"What's in the brown bag?" Hanna asks Avery after they all finish eating.
"Presents." Spencer replies for him and he smirks.
Hanna smiles at him. "I like the sound of that." As she walks over to peek into the bag.
Spencer swats her hand away and Hanna gives her a dirty look. "I didn't say we could open them now. You guys wanted to light a fire. As hilarious as it would be, I don't want anyone falling into the pit."
"We could just have a fire tomorrow night instead." Emily says from the armrest she's sitting on while Paige sits in the chair. Paige nods along with Aria and Avery. Spencer goes and sits next to Avery on the couch.
"Em's getting smarter than you, Spence." Hanna says and picks up the bag by the top before walking to set it on the counter. They all hear a tearing sound and Avery jolts up from the couch, ripping his arm out from behind Spencer and catches the bottles before they hit the ground. Hanna giggles nervously and looks up at Avery with an innocent smile.
"Yea, we usually don't let Hanna handle the liquor." Aria says when everyone except Spencer laughs at the scene. Instead, she scowls at Hanna when hers and Avery's hands linger far too long for her liking.
Avery smirks at Hanna as he places them on the counter and goes to find the cups. She goes and sits down on the floor in front of Paige and Emily. Both of them slowly inching closer and closer to the other.
"You drink this straight or you guys need me to mix you up something fruity?" He teases as he sets the cups on the counter.
"Make them all something different." Paige says as she gets up and pours herself a drink.
Avery nods and starts rummaging through the cabinets and fridge.
Hanna goes and fetches the deck of cards from the junk drawer. "Blackjack, anyone?"
"Wow, Han. I'm surprised you aren't forcing us to play Truth or Dare or Never Have I Ever." Spencer quips.
"I figured we should get at least a little buzzed before we start on those games." Hanna smirks and starts shuffling the cards.
Spencer gets up and walks over to the island. Avery has taken out quite a few things from the fridge along with a few glasses and pulls out a travel mug from the cabinet to put ice in it.
Spencer gives him a curious look. "Going somewhere?"
Avery smiles and walks over to start pouring Grey Goose into the mug. "No, nosey."
She smiles and watches him pour a couple different juices without as much as a single judgment of amount, as far as Spencer can tell at least. "Is there anything you aren't good at?"
"I suck at memorizing random facts." Avery smirks at her as he pours the concoction into the glass. "And history. I always despised history." He takes a shot glass and pours some tequila and Sprite in simultaneously. "Get ready."
After cupping the top and banging it on the side of the brown marble island, he brings it up to Spencer's mouth. She looks surprised for a moment, but puts her lips on the glass and lets him knock it back down her throat. "I told you to get ready." Avery chuckles and goes back to mixing the girl's drinks.
"Who wants to be the dealer first?" Hanna asks.
Paige takes the deck from her hand. "Me. I have the worst luck with this game."
They move the furniture around the coffee table before taking all the crap off of it and picking their seats. Hanna and Aria sit on the spacious couch, while Emily's moved to sit on Paige's lap on the chair, and Spencer waits for Avery to get comfortable on the loveseat. Avery starts bringing the glasses over and setting them down in front of each girl. They all take a sip and seem to be satisfied with them.
"What is this?" Spencer asks him as he sits down next to her after putting the bottles on the table with shot glasses.
"You have a Brass Monkey. I have a Rusty Nail. Hanna has a Hawaiian Vodka. Aria, a Bay Breeze. Emily, a Painkiller. And Paige, her water." He says, pointing at each mentioned drink. Paige chuckles when Emily leans over to inspect her drink and looks at her confused.
"Well I love mine. How did you know which ones we'd like?" Aria asks, genuinely interested.
Avery shrugs and drinks. "They fit your personalities."
"Paige! Deal. We have to get drunk so we can play Truth or Dare." Hanna whines.
They all laugh and Paige deals the cards out somewhat awkwardly with Emily obstructing her reach. "Wait, how do we know when we drink?" Emily asks no one in particular.
"Whenever you bust or lose, you take a shot. The cocktails are just chasers." Paige says as Avery picks up a bottle in each hand facing Emily and shakes them lightly for dramatics.
"Watch how drunk Spencer will be after she busts a couple times." Emily teases and Spencer glares at her.
"I love trashed Spencer, she thinks of the best dares." Hanna pipes up.
After about five rounds of 21 everyone has a decent buzz, except for Spencer. She is indeed trashed already. Hanna and Aria keep whispering and laughing together about god knows what, Spencer is practically laying on top of Avery, while Paige and Emily are sitting in their chair getting pretty handsy.
"Never Have I Ever kissed anyone in this room." Aria says out of nowhere.
Hanna, Emily, Paige, and Spencer all put one finger down. Everyone looks to Hanna in astonishment. "Who'd you kiss in here?" Paige asks for the group.
"Your girl." Hanna wiggles her eyebrows at Paige and giggles. Emily looks away, cheeks flushed. "I wanted to know what all the fuss was about." Hanna shrugs and begins to think of a phrase. "Never Have I Ever…. eaten carpet." She says with a devilish smirk and Aria coughs her drink all over her.
"Really, Han? You just couldn't resist." Emily says while she shakes her head with a bit of amusement. Avery and Paige are the only ones who put a finger down. Everyone else looks at Emily curiously. She rolls her eyes before replying. "Just because I'm a lesbian, doesn't mean I've done that."
"I really just wanted to know if Spencer did. I didn't mean to disappoint Paige." Hanna says with a light shrug and Avery chuckles as Spencer elbows him in the ribs. Paige's eyes open impossibly wide and Emily hides her face in her hands.
"Never Have I Ever woken up crying and screaming in my batman pjs, making my sibling think I'm getting murdered, just so when they come into the room I tell them that I had a nightmare about my teddy bear getting ripped to pieces by a fluffy killer bunny. When I was thirteen." Avery speaks up and Paige gives him the dirtiest look as she puts one finger down. All the girls start laughing hysterically.
Once Emily wipes the tears from her eyes, she turns to look at Paige trying desperately to keep a straight face. "That must've been some fluffy killer bunny."
The girl moves her glare towards Emily. "Ha. Ha." She says mockingly before looking away while sporting a pouty face. Emily giggles and take Paige's chin in her hand to turn the girl's face and place a chaste kiss on her pout. When she pulls away she watches Paige's pout turn into a sly smile before opening her eyes.
Paige searches Emily's eyes for a few moments and takes the raven haired girl's face in her hands to pull her in for another, more passionate kiss. At first Emily is surprised by the intensity of the kiss, with it being so seemingly random. To Paige it was anything but, when she was looking in the girl's eyes she saw something she thought she'd never see in any girl's gaze towards her, let alone one as beautiful inside and out as Emily. Genuine admiration. Or maybe it was the whiskey she'd been taking generous gulps of throughout the night. Either way, nothing she'd ever experienced had felt nearly as good as this woman's lips on her own.
"Get a room!" Spencer slurs out. Paige lets her hands fall to Emily's legs and they both watch Spencer amusingly. Avery chuckles when she tries to get up and point towards the hallway for emphasis, but instead trips on his foot and almost falls right across his lap before he catches her. "Jesus Avery. Your feet are so goddamn big." She looks at him furiously and he can't help but laugh at her antics.
"Sorry. I'll try to do something about that for you." He helps her sit down safely and puts his arm across her thighs to make sure she doesn't try to get up any time soon.
"I think it's time for Truth or Dare. Never Have I Ever isn't as fun as it used to be." Hanna says and the rest of the group agrees. "Good. Spencer, it's your turn."
Spence looks to Avery through glossy eyes. "Truth or Dare."
"Truth. No way I'm being your first victim."
"Who'd you lose your virginity to?" She asks with a smirk.
He looks at her with a raised eyebrow. "Who said I lost it?"
Spencer eyes him disbelievingly. "You put a finger down when Hanna said her Never Have I Ever."
"Yea. Because I've literally eaten carpet before." He says with a serious face before cracking up when Spencer gives him a horrified look. "Samara. I lost my virginity to Samara."
She slaps his shoulder hard enough for everyone to hear a loud smack and he chuckles. "Aria, truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"What was the first song you had sex to?" Avery asks after a beat.
Aria thinks for a second. "Honestly, I have no idea. Ezra always had the weirdest taste in music. Jake's is a lot better."
"I almost forgot about Fitz. It was always weird when he was around. I'm so glad you're with Jake now." Spencer says and Aria nods.
"Borringg. Paige, your turn." Hanna says impatiently.
Paige looks around at the group contemplating which person to choose. Her eyes land on Spencer and she smirks. "Spence, truth or dare?"
"Dare." Spencer says, accepting the silent challenge she knows her best friend is asking for.
"I dare you to switch seats with Hanna for the rest of the night."
Avery watches while Spencer gets up and practically burns a hole through Paige with her glare before sitting next to Aria. Hanna smiles and gladly takes Spencer's seat next to Avery. The guy looks at his sister questioningly, trying to decide whether or not he should be mad.
"I'm really bad at these, Aria you go." Emily pipes up.
"Hanna, truth or dare?"
"Dare!" She slurs out as she props her elbow on Avery's thigh.
"I dare you to make out with Paige for thirty seconds." Aria replies and Emily flashes her a dirty look. She reluctantly gets up off the girl's lap and lets the blonde take her place. Paige looks at her apologetically before Hanna captures her lips in her own. If she weren't as drunk as she is, she probably would've sat there completely still and let Hanna do all of the work. But seeing as she is very intoxicated and Hanna is undoubtedly attractive, she finds herself happily accepting the blonde's tongue in her mouth and reciprocating the kiss.
Emily sits next to Avery, fuming. The tiny part of Emily that's still not completely drunk knows her rage is foolish and unnecessary. Hanna is her straight best friend and she's doing it because she got dared, not to mention she is also very tipsy. Which is probably the only reason why they both appear to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. Calm the hell down. You had your first real interaction with this girl yesterday. There is absolutely no reason for you being this jealous over something so meaningless.
But she is drunk, and she is jealous, she's infuriated, she can't control it and she has no idea why the sight is effecting her this intensely. "You guys can come up for air now, you know." The words came out with a lot more emotion than Emily intended it to, the sentence slithering out through clenched teeth not helping in the least.
Paige and Hanna pull away from each other and Hanna goes to get up before Emily speaks up again. "No, it's fine. You can stay there. I'm more comfortable here anyway." Shut up, Emily. Paige looks at her guiltily, with a twinge of hurt. She didn't think Emily would be that mad, after all it was just a dare. Maybe she did take it a little too far. Good job, McCullers. You've already fucked up. Hanna shrugs and gets comfortable on Paige's lap, somehow oblivious to Emily's obvious anger. "My turn. Truth or dare?" She says to no one in particular.
"Who are you asking, Han?" Aria says for the rest of the group.
"Everyone."
Emily rolls her eyes while everyone else chuckles. "You can't ask everyone. You have to choose someone."
"Pleaaase. I've got a really good one." Hanna whines.
"Fine. Dare." Spencer says, knowing the blonde will never give up.
Hanna smiles triumphantly. "I dare all of you to go skinny dipping in the lake."
"How'd I know?" Spencer says rhetorically as they get up and start heading outside.
"I'm not doing that." Emily stays seated on the couch with her arms crossed on her chest.
"C'mon, Em. Don't be a party pooper." Aria says.
"No. You guys go. I'm heading to bed, I don't feel good."
Avery fills all six shot glasses, finishing off the bottles of whiskey and vodka. "Go ahead, Aria. We'll be out in a minute." Aria nods and walks out of the sliding doors to meet up with the rest. Avery slides three of the glasses towards Emily and sits down next to her. He picks one up and holds it out in front of Emily. "Take these down with me." Emily looks at him for a moment before taking the shot and knocking it down. They take them all down and sit there for a couple minutes. "I get why you're mad, believe me. But I know my sister, and I know that she'll be kicking herself in the ass about it enough for the both of you." He looks over at her to study her face. "I can tell she really likes you."
Emily faces him and tries to figure out whether he's just putting in a good word for his sister, or is actually being truthful. "You really think so?"
He nods and takes the bottle of rum to chug down the rest of that. "Yea. I haven't really been around for a while, but the way she looks at you. I've never seen her look at anyone else like that. I'd say you two are crazy for the way you're acting after one day, but I get it. I'm sure I look at Spencer the same way." He offers her his hand. "Let's go."
She shakes her head vigorously, regretting it once she feels the pounding in her head intensify.
"What do I have to do to make you feel better?" He asks. "If you want, I'll let you kiss me to get back at her." He says jokingly with a smirk on his face and she looks at him and chuckles before pushing him hard enough that he topples over onto his side. He gets up fast, picks her up and flings her over his shoulder. "That's it, Fields. Skinny dipping or not, your ass is getting in that water."
She screams as he runs out of the still open sliding door and soon into the freezing cold lake. He picks her up off his shoulder and throws her all the way in while the rest of them cheer him on. After the initial shock, she manages to grabs onto his ankles and pulls them towards her so he falls back into the water too. When they both surface, she dunks his head under water before Hanna screams out. "Chicken!"
"Hell yes!" Aria and Spencer say at the same time.
"I call Avery." Spencer says as she pads over to him.
"That's not fair! Avery's like six feet!" Paige says. "Hanna or Aria should be with him since they're the shortest."
Hanna claps excitedly before doggy paddling to him, though she's in two feet of water and walking would've sufficed. Once she gets in front of him, he picks her up out of the water and effortlessly lifts her onto his shoulders.
"I'm glad we decided against skinny dipping. Chicken would've been pretty awkward." Aria says and waits for Emily to squat so she can get on hers. Spencer doing the same with Paige.
"I probably would've won if Spencer wasn't so damn trashed." Paige says.
"I'm surprised you held me up, Han." Avery says while laughing.
Hanna shows off her muscles. "You shouldn't be. Look at these suckers." Everyone laughs.
Aria looks towards the cabin. "So, who's getting the towels?"
"I volunteer Avery. He weighs the most, so he's the warmest." Hanna says.
He chuckles and starts walking towards shore. "I'm not sure that's how it works."
"Whatever. Don't start going all Spencer on me, I get that enough from Spencer."
Spencer pushes Hanna. She loses her footing and falls over, but not before grabbing Spencer's arm and tugging her down with her. "What the hell, Spencer!" Hanna yells when they pop back up, starting a splash fight.
The other three watch in amusement as they drunkenly splash each other until Avery comes back with the towels. He sees them and swims over. "What are they fighting about?" He asks.
"I don't really know." Paige says while chuckling.
"We better stop them before they hurt themselves." Aria half jokes and goes over to them. She tries to get in the middle, but just ends up getting splashed herself. Paige grabs Spencer from behind and carries her out of the water and Avery does the same with Hanna. Both girls stills splashing each other along the way.
"Avery let go of me! That bitch tried to drown me! I could've died! She knows I can't swim well!" Hanna yells as she flails her arms and kicks her legs. Avery laughs and continues their way into the cabin.
"Yea! Let her go! You shouldn't even be touching her!" Spencer says, mimicking Hanna's actions in Paige's hold. Avery looks at Spencer sort of shocked. Not understanding what Spencer really meant, he thought he could be actually hurting the blonde, and he let her go. As soon as he sets Hanna down, she lunges towards Spencer and goes to push her, forgetting Paige was the one actually walking for the both of them. Paige loses her balance and releases her grasp on Spencer, but instead of the girl falling down too, Spencer somehow manages to gain balance and push Hanna back.
Avery catches the blonde before she falls and Emily comes over to take hold of her and drag her into the cabin. "That's it! You two are being ridiculous!" Emily yells. Spencer glares at Avery and walks up the steps, stumbling up a step. Avery grabs hold of her by the arm to prevent her from falling. Once she stands straight up, she rips her arm out of his hold and storms off into the cabin, wobbling the whole way. Paige follows, leaving Aria and Avery too look at each other confused, amused, and slightly annoyed.
"Are they always like this when they're drunk?" Avery asks.
Aria shakes her head. "They usually get along scary well whenever we drink together. They usually fight with Emily." Both of them walk into the cabin to find the four of them in the living room in similar positions as outside.
"Do you guys even know why you're fighting!?" Emily asks exasperatedly.
"I don't know! Spencer has been giving me dirty looks for the past two days! I'm not even doing anything wrong." Hanna says with a huff at the end.
"God, will you two please just go to bed and talk about whatever mess this really is tomorrow. My head is fucking killing me from someone pushing me onto the ground." Paige exclaims, shooting Hanna a glare with the last statement.
Hanna looks away somewhat embarrassedly, mumbling. "Sorry."
"Yea, we should really get to sleep. We want to be able to actually do something on our last full day together." Aria says, trying to calm everyone down. Everyone agrees and goes to get changed.
The original bed arrangements were Emily and Paige, Aria and Hanna, and Spencer and Avery. But those don't really seem to fit anymore, seeing as the only ones being civil in that set up is Hanna and Aria. Once they all take turns taking showers, Hanna and Aria go to sleep in their room, while Emily keeps her bed and Paige goes to Avery's. Emily didn't necessarily tell her not to sleep in the bed, but she didn't want to make her uncomfortable so she figured it'd be better off to sleep with her brother. Especially since Spencer doesn't seem too happy with him either.
Emily instantly felt bad when she saw Paige walk into her brother's bedroom, knowing that the girl was only doing it because she thought Emily didn't want her in theirs. Now she's laying down, mentally scolding herself for overreacting. Hoping that Paige would just come into the room and crawl into the bed and wrap her arms around her like she had last night. It was ridiculous how quickly she got used to the girl just being around her. When she wasn't close to her, she felt a little less together. That scared her. The fact that someone she barely knew, affected her as much as this girl does. After waiting a half an hour, she huffs and turns on her side, finally letting sleep take her.
Avery is the last to get out of the shower and decides he still has enough energy to go and clean the kitchen and living room. He finds Spencer sleeping on the couch, and decides to clean the glasses and tidy up the rooms before picking her up and carrying her to the bed they were supposed to share. He places her under the covers next to his sister. "Go into your bed." He whispers to her, knowing she was still awake without having to look.
"She doesn't want me to. I don't blame her. I had sex with one of her best friends, and now I made out with another one right in front of her." Paige says dejectedly.
Avery walks over to the other side of the bed and rips the covers off his sulking sister. "She does want you to. Haven't I taught you anything about women? When she pushes you away, it's only because she wants you to pull her even closer. Stop that self-pity and wallowing in your sorrow stuff, P. Now get your ass in your own bed, before I put you in there myself." He backs up his threat by sliding his arms under her legs and back. She laughs lightly and puts her hand on his chest to push him away.
She gets up and hugs him. "I'm really glad you're home." She knows neither of them are really "home", but to them the only "home" they ever really had was when they were with each other.
"I am too. Go be a sappy drunk in your room now." Avery jokes and releases her from the hug after kissing the top of her head.
Paige rolls her eyes and even though he can't see it, he knows she did. "Night, Av."
"Night, clown." He says, his smile evident in his tone. He walks out of the bedroom and goes to sleep on the couch after placing a couple Advil's on the nightstand next to Spencer along with a Gatorade.
Paige walks down the hall and stands with her hand on the doorknob for about five minutes before slowly opening the door. She knew Emily had to be asleep considering how much the girl drank. She walked over to the bed and took the time to soak in Emily's appearance under the moonlight shining through the window at the head of the bed. While she's trying to burn all the girl's features into her memory, she sees her eyebrows furrow. Maybe she senses me in here and really doesn't want me to be. Probably, Paige didn't know how she could even think that she had a chance with Emily. Not wanting to disturb the girl's sleep anymore, she goes to leave the room. Right when she opens the door again she hears a whisper. "Paige?"
She turns around and looks at the girl laying on the bed. "I was just getting something out of the drawer. I'm sorry I woke you up." She lies.
Emily wipes her eyes before running her hand through her hair and sitting up. "Where are you going to sleep?"
Paige shifts uncomfortably on her feet. "Um. I was going to sleep in Avery's bed."
"Why? I thought you were sleeping here?" Emily knew exactly why, but she didn't know how to being apologizing for the temper tantrum she had a few hours ago.
The effortless beauty looked down at her feet nervously. "I didn't think you wanted me to anymore." She breathes out just above a whisper.
Emily, you're such an asshole. She really is beating herself up for it. "I'm sorry." Emily lets out after a moment.
"It was my fault. I understand why you don't want me to, you don't have to feel bad. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, Avery doesn't mind."
Emily shakes her head. "No, Paige. Please just come to bed. We can talk about it in the morning." She looks at the girl standing in the doorway. When she can literally see Paige debating with herself, she gets up from the bed and takes the girl's face in her hands. "Come, please." She whispers, staring into her eyes. Paige nods lightly and Emily brings a hand down to grasp one of hers and lead her to the bed.
Immediately when they get under the covers, Emily reaches for Paige's hand and pulls her close. She turns on her back and wraps Paige's arm around her and snuggles her back into the girl's front. Paige can't help but take in the amazing smell of Emily's body wash. She knows that smell. But from where? Great, now I won't be able to sleep until I figure this out. Right before Emily drifts back to sleep, Paige remembers. "Pure seduction." She says, interrupting Emily's almost slumber.
Em turns her head back as far as she can and says over her shoulder. "What?"
"Pure seduction. The fragrance. That's what you smell like. I mean, not that I'm like intentionally sniffing you. It's just I can't really smell anything else." Paige says nervously. Shut up, Paige. You sound like such a creep.
Emily chuckles and snuggles further into Paige. "Right." She feels the girl tense behind her and knows she's embarrassed. But with no logical reason because Emily found it incredibly adorable.
She shifts onto her back and Paige automatically retreats, thinking she definitely blew it this time. Paige berates herself, while she's in the middle of telling herself how much of a royal ass she is, she suddenly feels those soft lips on hers. Emily brings her hand up behind Paige's neck to bring her down so she can lay back and smiles into the kiss. "You're adorable." She says against her lips. "And right. It is pure seduction." She gives her one more chaste kiss before shifting back to their previous position. "Now sleep, dork."
Paige smiles and places a kiss on Emily's shoulder before drifting to sleep.
I'm really sorry it took me long to update. I had a tough time motivating myself to even start this chapter mainly because I had no idea what to do with some of the things people wanted. I tried to get as much in as possible, and I'm sorry if I didn't point the story in the direction you wanted, but there were so many directions and I could only choose one. I've been sitting here since about eight writing this on and off, and for the majority of the time I was stressing it because I thought it was going to be the shortest chapter yet, and here it is now the longest one. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Criticism, suggestions, wants, needs, likes, whatever is always loved and appreciated. If it weren't for all the people demanding updates it probably wouldn't have gotten written until next week xD. Sorry for the long rant. Shut up, Sylas. No one cares. Good day.