Chapter Sixteen: Families and other significant declarations (Cook's POV)

Saturday at 8:45 AM

"Hello, Princess." Cook said cheerfully even though he had only gone to bed about two hours ago and was extremely tired but that didn't matter because Cook was insanely happy that Effy had called until she had begun crying on the other end. Alarmed, Cook shoot up straight in his twin bed and leaned against the wall behind him, "Effy, what's wrong?" Cook asked but Effy just kept crying.

"Effy, tell me what's wrong?" Cook said impatiently, he was growing more and more worried. What the fuck could he do if she wouldn't tell him what was up? Cook didn't like the feeling of being useless especially when it came to Effy.

"Effy, Please…" but Cook didn't get to finish before Effy interrupted him with, "I'm s-s-sorry, I'm just…" but Effy didn't finish either as she began to cry even harder than before and having no choice, Cook decided to wait; there weren't going to get anywhere with her crying so hard that she was unable to speak. To Cook, It seemed like forever (It had only been six minutes) that Effy had calmed down long enough to talk and she said with a sniffle, "I'm sorry, cook. I didn't mean to worry you."

"Its fine, I just want to know what happened." Cook said patiently, thinking that finally all his questions were going to be answered but there was only silence on the other end and for a second Cook worried that Effy had started crying again but instead she asked, "Can I come over?"

"Effy…" Cook was growing angry with Effy, she was being weird and invasive which only seemed to worry Cook more and he didn't like that shit!

"Cook, I really need to come over." Effy said with an annoyed voice before adding, "I promise I'll tell you everything." That Calmed Cook a little

"As long as you promise to tell me everything." Despite himself (and the situation) Cook couldn't help but smile when he thought Effy was coming over to my place and that made Cook giddy with nervous excitement.

"I Promise." Cook could tell that Effy was also smiling on the other line by the tone of her voice.

"I live in the Roundview Housing Community." Cook didn't feel the need to elaborate; everyone knew where the Roundview housing district was; even a rich girl like Effy knew.

"I know. I'll be there in about thirty minutes." And the phone went dead.

As soon as Effy hung up, Cook jumped out of his bed and raced around his room to clean up. He wasn't about to have Effy walk into his place looking the way it did, she'd think he was a slob (which he was but Effy didn't need to know that yet) and Once Cook got the room to look like he wanted it too (Clean enough to not send her running but not clean enough to look like he had been trying) he decided to work on what he was going to wear when he realized that he was only in boxer briefs. Cook may not be the most mannered person but he knew that when company came over you were supposed to at least have pajama bottoms and a shirt on but Cook ended up deciding against putting anything on when he took a look at the digital clock on his night stand and realized it was only nine in the morning on a Saturday.

Nobody was up at this time anyway Cook thought with a shake of his head plus boxers are easier to take off if things get sexy while she's here Cook smirked and walked toward the so-called bathroom area of the small living accommodation that the college let him live in as long as he passed at least three of his main classes. The bathroom was only made of a small toilet on the left end and a basin that was centered in the middle of the bathroom and the shower (If it could be called that) was a small tiled- rectangle shaped area in the right end that Cook could barely stand in and what was used to block off the water from the shower head to prevent flooding of the bathroom; barely worked and tended to actually flood the bathroom area and some of the bedroom area as well. So Cook only opted to take a shower once every other week (all the other times, he only washed his armpits and groin area in the basin.) but since Effy was coming over he guessed he could suffer through a shower, he didn't want to smell like stall beer and vomit when she came over.

As predicted, it had took Cook nearly twenty minutes to take a proper shower (He had ending up nearly splitting his head open when he slipped on the wet tiled floor.) and change into a clean pair of boxer briefs (He decided to wear the fancy orange and blue one that he had stolen from some store near London he had went to about two years ago.) and sat back on his bed to watch some TV before Effy came over (The TV sat on top of his mini refrigerator at the end of his bed.) but Cook wasn't really paying attention to what was on, he was too excited about seeing Effy. He had originally planned to bring Effy back to his place last night but Emily and Katie's cock-blocking prevented that but now he was a little happy that Effy hadn't come over with how dirty his place had look about twenty minutes ago. It wasn't until ten minutes later that Cook heard the knock at the door; he turned off the TV and opened the door but Cook's excitement faded when he saw just how depressed and disheveled Effy looked; she had bits and pieces of confetti from last night's party still in her hair, her makeup was smeared and smudged, and her outfit looked like it had been hastily thrown together without though or impression.

In all the years, Cook had known Effy (and of her) he had never seen her look like this even after her accident before 6th form, she still made it her duty to look sexy even with all her cuts and bruises. "You gonna let me in?" Effy said with a shy smile, she was a little unnerved by Cook's stunned staring which wasn't something Cook had realized he'd been doing until Effy had gave him a self-conscious look and with an embarrassed sigh he said softly, "Yeah." He opened the door wider and stepped aside to let Effy in.

Cook noticed that Effy also swayed into Cook's place with the same superiority that she had walked into with Keith's pub last night and in dull voice she said, "These places are smaller than I thought." She walked around the small accommodation with an less than impressed look and for a moment Cook was bothered by Effy's better- than- thou attitude, We can't all be rich, princess! Cook thought angrily but his anger dissolved when she spoke with a bright smile, "It feels like it's your place though, it's a little cleaner than I thought it would be." And with that Effy shoot him a knowing smile.

Cook couldn't help but smile either, he had been a idiot to think he could fool the all- knowing Effy Stonem, "Yeah, the College only believes that a bed and a shower is all you need but I had to pimp it out a little bit, I wasn't about to live in a plain lifeless place, you know?" Cook shrugged before adding, "I can at least make the place I live in feel like home."

"Yeah, I understand that." Effy said with a sad look before turning around to look at a picture on the night stand beside Cook's bed, "Who are they?" Effy asked, holding up the picture with gentle hands and a touched smile.

"My family." Cook's smile from earlier faded, talk about his family always sobered him right up. Cook walked over to Effy and took the picture out of her hands and sat back on the bed, Cook hadn't really looked at this picture in ages; he passed it day in and day out but he never took time to think on the past or the events that had transpired then either because in Cook's mind it was called the past for a reason: the pain was supposed to be left there. Cook looked like he was barely one in the picture and he was being held by his mother who was smiling, his older brother Paddy looked like he was about six or so in the picture and he was on the shoulders of their father who was giving the cameraman the finger, "They all died." And with a deep inhale, Cook sat the picture frame back on the night stand.

"How'd they die?" Effy asked, she went to take off her shoes but realized with embarrassment that she hadn't put any on and with a light smile climbed into the bed next to Cook.

"My older brother Paddy was killed by a mugger when he was nineteen." Cook knew what Effy was going to ask next before she even said, "your mother and father?"

"My dad died when I was ten and my mother when I was twelve." Cook stared at the 'Chris loves fish' sign that had been painted on the wall near the door years before Cook had even been assigned the room, "My father died in a car crash and my mother died from Cancer. My brother took care of me until his death and then I was sent into foster care until last year."

Effy gave him an understanding look before saying, "I heard rumors you were an orphan but…" Effy ran a hand through her hair before adding, "I'm sorry I pried."

"At least you asked instead of assuming like most do." Cook knew everyone at Roundview just assumed that Cook's criminal past was because he was an orphan and he was happy Effy had asked instead of making up lies in her head and never giving Cook the chance to tell her the history behind his less than favorable actions. Not even JJ, Naomi, or Freddie asked questions, they just believed he was a thug.

"Effy, what happened earlier?" Cook had shared his pain, it was time that Effy did as well. Effy said nothing for a few moments before she sighed and said, "Nothing, I'm not used too. It's just…" Effy paused before she blurted harshly, "I think my parents are really going to get a divorce." Cook could see Effy's hands shaking as she said it.

"What you mean?" Cook gave Effy a confused look, "Didn't your parents already get a divorce?" Cook could have sworn that he had overheard Effy tell Lara Thompson that her mother had gotten a lot of money in alimony and had bought her that 2013 corvette Effy drove as a divorce present; she had been showing off that car around College for the last two months. Effy shoot him a bitter glance before saying, "I just tell people that. Only Emily, Pandora, Naomi, and Katie know that my parents are still together and besides it's not like anyone cares enough to dispute my lies. "Cook nodded his head in understanding before he grew confused again, "How does Naomi know? Don't you two hate each other?"

Effy signed, "That's a long story, Cook." She moved closer to Cook as she said, "and I don't hate Naomi, she hates me."

Cook wasn't going to argue that, the war between Effy and Naomi did seem a little one-sided but Cook couldn't help asking, "Then why'd you go off on Naomi last night?" Effy gave Cook an annoyed look before she spoke with irritation, "I already got what I deserved for my outburst; first being yelled at by you and then being yelled at by Emily and you know as well as I do she started it." Cook chuckled at that, he wasn't surprised Emily had ripped a new one in Effy for what she had said last night. Cook could still remember Naomi doing the same to Mandy back when she and Mandy had been dating, he couldn't remember what Mandy had said but he could remember never loving Naomi more on that day when she broke up with Mandy. Cook knew Mandy told everyone that it was her that had ended things with Naomi but that was a lie as far as Cook was concerned, Mandy just couldn't handle looking like the fool.

"Maybe with all the cards on the table, they'll finally get together and end all our suffering." Cook said with a light smile.

Effy gave him a grim smile, "I wouldn't be so sure, I could remember some yelling between Naomi and Emily last night."

"You got to be kidding me?!" Cook couldn't help but be a little annoyed. When where Emily and Naomi going to straighten their shit out and finally get together?

"My exact thoughts but nothing we can do. I just hope Naomi takes the stick out of her ass and Emily grows some fucking balls before it's too late and they start hating each other." Effy grabbed at the blanket on the bed to cover herself up and snuggled closer to Cook, putting her head on his shoulder.

Cook couldn't agree more, Naomi and Emily were playing a dangerous game and it was going to blow up in their faces, if it already hadn't, "So how'd you get that car then?" Cook asked a little while later, still smiling inwardly at Effy's close presence.

Cook could feel Effy's shrug as she muttered, "My brother partly bought it for me as a birthday present and partly as an apology for not coming home in about three years." Effy tilted her head further into Cook's shoulder as Cook began to run his hands through her hair. The two sat like that for a long time before Effy said so softly that Cook almost didn't hear her, "I just wish that my parents would see how their broken marriage is affecting everyone… I haven't seen my brother in three years before two months ago, I barely sleep anymore, my mum ignores me, my dad yells at me, and everybody acts like their happy in public but really their miserable, I'm just tired of pretending that I'm happy." Cook could feel Effy's tears on his bare shoulder, "I just want to actually be happy."

What Cook said next took more courage to say than the courage it took for Cook to do anything he had ever done in his lifetime, "I can make you happy, Effy." Effy still had her head on his shoulder when she began to cry again and through a violent sob, she said shaking "I know you can." Cook held Effy tight as she cried. They stayed like that for hours with Cook holding her and Effy crying.

Cook fell asleep from the warmness of Effy's body against his but Effy's soft voice awoke him, "Maybe I shouldn't be complaining since I at least still have my parents and brother." Effy's crying had dulled to light sobbing.

Cook shook his head as he said, "You may still have them but they aren't your family from what you've told me." While Cook's family might all be dead and they may have been a little dysfunctional when they had been alive but he knew what family meant: Family meant love; Family meant happiness and it seemed Effy had none of that and it was killing Cook to see her so miserable.

"What can I do about that Cook? It is what it is." Effy seemed so convicted of that, that cook had to resist the urge to roll his eyes and bang his head against the wall.

"We create our own families, Effy." If his brother, mother, and father's deaths or his slant in juvenile hall had taught him anything it had been that we make our own choices and if Effy wanted to be happy, she had to make choices that would make her happy, "I made mine JJ, Naomi, and Freddie." Cook continued to hold Effy as they went from sitting against the wall to lying in the bed and Cook took Effy's hand in his own and said, "And if you'll have me I can be a part of yours."

Effy's lightly laughed as she looked up at him, "Are you asking me to marry you?" Effy moved her head from her shoulder to his bare chest wearing a cocky smile. For a brief moment, Cook was shocked that she thought he had really wanted to marry her at seventeen but Effy's teasing laughter brought him back to earth and his shock turned to his own playful laugher.

"Real funny, Effy." Cook smiled with mischief, "Know what's also funny?" Effy didn't get a chance to ask before Cook began tickling her.

"Cook! Stop!" Effy laughed loudly.

"I'll agree to stop if you agree to be my girlfriend." Cook smiled cheekily.

"Never!" Effy squealed as Cook pinched her.

"Hey! No pinching!" Effy exclaimed, slapping him on the shoulder.

"All's fair in love and war." Cook smiled before he realized what he had just implied.

"You love me?" Effy asked quietly, she didn't look shocked by his implied declaration but she did look a little uneasy.

Cook shrugged shyly but he wasn't one to back down from anything even love, "Yeah, I love ya." Effy gave him a breathtaking smile and kissed him lightly on the lips before saying with such tenderness that Cook's heart swelled with all the love he had for Effy "I'll be your girlfriend, Cook." Cook couldn't remember the last time he had been as happy as he was now and with that there was no more taking, the only thing that could be heard in the room shortly after was the sounds of love making and declarations of love.