed some sleep clothes and made her way into the bathroom. With practiced precision, she quickly removed her makeup while the shower heated up.Â
Undressing, she turned to look herself over in the mirror.
Her strawberry blonde hair had begun to frizz as the night went on, her hair putting up a losing battle against the rising humidity. Grabbing a hairband she threw it into a bun at the top of her head to keep it dry. Leaning towards the mirror she inspected her face, there was definitely a pimple forming under her jaw, she tilted her chin up and poked at it.
Ouch, okay deep one.
Sighing she took a step back and turned to look down at her butt, biting her cheek as she watched it jiggle. Turning back to look at herself fully in the mirror, her hands settled on her hips as her eyes roamed over her form.
23. Good boobs, decent butt.Â
Maybe he'd have kissed you if you were more- she cut that thought off right then.Â
âSexy bitchâ she said, winking and pointing at herself in the mirror. A silly ritual she'd picked up in high school when she found herself being overly critical of the way she looked.Â
Grabbing her phone she connected her music to the little speaker she'd hung on the shower wall, after a few moments the sounds of Wolf Aliceâs âBloom Baby Bloomâ began softly filling the bathroom. Stepping into the shower, Winnie hummed along as she washed away the last traces of being 22.Â
But I'll bloom, baby, bloom Watch me, yeah, you'll see just what I'm worth Yes, I'll bloom, baby, bloom Every flower needs to neighbour with the dirt (Wow!)











