Growing up.
Chapter V
I'd never been this anxious when waiting for a doorbell to ring or even a knock. I was pacing around the living room, biting my nails nervously. Evan was leaning against the main couch, sipping on his coffee' mug. He didn't look as preoccupied as me, he looked rather careless if you ask me. I didn't blame him though. He had no idea of the mess those two drunken could cause.
"Stop walking around the room, Jules," he started, placing his mug on the small table next to the couch "I'm sure they are okay."
"Oh, I know they are okay," I said bitterly. It wasn't their health what was concerning me. It was their big mouths. Evan frowned at me, his cute dark eyebrows almost touching. He looked so cute when he did that.
"Then why are you so anxious?"
"I-" the doorbell rang interrupting me. In a matter of seconds, I jumped to the door, opening it quickly.
"Julie!" Jason was the first one invading my vision. Jordan was next to him, holding him by the waist. It seemed like my best friend couldn't even walk by himself. To say he looked like a mess was an understatement. His clothes were all wrinkled and his eyes were extremely red. "I missed you so much!" he let go of Jordan and stumbled towards me. I could only stand there as he wrapped his arms around me quite messily. He smelled of alcohol and sweat. It was not a good combination if you ask me. He pulled away, holding me by my shoulders to steady himself. "You're my best friend in the entire world, you know that, don't you?" he tried to give me a sweet smile but it turned out to be more like a creepy, serial killer smile.
"I know," I returned the smile. Jordan greeted Evan while I was trying not to let Jason fall.
"You know all my secrets," Jason whispered secretively. Jordan went outside, probably to get the second drunken inside. Laura appeared in the doorway, looking exhausted.
"Phew! I thought we weren't going to make it," she said, walking inside "Hey," she smiled at Evan who was now leaning against the wall, "Thanks for letting us come over your house, again." Lau emphasized the last word, embarrassed.
Evan smiled back at her, "No problem."
"The wait is over!" Shane walked inside, swaying from side to side. He was holding a bottle of vodka in his hand. He looked even worse than Jason. His clothes were torn at some parts and he had a forming black eye. His lower lip was swollen. He didn't seem to care though "I am finally here, people. Let's get this party started!"
Laura rolled her eyes, closing the door, "I think the party is already over, Shane."
Shane shook his head, "No way! Oh," his brown eyes landed on me and his entire face lighted up. He grinned like a fool "Look who's here," he stumbled towards me. Nervously, I glanced at Evan who was watching the entire situation in silence.
"Hey," I waved my hand at Shane but he only kept coming closer. Fortunately, Jason got on his way.
"Dude! I fucking missed you!" Jason said, hugging Shane tightly. Shane hugged him right back. I frowned. Since when were these two so close?
"Me too, man!" Shane replied, pulling away "Here, have a sip." Shane offered the bottle to Jason who was about to grasp it when Laura stepped between the two, snatching the bottle off Shane's hand "Hey!" he protested.
"I think you two had enough of this," she said, placing her hand on her hips.
Jason stared at her, his eyes glistening with longing, "I like it when she's all bossy, man." He half-whispered to Shane. We all heard it though. Jordan scowled at the comment.
I cleared my throat, "So, I think it's time for you guys to get some sleep," I clapped my hands.
"Sleep?" Jason huffed, "The night is young, my dear BFF and so are we." Shane gave him a high five.
"I seriously love this man," Shane confessed, chuckling.
Apparently, drinking buddies made stronger bonds than regular buddies.
"Besides, we cannot go to sleep until we let you guys know our biggest secret, right man?" Jason looked at Shane for approval.
"Go ahead, man." Shane nodded encouragingly. Jason licked his lips and looked up to Laura. He stared at her for quite some time. The silence was becoming unbearable.
Laura noticed his stare, "What?" she asked, confused.
"There's something I need to tell you." Jason took a hesitant step towards her. That set off the alarms in my brain.
"Alright!" I got in his way "I think there is plenty of time tomorrow to share our secrets, right?" I looked back at Lau. The good thing about having best friends is that you don't need to say a word. One look is all you need to communicate.
"She's right," Lau backed me up, wrapping her arm around Shane's waist "Time to sleep," she pretended a yawn, "We are all so tired."
"Super tired!" I added, pushing Jason away from her. A strong hand wrapped around my upper arm, pulling me away from Jason.
"Minion," Shane whispered, pulling me towards the corner of the living room. Quickly, I glanced at Evan. His eyebrows had shot up. He was watching us closely.
I pushed Shane's hand off me, "Shane, you better sleep. You-"
"There's something I need to say," he slurred his words softly. He wasn't aware of the fact since we were in a closed space, everyone could hear us.
"Shut up!" I whispered in a low tone.
"No, I need to say this." He was determined.
Oh God! Please, save me!
"What the hell is going on?" I never thought I would be so happy about hearing Jane's voice. She was walking downstairs, her hand on the banister. She stopped when she realized it wasn't only me and Evan anymore. The living room was filled with people she didn't know or so I thought. Her eyes narrowed when they landed on Shane "What the hell is he doing here?" her voice was filled with anger. She crossed the living room with angry, long strides. I didn't even have time to speak when I heard a loud slap.
She slapped Shane, hard.
Drunk Shane had no equilibrium whatsoever so he fell back into the sofa.
Jordan came to the rescue, "What the hell?!" he tried to hold her back but Jane pushed him away roughly.
"Get out of my way!" she yelled at him, taking us all by surprise "You bastard!"
She went to slap Shane again but Jason got in her way "Hey! Hey! Calm down!"
"Get the fuck out of here, Shane!" she hissed at him. Shane's eyes widened. He seemed to recognize her.
"Oh, Jane!" he exclaimed, standing up.
"I'm lost," Lau murmured. Jordan agreed with her, nodding.
"Who is this, man?" Jason asked his drinking buddy, curiously.
"I fucked her a while ago," Shane said boldly. We all gasped. Okay, note for myself, drunken people were actually honest with answers. Jane's anger expression morphed into one of fury "She was a virgin. I didn't call her after so now she's going all psycho-bitch on me."
Silence.
I felt like actually slapping Shane myself. He was an insensitive jerk! I was about to give Shane a lecture when Jason opened his big mouth.
"Shane fucked Jane," he chanted, giggling. "Hey! It rhymes!" I mentally slapped myself.
Jane jumped at Shane once again but this time, Evan held her back by her waist.
"Come on," he said, pulling her to the stairs "He's not worth it." He said with despise.
Evan took Jane upstairs. We all let out tired sigh. I just wanted to spend the afternoon with my boyfriend; that was all. It wasn't too much to ask for, was it? But of course, I couldn't get what I wanted without someone spoiling it. In this case, Jason and Shane were the protagonists.
Stand up and take a bow, guys. If you can actually stand, that is.
Lau, Jordan and I took the distraction as an opportunity to drag the guys to the hallway where there was a spare room. Jason fell asleep as soon as he touched the bed. Shane, on the other hand, was sitting up, staring right at me.
Lau and Jordan walked out of the room, they looked exhausted. Shane looked so vulnerable, he looked like a homeless beat-up puppy. His gaze felt so intense and heavy on me. I swallowed.
"Sleep, Shane." I said, folding my arms across my chest.
"Jules, I-"
"Just sleep, okay?" I cut him off. He nodded, laying back on the bed. He closed his eyes, I was about to turn around when I heard him mumble.
"I remember. I remember what I said to you last time we were here," I froze "I do remember, minion." He whispered, dozing off.
I stared at him for a while, letting his words sink in. He remembered. Then why did he lie to me about it? Shane started snoring softly. I smiled at him and proceeded to turn on my heels. To my surprise, Evan was standing in the doorway. I jumped a little.
"Hey, I didn't hear you come in." I said nervously. Evan eyed me suspiciously. His expression was blank, emotionless. It reminded me of the first time I'd met him. I didn't like it. I walked past him, into the hallway. I was practically running away from that room before Evan could ask me about what Shane said. I didn't know if he had heard him but I wasn't going to stay there to find out.
I entered the kitchen, rubbing my face. Jordan and Lau were there, sitting at the counter. Their heads shot up as soon as they spotted me. I sat down across them. They were sipping on their coffees.
"This is good," Lau complimented Evan's coffee.
"You okay?" Jordan asked, watching me.
I let out a sigh, "Yeah, I'm good."
"Want some?" he offered me coffee and I gladly nodded. So there we sat, having a cup of coffee in silence. We seemed to be processing the entire situation we had just gone through. I looked at Lau and she was the first one to burst into laughing. Jordan followed her and soon the three of us were laughing our asses off. Apparently, we liked looking at the bright side of things and that was, that everything had been quite of funny.
"What the hell happened to Shane?" I asked, my laughter dying a little.
"He got in a fight," Lau said, shaking her head "According to him, the bartender groped him when handing him a drink,"
"Seriously?"
Jordan nodded, "Yeah, some skilled bartender he was. How could he grope Shane when there was a bar separating the two of them?"
"And you missed Jason's performance on the bar's stage," Lau added, amusement filling her expression as she remembered, "He sang his lungs out. I've filmed it," she threw me her phone.
"You're the best." I said, pressing the play bottom. Jason appeared on the stage, looking quite uncoordinated and clumsy. I laughed my ass off, watching my best friend making a fool of himself. There was an old lady, cheering for him in the crowd "I think he had an admirer," I commented.
"Yeah, she asked for his number when we were leaving," Lau replied. We heard a thunder but decided to ignore it.
"She was like sixty or something," Jordan told me disgusted. We kept on chatting about the bar when Jordan's face turned serious.
"I think we should spend the night," he spoke his mind, "I mean, it's dark and it seems like it's going to rain. Besides, those two needed a lot of sleep to recover."
"He's right." Lau agreed "But I don't know. I feel like we've already taken advantage of Evan's hospitality. This is the second time we ask him to stay over his house in less than a month."
Jordan shrugged, "I don't think he minds. As long as Jules is with him. If I were him, I wouldn't mind as long as my girl is with me," he wrapped his arm around Lau and kissed her hair. She giggled.
"I don't think he'll mind, either. Although, you guys saw Jane back there. I'm not sure she'll be happy to have Shane around," I said honestly.
"Yeah, who's that chick anyway?" Lau asked curious.
"She's Evan's best friend," was my simple reply.
Lau's arched an eyebrow, "And she lives here?"
"Yep," I popped the 'p'
Lau looked even more shocked, "She lives here with him? They live alone here in this big house?"
"I think that's what Jules said, babe," Jordan said, ruffling her hair.
"And you're okay with it?" Lau stood up.
"It's not like I have a say on it, okay? It's his house, not mine,"
"Of course you have a say. You're his girlfriend for God sakes!"
"Laura-" Jordan started.
"At least, tell me he asked for your opinion about it before letting her moving in," she folded her arms across her chest. My silence told her everything, "Oh God! You need to grow some balls, my friend."
I rolled my eyes, "First, that's biologically impossible and second, it's really not my choice to make, Lau. It's his house and she seems to be in trouble."
"Jules is right, babe. Evan is just probably helping out a friend in need,"
Lau glared playfully at him, "You're my boyfriend. You're supposed to be on my side." He whispered an apology to her. And it was then we heard the rain drops clashing against the kitchen's window. It was already drizzling outside. The kitchen felt cozy and warm, contrasting the cold wind outside. I never thought we could have a cold rain in summer but apparently, it was very possible.
Evan joined us in the kitchen, "I think you better stay the night. Your friends are in no condition to drive through this weather,"
"Yeah, we were actually talking about it." I spoke, staring at him. There was something off about him.
"We really don't want to be a bother, man." Jordan stated, standing up. Evan gave him a closed mouth smile.
"It's cool. You and Lau can share the same room from last time," he indicated them coolly.
"Thank you." Lau spoke honestly. Evan nodded, leaving the kitchen.
* * * *
After chatting some more with Lau and Jordan, I went upstairs. There was something nagging at the back of my mind. I needed to see Evan and make sure everything was okay between us. I just had a feeling something was wrong. Also, Lau's advice about Jane's situation had been prowling around my mind as well. I knocked on his door, shifting my weight into one feet nervously.
"Come in," Evan's voice echoed from the inside. I opened the door, finding the room brightly lighted. It was weird to see it this way. Evan was sitting in front of his desk, using his laptop.
"Hey." I greeted awkwardly. He didn't even spare me a glance.
"Hey." His voice was cold, unlike this afternoon.
Okay, something was definitely wrong.
I bit my lower lip, sitting on his bed. The black saltine sheets felt nice against my palms and thighs. My feet were hanging off the bed, I swayed them back and forward. I stared at his back silently. I could see he was on Wattpad from where I was sitting.
"What are you doing?" I really needed him to look at me.
"Reading."
"Cool. What are you reading?" I tried to sound as interested as possible.
"Something." His one word replies were getting on my nerves.
"Is there something wrong?" I finally asked.
"No." he said curtly. I scanned around the room, not knowing what to say.
After sometime of his cold silence, I got on my feet and walked to stand right behind him. I placed my hands on his shoulders, massaging them softly. He shook my hands off. Instantly, rejection made its way through my chest, hurting me. I took a step back. I felt like leaving that room right there but I knew that would be childish. I was more mature than this.
"Evan, look at me," I ordered, pulling at his shoulder. Reluctantly, he turned on his seat to stare up at me. Once again, his expression was blank, giving nothing away. How did he manage to hide his feelings so easily? If he was mad, he wasn't even showing it. His dark eyes were fixated on me.
"What?" I hated when he used that cold tone.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong or you're just going to give me the cold shoulder all night long?" I asked, pretending not to care.
"I don't know. Is there something you should tell me?" he titled his head to the side. His eyes were searching for something on my expression.
"No, I have nothing to tell you," I retorted sure. He gave me a sad smile.
"Then, there's nothing to talk about. You can sleep on my bed, I'll take the couch." He stood up, slamming his laptop shut.
What?
I gaped at him as he walked out of the room. He didn't even give me time to stop him.
Fine!
If this was what he wanted, I wasn't begging him to sleep with me. I had done nothing wrong. He had no right to treat me like that. I turned the lights off but kept a lamp on. I didn't want to get lost in Evan's dark room again. I stepped out of my sandals and slid inside his comfortable bed. It smelt like him. I buried my face in his pillow, squealing. He always smelt so good.
Ok, Jules, stop making out with his pillow.
My conscious was staring at me disapprovingly. I smiled and rolled to lie on my back. His bed was so soft. I was starting to close my eyes when the door was slammed opened. Evan strolled in, causing me to sit up. His expression was still blank.
Slowly, he closed the door behind him. I watched him approach to the bed and sit on the edge of it, his back was facing me. He remained in silence for a while. I could see his profile. His pale face held no expression. I didn't want to speak, I didn't want to do anything that could send him away again. My heart started pounding hard against my chest. Why wasn't he saying something? Did he come back because he wanted to cuddle with me?
It felt like ages when he finally spoke, "I'm going to ask you this just one time." His tone was still cold as before "I expect you to be honest, okay?"
"Okay." I said, licking my lips. He glanced at me over his shoulders, the dark pool of his eyes scrutinizing my face.
And then his question came, "What's going on between you and Shane?"
Uh-oh.
Mayday! Mayday!
Crap! I was in trouble.