August 2014
Rebecca wakes up to the always lovely sound of someone vomiting in her bathroom. She suppresses a groan and weighs her options. She can pretend she never woke up or she can be a good friend and go make sure Lila's alright. Rebecca's battling a nasty headache herself…but it sounds like Lila's puking her guts up. Rebecca makes a decision and heads into the bathroom.
Lila looks like shit, as expected, but Rebecca takes one look in the mirror and stops mentally criticizing her hung over friend. Because wow, Rebecca's almost as bad. She tears her eyes away from her reflection, staring down at Lila. Lila stops vomiting long enough to look up. Her eyes are bloodshot, her makeup smeared, and she's paler than usual.
"I'm not even going to ask if you're alright," Rebecca says. "The answer's pretty obvious."
"Gee, thanks," Lila sneers, and she flushes the toilet but doesn't dare stray from it. Rebecca sighs and gets Lila – and herself – a glass of water. (Rebecca also wants to shower, but it'd probably be insensitive to kick Lila out of the bathroom right this moment.) Lila sets the glass down and asks, "So what the hell happened last night?"
Of course. "Well, what's the last thing you remember?"
"Walking into the club."
So there are quite a few gaps for Rebecca to fill in. "You didn't miss much," Rebecca lies. "Nothing important. You have to take Darcy's car back, though."
Lila groans and puts the toilet lid down so she can lie her head on it. Her eyelids flutter shut.
"If you're going back to sleep, do it somewhere else so I can shower."
"Has anyone ever told you how thoughtful you are?" Lila retorts. No, but someone probably should Rebecca thinks. "Take a shower for all I care. I'm not leaving."
"I'm not showering with you in here. Take a bucket and get out."
"Make me."
Hung Over Lila is probably not as strong as Sober Lila or even Drunk Lila. Rebecca gets Lila under the arms and hauls her to her feet. "That's right. Let's go," Rebecca encourages, walking Lila out of the bathroom and back to the bed. "Lie down and close your eyes. I'll get you a bucket and another glass of water." She pats Lila on the head for good measure (Lila winces, squeezing her eyes shut) and goes to get the bucket and water.
Rebecca showers until the water runs cold, and when she steps out of the bathroom, Lila's asleep, both the bucket and water untouched.
Good. Rebecca's not up for cleaning any mess Lila's capable of making.
X
Days pass, and Rebecca has no contact with Lila whatsoever. Not a text or even any recognition through Facebook. (Yes, Lila forced Rebecca into making an account. Rebecca actually checks it after a day of not receiving any sign of life from Lila.) It's unsettlingly frustrating to not hear from the girl that's been so attached to Rebecca since they met.
Rebecca's even considered looking into any professors with a last name starting with "K" at Middleton. Fortunately, that's not necessary. Otherwise, Rebecca would be interrogating God knows how many professors for information on Lila.
Or she could, you know, text Lila first. But that's not happening either.
Three days go by without any contact with Lila, and maybe Rebecca's just paranoid, but what if Lila's doing this on purpose? What if she remembers that night and is trying to ignore it and –
Rebecca's mental conflict is cut off by the sound of her phone ringing. She can't remember the last time she got a phone call instead of a text. Plus it's two a.m. and even though Rebecca's awake, why has someone decided to call her? Rebecca's surprised to see Lila's face on the screen. (The only way that picture could've gotten there was through Lila. Rebecca has never seen this picture before, and she's not even sure she's ever set pictures for people's numbers. It does mean one thing for sure, though: Lila knows her passcode.)
"Hey, loser," Rebecca greets. She flinches; she hadn't been intending on calling Lila 'loser' but it slipped out. Oops? "What's up?" Rebecca sounds oddly laidback when she is anything but.
"I didn't wake you, did I?"
"No. I've been up."
"Will you come to the roof? I have to talk to you."
"Sure."
Rebecca rushes. She walks briskly, and halfway to the sorority house, she starts running, which is ridiculous. Rebecca hates running.
It's only just after two a.m., so the other sorority girls are still up snorting coke – and probably meth – in the living room. They look up, but they're too high to give a damn about Rebecca's unexpected entrance. Rebecca doesn't spare them a glance and heads straight to the roof. Lila's seated on the edge overlooking the city. Even though her back's to Rebecca, Rebecca knows Lila's crying.
(Another reason befriending Lila Stangard was a bad idea. She's too emotional, and Rebecca's not good at handling it.)
Rebecca hoists herself up onto the ledge, straddling it so she can face Lila. "What happened?" Rebecca asks, and her voice is a hell of a lot softer than she'd been expecting. There isn't much "soft" about Rebecca. (Only when it comes to Lila.)
"Darcy wants to end it," Lila says, attempting to control her tears. "I know I shouldn't be surprised. They never leave their wives."
Rebecca, though she'd never tell Lila, is elated. She tries to sound sympathetic for Lila's sake. "But you hoped he would."
"Tell me it's better this way."
"It's better this way."
Lila looks over at Rebecca and smiles slightly. "I broke up with Griffin," she adds. "I'm not upset about that."
Rebecca chuckles. "Good."
It's not enough to lift Lila's spirits. The crying starts back up, and Rebecca swings her other leg over the ledge and slides closer to Lila. She can't bring herself to look at the girl when she reaches over and grasps her hand.
After a few minutes passes in silence, Lila says, "We should do something. Something fun, so I don't have to think about Darcy."
"We did something fun a few nights ago. It didn't work out so well," Rebecca reminds.
"I know."
She knows? Does that mean she remembers? Rebecca doesn't ask. Instead, she gets an idea. "I know what we can do," Rebecca says. "C'mon. You have to put some better shoes on."
X
It's nothing special, really. They just walk to a nearby park at three a.m. Lila brightens considerably, though, so Rebecca decides she's made the right choice. They sit on the swings, and Lila tells the story of how she broke up with Griffin. Apparently she called him a "Jesus-obsessed control freak" and bitched him out for forcing her into a virginity pact.
Rebecca smiles. "I'm so proud of you," she says with just a touch of sarcasm. She nudges Lila's arm with her elbow, and Lila rolls her eyes.
"I feel free," Lila declares. "I don't need Griffin." She hesitates. "Do you think I can convince Darcy to –?"
"To what? Leave his wife? Not leave you?"
Lila smiles apologetically. "Something like that."
"Probably not." Hopefully not.
"Maybe he'll change his mind," Lila says.
"Yeah. Maybe."
X
Lila shows up at the bar the next night, and the frat boys drool over her now that they know she's single. She waves them off, declines their offers for drinks, and patiently waits for Rebecca's attention.
"I have to talk to you about something," Lila says, and she almost seems nervous.
"Okay."
Lila leans forward and lowers her voice. "I can't deal anymore. I just – I can't do it."
"Okay," Rebecca repeats. "Anything else?"
"Are you free after work?"
X
Lila drags Rebecca to the pool. It's a few hours before closing, and there's no one else there. Rebecca complains halfheartedly, but it's an excuse to see Lila in a bikini. Lila smiles knowingly when she notices where Rebecca's eyes are. Lila also proves herself ruthless and shoves Rebecca into the pool. At least she jumps in a few moments later, right as Rebecca surfaces.
"You're a bitch," Rebecca sputters, and Lila laughs and splashes water at Rebecca's face. While Rebecca recovers, Lila wraps her arms around Rebecca's neck from behind, linking her legs around Rebecca's waist and holding on.
Rebecca wonders why they didn't do this before.
X
Rebecca's not stupid. She knows Lila's using her to get over Darcy, and honestly, Rebecca is completely fine with that. When Lila wants to do something, Rebecca does it. Two days after they go swimming, Lila texts Rebecca.
We're having a movie marathon tonight at my place. Bring booze.
Rebecca's not one to disappoint (Lila) and she steals a bottle of the shit she personally hates from the bar. It's Lila's favorite.
Rebecca arrives at the sorority house to find it fairly empty. Lila's already on the couch, and she informs, "I already have the movies picked out. You're gonna like it." She grins. "Crappy horror movies."
"Yes," Rebecca says, shutting the lights off. She throws herself down on the couch beside Lila and hands her the bottle. "All yours," Rebecca says.
"You hate this," Lila says.
"Yeah. So?"
Lila smiles. She starts the first movie which is hilariously bad, and they laugh through the entire thing. The second movie is the same, but Lila underestimated the third. The third movie genuinely freaks Lila out, and she clutches onto Rebecca's arm at least four times. Not to mention the one time she screams and scares the shit out of Rebecca – but they both promise not to bring that up again.
Lila doesn't make it past the beginning of the fourth movie. She desperately tries to stay awake, and when she fails, her head falls onto Rebecca's shoulder. This action renders Rebecca unable to get up and use the bathroom, so she waits as long as she can. Not that Lila wakes up once Rebecca finally cracks. Rebecca throws a blanket over her and finishes up the rest of the movies from the armchair.
X
Lila, for some unfathomable reason, decides she wants to give tennis a shot. Rebecca does her best, but Lila sucks. No other way to say it. Rebecca spends the rest of the day teasing Lila about it.
"I have never in my life seen someone play worse than you," Rebecca says.
"Oh, come on! I wasn't that bad!"
"Trust me, you were."
X
Lila coerces Rebecca into a game of Monopoly one night, which she soon realizes is a mistake. The third time Rebecca lands on Lila's most expensive property, she goes bankrupt and flips the board. Lila falls sideways on Rebecca's bed in a fit of laughter.
"It's not funny! Clean up the damn game!" Rebecca says, and she tries to sound angry, but it's incredibly hard with Lila's sidesplitting laughter.
"Who knew all it takes to piss you off is losing a game of Monopoly?" Lila says once she pulls it together.
"Shut the fuck up," Rebecca says, pointing a finger at Lila, but she's fighting a smile, and it gives her away.
X
Lila tells Rebecca they're going for a walk. Yeah, a walk right to a bowling alley. It takes Lila five minutes just to convince Rebecca to step inside. (Lila pouts, and Rebecca caves.) As much as Rebecca claims she hates bowling, she nearly breaks two hundred. Lila raises an eyebrow at her.
"You hate it so much, but you're really good?" Lila questions.
Rebecca gapes. "Shut up."
"Okay," Lila says with a smile. (Lila's score isn't bad, but it pales in comparison to Rebecca's. Who knew?)
X
Lila tries her hand at cooking one night. Rebecca looks on. She finds Lila's frustration wonderfully amusing…and pretty adorable.
"I give up," Lila sighs after ruining her third attempt at lasagna. "Let's just order pizza."
X
"You're making this way harder than it has to be," Rebecca says.
"You're a terrible teacher," Lila retorts.
"Why do you even need to know how to dance?" Rebecca questions.
"What if there's, like, a thing –"
"A thing. Very descriptive, loser. If you wanted to be this close to me, you could just ask."
Lila stutters, unable to find words, and Rebecca laughs. "You're so cute when you're embarrassed." She pokes Lila in the cheek, and Lila pushes Rebecca back, huffing and crossing her arms over her chest. "You're cute when you pretend to be angry, too," Rebecca teases. "Alright, relax. Let's try this again. Try not to step on me this time."
X
The night of the dancing fiasco, Rebecca lies in bed and stares up at the ceiling. The shit Lila's been making her do the past couple weeks…they've all practically been dates. Maybe Lila doesn't see it that way, but once Rebecca realizes this, she can't stop seeing it.
Has she been dating Lila Stangard? (Is it possible to date someone without them knowing?)
Rebecca's phone goes off, and she checks the text message.
Mr. Darcy's decided he's not breaking it off after all!