A once dreaded weekend became one of the best. Thanksgiving dinner was beautiful, Maria and Scar made me feel so welcome, and the conversation over dinner was even better, the topic being memories of Ethan's teenage life. It was great to hear more about him but there was also the addition some were embarrassing. I'm definitely keeping them engraved in my mind as long as I can remember them because some were treasures.
Since Thanksgiving's on Thursday, we had the whole weekend to ourselves. We spent the next day shopping, but sadly we didn't get much despite it being Black Friday. Ethan bought some new sneakers, whereas I only got a few pieces of jewelry which hardly cost anything. We were out the whole day at the mall, window shopping mostly, and it was really nice to just be out with him.
Ethan stayed with me every night, only leaving throughout the day for a few hours to use the gym and pick up some clean clothes. In that time I'd shower, and tidy around before crashing in front of Netflix. It's hilarious really how he leaves to work out, and I just lay on the sofa, the only exercising I consist of doing is grabbing the remote. He offered me to go with him, but I just could not be bothered at all.
Wednesday to Saturday night was not enough time, it went by faster than I imagined. We spent the time we were together watching television, playing the Xbox, cooking, and to point out the obvious, having sex. The days pretty much faded into one.
It's now Sunday, and Ethan went home last night since my best friends were coming back today. Even though we weren't together, we still were on FaceTime for the most of the night because I didn't at all want to be alone with my mind. He's sweet and we spent hours talking, laughing and then we fell asleep at one point in the AM.
Originally, I had expected my friends to be home much later than they were. Hanna came crashing through the front door at six in the fucking morning. I honestly thought someone was breaking in, ready to mug me because I didn't think she were going to be back for another twelve hours. But it was her, and all she said before lying down on the sofa was that she didn't want to be back at home longer than needed. I don't blame her; her family are wild. Matt came back at noon, and Lauren's plane landed at five. We're now back together and all we've been doing is lying around, catching up on the weekend.
"So, when did you guys get back?" Lauren asks, sitting down with a very full wine glass.
"This morning at five or something, I really don't have a clue. Mom was doing my head in; she came into my room at eight last night asking me to help set up the new baby's nursery. I bailed, spent the night in a motel and got on the road as soon as I could. I love my family and all, but it was getting way too much. She has eleven kids, eleven, and they're all fucking crazy. I know I'm alternative and all, but they're all off the rails. I spent, what, four days with them? And I feel like I need therapy." She rants, and we all fall into laughter. This girl and her family will never surprise me.
"All she asked was to do the nursery?" Matt asks, knowing there's some catch to this.
"At eight PM, Matt! For one, I am not a painter nor am I a fucking nursery builder or whatever they're called. I had enough. I have a younger brother, Mike, he's in senior year of high school, why the hell can't he do it? He lives there for Christ sakes! I come home after not seeing them for nearly three months, and I'm bombarded with chores. They have a maid, and the money to pay someone to paint and build the nursery, why the fuck can't they do that!?" She now takes the bottle from Lauren, gulping down the red wine.
I feel like I'm the only one who had a great weekend...
"Matt, at least tell me you had an okay trip." Lauren sighs, looking not at all hopeful as he chuckles lying back on the beanbag.
"It was okay, I spent time with my parents, whom of which are getting a beach house in LA, so we may have somewhere to vacate this summer." He beams at us all, and I stare at him wide eyed. Imagine, just imagine having that much money... a girl can dream.
"Oh my God, that would be perfect!" Hanna says, raising the bottle in the air before taking another drink.
"Yeah, I could do with some LA sun." I sigh, nodding and imaging me there now. Cocktails on the beach, not caring about a thing in the world. That sounds good.
"Imagine if my parents would let me come back to the country in the summertime. That, I would like to see." Lauren says, groaning as she does.
"We'll kidnap you when the semester is over." Matt says, and I raise my brows. Sounds like a plan.
"You have to make it look believable... I might have to dye my hair." She says, and I smile over at her, I feel sorry for the girl. "Anyway, Francesca what did you do here whilst we were away?"
"Nothing, I ate mac and cheese, and watched Netflix." I lie... well they were my original plans before a certain someone appeared.
"Why is it that I'm jealous of your weekend?" Hanna asks herself.
"Same, I wish I could have stayed here." Lauren says with a little laugh.
"Well, when you become broke, you can." I say, smiling at the three. It's not a lie, even if things were good back home, I wouldn't be able to afford the gas there and back to go anyway.
"So, that's all you did, huh?" Matt asks, a smirk appearing to his face.
"Yeah, of course, what else would I do?" I ask, avoiding his eye contact because he can tell when I lie. It seems like everyone can these days.
"Then why, Miss Francesca Salatino, did I find a pair of male boxers in my bed? And before you deny it, they're a size large not a medium, they're not mine." He says and both the girls look at me. Okay, now I feel like I'm in an investigation and I'm prime suspect.
"I don't know what you mean. Anyone want more wine? I need more wine." I quickly get up, grabbing my glass from the coffee table. Yeah, denial is how I'm going to get through this.
"Frankie!" Lauren screams, and I swear she bursts my eardrums. Ouch. This girl has a pair of lungs on her, Jesus.
"What?" I ask, smiling sweetly.
"Who did you sleep with... finally?" She asks.
"No one, I didn't sleep with anyone but myself." I shrug, walking into the kitchen and they all stare at me like they're kids and I'm the candy in a fucking candy store. "Jesus."
"Who?" Matt is now the one to ask. "Tell me, please, I'm your best friend in the whole world. I tell you when I get dick, this isn't fair. And in my bed no less."
"We didn't have sex in your bed." I immediately slam my hand over my mouth as soon as the words leave. Well, there goes that. I'm horrible at keeping secrets... the little ones anyway.
"So, you did have sex?" Hanna asks, smiling at me.
"Oh my God, what is it with you guys' attention towards my sex life?" I ask, folding my arms over my chest.
"Well since you haven't had any since July, it was our main worry with you. But now, now we can stop but not until you tell us who is wearing the Calvin Klein's." Matt says, and I groan. I'm really going to have to tell them. I knew at one point I would since they're my friends, but it's so new and they kind of hate him after the whole kiss thing.
"It was Ethan, you happy?" I ask, leaning on the kitchen counter, looking at them and they all look way more shocked than I thought.
"Ethan as in Ethan-who's-gonna-die-when-I-see-him, Ethan?" Hanna asks, and I purse my lips, finding this a little too funny because it really isn't. Keep mature, Francesca, you've got this.
"Look, it just happened and we spoke about everything. We're cool now." I say, finally bringing the new bottle of wine with me back into the living room.
"Cool? You're cool? So, where did you have sex?" Lauren asks, looking around the place. She's not going to like that answer.
"My room, chill out." I say, deciding not to drop the bomb that we had sex right where she's sitting. We had a towel down though, so it was totally fine. She wouldn't think that though.
"How the fuck are you so relaxed about this?" Matt asks and I whine, dropping back on the sofa.
"Because I saw him on Wednesday night, we spent the night together and then the rest of our time too. I got it wrong, okay? He liked me too." I say, and he frowns at that.
"He said that before you had sex or after?" He asks.
"Jesus, before, way before. We were in the study lounge, talking about everything, getting things out in the open. I never thought we were even going to have sex when I brought him back up here, it just happened and I don't regret it either." I say, and he nods giving me a little smile.
"Was he at least good?" He asks, and both the girls smile at the question.
"So fucking good. I don't know if it was because I hadn't had sex in nearly half a year, or what, but it was amazing. He's funny too, apparently he was holding out on most of the dirty jokes when we were just friends." I say, smiling as I take a sip of my wine.
"Oh, Honey, you were never just friends." Hanna says as she gently taps my leg.
"I feel so weird, like I've been caught out. I feel like I'm a teenager again and my parents have just found out I had sex for the first time. That's what it feel like right now." I say, and they all laugh, Hanna wrapping her arms around me.
"Just be careful with him. Okay?" She whispers and I nod, letting her take a sip out of my wine glass.
"So, how big is he?" Lauren asks, putting up her feet.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" I roll my eyes.
"Yes, actually, I do." She says.
"I second that." Matt raises his hand.
"Yeah, me three." Hanna says, looking up at me.
"I feel like I'm in high school again. He was big, okay? You happy with that?" I ask them all.
"No measurements?" Lauren whines.
"Yeah, because I got my tape measurer out when I was riding him, sure, of course I know the fucking measurements." I roll my eyes.
"To say you got some, you're extra cranky." She says with a childish pout.
"I'm due on any day now." I say, dismissing her.
"Well, hope that your period actually comes because you don't want a baby." Matt says, and I glare at him.
"You're a dick." I tell him.
"Well, what's that saying? Oh yeah. You are, what you eat." He says, and I can't help laughing, and neither can the girls.
"Anyway, why did this turn around on me?" I ask, wondering this the whole duration of this stupid conversation.
"Because your boy toy's boxers were in my bed." He says and I groan.
"We didn't have sex in your bed." I repeat what I told him before because it's the truth. The reason they're in there is because when he got naked, he threw his clothes on Matt's bed, but we didn't have sex in there. I have my own bed for that.
"I'm still changing the sheets." He tells me.
"Fine, you do that." I say, smiling sweetly at him.
"You guys bicker like there's no tomorrow." Hanna says and I shrug, I'm aware of that. It's our way of saying we love each other. And I do, very much so, I love all of my friends.
"So, friends, family, roomies, it's December first now. We need to get this place Christmassy." Lauren says, and I immediately smile at her. How did I not notice it was December already?
Christmas time at college is amazing... sure for some they hate it because they're away from family and all that, but I love it because these guys are my family and we celebrate this month more than we would do if we weren't in college. Last year was the first year, so we didn't have everything perfect but this year it's going to be.
~~
Later into the night, I'm laid in bed, feeling a little too tipsy for a Sunday night, and I'm wide awake as everyone else is fast asleep. Matt is knocked out, his arm hanging off the bed whilst he drools on the pillow. A very nice sight for me, I have to say. I should be sleeping since I have classes tomorrow, but I just can't, my mind won't shut off.
I'm not thinking about anything specific, just can't seem to sleep. Last night was the same, well kind of, I had Ethan on the other end of the phone speaking with me, so gradually I did go to sleep, but now I can't even see it coming.
"Matt." I whisper, and nothing. Yeah, he's dead asleep right now. "Fuck."
Turning over in bed, I stare at the ceiling. I can still hear the distant noise from a party in the dorm building. I haven't been to a party since Halloween which was a bust, I left an hour into it because I weren't feeling it, but I really crave to go out again. I really have missed it. Don't let me misdirect you because I am no way going to leave my bed for a party, no way. I'm warm and comfy, just awake and bored.
I no longer have phycology as my elective, so my first class isn't until later which means I don't need to be awake as early. I wish I didn't drop it because honestly, I really started to enjoy it. The early mornings though, I weren't a fan of. At least I won't be too tired in the morning – it's only one AM right now.
One in the morning.
My first thought to save my sanity is to ring Ethan like I had done last night, but I'm not getting into that this early. We've been 'seeing each other' or whatever it is we're doing, what, five days? Yeah, I'm not going to be one of those clingy attached girls, who rely on a guy's attention. I'm better than that, so I screw my eyes closed and force myself into a sleep. Not that it works that easily but hopefully after some time, I do fall asleep.
I'm hoping.
I'm comforted that Matt is the bed beside me though. I'm glad my people are back.
~~~~~
A/N
I started writing this and then my laptop died, but my sister took the laptop charger so I had to finished the end a day later, so if it seems to have a different vibe, I'm sorry about that.
Life update: I'm tired, and I'm trying to get back into a routine but it's not exactly working since I'm writing this author's note at 2am.
Question of the chapter:
Who is your favorite character so far?
Mine is Ethan because he's my baby, and I honestly love him. I'm so excited to develop his character more as the book progresses.
I hope this chapter was okay.
Thank you for reading! Please comment your thoughts, vote by pressing the little star, and if you want, you can follow me too. Xx
2590 words!
~B