Kawaii-Cherri: You want boy chat; you've got boy chat. The next few chapters are ones that I really like! Not gonna lie and I think it's in the next chapter that I literally torture them both, it's deliciously sweet and painful!
Chapter fourteen: Chess moves
'Can you believe it?!' Elspeth whined as she sat, legs stretched on her bed. Hayley was sitting at the other end, painting Elspeth's toenails. It was late into the evening and the girls were a couple bottles in and feeling very happy about it. Buddy had been fed and was practising his dead dog impression in his bed. The other farm animals had all been taken care of so at this moment, the only worry Elspeth had was if her glass was empty.
Hayley grinned and dipped the brush into the polish. 'I can't believe it,' she said, trying to hold Elspeth's foot still. She was wearing a toe separator but Hayley was still having trouble doing it neatly as Elspeth was energetic when drunk. 'The audacity,' Hayley said, egging her friend on.
'Fucking, exactly!' Elspeth almost shouted before she knocked back her glass and finished the half inch of wine that was left. 'She was all, "I thought we were friends", and bullshit. I'm standing there, fucking gob smacked and I'm like, I thought we were too? What the fuck is going on? Then she goes ahead and tells me that she's had feelings for Bazzie for like, years! Which,' Elspeth gave Hayley a look as she leaned forward, as if conspiratorially, 'basically it means that she's totally in love with him and I'm now some slutty homewrecker,' Elspeth mutters. 'The audacity of this bitch,' she added.
It was the same conversation that Hayley and Elspeth had had for about the third time that evening. Each time it got a little bitchier and louder. Hayley snorted and concentrated on Elspeth's little toe before taking a sip of her wine and giving Elspeth a look. 'You're not a homewrecker,' she said, matter-of-factly. Elspeth rolled her eyes and Hayley poked her in the sole of her foot, making her jerk and squeal. 'No, you're not. Like you've said, Abigail has had fucking years, almost a decade to actually make a move on Seb!' Hayley said, bluntly. 'Not your fault that when he takes an interest in someone else, Abi gets her knickers in a twist about it.'
'I should have asked,' Elspeth said, moodily. She felt like crap and wanted the feeling to disappear. Logically, she knew she was at no fault, but logic flew out the window about a bottle ago and she was running on pure emotion.
'Nu-uh!' Hayley snapped, annoyed that her friend was constantly thinking of other people before herself. 'Fuck her! Fuck her and her stupid, purple hair!' She said and then finished her own glass of wine. 'Refill!' She demanded and Elspeth giggled as she filled up both of their glasses. 'I've never really liked her,' Hayley said simply. 'She's always had an air of pretentiousness about her, like she's always looking down at you, because you don't practice with swords or have alternative tastes,' she rants. 'Honestly, you're better off without her being a friend and you can't have everyone like you. Might as well have the rival of the guy you like, hate you,' she pointed out.
Elspeth got off the bed and hobbled over to the laptop where she was streaming music. 'I didn't want to be some fucking cliché!' Elspeth whined as she sat at her desk chair. 'I mean… come on, it's so… teenage!' She said with a grimace.
'Please, from what I've learned on social media is that everyone acts like a teenager at times. Immature women are the worst, they're always having love triangles and shit,' Hayley said as she looked at her own nails that she had painted earlier.
'Doesn't a triangle imply that either Bazz or Abigail would also have to be in love with me? Or me with Abigail?' Elspeth laughed as she scrolled through her music playlist. Elspeth's observation made the girls give each other a look and burst into laughter, which descended into witch cackling and muffled snorts as they indulged in their glasses of wine. Elspeth giggled and changed the song to something more upbeat than the current croony ballad it was on. 'Fuck!' She exclaimed. Hobbling back to the bed, she sat heavily next to Hayley. 'It's not fair! He's so hot and I don't get to even touch him!' She moaned and threw herself backwards, making Hayley jolt her wine out the way. 'I get why he doesn't touch me but it doesn't stop me from being so fucking frustrated!'
Hayley giggles and looks down at her best friend, 'you won't want to hear about me and Alex then?' She said, coyly watching Elspeth's eyes light up.
'No way!' Elspeth squeaked as she sat up and stared at Hayley intently. 'Tell. Me. Everything,' she said intensely. Hayley smiled a little shyly and began to delve into details, Alex had stayed over the previous night and things had gotten steamy and definitely not within the parameters of a PG rating. Hayley was halfway through her story when Elspeth's phone started to go off. There was a brief moment where they looked at each other when they noticed the name on the screen.
"Bazz".
Elspeth squealed and launched herself towards her phone, where it was sitting on the mattress. Hayley, somehow managed to get there first and yanked it out from Elspeth's fingers, triumphantly. She clicked on the green icon and connected the call. 'Elspeth's burlesque and boudoir photobooth, this is Hayley speaking, how may I help you?' Hayley said, shoving Elspeth away with her spare hand. Hayley ignored Elspeth's pleas for her phone and continued to speak, having shocked Sebastian into silence. 'For her full portfolio, please press one. To inquire about a couple's shoot or group session, please press two or three, respectively-'
'Hayley!' Elspeth said as she tried to pin her friend to the bed.
'Ooooh,' Hayley teases, 'for girl-on-girl action, press four!' She shouted down the phone as Elspeth managed to get a hold of her own phone and pull it from Hayley's grasp.
Triumphantly, Elspeth rolled off the bed and sat on the floor heavily before getting up and clearing her throat as she put her phone to her ear. 'Bazz. Hi!' She said, ignoring the rather sexual hand motions that Hayley was having great fun performing.
Sebastian chuckled, managing to get a word in for the first time since the call was picked up. 'Hey, Elsie,' he said. 'Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt your night,' he added, amused by the antics that seemed to be going on.
'It's fine. I'm so sorry about Hayley, we've had a lot to drink and things are getting silly,' she said, trying not to giggle at her friend. 'Just ignore everything that she says,' Elspeth said, desperately trying not to laugh and failing, letting out little giggles.
Hayley jumps off the bed and runs over, grabbing the phone once more and clicking it onto loudspeaker. 'Seb!'
'Hey, Hayley,' he replied, amused at what seemed to be going on.
'Hey boo, I gotta ask something,' Hayley said as she dodged Elspeth. 'Don't!' She directed at her friend. 'You'll ruin your nails and I just spent half hour doing those!' Hayley commanded, making Sebastian chuckle through the speaker.
'Ask away, Hayley,' he said, the grin clear in his tone. 'Relax, Elsie. There's nothing that Hayley can throw at me that'll cause an issue,' he added, not knowing what was going on the other end of the line but wanting to assure Elspeth that Hayley having her phone wasn't going to be a problem.
Elspeth scowled at Hayley but sat down and gulped down some wine while Hayley perched on the edge of the desk and grinned at her. Hayley cleared her throat and wore a smirk. 'When are you gonna hit my girl up?' She said, watching Elspeth's eyes widen as she coughs on her wine. 'Are you ever going to kiss her? Do you even like her in that way? 'Cause she thinks you're pretty hot-'
'Hayley!' Elspeth almost screamed and threw a pillow in her direction. 'Stop meddling! You can't ask shit like that-'
Sebastian began to speak and it quietened her, 'Elsie. It's fine,' he said. Hayley had dodged the pillow easily and was threatening to throw it back should Elspeth move. There was a pause and Sebastian sighed lightly. 'Hayley, look, I know you're worried about your best friend but things aren't as easy as that,' he said, softly.
'So, what? You're not interested?' Hayley interrupted. 'I don't like all this stringing along. Elspeth has said that like, things between you are complicated and I get that you have your aversion and things but there's a difference between not being able to and not wanting to, so which is it?' She asked.
'You don't have to answer that, Ba-' Elspeth began before she got hit in the face with a pillow and her words were cut off abruptly. 'Ignore her!' She shouted, muffled, through the feathers and cotton.
'Yes. I want to,' he replied simply. 'I simply can't.'
Hayley and Elspeth stared at the phone, which was silent. 'W…What?' Hayley said in a quiet squeak.
'You asked what was going on. I've told you. I want to. I wish to be normal but I'm not. Anything else is between Elsie and myself,' he said simply. Hayley's face paled and she walked over, passing the phone back to Elspeth. She had just wanted to tease Sebastian and Elspeth; he had turned it by going all serious and giving her a point-blank answer which was completely overwhelming and made it so that Hayley's actions had crossed a line.
Elspeth took the phone and Hayley picked up the wine bottle, mouthing that she was going to find some more in the kitchen to give them some privacy. Once her friend had left, Elspeth turned her attention to the phone. 'Bazz, I'm sorry. She was just teasing,' Elspeth said quietly. 'We've had a lot to drink and y'know, girl chat-'
'Elsie, it's fine,' he said, softly. 'It's not what I expected when I decided to call you this evening but then again, I shouldn't really expect anything with you,' he chuckled lightly.
'Why did you want to call me?' Elspeth asked, not wanting to ask him to clarify on what he said to Hayley in case somehow it changed.
Sebastian chuckled and rubbed the back of his head before replying. 'Have you… spoken to Abigail, recently?' He asked as he leaned back in his desk chair. Elspeth felt her stomach drop and anxiety began to roll around in her lower belly.
With a deep breath in, she replied. 'I caught her earlier today, why?'
'She's been texting me weird stuff all afternoon and then out of the blue she asked me out,' he said, a little confused about what was going on.
'I'm sorry, what?' Elspeth said as she choked on the sip of wine that she had taken while he was speaking.
'She did, what?' Hayley burst into the bedroom once more and sat on the end of the bed. She motioned that she was going to keep quiet with a zipped lip and encouraged Elspeth to keep talking with a hand wave.
'What did you say?' Elspeth mumbled.
He laughs and clears his throat. 'What do you think I said? I said that I knew she was joking and that even if she wasn't, it was going to be, no. I mean, we don't have that kind of relationship. I've never really looked at her in that way,' he said, honestly. 'She kept going on about you, which is why I called. What happened?' He asks, it had been a confusing afternoon to say the least. 'She was messaging me stuff about the hoodie I gave you? That I tolerate you more? I don't know, Elsie. I'm so confused.'
Elspeth rubbed her eyes and looked at Hayley, who looked furious. 'I'm so sorry, Bazz. It's nothing. She found out that you gave me your hoodie and things were said,' she admitted. 'It wasn't a fun conversation and uh… I don't… don't think we're gonna be friends anymore. It's silly teenager stuff, y'know. Even though we're in our twenties and this is all bullshit,' Elspeth rambled.
'Oh. Wow. Are you okay? She wasn't mean or anything?'
She shook her head and Hayley rolled her eyes at Elspeth. 'Not really, I think she was just frustrated and I don't think that she liked my answer, in regards to like, you and me. Look, can I talk to you tomorrow about all this? I'm too drunk for an actual conversation and this needs to be a face-to-face thing,' she admitted. 'Mind if I just meet you at the Saloon, tomorrow night?'
'Of course, sure. I don't mind. Just make sure you drink some water before bed. You too, Hayley,' he added making Hayley's face go bright red as he knew that she was still there, listening in. 'Night, Elsie, sleep well.'
'Night, Bazzie,' she said with a silly grin as she bit her lip. The call ended and Elspeth looked at Hayley. The phone rested between them and silence descended.
Hayley ripped the cork out of the wine bottle she had brought in and took a healthy swig. 'Wow,' she said simply.
'That bitch!' Elspeth screeched. 'She asked him out?! Is she fucking serious?!'
'Breathe, Elspeth, breathe,' Hayley said as she passed over the wine. 'Look, Seb didn't think that she was serious which probably means that Abigail didn't give him a bouquet. Also, it sounds like he has absolutely no interest in her at all. Look, you're going to see him tomorrow night and you can explain all of this,' she said trying to calm her.
Elspeth pouted and drank heavily from the bottle. 'Feelings? I'm not admitting anything like that. He knows I like him, that's all that needs be said,' she babbled. 'What the hell do you mean by a bouquet? What do flowers have to do with anything?'
Hayley gave her a patronising look and took the bottle back; it was less than half empty. Elspeth was going to feel that in the morning. 'It's a bouquet that you can buy from Pierre's,' she began to explain. 'If you want to ask someone to be in a relationship, you present them with the bouquet and it shows how serious you are,' Hayley said, shyly. 'Alex brought me one yesterday,' she revealed.
Tears began to swell in Elspeth's eyes. 'Oh, Yoba… I've been going on and on about me and Sebastian and Abigail and I've been so selfish. I should have let you talk about Alex and what went on. I've been such a crappy friend to youuu,' Elspeth said, her lip shaking. Hayley giggled and pulled Elspeth into a hug.
'Don't be silly,' Hayley said as she laughs lightly at her completely drunk best friend. 'You're a great friend and tomorrow night, you're gonna hit Abigail with reality so hard, it knocks her back onto her arse. Then, once you've figured out what's actually going on between you and Sebastian, you can be my maid of honour because I'll be getting married by then,' she teased making Elspeth snort in laughter and they fell back onto the bed in a fit of giggles.
Be well. Stay safe.