After Pepper walks out of her last class of the day, trying to leave the building, she spots Cedric with the same girl from earlier. They are being very touchy and lovey dovey. And then he kisses her. It's a long and passionate one. 'He's never kissed me like that...' Her eyes fill with tears as she realizes that they are more than friends.
She starts towards the exit when the bell rings and all of the students pile out of the classrooms. She quickly pushed herself on a wall so she doesn't get caught in the stampede.
Once the crowd dies down, Cedric comes and finds her. "Hey baby. Are you alright? I thought you might have been trampled in that stampede." He chuckles, sneaking his arm around her waist. Pepper just rolls her eyes.
"I know I'm short, but I'm not that short." She huffs.
"What's wrong?" He looks down at her
"Nothing." She shrugs, trying to be chill
"Okay.... well let's get going then." Cedric says, still skeptical
Pepper gazes down at the flowers in her hand. Admiring them and thinking about who may have gotten them for her. Cedric, just now noticing the flowers, stops walking and turn to Pepper.
"Where did you get those from?" He asks, trying not to snap at her
"My locker." She answers cooly
"Well who put them there?" Cedric starts to get upset.
"I don't know." Pepper shrugs. "Why does it matter?"
"It matters because I didn't put them there and I'm your boyfriend."
"Well clearly not. You were kissing some random girl earlier." Now Pepper starts to get upset.
"What? I have got no idea what you're talking about." He clearly lies.
"I saw you kiss her!"
"You don't know what you saw!"
"Yes I do!" Tears come to her eyes. "You are a lying, dirty cheater, and worse," She pauses, looking him in the eye. "A liar." She spits.
Cedric just looks at her. He looks confused, hurt, sorry, a whole bunch if things. Pepper starts full crying at this point and runs off. She doesn't get too far before she bumps into someone.
"Oh I'm so sorry." She looks up at who she hit and it's Matthew. He starts to go into big brother mode.
"What's wrong? Who made you cry?" He wraps her in a hug.
"N-nobody." She tries to lie.
"Nuh uh. You don't just cry for no reason. I know you. Who made you cry?"
"Cedric..."
He sighs angrily
"I told you that guy was no good." He mutters. "Let's go home, okay?" He tells Pepper, softening his voice.
Pepper just nods, still in tears. Matthew puts his arm around her and leads her to the bus, being on lookout for Cedric.
When they get on the bus, Matthew goes to his seat at the front and Pepper goes to hers at the back of the bus. Instead of finding Cedric sitting at her seat, she finds Theo with Cedric sitting in the seat across the aisleway.
"What's wrong, sis?" Theo asks, concerned
"Him..." Pepper whispers, glancing over at Cedric.
"Cedric? What did he do?" He looks at Cedric for a moment before looks back to Pepper
"He was kissing some girl..." She mumbles and looks at her feet.
"Oh.... Well... I tried to warn you..." He wraps her in a tight, bur comforting, hug.
The bus stops and Cedric gets off. As Pepper is still swaddled Theodores hug, Theo swiftly flips Cedric off as he's leaving and without Pepper noticing. Theo releases Pepper and touches the bouquet of Lillie's gently. "Who got you these?"
"I'm not sure. They were just in my locker this morning." She pauses, wondering if she should continue. "There was a note attached to them too."
"Let me see." Theo sits up straight
Pepper hands him the small piece of paper and Theo looks at it. "Hmm."
"What is it?" Pepper sits up as well
"I've seen this handwriting before but... I can't place it... but I definitely recognize it."
"Hm. Okay." Pepper has to turn away so her brother doesn't see her slight, small smile.
The bus stops once again. "Well this is our stop. Come on." Theodore tells his sister.
They both stand up and make their way to the front of the bus, right behind their other two brothers.
"Is Mama home yet?" Peppy asks Theo as they descended from the bus.
"Nah, she's got to work late agai-... Her car is in the driveway?" Theo looks scared, surprised, happy and confused all at the same time as he walks over to the vehicle. Matthew and Paxton are already standing over it. Looking at it. Touching it. Making sure it's not their imagination. Pepper drops her bag right in the driveway and runs inside. "Mama?! Mama is everything okay?!"