Author's Note:
Alcohol is the devil.
Not a lot of activity in the start of this chapter. Hangover days suck; they're such a waste.
Anyway... Happy hangover! :D
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination.
Chapter 17:
I wake up with a mouth like a sand pit, feeling less than okay. Thank God I don't get headaches, but holy shit, what even happened last night? I remember meeting those skanks and pretending to be straight to get rid of them, then I think I acted like I was with Spencer to throw them off a second time. I can vaguely remember a table covered with shots, and a slap, but the rest is a bit of a blur. Oh God, I had a drinking competition again, didn't I? Shit, I always get really competitive after a few drinks. Why do I do this to myself?
Once I become accustomed to the horrible feeling in my stomach, I realise there's a hand around my waist. The fuck? Oh Jesus... Please don't tell me I brought some random back to the house last night. I couldn't have. I haven't brought a random home in over three years, and the club was miles away... How the hell did I even get back here anyway?
I glance down at the hand over my torso. Definitely female. Great. Good to know I didn't magically switch teams after consuming a copious amount of alcohol...
I groan, partially at the fragile state of my stomach, and the ambiguity of the mysterious hand.
I really, really don't want to turn around right now. I wonder if I manage to crawl out of bed, would I be able to avoid this girl completely and sneak out? Would she be able to find her way home? Probably not... Not out here anyway.
I pluck up the courage and roll over, clenching my eyes shut as I try not to wake her. I hear her stir slightly before rolling over so her back is to me. I'm safe though; I don't think she's awake.
Once I'm over, I open my eyes slowly, afraid to look.
She's blonde. Okay, well that's to be expected; even when drunk, I seem to have a specific type rather than simply girls with a pulse.
I take a deep breath before lifting my head slightly, glancing over her shoulder so I can see her face. I bet she's attractive...
To say I'm shocked when the realisation hits me would be an understatement.
I gasp slightly as I throw my head back down on to the pillow.
Holy. Shit.
"What the fuck?" I whisper quietly to myself, before covering my eyes with my hands. "Shiiiiit."
How the hell did I end up in my bed with Spencer? What actually happened? Oh God, we didn't, did we? Please tell me didn't...
I look down at myself. Well, I'm fully clothed... In my pyjamas, no less. When did that happen? But still, I'm clothed... That's a good sign, right?
I turn to look at Spencer cautiously, lifting the covers slightly. Clothed. Thank God. There is no nakedness whatsoever. I let out a breath as I close my eyes, thanking the gods I didn't do anything last night I'd regret.
"Mmm... Morning." Spencer stretches beside me.
"Uh... Hi." She smirks at me.
"So how are you feeling today, stud?" Stud? What the hell did I do?
"I feel like microwaved shit..." She chuckles at this. "You?" She seems fine, but if I remember correctly, she wasn't drinking much last night.
"Oh, I'm good. Aside from the lack of sleep, that is. Someone wouldn't let me go to bed last night..." She looks at me accusingly. Me? I wouldn't let her go to bed? Why?
"Uh... I guess that 'someone' was me, huh? I'm sorry..."
"Oh, no, you're fine. It was quite funny actually, now I think about it... You're an amusing drunk." I groan, shielding my face with my hands. "Hey, seriously..." She pulls my hands away. "Don't worry about it; I've seen worse. Besides... You haven't seen the others yet." I feel slightly better knowing that I wasn't the only drunken idiot annoying everyone last night. It's always better knowing you had a mate with you when you act the fool.
"I feel like an idiot..."
"Don't. Really... Besides, your insistence on performing a rescue mission when we got home last night was admirable... And actually very cute." She's smirking again.
"A rescue mission?"
"Uh-huh."
"To rescue who?"
"Glen and Casey of course! Oh, and Mel..." What the hell?
"From what?"
"Or 'whom', rather... The sluts, duh!" What?
"The sluts?" I furrow my eyebrows.
"Apparently... Oh, and 'Ferdinando'." What even? Suddenly, I'm hit with a flashback of some heavy grinding on the dance floor with a man who resembles a bear. Jesus.
"Okay, I have no idea what you're talking about, but it sounds ridiculous."
"See, that's what I thought. But then you started getting teary..."
"I did?"
"Yep. But don't worry; you stopped once I told you they were safe in bed."
"I can't even remember, I... Wait, how did you end up in here then?" She smiles again. I can tell she's fighting off laughter.
"Oh, I didn't have a choice, really. You insisted."
"Shit. Spencer, I'm sorry..."
"No, honestly, it's fine. Once you got over your initial horniness, you –"
"Wait, got over my what?" I'm horrified. She chuckles.
"You're quite the charmer, Ash. 'Cobwebs', huh?" She arches an eyebrow. I have no idea what she's talking about. "Needless to say, I rejected your advances, as tempting as they were, and went to my own room."
"I'm really, really sorry, Spence. I'm not usually like that..."
"It's fine. Really."
"So then, how are you –"
"Check your phone, Ash." She gestures towards the bedside table. I do as she says. There are at least ten messages all to Spencer, none of which make any sense whatsoever.
"Oh God..." This just makes her laugh even more.
"I ended up coming back, just so you would leave me alone. It didn't take you long to pass out. Don't worry, you didn't try anything that time; you weren't conscious long enough."
I cover my face with my hands as I shake my head.
"Whyyyy?" She laughs as I turn to her. "Spencer, I am so, so, so sorry for whatever I said or did last night. I can hardly remember a thing, but from the sounds of it, I don't think I want to remember. God!" I hold my face in my hands "I am so embarrassed!"
"Ashley, it's fine. You were drunk. Anyway... Now you're up, think you can stomach some breakfast?" Breakfast? At the mere mention of food, my stomach churns unpleasantly.
"Umm... No, I think I'll pass thanks."
"No? But I think Pam is doing eggs..." She smirks at me. She knows exactly what she's doing to me.
I throw the covers off my body swiftly, swinging my legs over the bed and onto the floor.
"Where are you going?" She calls out to me, still smirking, as I run towards the door.
"Tactical vomit!" I hear her snigger as I make my exit.
When I return to my room, Spencer has gone. I decide to wait it out until I'm sure breakfast is over before making my way downstairs.
On entering the living room, I'm greeted by a cheery Dale.
"Well, well, well... If it isn't one of the dirty stop outs..."
"Good morning, Dale."
"Mel and I were just discussing the antics of last night, weren't we, Mel?" He has his arm around her and squeezes as he turns to her.
"Mmm-hmm..." Well at least I'm confident now that I'm not the only one that feels and looks like crap. Her red hair is sticking out at all angles, her skin pale, and her eyes resembling two cigarette burns in a blanket...
Dale takes a deep breath.
"I'm sorry I missed a great night out now. The film was good though. Bet you feel great today, right?" He's smiling, the git.
"Oh, I feel tremendous."
"Great! Hey, there's some breakfast left over if either of you want. I –"
"No!" We shout in unison. Dale just laughs as Chase and Spencer chuckle amongst themselves.
I'm guessing the kids are out the back with Annie, Pam and Rob, which suits me fine. I'm not sure I'd be able to keep up with them today. I think a duvet day is in order...
It seems Mel and I are the only 'dirty stop outs' up so far, with no sign of Casey or Glen. I go to the kitchen to pour myself a large glass of water before returning to the living room and plonking my head down on a cushion on the arm of the sofa, focusing my attention on whatever garbage we're watching on TV.
Soon enough, footsteps can be heard making their way down the stairs and into the room. A gravelly voice speaks out.
"Holy shit. What the fuck happened last night?" I turn to see a dishevelled Casey leaning with one hand on the doorway as the other cradles her head. "I feel like there's a drunken roller derby taking place inside my head right now." I can't help the chuckle that escapes my lips along with the others. She really is a state. If I look bad, she looks like hell...
She takes a seat beside me before speaking again.
"How the hell did we even get home last night anyway? I remember virtually nothing..."
"Hey, Case!" Chase shouts out. "Do you remember getting into bed with me?" Dale bursts out laughing at this, Casey seeming confused.
"What? No..."
"Oh, you don't? I nearly had a heart attack; didn't know what was going on. Turns out you just wanted a cuddle with your brother. You confessed your undying love for me and everything... You said something about making fun of me all the time, only for a laugh, but that I'll always be your baby brother and you'll love me long time..." Casey groans and holds her head in her hands as the rest of us laugh.
"Chase, just for the record... I hate you." She grumbles.
Soon enough, Casey's settled beside me with her own pint of water, a blanket covering the two of us as she rests her head on me. On the other sofa, Dale's still sitting at the edge, with Mel leaning on Spencer as Chase is sprawled out on the floor. A few days ago, if you would have told me Mel and Spencer would be sat together like that, I'd have laughed in your face. Now however, it seems completely normal.
About half an hour later, we hear more footsteps. Glen must be resurfacing...
"Here he comes, here he comes!" Dale whispers.
We all pretend to be engrossed in the television as he enters the room rubbing his eyes.
"Why the hell do I feel like my eyes are glued together?" We turn at the sound of his voice, but I don't think any of us are prepared for the sight we're greeted with.
Glen is standing in a t-shirt and bottoms dolled up to the nines. His lips are bright pink, as are his cheeks, his blue eyes brought out by badly applied eye shadow and a botched mascara job. It's the pretty pink bow perched on his head that really tops the look off though. Didn't this guy look in the mirror before he came down?
"What are you all laughing at?" He's confused as the rest of us are in fits of laughter.
His makeup looks awfully familiar...
I manage to give Spencer a look, expressing my thoughts with my eyes. She seems to understand as she nods in response.
"Glen, were you in the kids' room last night?"
"Yeah, why?"
"What?" Dale questions. "But we put you in with Casey and Chase. the kids don't need to see you in that state, man..."
"Yeah, I sort of remember waking up there... But I had no idea why I was there, so I just went into the kids' room and into my own bed."
"Well did they see you coming in like that?" Dale asks.
"No, I don't think so..." I snort, unable to stop myself from speaking up.
"Well, they definitely saw you this morning. Well, Brooke and Lucy did anyway..."
"What? What are you talking about?" He notices us all looking at him. "Okay, have I got something on my face?"
"No." That's Spencer. "I think you look very pretty." I can't help myself as I dissolve into laughter again. He looks ridiculous.
"I look... What do you mean?"
"Dude, look in the mirror," Casey suggests.
He furrows his eyebrows before moving to the mirror in the hallway. How he missed it on his way down, I have no idea.
"What the hell?" And we're back to laughing...
Hangover days are such a waste. You're just moping around all day, not in the mood to do anything but lay around. You can't even eat without either feeling fed up after two bites, or as if you need to just throw it all back up immediately. Yes, hangovers suck. That's probably why I haven't had one in well over a year.
I made sure to steer clear of everyone else during lunch, taking myself back to my room to rest. Seeing Casey throw up at the sight of Annie munching on her anchovies was quite disconcerting. I decided it was best to keep away from the pregnant woman and her weird cravings.
Since everyone is getting ready for dinner now, and I'm still not feeling up to eating anything, I'm being a recluse in my room again. I did raid the cupboards for oreos, but the packet I swore I saw yesterday seems to have disappeared, and I just can't bring myself to eat anything else just yet.
Just as I'm starting to drift off, I get a little visitor knocking on my door.
"Yeah? Come in!" I call out.
The door opens slowly, Brooke's little head poking in as she spies me on my bed. She makes her way over before cautiously getting on top of the bed and sitting beside me.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine thank you, Brooke. Are you okay?"
"Yeah..." I can tell she wants to say something from the way she fiddles with the duvet. Eventually, she finds enough courage to speak up.
"Ash?"
"Uh-huh?"
"Uncle Dale said you're a drunkard..." Oh, it's 'Uncle' now, is it? And just where does he get off saying things like that?
"He's just playing with you; I'm not a drunkard."
"Oh..." There's silence for a moment. "What is a drunkard?" Great. Question time. I love question time...
"Umm... A drunkard is..." I think for a second. "Do you remember that man we used to pass on the way to school and I bought him coffee and a scone every morning?" She looks confused. "You know, the one with the hat and the beard? He had a sleeping bag?" She still doesn't get it. I sigh. "He was missing a couple of teeth and smelt kind of bad?"
"Oh yeah!" Ah, now she gets it... "So he was a drunkard?"
"Yes, Brooke; he was a drunkard..."
"I don't think you're a drunkard, Ash." She shakes her head.
"Thanks, Brooke. I'm not."
"Aren't you hungry though? Dinner's nearly ready..."
"Umm... No. No, I'm not very hungry..." There's another moment of silence as Brooke looks at me, concerned.
"Are you okay? You always tell me off for not eating. I won't grow big and strong if I don't."
"Uh... I'm fine. I just... I'm not feeling too good today. I feel a little sick." I whisper the last part.
"You're sick?" She looks horrified.
"Oh, don't worry, I'm fine! I'll get better, I promise; it's just for today."
"Why are you sick?"
"I uh... Well, last night, some of us grown ups went out after you and Lucy were asleep."
"You did? Where did you go?"
"We... We went to a place where we could get drinks."
"Like coke?"
"Yeah, like coke..." Oh, to be young and innocent. "Well, Spencer was drinking coke, but Casey, Mel, Glen and I were drinking water..." Yeah right. "But, what we didn't know was that it was crazy water."
"Crazy water?"
"Yeah. It made us go a little crazy and now we don't feel so good."
"Oh...Well did you shout at the people that gave you the crazy water?"
"Uh, yeah. Look, Brooke, why don't you –"
"Brooke?" Spencer pokes her head into the room. "Dinner's ready."
Brooke jumps off the bed and trots off happily, but not before she wraps her arms around my neck in a hug and whispers to me.
"I hope you feel better tomorrow, Ash..."
"Thank you, Brooke." She's such a little sweetheart.
Once Brooke's gone, Spencer addresses me.
"You not joining us?"
"I'm still feeling a little delicate... Are the others eating?"
"No. Casey and Mel and lying out the back with a jar of diluted juice between them, and Glen's still draped over the sofa with a blanket and a hot water bottle sipping on a cup of tea as he watches reruns of One Tree Hill..." I can't help but chuckle at this. He's such a pansy... "Sure you're not up to it?"
"I'm sure," I nod.
"Alright. I'll be up later to see how you are."
I wake to the sounds of giggling on the landing.
"Shhhh, come on; back into bed..." Spencer must be putting the girls to bed again.
I check the time. Half eight. I must have fallen asleep and slept on for a bit. I'm feeling slightly better. My stomach's not feeling as delicate as it was earlier. In fact, I'm pretty hungry...
I'm just lying there for about five minutes before Spencer knocks and pokes her head in.
"So how are you feeling now, sleepyhead?" She grins at me.
"Meh... Better. I think the hangover's starting to wear off. I reckon I could stomach something now without feeling like I need to throw up straight after."
"Nice." She pulls a face.
"Yep." I grin.
"Well, you want to go for a walk? I spotted some leftovers in the fridge earlier. Everyone else is in the living room, so I bet I could snag 'em; make you a little picnic or something. The air would probably do you good." She tilts her head in that adorable fashion. A picnic? Really? Could she be any more cute?
"You know what? I will. But only for the promise of a picnic of course..." I give her a serious look.
"Oh, of course!" She plays along, getting up from the edge of my bed. "Well, get up then! Come on, I'm not taking you for a picnic dressed in your pjs. Hungover or not, at least put some proper clothes on..." With that, she's out the door.
Demanding Spencer is kind of hot... Guess I'd better get changed then.
Soon enough, I'm looking presentable enough in a pair of jeans and t-shirt, tying my hair back after lacing up my converse.
I lift my phone quickly to check the time. Oh, one new message...
Out the back X
Guess she's waiting for me outside then.
I quickly grab a grey zip up hoodie; not because I'm cold, but because I'm hungover; comfort is everything, and head downstairs. The others are in the living room just as Spencer said, save for Dale and Casey, who are probably leaving Mel home since we're all starting to feel a little less fragile.
As I walk past the living room door, I catch a glance of Glen draped over a sofa, blanket still covering him as he sips at the largest glass of ice water I've ever seen. He doesn't look much better to be honest. Guess not all of us have recovered...
When I get outside, I'm greeted by a smiling Spencer.
"Finally! I thought you'd maybe passed out again; I was nearly coming up to check if you were alright."
"Shut up." I grin at her. "Come on then; I was promised a picnic."
We make our way into the woodland, stopping when we find a little clearing with a fallen tree. With the sheer size of the trunk, it'd be pretty hard trying to climb on top of it, so we end up sitting on the ground, our backs leaning against it.
Spencer opens the rucksack and hands me a container. When I open it and am hit by the smell, I realise just how hungry I am. I haven't eaten anything all day. I would have had the oreos still been in the cupboard. I'll bet it was Chase. Payback for the jam.
"Bacon sandwiches. They're cold, I know, but I've always found them great for hangovers. Here." She throws a small plastic bottle at me. "Drink it. You'll feel better; trust me. It works for me." Strawberry milk? I couldn't think of anything I'd rather have less right now.
I scrunch my face up in disgust.
"Just drink it!" I do as I'm told.
It's not bad. Actually, it's pretty damn awesome. It looks like I've just found myself another hangover cure, or rather, Spencer has.
"Pretty good, right?"
"Yeah. Pretty great actually..."
"Told you. The milk lines your stomach. The strawberry just makes it taste better." She grins. I can't help but grin back.
"You learn something new every day. Anymore interesting facts, oh wise Oracle?" She chuckles.
"Umm... The average liver can process around one unit of alcohol per hour, so judging from the amount I think you consumed last night, it's definitely not legal for you to drive right now. In fact, if you were sitting in traffic and someone went into the back of you, you'd be the one getting the blame, simply because there's still alcohol in your system. Oh, also... For every pint of alcohol your body consumes, it loses one and a quarter pints of water, which is why you're left feeling so thirsty in the morning. It's important to keep drinking then to prevent dehydration. Otherwise you've got a whole lot of other problems..." I stare at her in disbelief, eyebrows raised.
"How do you know all this?"
"My mom's a nurse. When I started going out to parties and stuff, the dangers of alcohol were drilled into me. I got all the gory details about the cases of underage drinkers who had been rushed into hospital after some freak incident involving the consumption of alcohol."
"Nice."
"Yeah... I was never really a big drinker growing up. My mom kind of put the fear of God into me. When I was younger, I was always afraid if I had more than four drinks, I'd end up in hospital needing my stomach pumped."
"Seriously?"
"Yep. And don't even get me started on the dangers of drugs..." I chuckle then. "When I went off to college though, of course there were parties. I kind of gave in to peer pressure and threw all caution to the wind. I didn't actually end up needing my stomach pumped, although I felt like it needed pumped a few times. I did however, discover the magic that is strawberry milk." She grins.
"Well, it certainly is magic..." I finish the bottle off as I wash down the last of my sandwich. "That sandwich was so good, by the way; thank you!"
"No problem!" There she goes with that little head tilt again.
"I don't suppose there'd be any more milk though, would there?"
"Unfortunately not." I pout. "I have got a bottle of water though. Keep you hydrated, right?" She winks as she passes the water to me.
"Thanks."
"So... You got any room for dessert?" She arches her eyebrows.
"Dessert?" She brought dessert? Or was that an innuendo? She's biting her lip...
"Yeah. Think you can handle it?"
"Umm..." What do I say to that? "I guess. Depends what it is..." 'Depends what it is'? Smooth, Ashley. Real smooth.
She reaches into the rucksack before gripping something.
"Well, if you don't think you're up to it... I guess I can handle these on my own..." She pulls out the object out of the bag.
No. Way.
My eyes widen as she opens the packet and takes a bite of one.
"Where did you get those?"
"Found them in the cupboard this morning." She shrugs. "Thought I'd save them for you. You're a fan, right?" I nod. "I figured as much. That day at the cinema when I offered you some, your eyes nearly popped out of your head. I'm surprised you didn't actually bite my hand off..." Sarcasm. Funny.
"oh ha ha, very funny." I duck my head, embarrassed. "If you must know, I am a fan. They're my favourite actually."
"Oh, really?" A sly smile spreads across her face.
"Yes, really."
"Good thing I keep a store of them then."
"You don't." I don't believe her.
"I do."
"Where?"
"That's for me to know..." She taps her nose.
"Did you bring some with you to the house?"
"Might have." I narrow my eyes at her, not sure whether she's telling the truth or not. "Where do you think I got them from the other day? I didn't see any for sale with the confectionary. Did you?" she's not lying. She must keep them stored. I shake my head. "See. You're not the only one with an addiction, Davies." Then she winks at me. She winks! Right then...
"Well, since your mother's a nurse and knows so much about keeping healthy and all... What has she got to say about hoarding cookies? Surely it's a bit much for one person. I mean, the logical thing to do would be to share them. That way, you'd be splitting the negative side effects, such as weight gain, between two people, whilst gaining pleasure from both the snack and the excellent company you'd be in..." She ponders this for a second. I'm so smart.
"I guess you're right..." Yes! "Although, I've been told I need to gain a bit of weight. Maybe it's best I keep them to myself for the time being." Aww, crap.
I duck my head as I begin to play with a blade of grass.
"I'm just kidding, you goof. Here." She hands me the packet.
We've been out here for ages, just talking and laughing. Right now, we're playing a game of makeshift naughts and crosses on the ground using sticks.
"I see what you're doing..." I think I'm being sneaky. Obviously it's not working though, as she seems to see right through me.
She draws her circle, blocking me off, whilst giving me a smug grin.
"Great!"We finish off the game. "No one wins... Again."
"We should play something else," she suggests.
"Like what?"
"Umm... I don't know. How about –"
Just then, something airborne whizzes past us, interrupting Spencer and causing her to jump and let out a small scream.
"What was that?" She looks around, spooked.
"Relax; it's just a bat."
"A bat?" Okay, she looks even more freaked now.
"Yeah. Don't worry, they won't harm you; they're just out looking for food."
"Food?" I chuckle.
"Not humans... They eat moths and things. They have like supersonic hearing or something that. It helps them catch their prey."
"Okay... So they don't suck blood?" I laugh.
"No! Well not human blood anyway... How old are you, like four? You've been watching too much 'Twilight'... I think some of them drink animal blood, but definitely not humans. Don't worry, you're safe. Besides, I can't see it anymore. Your screaming probably scared it off..."
She seems content with this as she settles enough to hold another casual conversation. A few minutes later though, she jumps again.
"Shit! Did you see that?"
"Yep." I'm biting my lip to suppress my laughter. "Look, there are two of them now. See them up there circling that tree?" I point and she looks up.
"Oh my God!"
"What? It's fine! They can't hurt you!"
"I know, but still..." She looks uncomfortable.
"Look, you want to go for a walk? I doubt they'd follow us."
"Okay..." She gets to her feet and I slip my bottle of water into the rucksack before she zips it up.
"And hey, if they do decide to attack, you can just swing the rucksack at them. That'll show 'em who's boss!"
"Shut up!" She swings the rucksack at me.
"Hey, I said swing it at them, not me!" We both smile before setting off. "You want me to take that?" She shakes her head.
"It's fine, thanks."
"No, come on, you carried it out here. Just let me carry it for you."
"No, really. I've got it." I narrow my eyes at her.
"Hang on a second... You aren't seriously thinking of swinging it at them, are you?" She shrugs and walks on, avoiding eye contact. "Spencer, they're not going to attack; I was just playing with you!"
"Yeah, well... Better to be safe than sorry..." I sigh before catching up and falling into step beside her.
We've been walking for about ten minutes, the air growing more chilly as the darkness takes over. I notice Spencer shivering slightly beside me. I've already asked her if she was cold and she insisted that she isn't, but the shivering is making it pretty damn obvious that she's lying.
"Okay, stop." I stop in my tracks and wait for her to turn around. "You're cold." I'm not questioning it this time; it's a statement.
"I'm not, I'm fine."
"Spencer, you're shivering. That makes it pretty obvious." She bows her head to interrupt eye contact. I take my hoodie off.
"Here, take it." I offer it to her.
"I can't; you'll be cold."
"I won't, trust me. I'm hungover; I'm only wearing it for comfort, not heat. I'm like a walking hot water bottle." She looks up then, sheepishly.
"You're sure?"
"I'm positive. Here."
She sets the rucksack down and takes a step towards me. I hold the hoodie open as she turns around and puts her arms in. When she's facing me again, I reach down and zip it up for her.
"There."
When I reach the top, I raise my eyes to hers. She's already looking at me with an unreadable expression.
"Ashley?" It's like a whisper.
"Yeah?" My heart is racing right now. It's a wonder she can't hear it.
She opens her mouth to say something, but then squeals as another bat goes flying past. She automatically jumps into me, throwing her arms around my abdomen, as I subconsciously wrap mine around her.
She pulls away almost immediately.
"I'm sorry! There was a bat, and I, I just –"
"It's fine! Really!" She looks around, probably making sure there aren't any bats near her. "Time to head back?" I can tell she's freaked out, even though the bats aren't doing any harm. I can try to reassure her all I want, but I don't think it'll spook her any less to be honest. Best to just call it a night I think.
"You think I'm a scaredy cat, don't you?" She looks at me.
"Nah. We've all got something we're afraid of. Yours just happens to be bats..." She seems embarrassed as she ducks her head, but soon recovers as she questions me.
"And what are you afraid of?" I look at her and grin whilst tapping my nose, mimicking her actions from earlier.
"That's for me to know... Come on though."I lift the rucksack and hold my right hand out for her to take. "We'd better get away from these bats. Who knows, maybe they're away to get their friends..."
With this thesis left hanging in the air, Spencer takes a firm grip of my hand, wrapping her other around my arm to keep me close. I have to admit, it feels good, even if she is only doing it because of the bats. Saying that, I know it's not the only reason. It's no secret that there's something between us. I know it, and she knows it; that much has been made clear. There's one thing in the way though; Casey.
I know it was her idea for me to pretend to be with Spencer last night, but I don't know if that was because she was already pretending to be with Mel... It wasn't real anyway. We were just acting, right? I have no idea how she'd react if I told her I had feelings for Spencer. Yes, I'm saying it now. I have feelings for her. May as well just put it out there. I have a big, fat crush on Spencer Carlin. I can't help it. She's absolutely beautiful, witty, sarcastic at the best of times, has great taste in music, Brooke idolises her, and she loves oreos. And she's a bit of a softie; just look at tonight. She packed a little picnic just for me, with strawberry milk and oreos to help me nurse my hangover. Oh, and her fear of bats? Adorable. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd say this was more than just a crush.
Shit.
I'm falling for her.
And I'm falling fast.
Spencer must sense the hesitation in my step as she turns and asks me what's wrong.
"Nothing. I just..." I pull my arm gently from her, disconnecting our hands. "I just need some space. I feel kind of squeamish all of a sudden..." She looks hurt, but tries not to let it affect her as she speaks.
"Oh. Well... Do you think you're going to be sick?" She tries to put a hand on my back, but I resist. She backs off then, looking slightly annoyed.
"Yes. No. I don't know." I shake my head. "I think I just need to go to bed. Maybe sleep it off..."
"Yeah... Fine."
The rest of the walk back to the house is spent in silence. I know Spencer is pissed off. She has the same expression on her face as she did when she was jealous of Mel in that bar. Despite this, she doesn't say anything. That is, until we reach the top of the stairs and are about to go our separate ways.
Just when I'm about to make an escape into my room, she grabs my wrist and turns me around to face her. She is not one bit happy...
"What is your problem?" It's an angry whisper; everyone else has retired to bed, so we need to be quiet.
I shake my head.
"I don't have one."
"Don't play dumb. What happened back there?"
"What do you mean?" She scoffs.
"'What do I mean'? Ashley, you were hot and cold. One moment you were holding my hand, and the next, you're pulling away and closing yourself off."
"I wasn't; I just don't feel good..."
"Bullshit." She clenches her jaw. "What did I do? Tell me. Please, enlighten me. I –"
Before she can continue her rant, I cut her off with my lips, one hand gripping her neck, and the other, her hair. It only lasts a second then I pull back.
Her eyes slowly flutter open, shocked.
"Oh." Her mouth stays in a perfect 'O' shape as she stares at me.
"Yeah, 'Oh'." With that, I turn my back and enter my room, leaning back against the closed door as I let a sigh escape my lips.
I clench my jaw and shake my head before running my hand through my hair. Well, I've really gone and done it now.
I wait until I hear Spencer finish in the bathroom and go to her room, before I get washed myself and climb into bed.
Left to my own thoughts, I mull over the events of tonight and the sudden epiphany I experienced regarding my feelings for Spencer.
Slowly but surely, I'm losing control. I just hope that when it gets too much, Casey will be okay with it...
.
.
.
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A/N – I know, I know... You're all so patient waiting for something to happen, and as of yet, I haven't really given you anything, except that kiss. Nearly on Chapter 20, and there's been almost nothing... I promise something good will happen next chapter. Trust me; it's already written ;)
