In Our World

Chapter 3 - Tim.

I walked into my room, my thoughts not on the topic Jess was attempting to discuss. My mind kept trailing back to lying in the water with Bailey, my stomach had grown sore from laughing, and the happiness reached me before the cold had gotten hold of the perfect moment.

I tried to listen to what Jess was going on about, but he spoke too fast when he was excited; something that had always fascinated me about him. I pulled off my wet shirt and dumped it onto the wooden floor, and searched through my closet for something else to wear.

“What do you think about the Hijackers?” Jess asked me, had he been talking about movie the whole time?

“It was average,” I replied as I pulled on a blue button up, and began to debate about how far I should button it up, “Marry White should have been the lead role though.”

“Cassada Benty played it perfectly,” Jess began to protest, and as he continued to list a million reasons why Cassada Benty was perfect for the role, I pulled out some black denims and put them on.

We walked out into the hall after I attempted to dry my hair, but decided it looked better wet, and I gave a soft knock on Bailey's door, crossing my fingers and hoping that she had already changed. She called us in, and I called her name softly before intruding. I used my smoothest voice, although Jess hadn't seemed to notice – which was a good thing.

Jess and I walked in, and I realized that I hadn't buttoned up my shirt. I began, slowly, to button it up, hoping that Bailey wouldn't notice as I did it.

“Anyway,” I said as Jess sat on the chair that hung from the roof, and began to spin, “I still think she should have gotten the lead role.”

Jess looked at me for a moment, but as he was about to reply, my father called me; his voice echoing down the long passage. I sighed softly as I excused myself and walked down the passage, wondering what my father could possibly want. I buttoned up my shirt half way, and pulled the sleeves up the elbows.

“Yes, father?” I tried to sound polite, but the annoyance could be heard in my voice, if you tried hard enough to hear it.

“The telephone,” He barely looked at me as he spoke, and that, he knew, annoyed me more than anything.

“Thank you,” I gave a slight nod to the other people standing around, as my father had taught me from a young lad, and I walked over to the house phone, “Hello?”

“Hey, Tim, it's Dave,” David Press' voice would had given him away, had he not mentioned a name, “Why aren't you answering your phone? Did you get with the girl from earlier?”

“Is that why you called me?” I tried not to let the irritation in voice to be heard, and by the sounds of it, I was successful.

“The main reason, yeah,” He gave a small chuckle, and then said he had to go.

I put the phone down, I should have expected Dave to call me asking if I had gotten with the girl; that's just how he was, always trying to see who was better at getting girls, even though I had never had a girlfriend.

I had a hangover when I woke up, and my head throbbed terribly. Oh goodness, why did I have to drink? I said I would stop, but apparently I couldn't even keep a simple promise like that. I could barely remember what happened, but I knew who to blame for all the drinking; Dave. He called me up, 1 am, all father's guests had already left by that time, and he said, one drink. It seemed harmless, after he had persuaded Jess and I.

I sat up in bed quickly and looked around, where was Jess? He wasn't in my room, which could mean he either went home, which didn't seem likely, or he was sleeping some where else. All the other guest rooms were locked, and my father and Jessie kept their door locked which meant... No, hopefully he had gone into the lounge.

I tiptoed down the passage, the bright sun like an explosion to my brain, and I felt my head grow heavy. I slipped into the lounge, all the couches as father's guests had left them, and no Jess in sight. I sighed, scared to even look in Bailey's room, although I knew he was probably there. My heart beat fast as I approached her door, but I knew what lay next; explaining.

I gave a soft knock, and was surprised when Bailey told me to enter. Her voice was soft, and as I stepped in, she lay a warning finger on her lip. I looked over at the chair that hung from the roof, and watched as Bailey put tooth paste on his hand, and walked over to her bed. We both sat down at the same time, and she looked at me daringly.

“Do you want to do the honors?” She whispered, and I felt a smirk run over my lips.

“You bet ya',” I whispered back, and took the feather that she held out to me.

I tiptoed over, and brushed the feather softly beneath his nose. He looked slightly annoyed, but didn't move. I tried again, and this time was a success. Jess swung his hand up and smeared toothpaste all over his face.

“What is that?” He asked in horror as he stared at his hand, but he flinched when the hangover slapped him.

“Morning, sunshine,” I grinned, holding the feather in front of him, and I heard Bailey's soft footsteps approaching us.

“You guys are too loud for 6 am,” She whispered, and I quickly checked my watch... It was early.

“Why does my head hurt?” Jess asked as he climbed out the chair and into Bailey's bathroom to wash off his hand.

“You face planted,” Bailey replied, sounding indifferent.

“How?” I asked, trying to hid the mocking laugh behind a cough.

“You guys were dancing,” She answered, slightly coldly, and then walked over to her bed where she collected her phone, and walked over.

She handed me the phone after a while of scrolling, her nails painted perfectly black, and grinned when the realization was painted over my face. She had filmed Jess and I waltzing to some ACDC at 4am. Jess was wearing a towel over his shorts and one of my jackets backwards over his shoulders. He had a bandanna tied around his head, and he had managed to steal some of Jessie's shoes. I, on the other hand, wore pants that were way too long for me, and I wondered if they were my fathers, I wasn't wearing a shirt, and I had a boa wrapped around my neck, a bright green one; not a complimenting color on me.

“How long did this go on?” I asked, with a shameful sigh.

Bailey brushed a strand of her brown hair out of her face, and looked down at her long pajama pants, the legs were full of cute monkeys.

“Not too long,” She said as she closed the video with a little smile, “Jessie came in and made you guys paint my nails after she sent Dave home. And then you locked Jess and I in here, slipped the key under the door, and ran down the hall.”

“I locked you guys in here?” I asked, and a faint memory of the moment passed through my mind, “I'm so sorry.”

“It's fine,” She said with a smile, and then held up her hand, showing her perfectly painted nails, “You're good at painting nails, though.”

“I did that?” The surprise in my voice made me want to laugh.

“Yeah, you did my hands, and Jess did my feet,” She looked down at her feet again, but her pajama pants covered them, “None too well, either,” She added as she turned around, her eyes still at her feet, as she walked back, and put her phone on charge.

“How's your hangover?” I asked Jess as I walked into the bathroom.

“Why do I smell like pineapples?” He asked me, with a look of confusion.

“You don't remember?” I asked, laughing as I spoke, “You pretended to bath with the slices before you even finished one beer.”

“Oh,” He said, and looked at himself in the mirror, “I'm never drinking again.”

“Me neither,” I stood next to him, feeling short, “Although I have said so before.”

“Drinking with Dave is dangerous business,” He continued, as though I had never spoken.

A small smile came across my face, and I turned to leave; he was right, but drinking was a dangerous business on its own.

“Let's let Bailey have her bathroom back, shall we?” I asked, and Jess suddenly looked up, and followed me out of Bailey's room.