A/N: He guys, sorry this is late, Uni freshers was a lot of fun but meant I didn't have much time. Hope you enjoy this ~ Emma and Sarah
He woke up to the pounding in his head and the feeling he wasn't sure where he was. When he lifted his eyelids, he was met with light so bright he thought it might burn his retinas. He jerked his head away which only lead to more pounding.
He slowly peeled back his eyes to see that the curtains were intact still covering the windows. Jeez, how much did he have to drink? He looked around the room not recognising anything at all. He groaned at himself, how could he let himself get this out of control. His heart suddenly skipped a beat as panic washed over him. Had he and Betty…. please God no…
A wave of relief cleansed him of his anxiety, he was still fully clothed, leather jacket and all.
"You're up!" said a voice he was all too familiar with. The decibels hurt his ears,
"Can't you be any quieter?" He groaned,
"Sorry," she whispered a smile still broad on her face, "I've got you breakfast,"
She virtually slammed the tray down on his lap, the sudden movement causing his great pain. His fault though, he supposed.
"We're still at Liam's, he let us stay," she said answering his unsaid questions, "How did you sleep?"
"You tell me," he said with a grin that probably looked more like a grimace,
"How much do you remember of last night," she said with an intense look in her eyes. Oh shit. Ah crap,
"Did we…" he said not quite wanting to say it aloud, but they both knew what he meant,
"Oh! No, no, you passed out before it got too late anyway,
A moments pause became an awkward silence. He ran through the last nights events in his head, though it mostly consisted of him doing too many shots too early. He had wandered outside at one point to get away from Betty, but she'd found him. Again. Images flashed in his head of wings and then a woman. A woman attacking Betty. A woman. With Wings. Attacking Betty.
"I'm guessing I passed out on the terrace?" He said, because that had to be a dream. Unless someone slipped him LSD…
"Yeah, why d'you ask?" She said, an off look of curiosity on her face,
"Weird dream," he replied rubbing his eyes, "there were no drugs at the party right?"
"Not that I'm aware of," she giggled, "We've all had weird dreams after a wild night out,"
Well he'd never had that before. He didn't think he could remember a single night out were he remembered the dream the next day. He tried to shake it off, but more flashes just came to him. Jackson stepping in. His girlfriend stabbing it. The woman turned to dust. He picked up his fork and stabbed a piece of bacon.
"It's Saturday isn't it?" He said through a mouthful, and he saw Betty cringe,
"Yes?"
He paused for a moment, but then he remembered-
"Fuck," he said, scoffing some eggs while digging his phone out with the other hand,
"What's wrong?" She said and he wanted to snap that it was none of her business. Good job his mouth was full really.
One in the afternoon. Five missed calls from his dad. Five from his dad was about equal to thirty from most parents. He was supposed to be having lunch with him and his bobble headed wife. He swallowed his mouthful and called back. His dad picked up on the first ring.
"Where the hell are you Rory McKenzie!" Damn he was angry,
"Stayed over at a friends after a party," he replied nonchalantly, despite the fact he had actually planned to attend. Just so his dad would take a step back. He didn't regret missing it though.
"Lunch?" His father demanded, he could almost see the red splotches that would have formed on his cheeks,
"Sorry, slipped my mind. You know how it is, I mean my 16th birthday slipped yours pretty easily, and my 17th," he had to stab the pancake really hard to keep the anger out of his voice,
"I made it up to you," his father just sounded tired,
"Remind me to buy you something expensive when I'm a millionaire to make it up to you."
Just like the he hung up.
"Don't get on with your dad?" She made him jump, he'd completely forgotten she was there,
"Nope," he replied, relaxing into the headboard,
"I know the feeling," she said, her usual volume reduced, her voice becoming soft, when he looked over she wasn't looking at him,
"Thanks for breakfast," he said, his usual annoyance was also reduced, "why a banana though?"
"Electrolytes," she said, "good for hangovers,"
The fact that an intelligent word came from her lips surprised him,
"Thanks," he said again, unsure of what else to say when a thought popped into his head, "Is the school pool open today?"
He wanted an excuse to be out of his house,
"Do you ever not train?" She said raising an eyebrow,
"Nope," he said with a weak grin,
She sighed dramatically whipping out her rose gold phone. He heard a few Facebook Messenger noises and then moments later she stuck her phone at him,
'Jackson, is the school pool open today?' - BETTY
'I think this is the first time you've messaged me about something other than saving your ass' - PERCY
'Just answer the damn question' - BETTY
'Yes. Everyday of the week, no lifeguard out of school hours though. Why?' - PERCY
"You need Jackson to save your ass?" He said with a smirk,
"Oh," she looked shocked, like she'd slipped up or something, "Urm, with… homework… and stuff,"
"Jackson? Who's worse than you in every class? You don't have to play dumb to get guys Betty," he rolled his eyes setting the tray aside and getting out of bed,
"Plus, he has a girlfriend, and that would be low, even for you," he instantly cringed realising what he just said, the hurt was clean in her eyes, "not what I meant, urm, thanks again for breakfast,"
He practically bolted out of the room, leaving her sitting on the edge of the bed dumbstruck.
He couldn't wait to dive into the pool and let last night and the hangover wash off. It being a Saturday and all he couldn't wait to be alone for once. Completely by himself. Who else would swim on a Saturday? If Jackson was in that fucking pool, he swore to god he would-
That was when he heard it. The sound of rapid strokes through the water. A growl escaped his throat as he marched out of the changing rooms already pissed off, too pissed off to notice that there were no other clothes in the men's.
He stopped in his tracks when he saw the slender body gliding through the water. Except she wasn't gliding. She was thrashing. Her speed wasn't bad for her lack of training and experience, but her technique was painful to watch. Her green swimsuit glinted through the waves she created, but he'd known it was her before he'd noticed what she wore. He watched her uneven stroked, how much her body rocked, and how she brought her head out of the water too much for each breath. Her breaststroke had been elegant; her freestyle was just sloppy. She didn't tumble turn when she reached the wall, but put her arm against the wall to go round. Except this time, she didn't, her eyes caught his feet on the tiles and her eyes ran up his body, her face showing obvious distaste for his presence. It made him smile.
"Piss off, McKenzie," she growled, reading herself for the next length,
"Your technique is awful, you know that right," he said slipping into the pool, his face shining with arrogance,
"I said, piss off," she launched herself into another length of fighting the water. He could feel her anger in the water. Like her unrest spread through it.
He knew he should do some lengths of his own but he couldn't take his eyes off her. And teasing her when she hated him so much was always fun. She'd come round to him, eventually.
When she came back he reached out and tugged her leg like they used to do in practice to wind each other up. Her head shot out the water and she rounded on him,
"I don't know what sick part of your head thinks this is funny or entertaining to me, because it's not," she had never looked at him with those intense green eyes before, but he wished he'd never sparked the anger that burned in them, real anger.
"Jeez, chill out," he said raising his hands, unsure of why she was so pissed,
"I'll chill out if you piss off," she snapped at him,
"What put you in such a mood," he sneered,
"None of your damn business," she shouted bringing her hand down on the water creating a disproportionately large splash,
"It is if you're going to be mean about it,"
"Just leave me alone," her voice caught on the words, and he knew he shouldn't press it, but his curiosity got the better of him, coming out as anger,
"Why the hell should I, I have as much right to here as you do, I don't have to put up with your drama,"
"Drama?" she shrieked,
"Jesus, you have issues,"
"Just go away!" She shouted throwing out her arms and suddenly a huge wave water poured over his head. He quickly held his breath, not wanting to suck any in. For a moment he couldn't tell which way was up and which was was down. Despite his best efforts he didn't have enough oxygen. Water started crawling up his nose as he opened his eyes. God knows where his goggles were now. The chlorine stung but he could barely feel it. He saw light and just swam towards it. He broke the surface coughing. What the hell just happened. He looked at her, horror on her face as she stared at her hands. He looked at her with fear. He wasn't sure why. That wasn't her, it couldn't be. That wasn't human.
"What the-" and that's when he noticed. Her hair was, suddenly, perfectly dry.
She pushed through the water to the steps, trying to get away as fast as she could, but he snapped out of his frozen stance,
"Don't you just walk away from me, you freak," he snarled, getting out and grabbing her arm. The impact of his grip made her slip on the wet floor. Wet from the wave she created. She would have fallen onto the tiled floor but his hold was too strong, "What the hell was that,"
"Let go of me!" she shouted, her eyes wide,
"Not until you tell me what's going on,"
"I don't know," she pleaded, fear becoming evident on her face and in her eyes, "Please, I don't know,"
A sob escaped her lips and he noticed the tears that rolled down her cheeks. He loosened his grip,
"Hey, get off her!" a commanding voice shouted from the entrance to the boys changing rooms. Jackson.
But he wasn't even holding her anymore, she moved as fast as the wet floor would allow until she was out of sight. He could still hear her crying.
"Wanna tell me what happened McKenzie," Jackson demanded, "Lovers tiff?"
"What's it to you," he said, his eyes still stuck at wall she vanished behind,
"What's it to me?" Jackson said grabbing his arm, forcing their eyes to meet, "Well I don't want abusive dirt bags on my team, that's what it is. Now I don't know what it meant to be on the team at your last school? But here we don't abuse any status is might give us,"
"You don't even know what you're talking about Jackson," he said, his voice full of contempt,
"Then enlighten me, Mckenzie," Jackson crossed his arms,
"She… she… attacked me,"
"I find that hard to believe,"
"No, with the water!"
"She splashed you? So you lay your hands on her? No man should ever use his strength against a woman like that," his voice was full of venom,
"No, I don't know how, there was a wave a huge wave, pushing me under and then her hair was dry! She wasn't even wet when I touched her arm, yet she'd been swimming for, for I don't know how long!" the words tumbled out of his mouth sounding as ridiculous as they did in his head, if not more so, "hell why am I telling you this, I sound crazy, even to myself,"
"Yeah you do," but the anger was gone from Jackson's voice, and when Rory looked up he was gone.
He composed himself and then followed Jackson into the changing rooms,
"Not a word about this Jackson, not a word!" he tried to sound forceful but he didn't, he didn't even know if Jackson heard him as he dashed out the door.
Rory sure as hell didn't feel like swimming anymore.