Freaks Like Us

Chapter 16

"It fell out when you were... when you tried to..." He stops and shakes his head again, his ears flicking like wild. "It was in the bathroom, but it didn't get wet."

Tossing the cell on the bed next to me, he gives me a faint smile. "When I get back, that whole thing better be gone." He gestures to the drink in my hand, gives me another sort of grin, then leaves.

Okay.

What. The. Hell?

Last I knew, Sonic wasn't even talking to me. And my lame attempt at getting over him resulted in a big fat rejection. Not that I'm too upset about that. Thank the Genies I went after Shadow and not Jet. I'd probably never recover from that stupidity.

What happened after that though? It's so fuzzy.

The pounding in my head won't let me think, and it doesn't help I have to drink this vomit-inducing...

Oh crap. Please tell me I didn't puke on Sonic. Is that why I was in the bathroom? And why I'm dressed in one of Sonic's collar shirts and his... Oh my gosh! I'm in his boxers!

This is way too much for me to handle right now. And I gotta pee. I down the rest of the nasty cure-all and race to the toilet.

There's condensation streaking down the mirror, like Sonic kept his door shut after he got out of the shower so all the fog didn't really clear.

Wait. He took a shower while I was here? I guess that's not weird 'cause I was asleep, but just thinking about him naked...

Shit.

"Ames?"

My breathing picks up, and I whip the shower curtain open to see my sopping wet dress hung over a hook and dripping into the tub.

How could I forget I stumbled stupid-ass drunk into the wrong house and ended up in a shower with my dream guy?

Oh, that's right. All the alcohol.

Gosh, if I forgot that embarrassing, yet amazing hour in the shower with Sonic, what else have I forgotten?

"Ames?" Sonic says again.

"Um, be out in a minute!" I call through the door. I have to calm down before I go out there. Splashing water on my face, I mentally yell at myself for thinking alcohol and sex were the answers to my problems. It didn't help me escape at all. It landed me face first back where I was: struggling with two versions of myself. Trying to figure out if hiding Freak Amy is really worth all this.

But I don't want high school to be like middle school again. I don't know if I can handle it as well as Sonic does.

And Sonic. Whatever that was last night, it was way more than I deserve. Again he's pulling me back together after I've treated him like shit.

I fill my cheeks and let the air seep out. Sick. My breath is rank! I grab the toothpaste and squeeze some on my finger, scrubbing the inside of my mouth till it's foaming. I can't believe Sonic was that close to my face without yacking.

Okay, I'm pretty sure my mouth is as minty as it's going to get. And my head is actually feeling better. There's less pounding and the light isn't stabbing my eyes out.

"Wow," I say as I step back into Sonic's room, "that crap drink does work."

"Told you." He sits at his desk and pulls out his Wii controller. "You'll probably be able to go back to sleep now."

Huh? My gaze flicks to his window. It's dark outside. "What time is it?"

The TV snaps on. The Black Night lights up the screen. "About six. You've only been out a couple hours."

I nod and lay back on the bed, trying not to breathe in his scent. Even my hangover nose thinks it smells yummy.

"Did you call your parents?" he asks, keeping his eyes locked on the video game.

"No."

"You going to?"

Whoa. Something's wrong. He's not looking at me, his voice is all strained like he wishes I was still asleep, or wasn't here, and he selected Sir Lancelot on the game.

"Are... are you okay?"

"Fine." He shifts in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees. He's such a liar.

My cheeks puff up and I make my way to him. I don't care if I'm the problem, he's so not okay right now and I don't like seeing him like this.

Parking my butt on the floor next to his chair, I narrow my eyes at him. "You're not 'fine.' What's wrong?"

"What makes you think there's something wrong?"

"You always pick Sir Lancelot on the Black Night when something's bugging you."

He cocks his eyebrow and finally looks at me. There's a tiny throb in my head, but I shut my eyes for a second and try to force it back.

"You should go back to bed." His gaze goes back to the game.

No. That's not happening. I move so I'm kneeling in front of him, forcing him to look at nothing but me, but it doesn't work so well. He hits pause and keeps his eyes on the controller.

"I'm not going back to sleep till you tell me what's wrong."

"Why the hell do you care?" His voice is so low, I'm not sure if I caught that right, but I'm pretty sure that's what he said.

And he deserves honesty. After everything he's done for me. After what I did last night.

"I-I want to make you feel better, if I can." Things are totally coming out wrong. All 'cause he makes me so jittery.

His brow furrows and he shakes his head. "Go home, Ames."

If he hadn't just used my nickname, I may have listened, but I don't.

"Please, Amy." Wish he would look at me.

He stands, running a hand across the back of his neck. "You shouldn't be here."

"Why not? Your mom's not home." Or at least, I assume she's not.

"That's not what I mean." He pauses. "We're not... it's not like that between us anymore."

My jaw clenches, and I take my time getting to my feet so I don't let the crappy hangover win over what I have to say to him.

"I'm not leaving."

"Dammit, Ames. I don't want you here. You don't care, and you never did." He opens his bedroom door and waves his hand. "So go home."

I should listen to him. I should head home and forget all about last night. Forget the conversation we had in the car the other day. Forget whooping his butt at The Black Night. Forget when we'd play video games and trivia all night long. Forget when we kissed... that one time. It just happened. One night a few weeks after his dad left, I don't know what I was thinking, or if I was thinking at all. I wanted to help somehow, make him feel better. Next thing I knew my lips were pressing against his and they didn't leave for a long time.

My first kiss. I'm not sure if it was his. We didn't really talk about it. But that kiss has never been beat. Even with all the guys who were more experienced.

I should do what he says and go home. And forget everything.

But I have a reputation of doing things I shouldn't do.