Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Private, as I am not Kate Brian/ Kieran Scott, however, when I steal her brain and use its incredible awesomeness to take over the world; I will let you all know
Chapter 34: Last Friday Night
AN: I have to say, I'm really sorry I don't update as much as I really should, and I know I haven't updated in forever, but I really don't have the time, but I promise to try and update more often. Please don't kill me!
Last Friday night
Yeah we danced on tabletops
And we took too many shots
Think we kissed but I forgot
Last Friday night
Yeah we maxed our credit cards
And got kicked out of the bar
So we hit the boulevard
Last Friday night
We went streaking in the park
Skinny dipping in the dark
Then had a menage a trois
Last Friday night
Yeah I think we broke the law
Always say we're gonna stop-op
Whoa-oh-oah
The pre-party was hell. I knew that it would be bad, but it was ten times worse than I'd feared. However, I was now sufficiently primped, polished and curled for this party that was sure to be an utter disaster.
As I had feared, walking into the great room in Hell Hall was a Thomas-fest. I walked in with Josh, hand in hand, and I could swear he stopped breathing. I turned to look at him, and his face was as white as I had ever seen it. I could see him rocking back onto his hells and I thought for sure he would faint. I quickly stepped between him and all of the pictures. "Josh, breathe. Just look at me, focus on your breathing. It's going to be okay." I was frantic, but I did all I could to keep my voice calm and placid.
Josh took a deep breath, and looked significantly better immediately. "I can do this, I can do this." Josh chanted under his breath, but I could tell that he didn't believe it. I opened my mouth to tell him that even if he couldn't he would be okay when Ariana stepped in out of the blue and interrupted, quite rudely, "Oh get over it Hollis. People are going to watch you, now you can either be a weakling who turns and runs, or you can be strong and face this."
As surprised as I was that she came over here to give Josh this almost-pep-talk, I was even more shocked when Josh nodded and attempted to straighten his back out of the seemingly permanent slump it had been in since Thomas' death. He still looked sad, but not desperately so. I was suddenly filled with hope, and it was because of Ariana of all people. The only thing that would surprise me more is if Noelle came over here and had a conversation with josh in which she didn't insult him, or even more so, ask Josh to dance with her.
I was growing increasingly shocked when the Billings girls actually came to join Josh and me on the side of the dance floor with drinks for each of us. I wondered if Kiran had slipped alcohol into our drinks and right then, I could've cared less. Not long after, breaking the awkward silence, Dash and Gage joined us. Apparently the pictures of Thomas lining the walls were all theirs and Noelle was definitely not happy about them.
"You need to take the pictures, Dash," Noelle said, apparently attempting to regain her composure. "It's Tim Burton-level morbid."
"What, I think it's cool," Dash said, admiring his handiwork. "We're supposed to be celebrating Thomas' life. Well, this is his life."
"It's creepy," Kiran said, shuddering as she took a sip of her punch. "It's like he's staring at us."
"From beyond the grave," Taylor put in.
"Gage scoffed. "And the Oscar for superfluous drama goes to-"
Dash laughed and the two boys slapped hands "Nice!"
Noelle rolled her eyes, and turned her back to Dash. Even in the short time I had known them, I knew this was a bad sign, attached at the hip as they were, Noelle intentionally ignoring Dash is not common, she must be really pissed about these pictures, though if they do, she certainly is good at not showing it. I refused to believe that this action was out of some kind of kindness for Josh. That would be too much to hope for.
Their kindness carried on throughout the rest of the night. Kindness was not something I had expected out of the Billings girls, and I had to say, the surprise was definitely pleasant. Perhaps I had jumped to conclusions too quickly about the Billings girls. Though I still didn't trust them, I certainly didn't hate them either. I found that aside from the primping, time with the Billings girls could be fun. Life with them might not be as bad as I had anticipated. I might even have fun living with these new dorm mates. Josh's mood had also increased significantly, I guessed that not only did the kindness from the Billings girls play a part, but also the fact that he had finally taken his meds, and they were beginning to work for him.
Despite how happy I was for Josh, I couldn't help but notice all the pitying stares and all of the people who seemed incapable of meeting my eyes. I found it odd, but refused to let it affect me, everyone, including Josh was at the very least not hating the party and for that I was grateful and I needed to move past all of these stares, if I thought something of every stare I had received at Easton, I would have already been driven insane by it.
I was more than grateful that Thanksgiving break would be starting tomorrow, and I would have a few days to finally breathe. Not only would the students be gone, but the police force and bodyguards constantly roaming the grounds would be gone, for the most part, as well. I couldn't help but think that as peaceful as it would be, it would be as boring as can be.
For the first time, I really looked at the pictures on the walls, I saw one of Josh and Thomas all dressed up. "Where's that one from?" I asked Josh, hoping he would be okay, as soon as the words were out of my mouth I regretted it.
"That was Penny Halston's wedding the week before school started," Josh replied, sounding a little sad, but not overwhelmingly so, like before.
"The guy she married had some stake in the Anheuser-Busch Companies, so they had bottled beer at the reception. Thomas snagged, like, a whole dolly of cases and stayed up all night drinking, just to see how far he could get," Gage put in, joining us, "When we found him at dawn, he was lying on the eighteenth green singing 'Ninety-nine Bottles of Beer' and flinging empties into a trap."
"Almost killed one of the landscaping crew," Josh added, sounding almost like his old self.
"Whatever, like twenty stitches is such a big freaking deal." Gage took a swig from his drink. "Kid did know how to party though. But you knew that didn't you Brennan?" he asked lasciviously.
I was confused, I mean I had heard stories about Thomas, but it wasn't like I had really spent any time with him. I barely knew him, and yet people were offering condolences, and now implying I knew how Thomas was.
He reached out to run his finger down my arm. Josh shoved Gage's shoulder about two seconds before I would have grabbed Gage's finger and twisted. "You have serious problems, you know that?" Josh spat.
"Look who's talking, Hollis," Gage shot back.
"Back off asshole," Josh replied.
The last thing we needed right now was a scene "Guys come on,-"
"Oooh. I'm so scared." Gage set his drink down "You think I'm scared of you, freak? Let's go."
"At least I'm not pathological," Josh retorted.
"Well maybe it just hasn't been diagnosed!"
Another shove. Not only is trash-talking more sophisticated at Easton it also dug deeper, at least with these two.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Dash walked over with his hands raised. "This is supposed to be a party, everyone mellow out."
"Mellow out, what have you been smoking?" Gage said, still belligerent.
"Nothing, I'm just saying, what's there to fight about? All our friends are here, we've paid our tribute to Pearson, and tomorrow we'll be going home for the best food of the year. It's all good," Dash said, leaning back against the wall next to Gage.
"Speak for yourself dude, somehow I don't think my mom's new Venezuelan cook is going to know how to work a turkey." Gage said, taking a step away from Josh.
And, the subject was officially changed. I let their discussion about Thanksgiving fade into the background until I heard Josh say; "Well, my parents are stuck in Germany so the kids are going to my aunt's house on the Cape, and Lynn's gonna be with his girl, neither appealed, so I'm staying here."
I immediately shot back into the conversation. This weekend suddenly got much more interesting.
"You'd really rather stay here alone?" Gage asked incredulously
"Well, yeah I guess." Josh replied, and wanting to turn the conversation from himself looked to me "What are you doing Reed?"
"Actually, I'm staying here too." I replied with a smile on my face.
Under the table, Josh ran his fingers over mine, and my heart spasmed, and I turned my hand palm up on my thigh. Josh took it, and a flush started at my wrist and shot straight up my arm and throughout my body. I did my best not to smile.
This break would definitely be interesting. I thought as I looked at Josh. I knew Gage was sure to be rolling his eyes in the background, but I could've cared less.
AN: A lot of this chapter was directly quoted from Untouchable and so I'm going to say again, I don't own it, please don't sue me. Also, next chapter will probably be Thanksgiving break, and we all know what that means, soccer. I hope you all enjoyed it, and please let me know.