Living Arrangements

Chapter Five: Hangover

CHAPTER FIVE: HANGOVER

Caroline kicked her leg backwards, shocked when it connected with something hard and someone groaned loudly by her ear. Her eyes flew open and she scrambled to the edge of the bed, pulling the sheets up around her body modestly.

Drake lay at the other side of the bed, his eyes opening slowly and a loud yawn emitted from his mouth.

"What the hell are you doing in my bed?" Caroline asked, her attempt to sound angry ruined by her weak voice and pounding head.

"You don't remember what happened last night. That's terribly unflattering I must say." Drake smirked, sitting up, the covers falling from his body to reveal his chest shirtless. Caroline's eyes widened in panic and she glanced down, verifying all her clothes were intact.

"No, we didn't- nothing could've- no, I'd-  I'd feel it- we didn't-" She stuttered, her sleep-ridden brain unable to keep up with her panic.

"For Christ's sakes princess, nothing happened, you don't need to worry your pretty little head about it."

Caroline attempted to stand, only to collapse back onto the bed at the hit of a dizzying sweep of nausea and the return of the pounding in her head.

"Now that would be a hangover you're experiencing right there. Hence the lack of memories from last night." Drake informed her smugly and Caroline groaned, both from the headache and the realization of how stupid she'd been.

"Caroline, if you want to get to school on time you could really do with with setting off soon." Caroline's Dad's voice echoed up the staircase and she groaned again as she once again attempted to stand, with the same outcome as the first time.

"Actually Sheriff Rivers, she's not looking too well, I think she might need to stay off school today." Drake pulled Caroline back onto the bed and she lay her head on his chest like a pillow as the world spun in circles before her eyes.

A loud thumping began, making her clutch her temples, until she realised it was her father rushing up the stairs. Moments later, he burst through the door and Caroline quickly slid her head from Drake's chest to the pillow.

"Not so loud Sherriff, she said her head's pounding like mad." Drake whispered dramatically, earning him a weak hit on the arm from Caroline.

"Honey, are you okay?" Caroline felt her Dad's weight on the mattress as he sat down by her legs. She buried her face further into the pillow, suspecting in his line of work, her Dad would recognise any signs of a hangover.

"Mmm, I'll be fine. You're going to be needed at the office. Don't worry about me." She mumbled into the pillow, knowing her father was as stubborn as her and would insist on staying at home.

"I have a free first period Sheriff, I can make sure she's okay." Caroline's Dad eyed him suspiciously, but the suspicion was overpowered by a sense of gratitude when Caroline let out a little groan.

 "Thank you Drake." He replied after a moment, leaning down to kiss his daughter softly on the forehead.

"I'd really appreciate that."

As her Dad walked reluctantly out of the door, Caroline removed her face from the pillow and looked up at Drake, her face adorably confused.

"We don't have a free first period Drake. Are you seriously going to use me as an excuse to skip classes on your second day back?" He nodded, looking neither ashamed nor guilty to admit it and Caroline shook her head, unable to hide the amused little smile on her face.

"One flaw in your master plan, you have nothing to drive and I'm certainly not giving you my keys. You're stuck here."

Drake's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he looked down at Caroline in shock, his face hurt.

"You think I'd just leave you to wallow here in this state? You'd be miserable." Caroline looked up at him curiously. She would have sworn that he wouldn't have thought twice before leaving her there, but he seemed to genuinely care about her discomfort. Opening her mouth to thank him, as ridiculous as that was, she was unsurprised when he interrupted her.

"So, what do you wanna do today? Now, you'd never have thought it from looking at me, but I'm a whizz at scrabble." Caroline laughed, her expression incredulous but Drake just nodded sincerely.

She shrugged, unable to stop a laugh escaping her dry throat.

"You may have natural talent, but have you been forced to endure hours of it at family reunions with nothing better to do?"  She challenged light-heartedly and the glint in Drake's eyes clearly said challenge accepted.

 So for the remainder of the morning they played Scrabble and Caroline discovered, that true to his word, Drake was unexpectedly good at it. That of course may have been down to the fact he had a talent for making up extremely believable words and could recite definitions off by heart.

Caroline couldn't remember the last time she'd had this much fun playing a board game. In fact, she didn't realise until midday that her headache had faded to a barely there dull pounding. By then, she couldn't seem to bring herself to go to school, she was simply having too good a time.

In a lot of ways it scared her that Drake was the one who'd managed to make her skip school for the first time in years. She knew he was a bad influence, heck, he'd been in juvie for the past year, yet she was choosing to stay home and play board games instead of doing what she knew was the right thing and going to class.

"You want some lunch?" Drake asked, tearing Caroline from her thoughts. She nodded and smiling stood up from the bed, tugging down her top and following Drake downstairs.