What The People Don't See

Meeting Place

Moonlight trickled in through the open window, a thin sliver of light that cut across his face like a violent scar. The bed covers were in disarray and his legs were tangled in mine, creating a warmth that spread from our kneecaps to our toes. I eased myself gently on to my elbows, resting them across his sallow, firm chest. His eyelids fluttered momentarily before closing softly once again. For a moment, I just stayed still, studying his features; how his nose turned up slightly at the end and the scattering of freckles that encased it, how his cheekbones crossed his face in a defined slant, how incredibly long his eyelashes were. He truly was a work of art.

I scowled. The drink was seriously getting to me now, resulting in a bout of mushiness and a throbbing chest that made me feel love-sick and slushy. I eased myself gently off him and rolled to the empty side of the bed. It was cold. A shiver ran down my spine with the sudden removal of his body heat but I resisted the temptation to snuggle up to his back. Barely.

Music thumped through the floorboards, the shitty kind that makes your heart throb with each bass line. A scream of delight echoed from the back garden and I could distinctly hear my friend, Eloise, singing 'Meat is Murder' from the kitchen. I grinned.

What the fuck was I doing upstairs feeling sorry for myself when I could've been downstairs getting wasted? I perched at the side of the bed, routing through the mess of beer cans and bottles for my black shorts and fishnets. The shorts were in a crumpled heap of his clothes, piled as high as his empty chest of drawers, and I finally found my fishnets dangling from the lampshade on the ceiling. A snort of laughter escaped my mouth as I hopped on to the bed to yank them down, ripping yet another hole in the fabric in the process. Who knows how they ended up there.

After I wiggled into my clothes, I turned back to his still figure on the bed; the only movement being the steady rise and fall of his chest. I kissed him gently on the head. "Nighty night Calum" I whispered.

˚

"Stella, if you have any more of those brownies, you're gonna OD!"

I stuck my tongue out at my best friend, ignoring her words as I opened my mouth wide, looking for another bite.

"Leave the girl alone, El; she can have as many as she wants! Isn't that right, baby?"

I nodded hungrily, whining in impatience for another taste of heaven. Adam smirked as he pressed the chocolatey goodness against my lips and I moaned, not even bothering to shut my mouth while I chewed.

"Jesus, get a room..." Eloise sighed in disgust, but she was smiling while she said it. She was probably just glad that I had come back downstairs and she wasn't alone with all the lads anymore.

"I would get a room with these brownies" I mumbled. "Fuck Calum, he's not made out of chocolate, he can't satisfy my never-ending longing for cocoa".

"Or cannabis" Eloise added, rolling her eyes as I inhaled yet another delight from Adam's hand.

"What? You think these are hash?" Adam said, gesturing towards the plate. "Well, I'm insulted!" But he was grinning from ear-to-ear, his ice blue eyes sparkling with glee. He didn't even look drunk. In fact, the only thing that gave him away was the slight shake of his hand whenever he popped a slice of brownie into my mouth. His words weren't even slurring and Eloise's were, and she hardly drank at all. As for me, I felt light-headed and distant, like I wasn't even in the room at all. Like I was just an observer of the scene. A pinging noise erupted from the kitchen and Eloise bolted off the floor, almost face planting into the door. "My fajitas!" she squeeled. Adam chuckled.

"Calum, I'm bored" I groaned, suddenly pushing the plate away and standing up from the armchair.

"I'm Adam, love".