a/n: I want to send a shout out to that drama queen for helping me with the ideas for this chapter. Thanks hun! And now, on with the chapter!
……
It felt like someone was clubbing him in the head with hammer when he opened his eyes groggily the next morning. What happened? That question swam around in his head as he tried to get up but realized he couldn't…because Kim was sleeping on top of him. And that's when he remembered.
They'd gotten drunk…hammered. He and Kim Carlisle had cracked the lock to the liquor cabinet in his parents' suite…and they'd drank like there was no tomorrow. Hurriedly, River tried to remember what he'd said…what drunken secrets had gotten out. Alex…he…Robbie…Kim…the secret that had been holding all of them together had gotten out.
For a second he felt sick, and he wondered if it was because of what he'd said…but moments later, he'd pushed Kim off of him and was scrambling for the bathroom.
……
River flushed the toilet again, wiping his mouth on one of the face cloths he'd pulled off of the rack beside the sink. He'd thought his stomach would be stronger than this…
It's because you told the secrets, River. He shook his head, trying to get the image of Alex's disappointed face out of his head. How could he have done this to her? How could he have done this to the girl he loved?
Or did he? He'd told Kim last night that he loved her…the girl he was drinking booze with…not the girl that was waiting back in Roscoe for him. River closed his eyes, frowning. What was the point though? The girl back in Roscoe was probably already hooked up with Robbie McGrath…the boy who had sealed the deal between them in the first place.
"I thought you were supposed to have a stronger stomach than me?" Kim's voice asked from the doorway and he turned to face her, smirking. She was smiling at him nervously and he patted the floor beside him. "Don't worry…I was up for about an hour doing that."
"Well…we did drink a lot." Kim crawled on the floor beside him, sitting up against his shoulder as he leaned against the wall. She smelt like roses and it made him smile. Alex smells like honey and lilies…Blinking to get the thoughts of Alex out of his head, his leaned his head against hers. "So, what now?"
"Was everything you said last night…true?" Her voice was soft and she'd held a beat before talking. He could hear the question in her voice and River set his arm around her, rubbing her shoulder. He wanted their last day on the cruise to be special.
"Yes…it was as true as truth can get. Just don't tell Alex-"
"That I know about her and Robbie. Don't be silly…I won't." Her hand slid up his chest and his stomach erupted in butterflies. "Me and Robbie are pretty much over though…what about you and Strong?"
He wanted to say they were over…but they weren't. And he didn't want to lie…but he didn't want to disappoint either. Reaching up, he took her hand in his and kissed it, holding it against his heart.
"Yeah…we're pretty much over as well." It's true River…if she wanted to keep this thing going, she would've emailed you at least once. A silence over came the couple and Kim let out a sigh, looking up at River with glassy eyes.
"Good." Reaching up, she kissed him lightly, pulling back and setting her head on his shoulder again. "What are we going to do about the alcohol?"
"I'll get it…don't worry."
……
"Between the two of you, do you know how much alcohol you drank?" Kim winced, frowning, as both she and River remained silent. So her parents and his parents had come in from that night, and being the not thinking people they were, had found the bottles Kim and River had both failed to hide.
"I can't believe the two of you!" Mrs. Pierce cried, setting a hand on her forehead. They were sitting on one of the beds in the suite, their hands folded in their laps as their parents had it out with them. "You could've just come to the party…"
"Not like you let us." River mumbled and Kim stifled a giggle as his mother zoomed in, leering in front of his face.
"What was that River?" His cheeks lit up and from the corner of her eye, Kim could've sworn he was smirking at his mother. He's a daredevil!
"Nothing mum." She seemed suspicious, but satisfied as she stood up again, walking over to Kim's mother and shaking her head. "We're not drunks, if that's what you're thinking. We just wanted to have some Christmas fun."
"And you had to do it this way?" She winced again as her father exploded, coming up in front of them. "I'm very surprised with the both of you. I would've thought you would've been more responsible!" He straightened up and Kim felt tears sting her eyes as she looked up at her daddy.
"Daddy-"
"You'll both have to pay…for all of it." She felt her stomach twist and she whimpered, trying to straighten up.
"But Daddy-"
"It's called consequences, Kimberly Ann! So say goodbye to your allowance for the next six months!" She bowed her head at the blow, feeling her pride come down a notch. It was bad enough at home…but in front of River and his parents? Why did she have to be tortured like this?
"I'll pay for it, Mr. Carlile." River's voice surprised her and she looked up at him.
"No River, you don't ha-"
"I'll pay for all of it. It was my idea in the first place…I forced Kim into it with me…a couple drinks was what I told her. But…it turned out to be more."
He doesn't have to lie like this…it was both of our ideas…River…She felt herself smile as he turned to her, his blue eyes twinkling with a sincere light. I love you boy.
"Fine then…but Kim…we'll have to…I'm just so…disappointed in you." And in an angry huff, all the parents left the room, leaving their children to ponder about what they'd done.
"River. You didn't have to do that." She said quietly, and he reached over to take her hand in his, smiling.
"It's okay. I have a job…you don't. You can pay me back later." His smirk suggested something else and she slapped his arm jokingly, giggling lightly. "What?"
"I love you boy."
It was Halloween, and her eight-year-old mind had seen too many goblins, ghosts, witches and aliens for her favor. Her parents had driven her and River back to her house and the first place she'd gone was to her tree fort, where she could hide half of her large sack of candy and leave it for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, River had followed her.
"What are you doing?" He asked as she began to climb up the ladder with difficulty, the large pillowcase of candy slung over her back as she tried not to step on her princess dress. He was dressed up as a black knight, and they'd run around all night pretending to be Wesley and Buttercup from The Princess Bride on an adventure. But now, she didn't want him to see where she kept her candy.
"Go away River." She sighed, using all her might to throw her candy bag up into the tree fort. And even though she'd asked him nicely, she still heard his footsteps climb up the ladder. "River!"
"I don't wanna stay with the grown ups!" He whined and Kim pushed herself up into the fort, crawling across the floor and finding her bag. Gathering the candy that had fallen out, she picked up a package of rockets and threw it at River, who was coming up the trap door. "Ouch!"
"This is my fort. You can't come up here." She ordered, pointing at the ground. "Out."
"Kimmy..."
"Out!" His eyes narrowed and he frowned, wobbling as he tried to steady himself.
"Do you want me to go tell my mommy? Or to fall and say you pushed me?"
Kim growled in defeat and let out a huff, crossing her arms as he grinned and made the rest of his way up.
"Fine. But you better not try to steal any of my candy."
"I won't. I have waaayyy more than you do anyway." He dropped his sack in front of her feet and sat down on the dusty floor, moving his toy sword out of the way. "What are you doing?"
She paused and looked at him, halfway through the process of emptying half her sack into one of the hollowed out floorboards her daddy had built in for her 'secret things'.
"It's my hiding spot. I put half of my candy in here every year, so I can have more candy until the next Halloween." Kim frowned as he peered down into the compartment, clutching the candy in her hands tightly. "You won't try to steal any will you?"
"No." River said blandly, opening his sack and sticking his hand in. "I told you. I have more candy than you do…why would I want any of yours?"
"Because you're a boy." She said, shaking her head as he took out a handful of candy and started to put it in her compartment. "What are you doing River?"
"I'm putting some candy in here too."
"Why?" He paused to smile at her as he let it fall in, taking her hand when he'd finished.
"Because that way, you'll have just as much candy as me all year long, and you won't be sad when you run out and I still have some." Kim felt her cheeks go red and she inched forward to him, kissing his cheek and hugging him.
"I love you boy."
"I love you too girl."
"I love you too girl."