Being Popular 101

Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Despite the pounding in my head, I woke up incredibly comfortable.

It may have had something to do with the human sized hot water bottle sleeping beside me. 

I could tell by the deep, slow breaths he was taking, that Tom was fast asleep. This was the perfect opportunity to get a good, hard look at him.

I couldn't believe he had stayed the whole night, it made my heart fill to the brim with affection. More importantly, I can't believe I was desperate enough to beg him to stay. My memories from the party were incredibly murky, but that one was crystal clear.

Yet he had obeyed me, laying down gently beside me, his body huge in comparison to mine. I was in no way small, actually I was probably quite tall for my age, but next to Tom, I was a child. 

It wasn't just the fact that he was tall and muscled, which he definitely was, but Tom brought such a large presence into the room, it made him somehow look bigger.

But as he slept, I again noted how childlike he looked. Of course there was aspects of him the were the complete opposite, like the fine layer of darkish stubble that had started to grow on his cheeks and chin.

I inspected his features, with my elbows propped up on the bed and my head in my hands, trying to choose my favourite. Was it the single dimple that appeared on his left cheek when he laughed, or maybe the thin scar that ran from his temple to him eyebrow, that you could only see in certain light?

Finally I decided what he best feature was. It was the tiny crinkles that he has in the corners of his eyes from smiling too much. They give the impression that he is always laughing and made his liquid sapphire eyes even more inviting.

I had to resist the urge to touch them, just in case I woke him. At some point in the night he had taken of his t-shirt, probably getting hot because I was laying all over him. I couldn't believe I was only just noticing that now.

His chiseled chest muscles begged me to stroke them and his six-pack was good enough to eat off of. He had a small patch of brown hair on his chest, and a darker patch that led down to his ...

I quickly brought my eyes back up to his face, as I felt the burning blush rise up my neck. I sat there just staring at him, like the creep that I was, for a few more minutes. That was until he suddenly made a comment that brought the blush back all over again.

"Take a picture, it will last longer." His eyes remained close, but I could tell he was holding in his laughter.

I buried my head under the blankets, mortified at being caught out. How long had he been awake for? I felt his strong arms lace back around my waist before suddenly he yanked me to him, placing me down on his chest as if I was a kitten.

I squealed and tried to break free, but his iron grip never loosened, he didn't even flutter an eyelid. Eventually I gave in to defeat and just laid down on top of him, resting my head beneath his chin.

He placed his lips to my head before asking, "How do you feel? After last night I mean."

How did I feel? Well looking at him had distracted me for a good while but as I thought about it, my head started to drum painfully and I was desperate for a drink of water.

"Yeah, I feel okay. Just really thirsty." He gently lifted me off of him and placed me on the bed beside him.

Oh, I had just gotten comfortable. Then he went to poor me a glass of water from the tap in our small kitchen.

"I'm not surprised," he said with a smirk, handing me the glass, "looking at how much you had to drink last night."

"Wait, what?" I questioned between greedy gulps, "I only had one cup of something last night."

"You must have had a lot more than that to get as smashed as ..." He suddenly groaned, not finishing what he was going to say.

"Of course. Your drink was spiked. Some guy warned me about them. I guess you weren't so lucky." That made sense. I had also been trying to figure out how I had gotten so drunk.

"Well lucky for me, I had a big handsome man come and save me." I slid out of bed and sauntered up close to him. I then placed my hands on his chest and gazed up at him with my best sugar-sweet look.

Jutting out my bottom lip and staring at him in fake adoration I added, "Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't saved me."

He wrapped his arms around my waist and quickly bent forward, dipping my body nearly to the ground. 

"Well don't you worry your pretty little head Miss Davidson, I am always here to help." He replied  in what was meant to be a seductive tone, but came out slightly western.

I couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles. I placed a small kiss on his cheek, before pulling myself up and walking into my bathroom. I was desperate to get the faint taste of vomit out of my mouth. I didn't know how Tom could have slept next to me all night.

As I came back out, tooth-brush in mouth, I watched Tom's back as he pulled on his crumpled shirt from last night. The rippling muscles in his arms and shoulders made me literally weak at the knees. I took a seat at my desk to steady myself.

"Hey Hom, hi wa wonherhing hif you wanna hum oo hy house in he hohidays" I spat tooth paste all over the room, trying to get my message across. He stared at me like I was speaking another language, well I kind of was.

"Hi...wa...wonhering...hif...you...wanna...hum...oo...hy...house...in..he...hohidays." I tried to enunciate but it was hard with a mouth full of bubbles. I held up one finger, telling him to hold on, before running into the bathroom.

After I had thoroughly rinsed and washed out my mouth I walked back out to an expectant Tom.

"I said 'I was wondering if you wanted to come to my house in the holidays.'"

"No what you said was but bunch of gibberish, but yes I would love too. But first of all I would like to do something."

I stared at him confusedly as he took my hand and got down on one knee.

"Leona Davidson."

"Yes Thomas Spencer!"

He smiled slightly but went on, "I tried to tell you this last night, but as you were past out drunk in my arms I didn't think it was appropriate." I lightly smacked his arm but didn't interrupt.

"Now I believe is an ideal time for me to give to you my formal apology for how I acted at the beach last weekend. Even though I thought I was helping, the way I acted was inappropriate." I pulled him to his feet and gave him a tight hug, my arms only just making it around his chest.

My voice came out muffled, as my face was pressed into his shirt, "Tom, you didn't have to say all that. I was more my fault than yours. I shouldn't have done it, it was stupid and immature."

"And that is why I love you." He grinned cheekily, "Anyway, I was the one that acted like a major douche bag. I'm just glad we're back to normal."

I released him for my hug and started to make us an extremely complex breakfast of cereal.

"So...you nervous about meeting my parents." From his expression, he obviously hadn't thought of that yet.

"And remember, you are the first boy I have ever brought home. It is a really big deal." I teased.

He mumbled something under his breath like "and if I was nervous enough".

"Don't worry about it," I tried to say calmingly, "My mother is already practically in love with you." I noticed his tense posture loosen slightly as I said this.

"Just don't go out shooting with my Dad, he can be very over-protective, oh... just like somebody else I know." He immediately froze, obviously not getting my joke.

This was going to be fun.