What we've always been.

8. Something animated and fun.

CHAPTER SONG: Breakfast- Dove Cameron.

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Corey

Alec opens my front door and steps aside so I can walk in. We make our way to the kitchen flicking on lights.

"Where's your mom?" He asks.

"She's out of town till tomorrow." I answer.

Alec just nods and opens the fridge pulling out some ice bags from the freezer. I lean on the counter my chest still hurting. He walks over and gestures for me to take my shirt off. I try to do it myself but everytime I do a sharp pain knocks the air out of me.

"Let me do it?" Alec asks.

I look at him and I know I should say no because I'm still mad at him, but I'm in too much pain to stay mad right now. I nod and he stands closer. As soon as he does it gets a little harder for me to breathe. His hands go under the hem of my shirt and start pulling it off my skin.

The sweat and blood made the cotton shirt stick to my skin so Alec has to peel the shirt off me. He pulls my shirt up to my chest and our eyes meet. We stare at each other for a while before he continues pulling the shirt off my arms and eventually putting it on the table beside me. The task went by easier than I expected with Alecs cast.

"I think you should take a shower first." Alec says pointing at more blood and mud on my skin.

I nod and we make our way upstairs. I shower quickly and painfully and once the soapy water has run down my skin the bruises on my chest and lower stomach appear in all their black and blue glory. I put on some shorts and meet Alec in my room.

He walks up to me and presses the ice bag on my skin. I winch again and he frowns.

"Stay still." He says.

His other hand moves around my back and holds me in place. Having his skin touch mine makes it hard for me to breathe again.

"Why did you do it?" I ask not able to bite my tounge anymore.

"Do what?" Alec asks. He has the focused look he gets when he helps me with my injuries.

"Ditch me for him?" I ask.

Alec sighs.

"I need to know." I insist.

"I didn't ditch you Corey. I just wanted to try something new instead of only being allowed to do what you want me to." Alec says.

"What does that mean?" I bark.

"You know what it means." Alec says moving on to the especially painful bruise on my chest.

"No, I really don't." I say.

"In case you haven't noticed Corey in our friendship I do whatever you like to do. Rugby, Jens disaster of a party-"

"So now you're blaming me for what happened?" I interrupt, looking at his cast again.

"Of course not. I'm just saying that if you didn't want me to I would have never gone to that party." Alec says.

"Yeah well the way I remember it you ended up having a lot more fun than we were both expecting." I mumble.

"There you go again." Alec snaps walking away.

At first I think he's leaving which makes me feel sick, but instead he grabs some bandages he must have gotten while I was in the shower. He walks back to me and opens them.

"Ever since Jens party you've had this relentless mission to keep bringing up Charlie as much as you can." Alec says.

"Can you blame me?" I ask.

The cold ice seeps into my skin working on reducing my swelling.

"Yes Corey I can. Because you're acting like a child." He says.

"Me!?, you're the one following after him like some kind of lovesick puppy." I answer.

"Do you even hear yourself right now? I went to watch him swim Corey, we're not getting married." Alec says.

There's some silence as he starts wrapping the bandages around my waist. I know that he's right, but the jelousy I felt when I caught them that night is still heavy in my chest.

"He's not a good guy Alec." I say eventually.

"You don't even know him." Alec says softly.

"Yes I do. I just don't want him to mess with your head." I say.

Alec wraps the bandage around me a little tighter and moves round till he's standing behind me.

"Is it tight?" He asks.

"What?" I ask my mouth dry.

"The bandage?" He says.

"Oh...uh no it's okay." I answer awkwardly.

He uses some tape to hold the bandages in place.

"Can we make a deal. You'll let me deal with Charlie how I choose to and if it doesn't work out then you can gloat all you want. Deal?" Alec says.

I sigh but eventually nod.

"Yeah. Deal." I answer.

"Good." Alec says helping me into a shirt.

For some reason having him put my shirt on makes me feel even more anxious than having him take it off. Alec looks around and nods satisfied that he's done enough.

"Once the swelling goes down you should rub that gel on your bruises and you should feel better in no time. Don't forget like you always do." He says.

"Or you can stay and make sure I don't." I add faster than I intended. "I kinda don't wanna be alone right now."

Part of me knows it's true, but another part if me feels cheated of time with Alec and wants to get even. Alec shrugs and pulls my laptop out of it's bag.

"Cool. We'll watch a movie or something." He says sitting on my bed.

He looks up at me when he realises that I'm just standing here staring at him.

"You okay?" He asks.

I've slept next to Alec at least a thousand times before and it's never been a big deal. But now suddenly just the thought of it is making my legs feel weak.

"Yeah. Fine." I answer getting in bed with him.

Alec looks at me and laughs.

"What do you want to watch wierdo?" He jokes.

I take a deep breath and lay back.

"Something animated and fun." I answer.

......