Higher Stakes [Strings: Part 1]

Chapter 11: Last night

It was the weekend and its 9 o’clock in the morning. Demi was somewhere in her bed between the sheets. Hugging her pillow tightly, she turned and turned. It’s seemed like an ordinary Saturday morning sleep in but for sure this one is different as there is a sweet smile on her face.

Now lying on her back, she pushed the sheets off of her a little and breathes out.

Inside her mind, she kept recalling the event happened last night. The one incredible night, there were special times with water and pretzels and freshly caught fishes. Holding hand and hands as he lead her to his Mustang, he gave her a lift home while jamming to the classics on the radio. To top it all, a single kiss was planted… on her cheek. That sure makes her go all red again.

She recalled his words “Don’t get me wrong, I really like night walks, it’s very comforting. So, don’t go saying that I’m some creature of the dark or something like that. That’s just crazy.” She laughed.

“What’s up with the creepy looking smiles Dems?”

Someone was lying on the bed next to her.  Whoever it was, for sure the person was a female judging by the girly voice.

Demi slowly opened up her eyes and found her best friend Selena on the bed smiling at her. “Good morning.” Selena greeted.

“Morning.” The sleepyhead replied, woke up and sat on the bed. She stretched out her arms nearly hit Selena in the head, who just in time dodge her. Demi even yawned a little and leaned back against the board.

“I assume last night was a blast huh?” Selena asked, leaning on the board too. “Tell me everything and I mean everything.”

“One part was not a ‘blast’.” Demi answered, shutting her eyes. “Mostly ridiculous and disgusting.”

Her best friend looked at her confused.

“But…” she continued, “the pier was nice. Very sweet-“smiling now, she continued, “and he was such a… gentleman.”

Confused, Selena asked, “Pier? Gentleman? That’s very uncharacteristic of Trace. No offence but I don’t think that’s Trace material. He’s more into hard rock metal and I know you do too but… a gentleman? Seriously?”

Demi sighed, “I wasn’t talking about him. He’s way out of that picture.”

“Then who?” Selena asked.

“Bradley.” Demi smiled.

“My Bradley?”

“Your what?”

“He’s my Bradley like he’s my brother.” Selena stopped. “Carry on…”

“Okay, well, he uh…” Demi started, “he asked me if I want to hang with him and stuff and stuff and stuff. Fast forward, we spend last night at Santa Monica pier together. We talked. We laughed. We drink and eat. He gave me a lift home.” She sighed. “It was really nice.”

“What about Trace?” Selena asked.

“That’s another different story.” The look on her face changed. She turned to her best friend and told her everything.

Yawning and nodding his head, Bradley was working on the weekend at his parents’ restaurant. He was folding napkins into a basket and distributed them one to each table. Since the place not going to go on service till 10 o’clock which will be in 20 minutes, Bradley really took his time.

Putting the last basket on a table by the window, he sat down and leaned his head against his arms. Last night really has him tired. So, he decided to rest his eyes there for a sec.

“How could he say something like that?” Selena expressed, finding out what really happened at the restaurant. She sure felt disgusted by it. Pushing the sheets off, she moved and sat right in front of Demi, who was now had this worried look on her face.

She was hugging her pillow and leaning to it too. “I’m just glad I don’t have to deal with him right now, with the tour, it did justice to me.”

“Last night sure was an eye opener…” Demi continued, “2 boys with 2 different personas and I find great deal of attraction in both of them. You know, I don’t usually go for a complete casual and gentleman kind of guy and Bradley… he just… different. Something about him seemed-“

“Irresistible?” Selena interrupted. “I usually get that. With him I mean. He’s the type of guy you didn’t expect, slash the heavy dramas.”

“I hope there will be no dramas with him,” Demi confessed. “I actually feel safe I like it.”

“Achoo!”

Bradley was sneezing a lot that morning. He was trying to take a little nap but his nose keeps on acting up crazily. “Who’s talking about me?” he asked himself.

“No one talking about you, Duh!” Kelly, his sister, replied.

“No one ask you!” he stated.

“Whatever!” she jutted her tongue at him as she went to the back with a box full of fresh bread.

Bradley scratched his head and went back to his nap.

“I really want to see you happy, Dems,” her best friend speaks up. Taking her hands into hers, she added, “If being with my brother make you happy then you have my blessing.”

“Is he really your brother?” Demi asked.

“Nope, we’re just really close.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Because it will be really weird cuz I’m already dating someone’s brother, I don’t want to mess with someone else brother. A change would be nice.” Demi stated.

“Then go for it!” Selena insisted. “It’s for the best.”

“I hope so.”

Author's note:

Read and review folks. Let me know what you think of the story so far. Any comments on the characters?