Chapter 18
I awoke to a couple of loud groans coming from my bed. Sighing, I picked myself up off of the sleeping bag that I had spread out on the floor and went over to Drew, who lay motionless on my bed.
He clutched his head and groaned another time. I picked up the half-full cup of water that sat on my nightstand and held it out to Drew. "Advil?" I asked him.
"Yes. Advil please." He murmured.
I went into my bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet in search of the Advil bottle, once I found it, I poured out two small tablets in the palm of my hand and returned the bottle to it's rightful place on the cabinet shelf.
When I closed it's door, I was confronted with the horrific image of myself, in it's mirror. My hair was sticking out in all directions, covered in strands of grass and I had large bags under my eyes, not to mention that I still smelled like the park and my body was so unbelievably sore. But, hey, last night was so rough, that it wouldn't seem like reality if I didn't wake up like this.
After getting a ride home with Dylan last night, who by the way was laughing at Drew's drunken state the whole time, we dragged Drew up to my room. I had asked Dylan before, if he could let Drew sleep in his room, but he just laughed in my face and said, "Hey, he's your best friend, not mine. I'm not going to deal with that mess tonight."
So, I was only able to convince Dylan to help Drew change into some of his Pj's, but after he did that , he launched Drew at me and left me to take care of him alone. Some brother he is.
Then, when I spread out the sleeping bag on my bedroom floor, I got everything ready and told Drew to get some sleep. However, he flopped onto my bed and said, "I'm the guest, I get the bed." It took everything in me not to murder him, because with all the events that had happened until then, there was nothing more that I wanted than to sleep on my soft, fluffy, heavenly bed. But, I just stayed shut and took my place on the flat, uncomfortable sleeping bag.
However, it gets worse. Drew woke me up a couple of hours later, asking me to help him get to the bathroom, because he felt like he was going to puke. Since, I didn't want him to vomit all over my new zebra-printed comforter, I didn't hesitate to get up and rush him over to the bathroom, where I stayed with him, rubbing his back for quite a while, all while he got sick.
Not too long after, we were back to sleep and then he woke me up, once more, telling me to do something about the intense light that was coming through my window. I sighed, completely exhausted and said, "Drew, it's the sun. There's nothing that I can do about it." But, he insisted that I find a way to cover it somehow and I ended up hanging towels and sheets over the windows to keep the light out.
Now, as I head back to my room, I can't help but feel so annoyed with Drew. Why on earth was he drinking in the first place? I mean, he used to say that drinking wasn't something that he was all that into, and now he's getting completely wasted at a school dance? I can't help but think that this has something to do with the fact that he hangs out with Jared now.
Jared. Ugh. At the thought of his name, I remembered what the jerk did to the school camera, just the thought of how I was going to explain that to Mr. Walsh made my head throb. I'll worry about it later, I suppose.
When I reached my room, I went over to where Drew lay on my bed and dropped the pills into his already waiting hand. He sat up slowly, threw his head back, dropped the pills into his mouth and washed them down with the remaining gulps of water from his cup.
He clamped a hand over his forehead and sighed.
"Feeling any better?" I asked after a couple of minutes.
"Just a bit, but I still feel like shit. I mean, I knew hangovers made you feel bad, but not this bad. By the way, thanks for taking care of me Kait. You're a great friend for putting up with me last night." He reached over and gave me a hug.
I returned the hug and when I pulled away, I said, "Hey, that's what friends are for, aren't they? And I'm just glad that you stopped calling me kitty or Missy or cat."
Drew laughed. "Oh God, how drunk was I?"
"Completely hammered." I replied with a smile. "Absolutely wasted."
"Well, I'm glad that you were there to keep me from doing something extremely stupid."
"Well, Drew, drinking was extremely stupid in the first place, especially at a school dance. But, I'll just let it go this time. I at least got to finally hang out with you, even if you weren't exactly stable."
It was true, ever since Drew started hanging out with Jared, I haven't been able to spend as much time with him as I used to. I've missed him, his sarcastic humor, and warm green eyes.
"Yeah, I've missed hanging out with you Kait, I can't believe it took me being drunk to get us to finally have some bonding time, but you know how it is with Jared now. I kind of only have time for him." Drew said as he pulled on a loose thread on my comforter.
I stared at him in silence for a while, wondering how our lives had to both be turned upside down because of Jared. Then I blurted,"Why did things have to change like this?"
Drew looked up from the comforter and met my gaze. "Honestly Kait? I don't know. In life everyone has to change, I suppose. But- now don't get offensive, Kait- but, if you never started this whole thing with Jared, I think that things would be different. And for the better too."
I nodded and dropped my eyes from his. I knew it was true. I did. That if I never was out for Jared, out to expose him, things would be different. He wouldn't have come after Drew and took him in as part of his posse, and his hatred would still live for me, but not as furious at it exists now. But, he would still be a cheater. He'd still be dating Leah, while dating other girls and nothing can erase that from my mind. Because Leah, no matter how much of a crappy friend she's been lately, deserves better. Every girl deserves better.
"Yeah, it would. But, Drew? You know that being me, I have to do this." I said. "I couldn't just go on with my life knowing what Jared was up to while he dated Leah. I mean, ever since the first day I saw him with that other girl...I knew what I had to do. I just...I just never thought that it'd be this difficult."
Now Drew nodded. "I understand that, Kait. It's just-" A knock at the door interrupted him. We both turned to each other and wondered who could possibly be here this early.
"Come in," I called out.
The door knob turned slowly and then Liam emerged. He stuck his head in first and then when he caught sight of us, he smiled. "Hey guys, Dylan let me in."
"Hey," Drew and I said in unison.
Liam looked flawless in a white v-neck t-shirt, dark jeans, and cool, chunky, blue sneakers. His hair was perfectly tousled and he had this amazing laid back smile on his face.
I was about ready to faint at the sight of him and then I realized what a messy state I was in. My hair looked like it was attacked by a hurricane. I lifted a hand up to my head and tried to smooth out my hair, but I could feel that this wasn't helping, not to mention a few more strings of grass fell out of my hair and into my lap. I sighed and decided to deal with it later and just ignore how disturbing I looked in Liam's presence.
He walked over and took a seat next to Drew on my bed, while I sat on the sleeping bag, crossed legged. "So, Drew," He said. "Your mom called this morning, and she asked to speak to you, but I told her that you were showering and that I'll bring you over in about an hour."
"Oh, thanks man." Drew said as he patted Liam on the back. "You're a lifesaver, I owe you one."
Liam smirked. "Yeah, bro. You better remember that."
Drew got up from the bed and walked on over to the door. "I guess I better go and shower. Did you bring me some extra clothes, Liam?"
"Yeah," Liam replied. "They're on the top step of the stairs in the red bag."
Drew gave Liam a grateful smile. "Thanks again, man."
"Don't mention it," Liam said.
Once Drew was gone and out of earshot, Liam turned to look down at me. "So, how'd the plan go last night? Did you finally get the evidence?"
Right.
I haven't told Liam about my failure to accomplish my mission of getting the picture of Jared with What's Her Face. But, in my defense, I couldn't tell him because he was too busy dancing it up with Britney on the dance floor. The thought of Britney sent a shot of fury shooting up my spine.
I sighed and tried to control the boiling anger that was building up within me. "No." I said coolly.
Liam's eyebrow's rose in shock. "Really? What happened?"
"Well," I snapped. "Jared saw me take the pictures of him with that stupid girl and he chased me out of the school all the way to the park, where he caught up to me and- and he took the stupid camera and dropped it into the damn pond. He dropped it into the damn pond, okay?"
Apparently, my attempts to control my anger were futile. I was sort of out of control and couldn't help but be angry. I shouldn't be snapping at Liam, he's been helping me and he just wants know what happened, but I feel that if he wasn't so busy with Britney last night, then he could've probably handled Jared and we would have had the evidence right now in the palm of our hands. I also wouldn't be a sore, disturbing mess.
Yes, I'm a raging jealous bitch.
"Whoa there, Kait." Liam said, holding up his hands with his palms facing me in an -I surrender way. "No need to snap at me. I was just asking how it went. Since you know, we are a team. Right?"
He was looking at me like if I was a mental patient and unstable.
This made me even angrier.
"I know, I know. "I huffed. "Yes, we are a team Liam-"
I was interrupted by a ringing and Liam reached over and pulled his phone out of his jeans pocket. He held up one index finger and said. "Hold that thought."
I put my hands on my lap and tried to force myself from clenching and unclenching them, forming them into fists. What was wrong with me?
"Yeah?" Liam said into the phone. "Oh, hey sweetheart, what's up?"
Oh, gee. I wonder who the hell that could be? Britney perhaps?
"Oh, yeah, yeah, last night was a blast." He said and then grinned slyly. "Mmm, of course and that dress you wore just added to the perfect night."
Suspicion confirmed.
It was Britney. It took everything in me not to go over there and rip the phone out of his hands and slam it on the floor.
"What am I doing on Valentine's Day? Oh, I don't know, babe," He replied and then quickly glanced at me.
I gave him a "What?" look. But, he just shook his head meaning- never mind, it's not important. Hmm, I wonder why he gave me the look in the first place?
"Oh yeah, sure, we can do something if you want." He looked over at me again and then quickly glanced away. "Yeah, we'll figure it out later but, listen I have to go, so I'll talk to you later. Kay babe?"
He keeps calling her babe. Hmph.
"Alright, see ya." He pressed the end button on his phone and then tossed it on the bed. "Sorry about that."
I nodded. "No, it's okay." I replied and then said under my breath," It's not like we were having a conversation or something."
"What was that?" He asked.
"Nothing." I said quickly.
"Okay, so what were you saying before the phone call?"
I looked down at my hands. "Just that weare a team Liam, it's just that- that it didn't feel like it last night. I mean, I was doing the whole mission on my own. I'm the one who's sore, has hair full of grass, and smells like the park. You were just...you were dancing with Britney."
I took a deep breath and looked up at Liam. He had an amused look in his eyes. Crap, he could probably see how jealous of Britney I am, so I added, "I mean, you got to stay in the nice heated gym while I ran around being chased by a homicidal cheater."
"Uh huh," Liam said and chuckled. He hopped off my bed and came over to sit next to me on the sleeping bag. He wrapped a strong arm around my shoulders and I leaned into him, smelling his delicious scent. I laid my head on his shoulder, finally happy to be comforted.
"I'm sorry, Kait." He told me. "I really haven't been the best teammate and I'm sorry for leaving you to take care of Jared on your own. I mean, the whole reason that we paired up is so that we can work together, right? And last night I definitely wasn't helping you out. I'm sorry."
I breathed him in and just enjoyed the feeling of having him so close. "It's okay, we'll just have to work extra hard, you know? Next time, you get to do the running around, deal?"
Liam laughed. "Alright deal, and Kait?"
"Yeah?"
"You really do smell like the park, how'd you end up there again?"
A/N: Hey guys, I updated! Sorry for taking so long, just have been super busy and kinda stuck and sorry for it being so short, but I'll try to upload soon! Love you guys!<3
You obviously all rock. (: