Cookies and Lies
727 Words
Gemma stood in front of the neighbor’s house with the cookie box balanced carefully in her hands. She knocked once, then waited.
The door opened, and Diego was the one standing there.
“Oh,” she said, blinking. “Where’s Collins?”
Diego hesitated, then shrugged. “He went out.”
“Out where?”
He tilted his head. “You’re really committed to this.”
She ignored that and held out the box. “Just give this to him when he comes back.”
Diego looked down at the cookies, then back at her. “So you actually baked them.”
She shifted her weight. “I said I would.”
A small smile tugged at his mouth. “Guess you took my advice.”
She didn’t respond. She turned around and walked away, not even waiting for him to say anything else.
When Collins came back later that day, Diego handed him the box.
“What’s this?” Collins asked.
“Cookies,” Diego said. “From Gemma.”
Collins barely glanced at it before tossing it straight into the trash and walking away. Diego didn’t see it. He’d already gone upstairs.
The next morning, Diego came into the kitchen and froze when he noticed the familiar box sitting in the trash can. He stared at it for a long moment before pulling it out.
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Gemma was already outside the next morning, fixing the strap of her bag when Diego jogged up beside her.
“Morning,” he said.
“Hey.”
They started walking together.
“So,” she said casually, “did Collins get home last night?”
“Yeah,” Diego replied.
She nodded. “What time?”
“Late.”
“Oh.” She paused. “Did he… say anything?”
Diego glanced at her. “About what?”
She tried to sound normal. “About… stuff.”
He smirked. “Stuff?”
She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”
They walked a little farther.
“He liked the cookies,” Diego said finally.
She stopped walking. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
Her face changed instantly. Bright. Open. Relieved.
“That’s good,” she said, smiling to herself. “I wasn’t sure if I overbaked them.”
Diego watched her for a second. “They were fine.”
She laughed softly. “I might make something else next time.”
“For him?” Diego asked.
“Obviously.”
She kept talking about it the whole way to school — how she might try another recipe, how she hoped he actually ate them, how she’d worried they might be too sweet.
Diego listened. He lied easily.
After school, Gemma stopped him near the gate.
“I’m getting ice cream,” she said. “You’re coming.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“To say thank you.”
“For what?”
“For helping me,” she said, already walking.
They talked while waiting in line — mostly about random things. Classes. Teachers. Football practice. She asked about his games, and that was when he really started talking.
After ice cream, Diego said he was heading home.
“Then invite me,” Gemma said.
He laughed. “You’re serious?”
“Yes.”
At the house, she kept circling back to one thing.
“I want to see Collins’ room "
Diego sighed. “You don’t quit
Eventually, he gave in. She stepped inside the room, smiling like she’d just won something.
When they left, Diego joked, “Pretty sure you wouldn’t want to see my room.”
She laughed. “Why would I be in there?”
He laughed too, but there was a pause just a second too long.
Before she left, he scratched the back of his neck. “Hey. Can I get your number?”
She looked at him. “Why?”
“So I can… tell you more stuff about Collins.”
She smiled. “Sure.”
That night, Gemma texted first.
Most of her messages were about Collins.
What he liked. What he didn’t. What she should bake next.
Diego replied, short and flat.
But when she asked about football ........ about his position, his games, his training , his replies grew longer. Detailed. Animated.
After some mins they both texted each other goodnight and went offline.
- Writer
