Chapter 10: Motel Madness
Luis's POV By Star"We're here!" Fulton announces. Since lunch he's been driving, if you asked me, I'd have to say that his boyfriend is a better driver. Put a gun to my head and demand the truth and I'd go further and say that Annie and I have spent the past three hours holding hands and praying that he wouldn't get us killed.
"Showers here I come!" Connie says gleefully, the rest of the van quickly yells an 'amen'.
I wrap an arm around Annie as we make our way to the motel. I just hope there are enough rooms for us all. I don't want to share with anyone but Annie, they'll just constantly insist that Annie and I are in love.
Which we're not. I love Annie, I just don't love Annie. And the hand holding and the hugging stuff? We're just really close, that's all.
Really.
"So, I guess you two are sleeping together?" Portman gives us a sadistic grin as he and Fulton fall in step next to us.
Annie sighs deeply. "Rooming together, yes."
"One day the two of you will be married and surrounded by kids, and Portman and I will come over for dinner and tell them all about how many years it took for you to get together." Fulton comments.
"You know, this is getting really old." I reply tiredly.
"So is waiting for the two of you to get together."
I glare at Portman. I'm too tired to get into this, and the fact that we have this conversation about five times a day isn't helping.
**
I enter the room behind Annie. I'm looking forward to this, beds. Far superior to sleeping bags on the ground.
And I see the bed. Singular. Well, it's a double bed, but there's only one. I glance at Annie.
"It's better than a tent." She says.
I nod. "You can have the first shower." I offer.
She grins. "Thanks, but don't blame me if there's no hot water left."
She grabs her bag and wanders off. Only seconds later she pops her head back around the door. "And stay out of my mind while I'm in the shower, I'm always thinking I hate my butt."
I frown at her. "But you've just told me you hate your butt, what difference does it make now? And besides, you've got a great butt."
She rolls her eyes and shuts the door. Sometimes even I think Annie's a little odd.
**
By the time I get out of the shower Annie is tucked up in bed. She's awake but dozy. I feel kind of awkward and I have no idea why. Annie and I share a bed all the time. And we've spent the past two nights sharing a tent.
Then I work out what it is. We've never chosen to share a bed before. Every time I stayed in her dorm room, or she stayed in mine, it's because we fell asleep while watching a film or something. And sharing a tent doesn't count because we were surrounded by the Ducks.
"Are you coming to bed or not?" Annie asks in a dozy voice. "Or are you going to sleep standing up like a horse?"
"Sorry, lost in my thoughts." I reply.
Annie mutters something that sounds like, "Glad you weren't lost in mine."
"Huh?"
"Never mind. Sleep. Bed. Comfy."
I lay down on the bed, and for some reason I'm careful to keep some space between myself and Annie. Usually we're scrunched together with our arms around each other, but tonight we're not.
Why is tonight so different from last night in the tents? Maybe it's because we're in a double bed and we have the space to sleep apart. Usually we're in a single and have no choice about how much space we have.
"I can't sleep." Annie moans.
I look at the clock and realise that I've been noticing the amount of space between us for a couple of hours. Or I fell asleep and Annie woke me up.
"Why not?"
"I don't know, comfy bed, lots of space, nice clean freshly-showered Annie and still…" She tails off with a sigh. "Something's weird."
"How do we usually get to sleep together?" I ask.
"Movies or talking." She replies promptly, getting to her feet. "I'll put the TV on."
"Any preference?" She flicks through the channels.
"Ooh! Stop!" I say spotting a flash of animation.
She goes too far and starts flicking backwards. "The Little Mermaid?" She asks incredulously.
"I like it. You know I do."
"You're a sappy git, Mendoza." She comments, climbing back into bed.
"And you're just as bad." I pull her into my arms ignoring the weirdness. We always hug when we watch movies.
"I hate this film." Annie says, her voice already taking a dozy tone.
"Why?"
"He's a moron. He can't see what's right in front of him. She's obviously in love with him and he doesn't even notice." She says, snuggling closer.
"I know, but they get the happy ending eventually."
"Eventually."
"When he pulls his head out of his ass."
I don't get a reply, Annie has already zonked out.
_________________________________________
Jesse's POV By Charisma"Nice room." Portman comments as he enters his and Fulton's room. There were only five rooms left, Fulton and Portman got the bigger one and as part of the deal, they're letting us all hang out in there.
"Mini bar!" Peter exclaims making a beehive for it. "Alright!"
"Any Fizzballs?" Adam asks, Charlie flops next to Portman.
"Why would there be Fizzballs in a mini fridge?" He asks as Fulton pulls him up and flops on Portman. "Plus you have two packets left."
"You can never have enough Fizzballs." He grins back, "And Julia said her brothers keeps their Fizzballs in the fridge."
"I never said that!" Julia glares. "Plus I don't even have a brother."
"Lucky." Terry gives me a look. I guess he's still sore that I beat him at cards and called him a loser on the way here. I give him a light punch and check out the mini bar with Peter.
"You know what this means?" Peter asks pointing at the little bottles, he has a gleam in his eyes. Before I can object, he's already told everyone about the alcohol.
"Alright!" Portman cheers, I suppress a snort. It's Portman and Mini Portman.
"Ever notice that Peter looks like a tiny Portman?" Terry echoes my thoughts. Annie would be proud of us.
"I was just thinking that." I pick up a bottle and read the label. Bailey's Irish Cream. "Where is Annie anyway?"
"With Luis." Connie answers. "They went to their room."
"Let's get them." Peter grins, pulling out a couple of glasses.
"Leave them alone." Fulton lifts himself up. "They might be getting it on."
"Hopefully!" Portman grins. "I'm so tired of the 'We're Just Friends' excuse."
"Hey, there might be more in our rooms." Terry says, surveying all of the bottles. "I think we have a few cans of cola in Jesse and mine room."
"I thought we were saving the drinking for when we got to Vegas." Charlie glares as Julia trips over Adam and onto him.
"Is it me or are you turning into the world biggest spoilsport?" Peter asks.
"I'm tired!" Fulton complains. "I don't want to party. I want to sleep."
"We'll go to Jesse and Terry's room." Portman reassures Fulton, who just grunts.
"Yup!" Adam nods and bounces onto Fulton's bed. "Goodnight Bash Brother."
"I'm not your Bash Brother." Fulton murmurs.
"Fellow Duck then." He bounces off the bed. I think he's bounced more in a week than he done when he was a kid.
Adam and Julia bounces out of the room together, dragging along a complaining Charlie with them. We all wait.
"Do you mind leaving so I can give him a proper good night kiss?" Portman asks with an amused look. We all trail out.
*
Charlie and Guy have decided they rather sleep then have a drinking binge, so it's just, Portman, Peter, Connie, Julie, Adam, Julia, Terry and I. Peter and Portman are getting horribly drunk. Adam and Julia preferred to get drunk on Fizzballs, and they are literally bouncing off the walls.
My stomach gives a low rumble reminding me that I'm hungry.
"You guys, are you hungry?" I ask everybody.
"You're not drunk unless you can't hang onto the floor without-" Portman looks confused and tries again. "You're not drunk if you can hang on the floor lyi-"
"I am!" Adam bounces off the bed.
"Yes! You're not drunk if you can't lie on the floor without hanging on!" Portman slaps Peter on the back, he sprawls onto the ground.
"But I'm not drunk." Julie giggles. She turns to me. "I'm hungry as well."
Julia bounces over Adam and onto Julie's back. "Me three."
"You can't say that unless somebody's already said 'me too'." Terry points out.
"Jules was the second one to say it. It's good enough for me." Julia grins and slides on her boots.
"Let's get food then." Terry heads for the door.
"Macca's!" Julia tramples out the door aside Adam.
"No fast food!" Connie turns to me. "Please."
"I'll try what I can." I turn to Portman and Peter who are still fighting about who is the most drunkest. "You coming?"
They don't even hear me. It's hardly surprising since Adam and Julia have started singing 'Baby, One More Time'.
"What is it with Adam and Britney Spears?" Terry groans and bashes his head onto the wall. I shrug and we all leave the motel.
"And a girl named Leah, ain't gonna be sayin' seeya!" Julia sings. "Uh-huh!"
"And 'cause a horse's nosin' through hay, don't mean it's gunna say hey!" Adam sings with her.
"What are they singing?" I ask, looking at Julie. If anyone knows about Julia's odd habits, it's going to be Jules.
"It's a long story." Jules points. "Food."
It's a 24/7 diner. Good enough and it's not McDonald's.
We all grab a table up the back and order. Connie and Julie goes to the bathroom. A couple of guys sit across from us. The food hasn't arrived yet.
Julia and Adam are starting to get restless.
"Where's the food?" Julia asks tapping loudly on the table.
"Yeah, where's the food?" Terry asks me. I hold up my hands and shrug.
Luckily for me, the food arrives as Connie and Jules return.
"Ew." Adam complains. "My plate's dirty!"
"You ate dirty Fizzballs." Connie laughs. "I think you can handle a dirty plate."
Before Adam can answer, a guy has approached our table.
"Yeah?" Connie asks.
His question is unrepeated. Before I can defend her, Julia has stood up and dumped the pitcher of coke over his head. She then must have decided that isn't enough because she chucks her plate of wedges covered in sour cream and chill sauce into his face and knees him where the sun really don't want to shine.
"That was classic!" Terry laughs after we get kicked out.
"Yeah....thanks." Connie turns to Julia, who shrugs.
"Yeah, whatever. It's cool." She glances up at the sky. "You know Julie's my friend, friends of Julie's....It's no big deal."
"I think it was cool." Jules grins slinging an arm each around Julia's and Connie's shoulders. "Hopefully that taught him a lesson."
"Yeah." Julia tucks her hair behind her ear. "I don't like sexist jerks. Adam, you got anymore Fizzballs?"
"I thought you didn't like them." Adam pockets his Fizzballs.
"I don't like the cherry ones." Just like that, Julia has changed the subject. "Hand 'em over."
"You'll have to catch me."
I admit, when I first saw her, I thought she was attractive. Attractive and a bit too hyper.
And now? I'm kinda seeing her in a different light. A good kind of light thing.