Always [4 - Twins Series]

73 - In Real Life

Date: February 14, 2014

(A/N: ANOTHER TIME SKIP)

Sat in her dressing room on the set of The Vampire Diaries, Alyssa scrolled through Instagram while she waited to be called to film her scenes for season 5, episode 13.

Pausing when she caught sight of a picture of Sebastian and his latest, recent girlfriend, Margarita Levieva, Alyssa was quick to roll her eyes and continue scrolling.

Hearing a knock on her door, Alyssa didn't even bother to look up.

"Yeah?!"

"Al, it's me." Candice peeked her head into the dressing room. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

"You too, Candycane." Alyssa smiled, putting her phone down to stand up and hug her best friend. But Candice saw her phone screen far too quickly. A picture of Alyssa and Sebastian.

"How're you holding up?"

"I've lost count the amount of times that I've been asked that question, just today." Alyssa rolled her eyes, sitting back down and picking her phone up.

"It's okay to be feeling lonely at this time of the year, Al." Candice sat down, too. "I mean, it's your first Valentine's Day after your break up with Seb. Every single lady despises this day, and you're no different."

"What about you, huh?" Alyssa shot back. "Who's your 'forever Valentine'?"

"As a matter of fact..." A smile made its way onto Candice's face. "Joseph asked me on a date this morning."

"Joseph, as in JoMo?" Alyssa's eyes widened in surprise. She'd shipped #jodice for years, but that was only playful banter. She never knew her ship would sail! "That's great!"

"I know!" Candice giggled happily. "He made a huge gesture. He brought me roses! White, of course. Red roses are too clichés. And it was perfect!"

"I'm happy for you, Candy." Alyssa mumbled with a small smile. "You have a fun Valentine's Day with Joseph... but my day will be spent with my awesome date, tequila. Now, I should head onto set."

With that, Alyssa exited her dressing room, leaving in a hurry. Candice sighed in defeat.

---

Drinking her sorrows away, surrounded by empty shot glasses, Alyssa was beyond the point of tipsy, or drunk. She was wasted.

"Another one! On me!" Alyssa slurred, waving over the bartender. He looked small, with curly hair and glasses. He was new at the job, and was clearly a pushover, making it easy for Alyssa to get as many drinks as she wanted.

"You look awful." A voice commented, sitting beside the drunk girl. "I never thought I'd see Alyssa-Rose Williams in a bar like this."

"Likewise, whomever you may concern." Alyssa murmured without looking at who'd been foolish enough to sit beside her. She eventually turned her head, but she felt her eyes immediately widen at the sight of the person sat beside her. A wasted smile appeared on her face. "Zachy! Good to see you!" Yep, it was Zac Efron himself.

"You, too, Alyssa. What's it been, six years?" Zac smiled. "Anyway, my opening line would normally be 'can I get you a drink?' but it seems like you've got that covered. So, I'm going to settle with 'can I please take you home?'"

"So straightforward." Alyssa giggled, downing the glass that the bartender put in front of her. "Normally, the guy at least comes up with a cheesy pick-up line?"

"You want to see what I got?" Zac joked, turning in his seat to properly face his drunk friend and former co-star/on-screen lover. "Well, here I am.
What are your other two wishes?"

"No!!" Alyssa whined, rubbing her forehead. "I wished for someone else!"

"Damn. That hurt, Lys." Zac replied. "What's got you day-drinking on a Friday?"

"It's Valentine's Day, you dumbass! What did you expect?" Alyssa rolled her eyes. "Here I am, single on the most romantic day of the year, while my ex is off sleeping with his new girlfriend only two bloody months after dumping me without a reason. Nothing! So, I have now claimed this day as the worst one out of the entire year. Boys suck!"

"Not all boys." Zac corrected. "I'm an alright guy."

"Right! Because you're Zac Efron! And no amount of harm that Zac Efron inflicts on the world can ever be seen as a bad thing! You know why?! Because Zac Efron literally does no effing wrong!" Alyssa yelled drunkenly, waving over the bartender again.

"Okay, um... Alyssa?" Zac frowned, his playful expression vanishing as he turned serious and concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Alyssa shrugged, downing another shot. "Just a little bit more drunk than not, ya know? But all is good! All is right side up in the world! Sebastian's off sleeping with his latest whore, who literally has the same name as a bloody pizza! And... and then two of my co-stars are rubbing it in my face that they have a date on Valentine's Day, and I'm left to drink my sorrows away! Hey, that rhymed."

"You've had way too much." Zac sighed. "Come on, I'm taking you home."

"No!" Alyssa whined. "Stay! Zachy, drink with me! Here!" And then, Alyssa handed Zac a shot. "One shot wouldn't hurt!"

---

One shot turned into two. And two shots turned into five. And before they knew it, Alyssa-Rose Williams and Zac Efron were two laughing, wasted celebrities in a bar full of horny men and strippers who didn't even know who they were.

"Again! Again!" Alyssa cheered, slurring her words and wobbling in her seat, as Zac delivered one pick-up line after another.

"I was feeling a little off today, but you've turned me on again!" Zac smirked flirtatiously, just as drunk as Alyssa.

"Glad to see that I have that effect." Alyssa leant closer, running her hand up Zac's chest as her lips brushed his ear softly. Maybe it was just the alcohol talking, but she couldn't help the next words that slipped out of her mouth. "Want to get out of here with me?"

---

Stumbling into Zac's flat not long after, in the middle of a very heated make-out as they kicked off their shoes and discarded their jackets, Zac immediately picked Alyssa up, who automatically wrapped her legs around his waist, and he slammed her against the wall behind her, leaving kisses down her neck.

"Bedroom." Alyssa gasped, followed by a loud moan when his kisses reached her collarbone.

Zac wasted no time in carrying Alyssa down the hall to his bedroom.

Yes, it was definitely the alcohol's fault. And a hungover Alyssa would later realise just how bad her drunk decision was.