Chapter Thirteen
Plug His Nose Until He Gags
(Harlow)
Ringggggg. Ringggggggg.
What in God's name was the heinous noise?
I blinked, my eyes hazy and bleary from a mixture of little sleep and day's old mascara. Was that a phone? Was it my oven? Was it the television, an alarm? Was it even coming from my apartment? Christ almighty, what was that sound?
Ringgggg. Ringgggg.
Ugh. Definitely phone.
I rubbed at my eyes frantically, willing them to open and unhaze at least a little bit - y'know, just enough so I could find my God damn phone. But as the room around me focused, and my dumbfounded brain seemed to snap back into reality, I realized with quite a start that I wasn't alone. I was on my couch, I knew that. The television, muted again, was flashing advertisements for some local Seafood place. Chick, although I couldn't see her, I could sense she was somewhere in the bathroom, doing God only knows what. Behind me, breathing slow and warm body tight against my own -
was Ryan.
I blinked again and again, trying to make sense of the pounding in my skull and the ringing in my ears. Slowly, carefully and with as little movement as I could manage, I rolled off the warm sofa onto the rough carpet below me. I peered at the sleepy face only a foot from my own, and couldn't help but smile -
what a cutie pie!
Sleep was a good look on him. His face was relaxed, at ease. Less stressed by far than I'd ever seen it. Long eyelashes fluttering softly against his cheeks. He looked like a little angel, nestled cozily on my couch. I looked behind me, and could barely contain my laughter - a wine bottle, empty except for a few little drops at the bottom. Two cups, dry as a bone. And a bag of other assorted items, from chocolate bars to books to flowers.
Running a hand through my mess of hair, I crept slowly to my feet and towards my bedroom, down one of the narrow hallways leading away from the living room. With a quiet little creak, I opened the door to my bedroom. My sheets and blankets, unrumpled and pulled up to the pillows - unused, unneeded. The alarm clock on the table beside it unset - the bright red numbers pulsating in my slightly hungover but cheerful haze. 9:14AM. Not too bad.
Oh wait. That was bad ... more than bad, it was TERRIBLE.
AHH SHIT, SHIT, SHIT.
Frantically, I ran to the dresser across from the foot of my bed and grabbed the phone off the hook, smacking the familiar numbers as quickly as I could manage. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. The phone was ringing, and half of me (the smarter, more awake half) prayed the owner wouldn't pick up -
"Where, in the holy fuck, are you?"
"I'm sorry, Soph, I'm sorry!" I said, my voice cracked and raspy, like a 90 year olds who's smoked eight packs a day since she was two. Gross. "I slept through my alarm, I was up late - uh, homework, y'know? I'm so sorry, I forgot to set it!"
I could hear her tongue clicking irritably, and the familiar sound of runners pounding the gym floor behind her. Oh God, they'd already started practice - ughhh! "What am I supposed to do, send them home? They're gonna have the biggest bitch fit, Harlow."
"No, no, don't send them home," I said, raking my hair back again in frustration. "Soph, you're a more competent coach than I am, I swear to God you are. I'll be there as soon as I can, I won't even bathe or pee or anything, I promise. Get them to do laps, stretch it out and get them to work on setting and combination drills - I'll be there, I swear I'll rush."
"When will you be here," she asked, irritation simply oozing out of that cold voice.
"Ten at the absolute latest, I swear," I said, already pulling my hair up into what might've gone down in history as the messiest, absolute greasiest bun ever. "I'm sorry Soph, I'll be there soon."
"I know, I know," she sighed. "But hurry up. I'm the bitch coach, not the nice and encouraging one. They need you for their self esteem."
I laughed dryly. "I know they do, I'm sorry. Be there soon."
"I'll forgive you for now. But that's only because in the last week you've looked like a living, breathing zombie," she said wearily. "Hurry your ass, Lo."
"It's halfway out the door," I lied, and with a Beep, I hung up the phone.
Ah shit, shit shit shit. I had no time to worry about the awkward questions and scrutinizing stares I was bound to be on the receiving end of all practice. I yanked my shirt over my head, and scrambled around in a daze, looking for my undershirt and Volley sweater. My sweatpants were halfway up my legs when I remembered the slightly (y'know, only a liiiiitle bit) important reason I'd been late in the first place.
"Mother fu - "
"Your runners are in the bathroom," said that familiar toneless voice from behind me, and I swear I jumped about a foot.
"Warn me next time you sneak up on me!" I hissed, looking frantically between her and my bedroom door.
"Don't freak, he's still conked out on the sofa," she said breezily, curling up noiselessly on my dresser.
"Not for much longer," I muttered, hastily pulling my sweater on.
"The hangover, sleep-deprived look isn't your best," Chick noted, looking me up and down.
"It'll have to do," I said quietly, padding into the hall and grabbing my sneakers from the bathroom floor.
"Socks," said Chick, and I felt the light thud of the rolled up pair hit me in the back of the head.
"Thanks," I mumbled.
Struggling to stick my foot in my sock as I hobbled back towards the living room, I snuck a quick glance at my reflection in the mirror. Oh GOD. Sweet Jesus. Anyone know who Nick Nolte is? Ever seen his mugshot? Because I swear to God, that's what I saw when I looked in the mirror. I didn't look a volleyball player. I looked like a homeless perp who was just booked for drug-smuggling and prostitution.
My sock struggles ended, and I padded as quietly as I could to the sofa. I plopped down on the couch near Ryan's legs, and contemplated the best way to wake up the cute as a button lil ol' ghostbuster.
"Plug his nose until he gags," I heard Chick mumble as she floated across the living room and into the kitchen.
I shot her the dirtiest look I could muster (and considering my morning appearance of crazed crack whore, I'm sure it was pretty good), and turned back to the slumbering sweet pea next to me.
"Ryan?" I said softly, rubbing his arm as gently as I could. "Wake up, sleepy."
He mumbled a little, and burrowed his face into the cushion. DAWWWWE, WHAT AN ADORABLE MONSTER. I grinned in spite of myself, and patted his arm a little harder.
"Come on, doofy, wake up," I said, shaking his arm a little. "I gotta get going, and I'm sure you do too ... wake up, Sleepy!"
He exhaled loudly, and rolled over onto his back, rubbing a hand over his face.
"M'up, I'm up," he sighed, voice croaky and soft. "I'm up."
I smiled, my hand resting on his lean arm. "It's early, I know, I'm sorry."
"What time is it?" he asked groggily, peering at me through half closed eyes.
"Quarter after nine," I replied, glancing at the clock. "Normally I'd still be asleep, but uh .. I kinda forgot I had volleyball practice this morning ..."
His eyes shot open, and he looked at me apologetically. "Ah, I'm sorry! I'm awake, I'm awake."
I laughed, and shook my head. "It's okay, really - I've already called Soph and begged for her forgiveness - it's my own fault, I forgot to set my alarm."
I shifted over on the couch as he pulled himself up into a sitting position. His hair was messy, eyes puffy from the little sleep we'd both gotten. He had a distinctly ruffled look that I couldn't help but find ridiculously sexy. He smiled at me, legs stretched out in front of him.
"Sophie's not gonna kill you, is she?"
"I hope not," I sighed. "I told her I'd be there by ten at the absolute latest, and I did call her, so she can't be too mad at me. I gave her fair warning."
He laughed, leaning back into the couch exhaustively. "Good, that's good."
"I'm sorry I had to wake you," I said sincerely, looking rather apologetically at those bright albeit sleepy brown eyes. "Next time we drink an entire bottle of wine and crash on my couch, I swear I'll let you sleep in."
He smiled, and rubbed my back with one of those big hands I loved so much. "I don't care if you wake me up at five in the morning - as long as there is a next time, I'm the happiest man in the world."
I laughed, and hoping to God my morning breath wasn't as bad as I thought it was, leaned over and gave him a peck on the lips.
"There'll always be a next time, unless you get sick of me first," I said cheerfully.
"That'll never happen," he murmured quietly, taking my face in his hands.
AWE, THIS WAS THE MOST MAGICAL MOMENT IN THE ENTIRE WORLD EVER EVER, SQUEEEEEEE.
"I hope not," I said softly.
He rubbed my cheeks lightly with his thumbs, and kissed me again - this time a little harder, with just a hint more passion that the first. Ugh, he made my whole body tingle. That bastard.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, careful not to crush him with my ridic Popeye forearms, and kissed him back. For once in my life, volleyball really didn't matter. I suddenly and inexplicably felt a pang of anger at Sophie - how dare she wake me up. I could've lain on this couch all day making out with Ryan McHotlips. Stupid best friends, they could be so inconvenient sometimes.
He pulled away first, giving me another soft peck on the lips.
"You want breakfast or anything?" he asked, running his hands down my back - oooh, goosebumps!
"No time," I sighed sadly. "If I want to live to see tomorrow, I've got to get going."
He nodded. "We should do this again soon. If you want to, of course."
"I'd love nothing more," I said, trying to hide that horrifically embarrassing note of enthusiasm in my voice.
He smiled, and I let my hands rest on his knee.
"I'm leaving for a couple days to meet with the execs from A&E," he said thoughtfully. "I'm heading out tomorrow, be back around Wednesday."
"I'm leaving too," I said, remembering with a start that our first Nationals game was on Sunday. "National's start this weekend. Shit ... I forgot about it!"
"Where is it?"
"New York," I sighed, rubbing my face tiredly. "First of twenty games, I completely forgot."
"Uh .. I'm going to New York," Ryan said, beautiful eyes wide with surprise.
"You're - what? Tomorrow?"
"Yeah!" he said excitedly.
"Shut up!" I said, my heart simply leaping with joy. "I'll be in New York on Sunday, about eight o'clock in the evening. Our game's Monday at 11, and I leave on Tuesday at nine in the morning."
"I'm there tomorrow at noon," he said. "Leaving New York at six in the evening on Wednesday!"
"As if!" I said excitedly. "Maybe we'll see each other!"
"I'll make sure we do," he said, his face alight with happiness. "I've got meetings on the Tuesday, but I'll be with Heather and Serge and Katrina and the whole gang, we've got a couple of seminars to do as well. We'll come watch your match, they're not until later that night!"
"That would be amazing! I wanna come and see your seminars!"
Ryan laughed, grasping my hand in his own. "I would love that. Man, talk about a stroke of luck, eh?"
I was thinking more along the lines of fate, but I figured squealing excitedly and saying something like "OH MAH GAWD, WE ARE MEANT TO BE IT'S FATEEEE" would kiiiinda creep him out, y'know?
"No kidding," I ended up saying, squeezing his hand.
"You have to get going," he said, taking a peek at the clock behind him.
I looked over his shoulder and sighed. "You're right. Dammit."
"Well, hey! At least I'll be seeing you," he said cheerfully, as we both stood up from the couch.
"I actually can't even wait," I said sincerely.
And before either one of us could take even a step to the front door of my apartment, we were locked together once more, bodies pressed feverishly against one another, hands grasping for any bit of clothing or skin we could find. Ten o'clock, ten fifteen - whatever. I'd deal with Sophie's wrath anyday - making out with Ryan was so worth it.
Maybe New York wasn't gonna be such a drag after all?
(Sergey)
"Calm down, Xander, calm down!"
Xander was frantic, pawing at the front door and leaping about, barking shrilly as he watched Ryan pad across the front walk and towards the screen door.
I sipped what might've been my thirteenth coffee of the day, and readjusted myself irritably on the couch. Friday morning, no school, no work - a nice relaxing day to just sit at home and curl up on the sofa. Watch a little television. Play a little Halo. Y'know. Guy stuff. I assumed I'd be home with Ryan all day, but ... well, that didn't exactly pan out, now did it?
After banging on his door for five minutes this morning, I'd finally busted myself into his room and - bum bum bahhhh - found his bed empty. His sheets were unmade, but that didn't tell me much; the day Ryan actually made his bed or cleaned his room was the day Hell froze over. After wandering around the house and finally determining that he wasn't, in fact home, I called his cell to try and figure out where the hell he'd gone at eight in the morning. And when his phone went straight to voicemail, I had concluded that either:
a), he had been abducted from his bed and was now being held hostage somewhere in a random Buffalo Bill a la Silence of the Lambs type guy's basement.
b), he had gotten up early to go jogging, which considering he probably couldn't even spell jogging let alone actually do it, was highly unlikely.
or c), he hadn't come home at all the previous evening.
"Yes, hello, hellohello, I'll take you out in a minute, gimme a sec, Xander."
Against Xander's frantic jumping and barking, Ryan fought his way into our front hall and gave me a weary smile.
"Serge," he said, snapping the door shut behind him. "Lemme guess - 10:30 in the morning so that must be your ... fifth cup of coffee?"
"Fourth, actually," I sniffed. "I'm not that bad."
"Fourth, uh huh - I'm sure," he laughed, fighting his way into the chair opposite me - Xander nipped and leaped after him.
"And where are you coming home from so sleepily and early in the morning?" I asked, looking him over.
His face was bright and cheerful, but his movements were slow, sluggish. There were bags under his eyes, and everytime Xander whined shrilly, he winced at the sound.
"Oh y'know," he said, scratching Xander behind the ears. "Harlow's."
I raised my eyebrows, and tried to fight the clearly skeptical looking passing over my face. "Harlow? Harlow Vincent?"
"Do we know another one?" he smiled.
"What were you doing there?" I asked.
"Just ... hangin' out."
"Hangin' out? All night?"
"Yeah, y'know. Just drinking wine, talking. Hangin' out."
"Reaaaaally. 'Hangin' Out'?"
"Yep."
"You sure it was just hanging out."
"Quite sure."
"None of that, y'know ... bow chicka wow wowwwww."
He flushed. "No, man. I'd tell you if there was."
"Bow bow, bow chicka chicka wowwww."
"None of that."
" ... Bow bowwww."
He rolled his eyes and leaned back into the chair, stretching his legs out in front of him. "None of that. We just drank too much wine too fast and passed out on her couch. She woke me up early cause she had to go to volleyball practice."
I looked at him suspiciously, but could tell by the look on his face he was telling the truth. Best friend's instincts, y'know?
"Alright," I said slowly. "Want a cuppa?"
"Love one," he said appreciatively, running a hand over his head. "You are the best."
"Tell me about it," I groaned, standing up from my comfy spot on the couch.
I padded into the kitchen, still stealing doubting glances at Ryan. Besides the obvious exhaustion in his face and movements, he looked ... happy. Really happy. The corners of his mouth kept twitching up, and there was a definite skip in his groggy step. If he didn't get laid, what was the cheeriness all about? Sherlock Serge would get to bottom of it. MWAHAHAHA.
"You want the creamer or do you want milk?" I asked through the bar window.
"Milk and sugar - lots of sugar," he said. "I gotta wake up .. I need to get down to the office, sort some stuff out before we leave tomorrow. Without copious amounts caffeine and sugar in my body, I'm not gonna be able to."
I nodded, heaping three spoonfuls of sugar into the mug, and adding a little bit of milk.
"Fair enough, man. Sooo .. why do you look so happy?" I asked casually, stirring slowly.
"Whaddaya mean," he asked, a dopey grin spreading over his face - they said I was a terrible liar? Puh-lease.
"You sure you didn't get laid?" I asked again, walking carefully with the steaming coffee towards him.
"Thanks," he said, taking the mug from me. "No, I didn't."
"You look like a dope," I said bluntly, taking a seat back on the sofa. "What're you so happy for."
He sighed, and sipped from his cup noisily. Then, without warning, his face broke into an even wider grin and he laughed raucously.
"Serge, it was awesome. I brought her all that food and flowers and wine and stuff, and we sat on her couch and we talked about everything. Her childhood and mine, what her favorite hobbies were, what kinda movies I liked, what her favorite restaurant was, what my favorite car was - everything under the sun. We made out all night, dude. All night, she's got great lips, fantastic, you have no idea. And fuck, she's gorgeous - well you know, you've seen her but really man, really attractive."
He leaned forward in his chair, eyes bright and hands nearly shaking with excitement - his coffee was threatening to slop out of his mug with each tremor.
"And guess what, dude. Guess. What. Guess what! She's gonna be in New York! She's coming to New York!"
"With us?" I asked in surprise, my own coffee nearly splashing over the sides.
"No, no - not with us. She's going there for volleyball with her team. They're playing the NYU or something. She's leaving on Sunday, she's got her first match for Nationals in New York on Monday - Monday, Serge! We'll be there! WE'RE GONNA BE THERE!"
He fell back against the chair, dazed and smiling, oblivious to the scalding hot coffee that was soaking it's way through his shirt.
"That's great, man," I said earnestly, fighting against the laughter threatening to escape from my throat. "Really great."
"It's better than great," he sighed, eyes glazed. "It's perfect."
I blinked, and fought back another laugh, this time with much more difficulty. "Ryan .. like, you know you're my best friend. And everything I tell you is for the greater good, right?"
"Yeah man, yeah," he said distractedly.
"Alright .. dude. Bro. Listen. You're having a Chick Fit," I said, and he shot me his embarrassing attempt at a dirty look.
"I am not."
"Yeah man. You are. You're all dreamy and eye fluttery and giggly. Total Chick Fit."
"I'm just happy, that's all," Ryan said defensively, with a girlish little giggle following a second later.
I rolled my eyes, laughing. "Right. Alright, alright. You're just happy then."
"Yep. That's all. That's right."
"Okay."
"Yep."
Silence filled the room, and I sipped my coffee to keep from snickering even more at the horrifically thick look on my dear best friend's face. He sighed, curled up into the chair and peered across at me, face perched in his palm.
"She's got pretty hair," he sighed.
"And here we go," I muttered.
"Her eyes are like emeralds, they're so shiny and pretty and nice and so sparkly," he said dreamily.
"That's great, Mrs. Buell."
"Oooh, oh! And her skin is so soft, I bet you she moisturizes all the time. She's so pretty."
"Mhm. You should ask her what moisturizing cream she uses, maybe you have the same kind in your makeup bag. You could share."
He sighed whimsically, ignoring me. "She's so fit too, Serge, she's got muscles but not like weird woMAN muscles, y'know? They're so nice, oh my goodness."
"Christ."
"Her lips are all smooshy and plump and nice .. I like them. They're so nice. You think she knows how nice her lips are, Serge? I don't think she knows .. I should tell her. I should."
"Ryan."
"Yeah?"
"Maybe tell someone who cares."
He frowned at me, but his face lit up a moment later. "I'm gonna call Heather!"
And he bounded from the room. I shook my head exhaustively and peered over at Xander.
"How long do you think before he starts getting his period?"
Xander whined sadly in response.
(Sophie)
"But where is she?"
"I swear to God, Kimmy - ask me that one more time. Once more. Because I have no problem with beating you senseless with this ball."
She grinned guiltily, batting her eyelashes in the most obnoxious way humanly possible. Ugh.
"I'm just worried about our dear sweet lovely Captain, that's all."
"Me too," simpered Lindsey from beside her. "We're not trying to be annoying Soph, we're just curious."
"I'm curious too," I said thoughtfully, shooting both of them furious looks. "Curious as to why you're not practicing your setting when you both clearly need all the practice you can get."
They exchanged irritated glances, but the looks soon passed as the door to the gym flung open.
"There she is!" sighed Kimmy, waving over my shoulder - Lindsey beamed next to her.
I peered behind me at the gym doors just as they snapped shut, and couldn't help the cold, sliiiiightly vicious laugh that escaped from my throat. Goddess no more!
"Christ, woman, you know you could've showered."
Giving me a particularly sour glare, Harlow padded over to our little circle of volleyball geeks. The rest of the team, unlike the grievously annoying Kimmy and Lindsey who stood next to me, were working diligently on their setting reps. They all waved distractedly at Harlow, who failed to take any notice.
"No time to bathe," she said briskly, coming to a stop next to me. "Smell my armpits, Soph."
"Get lost," I laughed, swatting her away from me. "Kimmy, Lindsey, back to practice. Now."
"We just wanted to see Harlow," whined Kimmy, eyes twinkling. She knew she annoyed me. That little bitch.
"Yes, we're just trying to say hello to our wonderful, dearest friend," Lindsey said with a grin. "And hell-looooo Harlow!"
"Bugger off," Lo sighed, giving them equally unimpressed but amused looks. "You know you have to listen to Sophie - get goin' on your reps before I clobber you."
"The thanks we get for being good, kind, caring and concerned friends," sighed Kimmy woefully, as she and Linds padded off to their spot at the far net.
"Those two," tutted Harlow, raking a hand through her mess of hair and glaring as they skipped away.
Although greasy, unkempt and worn out, Harlow still looked abnormally radiant. There was something about her face today that simply glowed. Ugh, sweet Jesus, I hope she wasn't pregnant. She turned her eyes to me, and I noticed a little devilish twinkle behind the brilliant green.
"Slept through your alarm, eh?"
She sighed crossly and gave curt nod. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I was just, y'know - preoccupied last night."
"Whatever you say," I shrugged. "You look like hell."
"Ha ha," she mumbled, looking over at the girls warily. "Why don't you tell me something I don't already know."
"Alright - I know you were with Ryan last night."
She turned her wide, incessantly sparkly eyes on me. "What? How .. how did you know?"
"Well I didn't know for sure, actually. But you just confirmed it," I smirked, dodging the smack headed for my forehead. "Watch it, Vincent - I had already figured it out, you just verified my hypothesis. Don't even give me that look - c'mon, don't you wanna know how I knew?"
"I don't care how," she said grumpily, but the corners of her mouth were twitching slightly. "I don't wanna hear it."
"Yeahhh you do, come on! You wanna know, don'tcha? Don'tcha, don'tcha?"
"No."
"Yes?"
"No."
"Don'tcha?"
"No."
"I'm gonna tell you anyways."
"You're fuckin' exhausting," she mumbled, turning away from me and walking down the gym towards the pairs of sweating, swearing and flailing girls.
Oh, like I was gonna let her get away that easy. Who do you think I am? I'm Sophie Kapor, bitches. I SHALL PREVAIL.
"Well, I was talking to you last night on the phone, remember that?" I asked, skipping obnoxiously as I could behind her, trying to link arms and pretending to not be offended when she shoved me away - whatta bitch. "And you said you had to go because someone was at the door. Remember that? 'member?"
"Crouch more, Em," Harlow said sternly, ignoring me. "You'll get the ball farther across the net and it'll go a lot straighter if you bend your knees."
"Right-o, Coach," Em said jauntily.
"Now I figured if it was a delivery guy or like .. one of the girls from the team or something, you'd call me back. Which you didn't," I continued jovially. "And when I asked this morning - after you were late, y'know - if anyone'd spoken to you at all since yesterday afternoon, no one had. So that cancels out all the team. Now, I realize I'm your only friend, you sad wittle loner and it definitely wasn't me at the door, right? I mean, I think I would've remembered. So then I thought to myself - hmm, Sophie Kapor, you beautiful and brilliant girl - who could've possibly been at Harlow's door last night?"
"Straighten up, Ainslee, you look like a hunchback," Lo barked, attempting to drown out my voice with her own - so not gonna happen.
"Deepest apologies, Boss," Ains said cheerfully.
"And then it came to me," I said happily, keeping up easily with her quick steps. "Ryan. Ryan Buell. It must've been him. It's been days since you've seen him, and how could you possibly have gone more than 3 moments without him? And I feel like he's the only person in the world capable of making you forget to call me back. He's important, I get it, I do. I admit it. I don't have a penis, I understand that's something I can't give you."
My God I was enjoying this.
"It's setting, Jenn, not volleying," Harlow snarled.
"I am terribly sorry, Vince-meister," said Jen merrily.
"I was right though, wasn't I? When everyone arrived this morning before you, I figured that it'd have to have been something reeeeeally important to make you late for volleyball," I chirped zestfully next to her. "You would never forget to set your alarm when we had a practice. I've known you long enough to know that you're not that kind of person. You're the least forgetful person I know. There had to have been a pretty important reason why you'd have forgotten a volleyball practice we've had set for aaaages."
She turned to me, eyebrows narrowed and pout firmly on those precious lil lips of hers. OH, I KNEW THAT LOOK. I lived for that look. It was the glare she gave when she knew I was right - it happened seldom, so when I was on the receiving end of it I cherished it more than a mother cherishes her child. I smiled, ready to gloat - when to my immense surprise, her face lit up gloriously, and her mouth split into the happiest, most cheerful grin I think I'd ever seen on it. Wha .. what? What happened to pummeling me furiously?
"Soph - he's coming to New York!"
Oh. God.
"Wh - what?"
"He's coming to New York," she whispered, her face alite with excitement. "He's got a meeting and seminars and shit to do in New York for his television show - he's gonna be in New York with us! We're gonna meet up at our game and we're gonna go on a date or somethin' - somethin' fun, y'know? Fuck, I don't even know what we're gonna do but holy sweet balls of glory, this is amazing!"
"Why is he going to be there."
"I just told you," she said in exasperation, brilliant smile still stuck goofily on her face. "He's leaving tonight because he's gotta do a bunch of work for his show, but he's gonna be there when we're there, Soph! Can you believe it! Soph, seriously - if this isn't fate, I don't even know what is!"
She flung her arms around my neck, jumping up and down and squealing shrilly in delight. The rest of the team stopped their setting and turned with confused, slightly concerned looks on their faces towards the two of us. Kimmy and Lindsey, to my intense annoyance, grinned sheepishly from a few feet away.
Maaaaaan.
This trip was gonna suck.
(Ryan)
"Please ... no, please don't - "
A laugh - high, mirthless. Purely evil.
"I'll do anything, please - oh God, oh God, please - "
The face was inches from mine - it was distorted, blurred, but red eyes pierced through the haze of blackened flesh. It laughed again, it's breath was rancid, it's teeth sharp and yellowed. Cracked, chipped - menacing. There was heat, such terrible heat - and the pain ..
oh God, the pain.
"Beg him," the voice said - but unlike it's laugh it was deep, furious, croaking.
"Please God, no - not again, oh God, please."
There was one more laugh, and the face moved an inch closer once more. With it's movements came more heat, more pain - it was excruciating. The face - was it a face? I didn't know, I didn't dare to look - moved closer to me again, now only an inch away from my own.
"No God."
A sharp pain, from the top of my head, down to the feet. The voice - my voice? - screaming, pleading, White hot, like a knife had just split me in two. I writhed around in agony. It wasn't touching me, the thing wasn't near me anymore - but I felt it still. It's insufferable heat, it's razor sharp hold on my body.
I kept screaming. Begging, crying, pleading. Was there no way out? Was there nothing I could do? Please, oh God, please, somebody save me from this.
Everything around me was red and black, blood red and jet black. And there were mirrors, glass. I could see fire in the reflection of the glass, of the mirrors around me. I tried to stand, but my feet gave way beneath me. I tried to crawl, but my knees - the pain, the pain was unbearable.
I lay, face down, dragging myself, hands blistering in the terrible heat beneath them. I dragged myself, slowly - desperately - away from the voice, from the laughter, from the terrible stench of decaying, rotten flesh coming from the thing's mouth. I screamed - I cried - I pleaded. My skin scraped along the red-hot floor, I felt my own blood, rush from the cuts and gouges of my legs, from my torso, from my hands. My nails dug into the ground, were ripped away in my haste of getting as far away as I could from this ... this thing.
I had made it a couple of inches - I lifted my head, desperate for an escape. There had to be one. But in front of me was a mirror - in it, I saw a face. Bloody, mutilated. White in anguish. Hollowed out, like a skull. Was it my face? Surely, not ..
The eyes looked back at me, terrified, swollen, wet with tears - globes of horror-struck green.
Green?
"Fuck!"
I shot up out of bed, muttering furiously under my breath. I felt a shooting pain erupt from my neck - Shit! I must've pulled something.
Scrambling out from underneath my covers, holding my neck in glorious amounts of pain, I rolled over to the edge of the mattress. The moon was high and full tonight - the air was calm, the stars bright. The sky was black tinged with silver, still and beautiful. I peered apprehensively out my window, down at the empty street below. No one there. Not a person, an animal, a car - nothing. The street was deserted, peaceful.
I glanced over at my clock - 3:34 AM. Nice and early, I had another four hours of sleep left before I had to get my ass moving and to the airport. But the thought of having to wake back up in four more hours was depressing - I was exhausted, shaken - my brain was pounding. My head dropped into my hands, my fingers massaging my temples soothingly. When I closed my eyes, blocked out the hum of my clock and Sergey's snores from two rooms over, I could recall bits and pieces of the dream I'd just had. Well, more nightmare than dream. Seriously - what, in the holy Hell, was that all about?
It's funny, how a dream so vivid and terrifying can wake you up in an instant, but the second you open your eyes and become consciously aware of your surroundings once more, the dream fades to nothing. Nightmares weren't new to me. I'd been plagued by them for years and years. When I was little, it was about the same, wide-mouth, grinning goblin that would sit at the base of my bed. When I was a teenager, it was always about death. Later,. in my early twenties, it was always about running - running away from a demon. Running away from something (a monster, maybe? A ghost? I was never sure, I never remembered afterwards) as fast as I could. But never quite getting away.
But this dream - this was new to me. I recalled very little about it, but I'd never seen the place or heard that voice or felt that kind of pain before. Not in a dream, anyways. I wracked my brain, trying to remember the details. They were blurred, hazy - like my brain was trying desperately to erase them before I could recall them. I fought against it, fought to remember ...
Heat, a lot of heat. I knew there was heat, because in the dream I - was it me? - had been sweating, blistering from the heat all around me and under me and above me. What else was there? Pain - that was it, immense, terrible, full-body pain. I was fine now, felt sleepy but content. But in that dream - mother of God, the pain was horrific. Like white hot needles everywhere in my body.
And why was I screaming? Surely I wasn't .. that screaming was high-pitched, the crying was a girl's. The pleading, the begging, the voice - familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. It was hoarse, low ... I don't think I knew anyone with that kind of voice. Me, they - whatever - the person was screaming bloody murder, begging for mercy. Mercy from who?
I tapped my foot impatiently on the floor, racking my brain. Mercy from who? Think, Ryan, think.
'No God'. That's it - I remembered that. The voice that said it, that laughed horribly. It belonged to something black, something huge, something ... terrible. I didn't remember the details of it, all I remembered was the size and the color. Oh! And the breath, I remembered the breath. It stunk like rotten fish, like decaying roadkill. I gave an involuntary sniff, but the scent was gone. I realized, with a start, that I was alright - I was in my room, wasn't I?
I looked around, taking in the comforts of my bedroom. The familiar desk, the bookshelves. The bed underneath me. It was a dream, that's all. I was safe. I was home. I was comfortable. I wasn't in pain, I wasn't dying, I wasn't screaming. I was fine.
Peering once more outside, making sure everything really was sound and silent and eerily calm, I curled back into my bed. Warm sheets up to my chin, pillow cool underneath my head. I was calm. At peace once more. Silly, I'd been so silly. A dream can't hurt you, I knew that. My eyelids grew heavy - I was sleepy .. jeeze, was I sleepy.
The buzzing of my clock and the rumbling snores of Sergey were welcome. They were calming - familiar. I smiled, closing my eyes and the wonderful ease of sleep washed over me. But right before I drifted off, one last thought occurred to me - the last image, the final piece of my dream that I could recall. It flashed into my brain, so quick it was rather like it didn't want me to take notice - but I saw it.
Green.
Green what? I remember the green ... but that's all.
Tomorrow, I'd remember ...
Tomorrow.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: LOOK AT THIS, A QUICK AND SPEEDY UPDATE THAT DIDN'T TAKE ME 5350239 MONTHS! And not only do I come bearing a new chapter and everything, I HAVE IMMENSELY EXCITING NEWS FOR ALL YOU LOVE READERS, REVIEWERS AND WIVES OF MINE (alright to be fair, it's more exciting for me than you, but I'm sharing anyways). The chapters SHOULD be coming a LOT faster beecaaaauuuuse -
I've finally finished plotting out the storyline!
OH YES. There will be 48 chapters, the preface and the epilogue. So about 50 different pages for you guys to read. And it's gonna be AMAZING. *squeals* I managed to fit everything I wanted into the story, so I'm thrilled and in a FANTASTIC MOOD.
Now. I must give thanks to the amazing reviewers that have brightened my week considerably with their brilliant reviews!
xoxoMyRealityIsFiction: THANK YOU, YOU LOVELY BAG OF HOTNESS. I try to write them as close to how I think they really are, and Heather always seemed like kind of ... kind of like an apeshit, crazy Uncle, y'know? She's definitely one of my faves, AND SO ARE YOU.
ModWolf98: You make me blush to no end! I LOVE YOU, SWEET SWEET MODWOLF. May you and I always and forever be best friends! Thank you for the review, let's snuggle and eat cookies and watch Paranormal State.
silentC: You just coined the coupledom that IS Ryan and Harlow. Rylo. I love you. Oh my sweet goody goodness, you actually made my laugh out loud with your review. And considering I was in a library, that was a bad thing, but you, my sweet darling, are the farthest thing from a bad thing ever. I ADORE YOU.
Kakashis-girl90: Your girlish squeal of delight made ME squeal girlishly in delight! Please review for me and be my friend forever and always until the end of time. OKAY? OKAY!
ferret assassin nin: Haven't reviewed at all or often? PLEASE, YOU'RE LIKE ONE OF MY TOP REVIEWERS. everytime i get an alert that someone has reviewed and i see that it's you, I squeal so shrilly dogs howl all around my city. You're DEAD ON (pun intended) with Chick, that's exactly the kinda humor I always saw her having! And may I just say, your reviews make me laugh and 'DAAAAWWWWWE' so loudly, that my own mother thinks I'm nuts. Mainly because when she asks what's up I say "FERRET ASSASSIN NIN" and she thinks I'm speaking in tongues. Love you loooong time!
heyymelx3: RYAN WATCH, RYAN WATCH. if you've yet to meet/marry/make sweet children you name after me with him by chapter 20, i'm coming down there and we're finding him together. And I'm gonna make shirts that say "Got Buell?" and we're gonna wear them until we find him. No sleeping or eating allowed. Your review made me smile and grin like a doofus, as they always do, so may I just say I love you, let's be best friends. :D
akahitoha: sfhksdhdsiugew I LOVE YOU MORE! new reviewer, i lovelovelove you! and i lovelovelove your name even more. akahitohaaaa, beautiful!
kcollins720: THEEEEE most faithful reviewer ever, since chapter one! you're brilliant and beautiful and there aren't enough words in the human dictionary to tell you how much i adore you!
WinchesterAngel3389: NEW REVIEWER, NEW PARANORMAL STATER. welcome welcome to the boards! and thank you for that lovely, wonderful review! i'm so glad you can see harlow fitting in! you were the first review of chapter 12, and the first one with a place all nice and snug and warm and wonderful in my heart. you're such a doll, muchmuch love!
YOU ARE ALL SO BRILLIANT AND WONDERFUL AND LOVELY!
now! all those thank yous being said! to the 40+ people who have favorited this story, and to the 50+ who have it on story alert! i beg of you, send me a PM or a lovely review or something! give me ideas, give me constructive criticism! send me a hello! i would lovelovelove to hear from you!
that is all for now, i do believe .. i must go and get started on the next chapter :D again, thank you from the bottom of my cold black heart for alll your wonderful, amazing, beautiful and STUPENDOUS reviews and support! i love you all so very much i can hardly contain it!
*prances off*
love; ellah!