Disclaimer: I own nothing. Enjoy guys!
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That Endless Summer
Chapter Thirteen: Last Weeks Fights
Once upon a time I was falling in love
But now I'm only falling apart
There's nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart
Once upon a time there was light in my life
But now there's only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart
- Total Eclipse Of The Heart, Bonnie Tyler
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I groaned as I felt the tiniest line of sunlight filter through into my eyes. And then, it was everywhere. I sat up quickly, which wasn't a good thing because then the room started spinning and I had to sit still for a couple of minutes until I could even look up.
I heard another groan beside me, and I slowly turned my head to see Cassie sitting up, definitely slower than I had. Smart ass.
"You're head screwed too?" I croaked out, realising that I needed water more than the greasy food I was craving.
"Yeah." She replied eventually "But so are my hands. And my legs. We didn't get that trashed, did we? I mean, we're in the hotel dressed in our PJ's… what happened obviously didn't take that much out of us." She continued, as she fully turned to face me.
"You sure about that Rocky?" I said, gasping, as I crawled over in the bed and pulled the right side of her face towards me. Right there, no so subtly, was a big purple shiny bruise. "How the hell did you get that?" I asked, as she looked at me, shocked. "How did you get that?" She answered in reply, as I took my hand from her face and felt the fresh cut that had been created between my eyebrows.
Fuck.
"LUKE!" I screamed, as Cassie covered her ears. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED LAST NIGHT!"
But he didn't come running into my room. In fact, there was no sound of movement, except my small pants where I had strained myself to get Luke.
After a few moments I turned abruptly to Cassie and asked in a rather demanding tone "They aren't coming, are they?"
She shook her head as her face fell sadly. Not only were we bruised and battered, but also, our boyfriends had also totally ditched us in our hour of need. Had we suddenly been thrust into an alternate universe, where the world had gone mad? I felt as if I was losing my mind, and the splitting headache that I had wasn't helping much either.
I heard a soft whimper from the other side of me, and I twisted around to see Cassie tucking her legs up under her, resting her chin on her knees, hugging her entire body close to her. And I saw a single tear trickle down her cheek. She looked up at me, her bottom quivering, the tears threatening to spill.
"They are with them, Maddie." She finally said softly, handing me a crumpled sheet of paper that was already tear stained in a few places.
Dear Girls,
There is a hangover cure made up and sitting in the fridge. Room service has a breakfast waiting for you as soon as you buzz them.
We've arranged for you to have a day in the spa, while we go and vent some of our frustration.
Aside from getting into fist fights with girls that have done nothing wrong, you apparently don't trust us either. So hopefully when we get back this afternoon we'll be able to sit and talk about this like calm adults.
Enjoy your day,
Luke and Ric
Xoxo
"What the hell?" I said aloud, reading it over and over. "They are annoyed at … us… for fighting with those, those…" I began, but couldn't comprehend the right combination of words to describe those two girls.
"They are with them." Cassie repeated from next to me, the tears flowing more freely down her face now "Because we pushed them away."
"Oh no honey." I said, knowing that I needed to be the strong one "They aren't with them. They would never do that to us, no matter how much they were annoyed with us. And we didn't push them away. They are just a little confused. That's it. Nothing more." I said, pulling her into a hug as she cried on my shoulder.
"Its going to be okay Cass." I said, as I rubbed circles on her back, just as Mum had done when I was a child to calm me down "Its going to be fine, because we're going to stick together. And we're going to eat away their room service bill, and then go to the spa and be pampered for the afternoon." I said, hoping to cheer her up for a moment at least.
She sniffed a little as she smiled up at me. "That sounds pretty good Maddie." She replied, smiling "As long as we stick together."
"Sounds like a plan." I replied, giving her one final hug before standing up slowly "Come on, we better get that food into us." I continued, groaning as I pulled Cassie up.
"Mmm, nothing says hung over like a fatty cooked breakfast, right?" I asked Cass, and she continued to smile at me.
"Nope. And nothing says hung over like this bad drink either." She said, as I passed her the form of liquid we'd been left by Ric and Luke. The brown gloop had sunk to the bottom, and was thick and icky looking. Strained, light brown water was floating on top, with a thin stick of celery sticking out the top.
"Are we sure we trust them?" I asked, as Cass grinned unsurely at me.
"No." She replied, taking a sniff of the drink "But this headache is going to be the death of me unless I do something. And they wouldn't… do that, would they?" She finished worriedly.
"We've got no other choice." I replied, as I pinched my nose and gulped down the drink quickly. It hit me like a tonne of bricks, and I began coughing momentarily before I finally calmed down.
"God that tastes like crap." I choked out, as Cass grinned weakly at me.
"Now for the fatty food." She said, finishing the last of her drink and walking over to the phone.
"Room service?" She asked into the receiver "Yeah, we'd like two of everything on your breakfast menu, and double the coffee." She said, smirking at me "Yep, charge it to their bill. Thank you." She said, hanging up.
"You're positively evil." I replied, taking a cautious sip of the drink "And inspired. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse." I replied, as my stomach spoke for me, letting out a large grumble.
"Well, you practically will." Cass grinned back, as I high fived her.
Things didn't look so bad from here.
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"God I feel full." I remarked to Cassie who was rubbing her belly contentedly, she nodded, and yawned sleepily.
"I could really go to that pampering session right about now. A nice sleepy back rub is just what I need to get the tension of the last couple of days… or weeks, out." She said, sitting back into her chair.
"We've been here a week. And things are basically ruined." I said suddenly, as it hit me. "We're supposed to be having this amazing time, with drinks on the beach, and white sand and clear sea, and beautiful nights when all we have to worry about is whether to set the alarm for ten or eleven the next morning." I said, beginning to ramble. "How is it that we ended up here, with only a few days left, and no fun to speak of?" I asked loudly, to no one in particular.
"Because the world wants us to fail Maddie." Cassie mumbled, "Now can we please get going? I feel the need for a nap."
"Fine, fine" I grumbled, grabbing the room key and pulling Cass up from the chair she'd been lying in "But this discussion is far from over." I warned as we walked out the door, shutting it behind us.
"I wouldn't dream of stopping you mid rant Maddie." Cassie replied sarcastically as we made our way down the hall. "Because then you'd doubly rant, and that is even worse." She said, smirking at we hopped inside the elevator.
"That is beside the point Cassie." I replied, becoming slightly infuriated "We've lost our boyfriends when we needed them most, how can you be so, cool about this?" I asked, as she sighed and looked at me.
"Because I've still got my best friend." She replied, "Hoes over bros. Remember?" She said, raising her hand and punching my knuckles and I fisted my hand and punched hers back.
"Hoes over bros." I replied, smiling at her "Always and forever." I said, as she hugged me quickly. "Now, can we get on with the pampering?" She asked, as she pulled away, wiping her eyes quickly.
"Yes, and no more tears." I said, attempting to sound threatening. "We're not spilling any more tears over those boys." I said, as the elevator doors opened and we stepped out into the marbled floor lobby "Because we're strong, independent women, with control of their cards and money." I said, grinning as we reached the front desk.
"How can I help you?" the young lady at the desk asked Cassie and I sweetly.
"Appointments for Cassie Turner and Matilda Hunter please? I believe we're booked in all afternoon." I replied, smiling at the lady as she clicked a few buttons and smiled back at us. "I've got you down for a Cellular Hydrating Facial at midday, followed by Diamond Body Perfection indulgence at one-thirty, a massage at three-thirty, and finishing with a deluxe manicure and pedicure at four-thirty, which should have both of you out of here by six. You will of course, be provided with nibbles and drinks throughout the afternoon, and dinner will be provided for you after this." She said happily as she passed over sheets to Cassie and I.
"Thank you so much." Cassie said from next to me.
"You're very welcome Ladies." She replied, "Now, if you'll just go right through there, someone should be waiting to collect you." She continued, pointing down the hallways "Enjoy your afternoon."
We thanked her once more before walking down the hallway. Something told me this afternoon was exactly what Cassie and I needed. And that the boys knew us more than we believed.
"You think this is okay?" Cassie asked me.
"I think its perfect." I replied happily, as we continued down the hallway.
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"My god I feel like a million bucks." I groaned blissfully as I stood up from the chair.
"I never thought people rubbing my body all afternoon would make me feel this good." Cassie said in agreement as she yawned and stretched her arms above her head.
"Its like, all the stress and tension and drama, it's gone. And what's left is wonderfully perfect nails and toe nails." I said, admiring my wonderfully polished fingernails.
"And a very good aura" Cassie said, smiling at my confused face.
"We're projecting happy thoughts. As opposed to the revengeful, angry thoughts we were projecting this morning. Hence, a good aura, as opposed to an angry, bad one." Cassie said, clapping her hands together gleefully as I finally got what she was on about.
"And it also makes you amazingly hungry. Can we go eat now?" I asked, rounding the corner to the dining room. We were still dressed in our fluffy white dressing gowns and slippers that had been given to us when we first arrived in the spa. They'd promised to wash and press our clothes and have them sent back to our room. It was all part of the fee, so Cass and I didn't have the heart to argue.
"Mmm, I could go a nice avocado and pine nut salad right about now." Cassie said, making my mouth water at the thought "With a nice cold bottle of water to re-hydrate our skin even more.
We turned a corner, and the dining room came into sight. Unfortunately at that time, Ric and Luke also came into sight. And they weren't alone.
I began to march towards them. Obviously we'd had round one, and I was more than ready for round two, but Cassie pulled me back behind the wall and placed a finger to her lips. Seconds later, their voices became louder, and then it appeared as if they'd stopped right in front of us. We stayed silent, catching them at what seemed to be the beginning of the conversation.
"We're really sorry about last night." Ric began "I just don't know what got into Maddie and Cassie. Generally they are really cool with us hanging out with girls."
"I'm sure they are." Parker replied sweetly, and I almost gagged. "I think they are just feeling a tad threatened by us. I mean, its not often you find females who enjoy surfing as much as we do. And with all the life changes that are going on, its no wonder that they feel the way they do." She continued as she moved closer to Ric.
"Its okay though." She said, touching his arm "We know that they are cool girls, and we would be more than willing to make good with them… if they didn't hate us so much." She said, pulling away and playing the innocent card.
I felt Cassie's hand flinch beside me, and I then everything had clicked. Last night, we'd gotten into somewhat of a pub brawl with the two evil wenches. That's how we'd ended up all bruised and battered. And that's how those little witches had Luke and Ric under their spell. Because we'd started everything.
Why are boys so naïve?
"Oh they don't hate you." Ric said to Parker, pulling her into a hug "They just have A LOT on their mind, what with University and such. That's what's been stressing them out. Seriously, it's not you two. You've been nothing but nice to them, and to us." He added, as Parker looked up at him.
"You really think so?" She said, her eyes wide, full of that fake innocence that made me want to slap her again.
"Yeah guys." Luke chimed in "Maddie and Cassie are usually great. If they weren't so stressed they'd be more than willing to get to know you two." He said, as I turned to Cassie.
"What the hell do they think is making us so stressed?" I said in a hushed tone " Not Uni. Its those two slags. Who, no matter what, manage to keep scamming on our boyfriends. And they keep falling for it." I whispered angrily, as Cassie glared at the two.
"They are so manipulative." She said "And I thought we were manipulative! They take it to a whole new level." She continued as she glared at them "How cruel can two people be?" She asked.
"Crueler than cruel." I replied "But they got nothing on these two." I said, noticing two more people that were walking to join the conversation.
"Speak of the devil, and the devil doth appear." Cassie said as she saw them too.
Henry and Hilary. The devils spawn.
"Well, well, well." Henry said to the group "Just the guy I wanted to see." He said, clapping his hand on Ric's shoulder, as he turned to glare at Henry.
"At least some things haven't changed" Cassie whispered to me, as I grinned slightly.
"Have you told him yet?" Henry asked of Parker, who shook her head and smiled broadly at them.
"This cannot be good." I moaned, as Parker turned to Ric.
"The thing is, Henry and Hilary could not shut up about how good your surfing was when we were hanging yesterday." She began "And the hotel manager just so happened to walk by and hear us gushing." She continued "And he asked if he could see a tape. So thank god we just happened to have the tape on us, when we recorded us surfing the other day. And he loved it Ric." She said, hugging him tightly "He really loved it. And he's going to offer you a job up here. Teaching surfing." She said happily, hugging Ric as his face paled momentarily.
I felt Cassie grab for my hand as he smiled broadly and picked Parker up and spun her around.
"Are you serious?" He screamed happily "That's brilliant."
"Mate that's awesome. How brilliant would that be for a job?' Luke said, as he and Ric did their little handshake thing when he'd put Parker down "Its like, perfect for you man." He said, as Ric nodded.
"I know. Surfing the waves every day, and then teaching it to people and being paid to surf. Its like, my dream job!" He said, backing up and looking as shocked as ever.
"You're serious right?" He said finally, after realising that it had been Henry who prompted the conversation.
"Deadly serious." He said, without a smirk, or even a grin. "That dude over there that's pointing to us," He said nudging his head in the direction of a man who was in a dark suit "He's the manager, and hes about to come over here and tell you himself." Henry said, just as the man began to walk over.
"So we're going to leave you to it. Have a nice night guys." Hilary said, taking Henry's hand and walking away.
Ric had enough time to share a look with Luke before the guy in the suit reached him.
"Hello Eric, I'm James, the Hotel Manager." He said, extending his hand for Ric to shake.
"It's a pleasure to meet you James." Ric replied as he shook his hand.
"Now I'm sure these two lovely ladies have told you" James said, nodding towards Parker and Lily "But I managed to come across a tape of your surfing, and I have to tell you, I was very, very impressed. It just so happens that a position in the hotel as a surfing instructor has come up, and I think I speak for everyone when I say, we'd love to have you onboard." He said, as Ric grinned back at him. "Of course, I wouldn't expect your answer until the end of January, as the position doesn't start until the middle of February."
"Well that makes the deal even sweeter." Ric replied, grinning at the guy, as I felt Cassie move sharply, and I turned to see her running away down the hallway. I sighed before following her. After about a hundred meters, I found her, slumped down against a wall, her head in her hands, sobbing loudly.
I knelt down beside her and pulled her into my arms, as her crying continued. She pulled me close and I held her tight, hoping, preying, that Hoes over bros would pull her out of this. Because if it couldn't, I didn't know what could.
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AN: Thanks Jade for proofing! You rock. Okay, that chapter was all Maddie. But I just felt she needed one to her own, as she was the best person for the job! I won't say anything, only, don't throw those sharp objects at me please, I didn't mean any harm! And read on, there's another chapter waiting :)