SONG FOR THIS CHAPTER: Miss Missing You by Fall Out Boy
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When I woke up, Alex's arm was draped across my waist and my back was pressed right up against his chest. Without waking him, I rolled over so that I was facing him. He looked so peaceful whilst he was sleeping. Carefully, I reached up my right hand to trace the perfect features of his face. My fingers lightly brushed over his nose and around his eyelids and across his cheeks. The stubble covering the lower half of his face tickled my hand as I reached his chin. My thumb traced the shape of his smooth lips before his eyes opened. Chocolate brown eyes stared into my own green ones and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Good Mor-" I started but he cut me off by pressing his soft lips onto mine. Immediately, I cupped his face with my hands and returned his gentle kiss before he pulled away, resting his forehead against mine.
"Good morning." He whispered. I smiled as he reached up his right hand and began to trace my features like I had his. His fingers skimmed across my eyelids, down my nose, along my cheek bones before finally his fingers touched my chapped lips. He traced them several times before leaning in to kiss me again. Just as his lips were about to brush mine the sound of liquid hitting the floor echoed throughout the apartment. A long groan came from the bedroom and then more liquid hit the floor, this time however the person coughed and gagged instead of groaning.
I sighed. "Fuck sake."
"Have fun." Alex chuckled as I climbed off the couch, grabbed a bucket from underneath the kitchen sink along with a spare toothbrush, hair tie, a glass of water and some baby wipes and walking into my bedroom.
Stella was sat on the edge of the bed with her back to me. She had both her arms wrapped around her middle and her body was shaking. Quickly, I made my way to her side and thrust the bucket under her chin as she threw up noisily again. Once she took the bucket from my hands I placed the water and baby wipes on my bedside cabinet which had narrowly avoided being covered in puke. I sat behind Stella and pulled her knotted, auburn hair into a loose ponytail away from her face before dodging the vomit on the floor to open up the window. A cold breeze immediately washed over us and I heard Stella sniff. I looked over my shoulder to see that she'd removed the bucket from her lap and was sipping the water.
"I'm okay, I feel better now." She said in a croaky voice.
"Good." I replied before disappearing into the bathroom to grab some cleaning products and a cloth. I cleaned the floor as well as I could before looking up at my best friend who for once didn't look glamorous at all. Dark circles that looked almost black decorated her under eyes. Her usually pale, perfect complexion was flushed red and tiny pimples had broken out all over her face. She wasn't smiling. A sad, guilty look was all over her face and for once, I felt sorry for her.
"Sorry for throwing up." She sniffed. I handed her the toothbrush and took the bucket from her.
"It's okay. You couldn't help it." I replied before making my way back to the bathroom with her trailing behind. I emptied the bucket into the toilet and flushed away the contents before rinsing it in the shower and filling it with diluted bleach.
"Stella take a shower and chose any of my clothes okay." I said as she finished brushing her teeth. Stella nodded before hugging me quickly and closing the bathroom door. Alex was waiting for me in the hall and automatically opened his arms for me.
"You better not make me sick." He teased as be put his arm around my waist.
"Funny." I retorted, sticking my tongue out at him.
"I made coffee."
"Thank you. What time is it?" I asked. I noticed Alex had changed into a pair of skinny jeans and a white shirt. It was useful having some of his clothes at my place and some of mine at his.
"Nine." He replied before scooping my legs out from underneath me and picking me up. He twirled me round in circles whilst I squealed to be put down. I had my arms clamped tightly around his neck and once he'd stopped twirling me, he kissed me gently and suddenly I couldn't tell if it was all the spinning that was causing me to feel dizzy.
"Hol- oh. Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." Stella's croaky voice made us pull apart quickly and Alex placed me firmly on the ground.
"No, Stella it's fine. Uh, do you want some more water?" I asked, suddenly flustered as I felt my entire face heat up and turn red.
"Yeah that would be good." She replied, completely ignoring Alex who took the empty glass from her hand and disappeared into the kitchen.
"You've known each other five minutes." She said, glaring at me once Alex was out of earshot.
"What are you saying?" I said, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm saying that this whole relationship you've built is ridiculous. You're all over each other and it's honestly disgusting. You barely know him Holly! I think you've made a bad decision."
Stella's comment hurt. I stared at her in disbelief before my shock turned to anger.
"You're telling me about bad desicions Stella? What the fuck were you thinking when you went to a strip club?" I exclaimed.
"That's different!" She yelled.
"No it's fucking not!" I shouted back. By this time, Alex was back by my side. He placed his hand that wasn't holding the full glass on my shoulder causing Stella to roll her icy blue eyes.
"What's going on?" He questioned.
"Nothing." I said firmly. "Actually I was about to call Joel. Stella's going home."
"Oh really? Okay." Alex muttered. He handed Stella her drink which she took politely before storming past us into the front room.
"What happened?" He asked automatically when we heard the TV switch on, meaning she couldn't hear us.
"Nothing." I murmured. A sigh escaped my lips and instinctively I moved towards Alex and threw my arms around him. I didn't want to cry but Stella's comment still stung.
"I know it wasn't nothing but I won't push it okay?" Alex whispered in my ear before pressing a quick kiss to my forehead. "I'll ring Joel." He added before disappearing like Stella had.
Thirty minutes later and Joel had taken Stella home. Alex and I had told him everything and to say he was disappointed was an understatement. By this time it was eleven am. Alex was sat on the couch which still looked like a bed and I was curled up by his side. Alex kept glancing at the clock anxiously. After the fifth time he glanced up at it I pulled myself onto his lap.
"What's the matter?" I asked.
"Nothing." He lied.
"That's a load of crap and you know it."
"Okay fine. Look at twelve I have a shoot with the guys." He admitted. My head snapped up.
"We need to get ready to go then." I grinned, climbing off his lap.
"We?" He questioned.
"I want to watch you do what you love." I told him. He grinned before pulling himself off the couch.
"I don't see a problem with you going." Alex smiled before picking up the empty coffee mugs from the table and walking towards the kitchen. Instead of helping Alex wash up, I bounded into my bedroom to find something I could wear because the pyjama shorts and Alex's shirt I was currently wearing was not acceptable to go out in public. After a few seconds of searching my overflowing wardrobe I settled on a pair of denim high waisted shorts and a white crop top. As I made my way out of the bedroom with a pair of cream sandals in my hand I felt two hands grab my waist and pull me towards them.
"What are you doing?" I giggled as he pressed small kisses all along my neck. Alex didn't respond, instead he began nibbling and sucking on my skin causing my eyes to close and my body to lean into him. Too late, I realised what he was doing.
"Alex, you are not giving me a hickey." I exclaimed as I came to my senses. He pulled away and smirked as my hands flew up to cup the sensitive area on my neck.
"Just making sure the guys know that you're mine. I'm not worried about Rian or Zack. Jack however is another story." He said, with the devilish smirk still plastered across his features.
"Alex!" I groaned. He continued to smirk at me. "This isn't funny!" I added when he started to laugh. "I work with kids!"
Alex shrugged before laughing again.
"You're a dick!" I groaned. I walked into my bedroom again and looked in the mirror. "Shit." I groaned as I saw the purple bruise developing on my neck. It was going to be difficult to cover seeing as it was pretty big. Instead of attempting to cover it with makeup, I braided my hair and pulled it over my shoulder. The shorter pieces of my fringe covered the purpley, red bruise. Quickly, I applied some light makeup and a strawberry Chapstick before slipping my feet into my sandals and walking back to the front room to find Alex had converted our bed back into a couch. I thanked him before handing him his car keys and we left the house.
When we arrived at the shoot location Alex was automatically jumped on by people who I assumed were organising the entire thing. I watched as Alex, Zack, Rian and Jack had makeup dabbed on their faces and various products rubbed through their hair. The girl applying things to Alex's face had on the tightest shirt I'd ever seen and was shamelessly flirting with him. I could see him smiling politely at her whilst she giggled pathetically and I was glad he wasn't paying her any attention.
"Alex this is your new girlfriend?" Jack grinned. The guys had been posing and messing around for the camera for an hour and a half and were finally allowed a break. Alex had skipped straight to my side and kissed me hard in front of his all of his band mates.
"Yep." Alex replied, kissing my cheek, causing my face to heat up.
"You're the girl from the meet up and the music school." Rian noted. I nodded and Alex rolled his eyes.
"She has a name." He muttered under his breath.
"Yeah sorry..." Rian trailed off.
"Holly." I smiled.
"Sorry Holly." Rian grinned before pulling me in for an unexpected hug. Zack and Jack said hi again when Rian released me and they instantly started quizzing Alex about me.
"Is he an amazing lover?" Jack teased.
"Uh-" I started.
"Jack, fuck off." Alex sighed.
"Wouldn't you already know Jack?" Zack teased. The four boys chuckled and it took me a moment to realise Zack was talking about 'Jalex'.
"That sign says thanks for coming." Jack pointed out after a moment of silence. He gestured to a sign at the end of the room.
"That's what your mom said last night!" Alex shouted, jumping up and down excitedly. I rolled my eyes, as did Rian however Zack, Alex and Jack burst into a fit of laughter.
"You walked right into that." I smiled. Jack nodded and shrugged before elbowing Alex in the ribs.
"All Time Low. We're ready for you again." Alex's makeup girl from earlier called in her nasally voice. She was only stood a few metres away from us and was glancing over me like I wasn't there as she watched the four guys.
"Okay!" Zack grinned, he jumped up and down a couple of times before going back to where he had been stood before. Rian and Jack quickly joined him and Alex was the last to go.
"We'll be done soon." He told me.
"Okay." I replied, smiling up at him.
"See you in a bit." He smiled before kissing me quickly and going to join his friends. Seeing Alex, having fun with his best friends made me think about Adia and Stella. The thought of seeing Adia again next week was exciting and made my entire body tingle with energy however before Disneyland even happened I had to fix things with Stella and I knew it wasn't going to be easy.