As soon as she opened her eyes on Tuesday morning and turned over, Carly became immediately aware of three things. Firstly, the taste in her mouth was the worst she'd ever experienced, far worse than any morning breath to date. It was a combination of a stale vodka and too much sugar and all she wanted to do was scrub her mouth with toothpaste and industrial soap. Secondly, flipping over proved to be a dizzying action. Her head felt like it was spinning and detached from her body all at once, and she shuttered to think of what would happen if she sat up or, heaven forbid, tried to stand. Finally, she registered the misplaced sofa cushions and blanket huddled next to her mattress. She guessed that Freddie must have spent the night in her room as a way of keeping an eye on her.
"Probably because I was such a drunk mess last night," she presumed aloud, clutching her throbbing temple. She looked around for her phone, which she was unable to locate. As she looked around her little bed for her cell, she suddenly realized that she had no clue how she made it to her bed the night before. She was still wearing the navy blue cotton shorts and magenta peasant blouse from the night before and she was sure that the little eye make-up she decided to wear was now a smudged disaster. Was she so incapacitated that she couldn't even manage to get into some pajamas and wash her face?
To make matters worse, she could not remember a thing beyond watching Tanner play beer pong, and she was fairly certain that was earlier in the night. She was sure that in the remainder of the time spent at the party she had somehow managed to do or say something to fully embarrass herself. Obviously, she was in a pretty bad state if Freddie felt the need to stay with her through the night. As she laid back and rubbed her temples, she vaguely wondered what happened to the plan to have a low-key night.
She heard a light knock on the door frame and slowly lifted her head to find Freddie staring back at her, wearing a pair of gray basketball shorts and plain white t-shirt.
"Good morning, sunshine!" he greeted brightly, his smirk evident on his face. Carly groaned in response, unable to verbalize anything due to the massive headache that was building. Freddie chuckled lightly at the sight, stepping into the room. "I'm guessing that you're not having a pleasant morning?"
"Freddie, if you told me that I had been hit by a van last night, just before my head managed to get caught between some elevator doors, I wouldn't bat an eyelash."
Freddie laughed even harder, which elicited a small smile from Carly. He sat on the corner of the air mattress, just at her feet. Carly laid back and ran her hands through her hair. "Freddie, be honest. How bad was I last night? Did I embarrass myself? Do I have to apologize to anyone?"
Freddie looked up at the ceiling, as if he was thinking carefully. "You definitely had a fair amount to drink, but so did most people. If you did anything to embarrass yourself, everyone else was too drunk to notice. And no, no apologies are necessary." He looked back at Carly and gave her a warm smile.
"Thanks, Freddie. I appreciate that," she said, returning the smile. Freddie patted her ankle and stood up. Carly was slightly comforted, but she still felt like he was withholding information. Rather than push the issue, she slowly sat up and attempted to stand. As soon as she did so, she was fiercely attacked by nausea and dizziness. She almost fell over, but Freddie caught her just in time.
"Woah!" he exclaimed. "Easy, there."
"Oh, my God, I feel terrible. What time is it?"
"Almost eight," Freddie answered. "I'm already showered and packed, so we'll head out whenever you're up to it. No rush."
"No, I'll be alright," she insisted, steadying herself on her feet. "I just need to shower and get my things together. It shouldn't take too long."
"Okay. I'll make some coffee."
Carly smiled by way of saying "thank you" and headed to the bathroom. She took a long, hot shower, brushed her teeth (making sure to rinse her mouth with mouthwash twice), and washed her face with cold water in an attempt to sober herself up just a little more. She brushed her hair and tied it up in a messy bun. She went to the room and noticed that her stuff was in a neat pile next to her suitcase and the air mattress was already deflated. She made a mental note to tell Freddie how grateful she was for him when she was less hungover and a more capable of conversation.
After packing and drinking half a cup of coffee, she put on the pink shades that she purchase the day before and headed to the clubhouse with her things, where she presumed Freddie and Gibby were. She opened the door to find the clubhouse in the same state it was in when she and Freddie first arrived: the floor was a sticky mess, the furniture was covered in sheets, any pictures or hangings on the wall were askew, and the place reeked of beer, which made Carly even more nauseous. Freddie was playing pool by himself while Gibby was at the bar, using the blender. The clacking of the pool balls and the loud buzzing of the blender worked together to intensify Carly's headache. Gibby noticed her and welcomed her excitedly, despite her obviously troubled state.
"Well, good morning, rock star!" Gibby smiled, grabbing an empty plastic cup from the top of the bar. Carly groaned weakly and flopped onto the couch, leaning over and propping her head on her elbows. Gibby chuckled at the sight as he poured the blended beverage into a cup and walked over to Carly.
"Here," he said, thrusting the concoction into Carly's direction. She looked up curiously at the cup.
"What's this?" she asked, hesitantly taking the cup from Gibby.
"That's a full-proof hangover smoothie remedy," Gibby explained, pointing at the beverage. "Ginger ale, pineapple juice, a banana, and a shot of Pepto Bismol. Trust me, this will set you right and bring back your appetite before you know it…which you'll need, because we're all grabbing breakfast before you guys head out."
The thought of food made Carly's stomach churn and the look of the smoothie didn't quell that feeling. Carly figured that the blend would have probably been much more appealing, if not for the Pepto Bismol. Carly scrunched up her nose, then took a gulp of the remedy. Surprisingly, the mix didn't taste nearly as awful as she had anticipated, though she hoped that she would never need a reason to drink it again.
"How can you look so damn peppy and alert, Gibby?" Carly asked, taking another sip of her drink. "I know you drank more than me and I feel like death!"
"Carly, c'mon. Look at me," he said cockily as he took a step back with his arms outstretched. "I'm kind of a tank. You're gonna need a lot more than a few cups of Zeus Juice to take me down."
Freddie laughed and Carly finished her smoothie, feeling a little more hydrated than she did before. The three left the clubhouse and went to another breakfast diner a little closer to campus. Both men had a large breakfast, while Carly had a small bowl of oatmeal with diced bananas, which she had trouble getting into. Gibby filled them in on everything that happened once they left the party, including the guest of honor not showing up to his own party until one in the morning, a group of drunk fraternity brothers managing to steal their rival fraternity's flag, and a fight that erupted between two of the girls in attendance. Carly felt so drained that she had a difficult time keeping up with the multiple stories. Though she would miss Gibby very much, she was ready to get in the car and sleep off the rest of her hangover.
After an hour of eating, reminiscing, and laughter, the three friends waited in line to pay for their meal. Freddie informed the other two that he would use the bathroom once he finished paying. Once Carly and Gibby paid for breakfast, Gibby led Carly outside towards the car, apparently wishing to talk to her in private, away from Freddie.
"So, Carly, I've been meaning to give you a pep talk of sorts about things that I've noticed while you and Freddie have been in town."
Carly was highly confused about Gibby's sudden desire to talk to her in private and the need to speak away from Freddie. Before she could ask him to enlighten her, he continued.
"Look, I don't have time for you to deny how you feel or pretend that you have no clue as to what I'm talking about, so just listen carefully to what I'm saying. We're young, but time flies. Opportunities are short lived and nothing is promised to any of us, so we shouldn't wait around for the things that we want to fall into our laps. Trust me, things don't happen that way."
Carly has never heard Gibby talk so thoughtfully before. In all honesty, it actually scared her a little.
"All I'm saying," Gibby continued, "is that we shouldn't let unimportant things or people stand in the way of what we want. Parents, friends, girlfriends…just remember the old saying, 'Just because there's a goalie, doesn't mean you can't score.'"
"Gibby, what are you talking-"
"Furthermore," Gibby pressed, speaking over Carly, "You have to understand something about us guys: Don't wait for us to just 'get it' on our own, because nine times out of ten, we won't unless you spell it out for us. And that goes for even the biggest geniuses out of the lot of us. We suck at subtlety for the most part, so if there's something you want from us, you've gotta say so, or else we'll miss it completely. I'm not saying that to say that we're complete idiots or anything, I'm saying that to say that we work best with open honesty, because us good guys will give you nothing less in return. Besides, we can't fix something if we don't know it's broken in the first place."
Carly was listening intently to what he was saying. She knew what (and who) he was talking about and she didn't see a point in trying to deny it. In the back of her mind she was shocked at the fact that she was actually taking relationship advice from Gibby, but who better to talk to about guy problems than a guy?
"Gibby, you make it all sound so simple," Carly said, securing her sunglasses closer to her face. "But there are so many factors-"
"Do you love him?"
Carly was stunned into silence. Gibby has always been blunt, but up until now the conversation has remained fairly neutral. She could at least pretend that they were talking about someone else, anyone else. Now that she was confronted with having to vocalize her feelings to someone else for the first time, all she could do was stand in shocked silence. Luckily, Gibby held up his hand before she could stutter a seemingly safe reply.
"Nevermind. I'm sure I can figure it out. Besides, it's clear that the feeling is more than mutual."
"Gibby! He has a girlfriend!" Carly gasped.
"Oh, Carly," he sighed, giving her a pitying look. "You just don't get it, do you? Look at her picture one more time. Really look at it. What he's doing is pretty damn obvious."
Before she could ask him to elaborate, Gibby gave a pointed look over her shoulder. When she turned around, she found Freddie exiting the restaurant and giving them a curious look. Gibby stepped around Carly towards Freddie.
"So, you're ready to hit the road, bro?" he asked, sounding as if nothing was amiss.
"Yeah, we better get a move on, but I'm really going to miss this place and you, Gib." He extended his closed fist so that Gibby could bump it with his own. "Thanks so much for showing us such a great time. Oh, before I forget, here's the keys to the apartment." He extracted the keys from his pocket and gave them to Gibby. "We really appreciate the hospitality, man."
"Hey, anytime. You know that."
The two men gave each other a big bear hug for a few seconds, then separated. Gibby turned to Carly and smiled at her. She smiled warmly at him and stepped towards him with her arms stretched upward. Gibby came in and wrapped his big arms around her, giving her a big brotherly hug.
"Love you, Gibster. Thanks for everything," she said softly in his ear.
"Love you, too, sis. Remember what I said. Don't give up on him just yet, alright?"
She nodded and stepped back. Gibby stepped back and addressed them both.
"Drive safely, text me the next time you guys stop, give Sam a huge hug for me, and feel free to pass my number along to any hot Floridian girls you happen to meet," he instructed the pair, ticking off each instruction on his fingers.
"We will," they both laughed in unison. Gibby gave them a final wave and headed to his own black Jeep. Carly entered the passenger side of the car and immediately reclined the seat back, strapping herself in with her seatbelt and not bothering to remove her shades. Freddie settled himself behind the wheel and exhaled as he ignited the engine.
"Ready for another long drive, champ?" Freddie asked, as he backed out of the parking spot.
"Ugh. Freddie, do you mind if I sleep for a little while? I promise to be an awesome friend as soon as I wake up."
Freddie chuckled. "Sure thing. I'll wake you up when I find a good resting spot."
"You're the best."
"I'm aware," he replied with a smirk. Carly laid back in her seat, not bothering to search for her PearPod, and fell asleep within minutes.
Carly was jolted awake hours later by the sound of Freddie's ringing phone. She blinked a couple times in an attempt to adjust her eyesight when she remembered that she still had her shades on. She removed the shades and glanced at Freddie, who was looking at the screen of his ringing phone. With a neutral face, he silenced the device and put it back in the cup holder.
"Who was that?" Carly asked, stretching her arms to the roof of the car.
Surprised, Freddie looked at Carly. "You're awake!" he said.
"I'm aware," she replied, mimicking him, good-naturedly. "Was that your mom calling?"
"Oh, no. Private number. I avoid those calls," Freddie answered, returning his gaze to the road. Carly looked at the clock on the dashboard, which informed her that it was 4:25 p.m. She had managed to get almost six hours of sleep and though her head still felt a little cloudy, she felt so much better than she had that morning. She adjusted her seat so that she was sitting a little more upright. She looked at Freddie, who looked a little worn out.
"Hey, we have to stop for gas soon, right?" Carly asked.
"Definitely. I'm actually looking for the next stop. Might pick up some coffee while I'm at it."
"Don't bother," Carly said firmly. "The next stop we make, we're switching seats. I'll drive, you get some rest for a change."
"Carly, this morning you could barely stand. Now you want to drive? Is that even safe?"
"I'm much better than I was this morning," Carly insisted. "Gibby's hangover cure helped a lot and I've slept for a good while. I'm fine. You're tired. We're switching and that's the end of it."
"Yes, ma'am," Freddie said, taken aback by Carly's assertiveness. He took the very next exit and stopped at the closest gas station. While he used the restroom, Carly filled up the tank and moved her stuff from the front seat to the back. Freddie returned just as she sat herself behind the wheel.
"Did you pay for the gas, too?"
"I sure did, Mr. Benson," Carly replied cheerfully, showing further evidence that she was returning back to her old self. "Now hop in so we can get a move on!"
Freddie smiled and took his place in the passenger seat. "You didn't have to-"
"Yeah, I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to," Carly interrupted, giving him a friendly smile before starting the engine. Both travelers secured their seatbelts, then Carly adjusted the GPS so that she could see it (as well as the seat, so she could reach the pedals) and pulled out of the station with great caution. She suddenly realized that she had not driven since the day they left Tacoma. She welcomed the change. For the first time since this trip started, she finally felt like she was in control. Freddie, on the other hand, looked like he was being introduced to a whole new world.
"You know, I've never been in the passenger seat of my own car," he marveled, gently touching the dashboard in front of him. "It's so weird."
Carly couldn't help but laugh at him. "You're such a dork."
"Seriously!" he exclaimed. "It's kind of nice, though." He reclined the seat back so that he could lay down a little further. "You know, I didn't realize how tired I was until you made me switch with you. Thank you for giving me the chance to rest a bit. You saved me, for sure."
"You're always saving me," Carly stated simply with a shrug, "You can afford to get saved every once in a while." She looked in Freddie's direction, who happened to be giving her the cutest smile she had ever seen; a smile that reflected gratitude, happiness, and a little exhaustion.
"Thanks," he said softly.
"Don't mention it. Now get some rest. I'll wake you if something interesting happens."
Without any more convincing, he adjusted himself in his seat and fell asleep. Carly turned on the radio and allowed soft contemporary music to fill the car. She glanced at the GPS, which showed her driving through somewhere in Missouri. She decided to drive until it was too dark, then she would stop for the night and they could drive the rest of the way to Florida. Carly picked up her phone at a red light and shot a quick text to Sam to let her know that they would be in Florida tomorrow night. Sam quickly replied with a "WHOO HOO!" just as the light turned green. Within minutes, she had them back on the interstate. She looked over again at Freddie, who was fast asleep. She was struck with a sudden sense of déjà vu as she drove down the long stretch of road ahead.
"Wasn't this my dream?" she pondered to herself. "Driving for miles, wind in my hair, and someone to share the ride with?" She looked again at her companion, deep in sleep. She decided that this, with Freddie at her side (even though he was currently unconscious) far surpassed any dream she could have had. Just then, she wondered if he had ever dreamed of the same thing.
A/N: I hope everyone is enjoying the story thus far! The support (in all forms) has been truly amazing and I humbly thank you all!
Quick note: the hangover smoothie is complete fabricated. Be warned: Do not try that at home!
I hope everyone is having an amazing week and is ready for the weekend! I hope to have Chapter 12 done by Tuesday. *Fingers crossed*
Love and appreciation all around! Please review, if you feel the urge!
Hollaatchyagirl,
Phunky