A/N: I've been seeing the traffic for chapter one and I'm loving the fact that people are checking out the story and even a few have started to follow. Here's chapter two of Where the Story Ends. Reviews are always welcomed. I hope you all will enjoy!
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead," Alli chimed as she entered her room. Sprawled out haphazardly under the duvet was Clare. She could see her porcelain arm hanging limply from under the mass of blanket and pillows. If not from the groan she emitted, Clare easily could have passed as dead.
In her eyes, she was just that to the world. From the throbbing in her head rendering speech futile just then to how weak her entire body felt, it could all be equated to having the life taken out of her. Most of the night before was a blur to her and any attempts at straining her memory just proved the fact she already knew. She wasn't in any shape now to retrace her steps when she was already fumbling through the present moment.
"Clare, you have to wake up some time. It may as well be now." Kneeling beside her friend, Alli tried to pull the covers back.
"Go away," she mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut and burying her face against the nearest pillow.
Twisting her mouth to one side, Alli smirked as a devious plan came to mind. "Fine," was all she said curtly, getting up and going to the window. Pulling back the drapes, she opened the blinds, allowing the sunlight to stream in through the window.
"Why must the sun be so bright?" Clare protested, a second or two later feeling Alli remove the covers. Tossing a pillow at her friend's head, she slowly got up, feeling how harshly her temples were pulsating. Shooting a glare at Alli, Clare leaned back against the headboard, crossing her arms over her chest. "I hate mornings."
"I don't like mornings either but it's 2 o'clock so quit your grumbling and get ready. I'm starving and I know you could do with some food in your system," Alli said, attempting to smooth out Clare's mess of curls.
Glancing at the nightstand, Clare could see the glowing red numbers reading 2:17. Burying her face in her hands, she yawned and nodded before staggering out of bed.
"Wait, I don't have any-"
"I went to your place this morning and packed for you. Your bag is over there," All pointed out to the vanity bench.
"What would I do without you? Seriously, you'd make for one hell of an assistant," Clare remarked, heading over to her duffle bag. Opening it up, she grabbed her toiletries and a change of clothes before going into the bathroom.
The first thing she noticed was her appearance, how haggard she looked with bags under her red rimmed eyes. Scrunching up her face at the sight, she turned on the faucet and splashed water onto her face. It was a small trick but it did help in waking her up a bit more. She kept her eyes trained on her reflection as she brushed her teeth, the mirror so clear and unforgiving as each facet seemed magnified the longer she stood in place. Once complete, she turned her back on the mirror, twisting the knobs and allowing the shower to run for a minute or two before hopping in.
Instantly she felt more at ease as the water washed over her. She wanted to scrub away any trace of last night and let it all go down the drain. Try as she might have, she couldn't do away with the memory of Jake's face in complete shock to see her. He would have left without so much as a single word, taking a cowardice approach to leaving. What had she done that could make him want to leave out of the blue? No matter how many times she mulled it over, no matter how many angles she looked at it from, nothing about the current state of her relationship pieced together to form a solid answer.
She washed her hair almost angrily, working up a lather in her auburn curls as if the simple task would free her of her problems. Clare wasn't sure what her next step would be but she was grateful to Alli for being there for her. Clare felt like a complete fraud given her line of work and inability to help herself. A deep sigh elicited from her lips once her shower was done, Clare shutting off the water and stepping out.
Wiping the steam off the mirror, she looked at herself once again. Her eyes still looked tired and sad but it was an improvement to how gaunt she had looked moments before. Once dressed and ready, she towel dried her hair until it was presentable enough to face the outside world.
"Where to, Miss Bhandari?" she said aloud as she walked through Alli's apartment, finding the girl nose deep in the latest edition of The Edge.
"I was thinking that cute new shop a few blocks down. We can have a late lunch and officially kick off this girls' weekend because last night does not count," she said knowingly, closing the magazine and placing it down on the coffee table before getting up.
Her heels clacked against the hardwood floor as she led the way out, Clare shaking her head at how flashy Alli's style had been since they were teens. She could never be daring or brave enough to wear shoes like that, deeming it more of a death wish than a fashion statement. While the girls varied in personal style, they had been inseparable since they met back in grade nine.
The trip to the quaint café was a short one filled with small talk. Clare knew that once they were seated, they would have to speak about the elephant in the room but she was glad Alli was giving her a bit of a break on that front until it couldn't be put off any longer.
Stepping inside, Clare looked up as a small silver bell tolled above them, signaling their entrance. The shop was decked out in blue and white detailing, mirroring a French café based of décor and overall vibe alone. It was quiet with only a few patrons sitting to themselves either nursing cups of coffee or immersed in some type of light reading. Opting for a window seat, Clare pulled out her chair and sat, Alli following suit. Silence fell over them and Clare was certain Alli was waiting on her to be the first to break it. Letting out soft sigh, she decided to just go for it.
"So on a scale of one to I'm-never-letting-her-drink-again, how bad was I last night?" she asked tentatively, almost afraid to hear the verdict.
"You weren't that bad," Alli assured, flicking her long locks over her left shoulder before smiling.
Her use of inflection wasn't a great comfort to Clare as she groaned disapprovingly, placing a hand under her chin. "I shouldn't have had so much to drink. Better yet, I shouldn't have drunk at all. So stupid but the hangover gods are seeing to it that I'm punished for my crime," she mused, her headache still persisting but at least now it was bearable.
Tucking a loose curl behind her ear, she started again. "Thanks for being there for me though. I know it couldn't have been easy putting up with a drunken girl but you're a tough cookie," she teased.
"Getting you out of the cab was a battle, trust me. At least at the bar that guy was there to help. At first I didn't care too much for him but he came in handy," Alli said nonchalantly.
Clare's brows furrowed in confusion. "What guy?" she thought to herself. Before she could ask the question aloud, a waiter decked out in black square framed glasses with pen and pad in hand came bounding towards them.
"Good afternoon, ladies. I'm Parker and I'll be your waiter," he greeted, placing down two menus respectively. "Can I start you all off with drinks?"
"Hi, thanks. I'll just have a chai tea, please," Alli ordered, glancing at Clare to give in her order too.
"Hmm, I'll have a caramel macchiato, thank you."
Jotting it down quickly, Parker nodded. "Alright, great. I'll be back in a bit with your drinks and take your meal orders," he said cheerfully before leaving the two girls to themselves.
Alli opened up her menu, tapping a manicured finger against her chin as she tried to pull over the different selections. But Clare was still stuck on the words she spoke prior to the brief interruption. It seemed to be a non-factor to Alli who continued to peruse the choices before her as if nothing had been out of the norm.
"What was it you were you saying before? About some guy…?" she trailed off, truly at a loss for how much Alli was brushing the thought off.
"Right, yeah. I think he said his name was Eli. Anyway, when you were blathering away and drinking your weight in alcohol," she said in jest, "there was this guy there. It was pretty hard to ignore you so I don't blame him for pretty much eavesdropping but when we left, he saw how difficult it was for me to get you into the taxi so he did it for me. Consider him your knight in shining armor but instead of the full body suit, he was dressed in all black," she said noncommittally, finally making up her mind on her order.
Clare fell silent as she tried to recall this man Alli was talking about. After a moment something clicked. She could remember getting excited over something at the bar, a pair of green eyes looking to her as she sat against a leather seat- Clare now noting that as the backseat of the taxi. From her hazy memory she recalled thinking he was attractive with that bad boy type image going for him. She was glad they would never see each other again though. It was one thing to be drunk in front of her best friend but a complete stranger was where she had to draw the line.
"From here on out, if you even see me look at a bottle of any kind, you have my full permission to smack me," Clare deadpanned.
"Can I get this agreement in writing or…?"
Rolling her eyes playfully, Clare glanced over the menu as Parker made his return to their table and set down their drinks. "Have you all decided what you'd like today?" he asked, his pen at the ready once more.
"Yes, I'll have a chicken Caesar wrap with fries," Alli requested, flipping her menu closed and pushing it aside.
"And for you, Miss?" Parker asked Clare who was quickly making up her mind.
"I'll just have a grilled chicken sandwich with fries as well, thank you."
Taking both their orders and menus, he was on his way once again. Picking up her mug, Clare blew onto her coffee, breathing in the deep yet sweet aroma before taking a tentative sip. It was a small but well needed relief to her, the warmth of the coffee spreading quickly as she helped herself to more before placing it back down.
"So…do you want to talk about it or not?" Alli asked cautiously, setting her own cup to her lips. It was clear in her eyes that she was doing her best to gauge Clare's reaction but found it hard to read her friend's expression.
Frowning down at her coffee, she shook her head lightly, her soft curls bouncing gently. Tracing her rim of her cup with her index finger she bit down on her lower lip before glancing back up at an expectant Alli.
"It's our girls' weekend to just forget about everything. All I want to do now is stuff my face, have a movie night later on and tomorrow we can have a DIY spa day at your place. Jake Martin is not allowed on my train of thought until I have to deal with him Monday morning, granted he doesn't continue avoiding me like the plague and actually shows up to work," she laughed wistfully. "I appreciate it though, really. If I change my mind, you'll be the first to know. But within this moment, it's all about focusing on the here and now. Come what may in the next few days, at least I can have some down time until then. With my luck, anything could happen."
"Oh, come on! You cheated! There's no way you could possibly beat me! I demand a rematch. Right here, right now."
Rolling his eyes at his roommate's protest, Eli set his controller down beside him on the couch, folding his arms behind his head as he stretched out lazily. His legs extended out to the coffee table, crossed at the ankles as he was the picture of cool despite the look of absolute annoyance etched into Adam's face.
"To the victor go the spoils. You know, if you keep pouting your face will get stuck like that. And I've gotta say, it ain't pretty," Eli mused, earning a death glare from his best friend.
"Don't be such a sore loser. You win every other game. We both know you'll kick my ass in COD later. Let me have my fifteen minutes, yeah?"
Scoffing, Adam got up from his place on the ground, dusting off his jeans as he stepped towards the kitchen. "Bask in the moment while you can, Goldsworthy. Next game, you're going down," Adam said confidently, his trash talk alive and well as he headed into the kitchen.
"Quit your belly aching. You lost one match. It's not the end of the world but then again for 'Video Game Kid', I guess it is," Eli quipped.
At this, Adam laughed and Eli could hear him rummaging through the cupboards on the hunt for something to sate his never ending hunger. He returned to the living room, arms filled with various bags of chips and a can of soda. Setting his finds down on the coffee table, he flopped back onto the couch and cracked open his can.
"I think a part of your dad's heart breaks each time he calls me Adam. If he had it his way, I'd be legally named Video Game Kid," he laughed, taking a sip of his soda.
Unfurling himself, Eli reached over and grabbed a bag of pretzels from the table and opened it, scooping out a handful. "Bullfrog is a weird guy and that's coming from me of all people," he said before popping one into his mouth.
"Well the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, now does it?" Adam quipped, earning him a slug in the arm. "You can't handle the truth, eh?"
"I'm the better Goldsworthy, hands down, so that comment is irrelevant."
"Sure, sure. If you want to believe that lie to help you sleep at night then by all means, continue buying into it," Adam said condescendingly. "I think old school beats new school in the battle of the better Goldsworthy. Sorry, dude. Bullfrog is awesome but you're a close second, if that's any consolation," he continued, patting Eli's back sympathetically until Eli shrugged him off and laughed.
"You're such an asshole. Why do I keep you around?"
"Because I pay half the rent and you'd be out on your butt if not for me living here with you."
"Ah, thanks for the reminder, my friend," he remarked, nodding his head. "Anyway, listen up. I sort of have something to tell you. It's nothing major but whatever."
"Ramble much? Anywho, spill. What's going on?" Adam asked, sipping from his can again.
"Alright so after work last night I went to the bar, you know that one off Queen's Street? Anyway, there were the these two girls-"
"Wait, is this a joke like 'A penguin walks into a bar' or?"
"No, it's an actual story. One of which you're currently interrupting."
Raising his hands back in mock surrender, Adam feigned innocence. "Well, pardon me, good sir. Won't you please continue then?"
"As I was saying," Eli stressed, quickly helping himself to two more pretzels, "there was a set of friends there. One was pretty much wasted after her boyfriend left her out of nowhere. I felt bad for her friend having to deal with her so I helped out, got the drunk one into the cab for her and hopefully she managed after that. I don't know, it just got me thinking once again about how messed up relationships are. Don't get me wrong. You and Becky are awesome together," he quickly amended when he saw Adam about to interject. "But this girl, Clare, she was seriously beautiful…albeit drunk off her ass, but you could tell she was a good person."
"That is pretty messed up. Guys like that give us good ones a bad rap."
"You're a goddamn prince, Torres. I on the other hand? Not so much. I hung up that title many moons ago," Eli said, finishing off his pretzels.
"Dude, you had a few bad goes in the love game but I still think you should put yourself back out there again. Any girl would be lucky to be with you. You treated your girlfriends really well-"
"Yeah? But it wasn't enough to make any of them stay, now was it?" Eli retorted, hearing the bitterness in his own tone. "Sorry. I just…I don't see that happening for me again, you know? It hurt like hell with Julia and it was even worse with Imogen. I can't see a good reason why I'd set myself up for another letdown."
"Third time could be the charm. You never know," Adam said optimistically. "You're a young guy. You can't honestly tell me deep down that you're content with giving up on the idea of love. Sometimes it comes about when you least expect it. Hell, Becky and I were at odds for a while and now look at us. I don't mean to be sappy or anything but you're my best friend and I want you to find the right girl. That can't exactly happen if you're ruling it out from the start."
Eli remained quiet after Adam spoke, staring off at nothing in particular as he mulled over what his friend had to say. It was true that he had his whole life ahead of him but after those relationships had gone awry after he'd invested so much time and so much of himself, it was emotionally draining. It left Eli at a crossroads of sorts and in all honesty scared to try again though he'd never admit that to anyone else. He already felt pathetic enough having reach that conclusion. To say it aloud would only cement the fact.
"Maybe I should just stick to writing about love in my plays and books instead? I think that reaches my quota well enough," he mused half-heartedly.
"If it works for you, then yeah, I guess," Adam said meagerly. The talk had taken on a heavier note than either of them could have anticipated but Adam was determined to turn the mood around a bit if he could help it.
"So, this Clare girl. Tell me more about her."
"I don't know what else there is to say. It's not like we had a full blown conversation. After I got her in the cab I said maybe I'll see you around but really, how's that going to happen? I've never seen her before and most likely won't again. But I do know she's an advice columnist," he said, remembering that tidbit.
"Clare…Edwards?" Adam asked curiously, rummaging under all the snacks and pulling out a magazine.
"I didn't get her last name…Ad, what's going on?"
"An advice columnist named Clare? There can't be many of those cases running around the city," he replied, diligently looking through the pages until he stopped. "Is this you girl?" he asked, handing the magazine over.
Sure enough, staring back at Eli was the girl from the night before with a bright smile on her face. It was surreal and enough of a shock to leave him quiet. "That's her. That's one."