Desclaimer: These characters aren't mine. And please don't remind me, reality sometimes hurts. :(

Prologue

4:45 says the clock
Groaning, Shay sat up and shove away the covers. She grab her pillow and smack her face with it repeatedly. Forcing her mind to give up and drop off willingly.

Unfortunately, it doesn't help at all which made her hung her head in frustration.

5 hours.
5 hours of tossing and turning. And huffing and grumbling.
Some fragments of memories of last night's keeping her awake. It's like she had lost control of her mind, for it kept on replaying them over and over again without restraint.

And all she did was shook her head and blink her eyes rapidly to get rid off of them.

Finally, shay stood up and walked glumly towards the door, grabbing her blue plaid hoodie hanging on the wall as she passed by it.

It's still dark outside, she noted when she looked through the window on her right, where a tiny couch was set against it.

Fresh air. Maybe it can help her to clear her mind off things. So she sauntered through the hallway, passing by Troian's bedroom and descend the stairs. Walked along the living room, she now reached the front door.

She was greeted by the early morning cold air. Shay inhaled deeply and breath out shakily as if by doing so, the thoughts running in her mind will fly away with it.

She sat down by the doorsteps, leaning against the cold misty wall.
Her eyes scanning the place about her, the porch light faintly lit the yard, making the now thick layer of Bermuda grass a bit noticeable.

Her eyes unintentionally crossed a particular spot on the left side corner of the yard and she mentally kicked herself because it. She can't help but touch her lower lip lightly when a memory flashed on her mind. Covering her face with both hands, another groan escaped her dry lips.

20 minutes later, she can't take the mocking sight (the spot she may now described as the constant reminder) in front of her anymore.

She needed an escape.
Suddenly she had become claustrophobic. The air in here suddenly wasn't enough to even out her breathing.
She look about her again and her eyes landed onto her car.
Why not a drive? Its better than to walk around, and since she had no idea where she would end up at, it would provide her heat.

Shay went back inside the house then after a few beats she emerged and strode down to her car, keys jiggling on her hand.
She pulled out onto the driveway and drove off.

A shrilling sound awoke Troian in her peaceful slumber. Her hand scrambling on top of her bedside table to snooze off the alarming clock.

A few tries of tapping here and there when she thought she did not hit the button, she raised her head.
Squinting at her clock, that's when she realized the beeping sound was not from her clock, but from another in the other room.
"Ugh." she slumped back down.
It's only 4 in the Sunday morning.

Shay forgot to set the clock back to seven last night.
She thought.
Like a wave, events of last night came rushing back on her.

She buried her face deeper onto her pillow.
I've got nothing to worry about.

They had talked about it few minutes after their recovery even somewhat flippantly. When the awkward silence become too much to handle. And they agreed on something eventually.

She stayed on her bed, lying on her side.
And she waited.
A minute passed and the alarm has stopped its obnoxious ringing.

The silence returned around the house.

She waited.

Still no creaking of doors nor sounds of footsteps.
Troian shrugged. It's too early to get up, anyway. Besides they're off duty for today.
It did not take long, she has fallen back to sleep.

The car moves in a moderate speed, though showing reluctance in trailing a familiar direction.

She has started to get bored, the music coming from the stereo seems not enough to entertain her.

She grab her phone lying on the seat beside her.
Thumb scrolling on the screen looking for a particular face she absolutely needed right now, as she steers the wheels to the right with one hand.

A few more rings before the other line accepted the call.

"Buddy, miss me already? We just parted a couple of hours ago, you know."

"Good morning to you too." she paused. "I'm sorry though. For disturbing-"

"No Shannon. It's okay." a faint yawn. "What time's it?"

"5.45,... Uhm, Ash?" she called hesitantly.

"Can't sleep? Wanna come here?"

Shay's smile widens. "Do you have some kind of mind reading powers, buddy?"

"I was very much surprised actually. It's still working even in ungodly hours." there's an odd silence on the other line."Wait, seriously?"

"Yeah." shay mumbled. Barely a whisper.

They stood silent for a while.

Shay listened on the sounds of breathing coming from her phone.

"I'll wait you here." the tone in Ashley's voice changed. The before playful and teasing tone had turned in a serious one in a way like there's an underlying message.

"Okay, I'm on the way there, thanks Ash."

"No problem buddy. Oh, and drive safely."

"Aye aye."

"Seriously speaking, drive safely."

"What-? Oh so you think I-"

"Hello? little daredevil."

Shay gaped "You really think I'm gonna do stunts on the way there?"

"Well, who knows? Though, I bet right now you're driving using your foot-"

"Whatever. See you later."

Troian squint at the clock for the third time.
7.10 am

Since Shay presumably won't get up anytime soon, maybe this is her cue to pull her now fully awake butt off the bed and trudge in on the next bedroom to wake her up.

This wake up call thing had become an unspoken agreement between them, a formality. Where in the first one to wake up, was the one to do the 'walking alarm clock' thing.
Whether the other was still asleep or just grumpy enough to be budge and ignore the obnoxious beep.

Now Troian stood across the door, fidgeting.
She reached for the knob but not making any effort to open it.
Great, she's having second thought for the first time unlike before.

Uh, I think its much more better if I make our breakfast first. Then I'll go back here after.
She nods to herself.
Sounds good.

To be continue...?

When?

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