All I heard was a loud pounding. I wasn't sure if it was in my head or if I was actually hearing pounding. I opened my eyes to let the smallest of light in only to be surprised that I had left the curtains opened last night.
"Hello? Are you guys in there?" I heard the voice that belonged to the pounding. Recognizing my surroundings, I realized I was in the living room. My brain was fried.
"Get the door." I looked around and saw Carter laying on the floor. I was confused because anything that happened last night, I can't remember.
"How about you answer it? I always get the door." I groaned. None of us moved. "I always have to do everything around here." I felt around for a pair of sunglasses I could've left hanging around the apartment.
When I opened the door, Talia came in. "Get dressed. We're going somewhere."
"Let me sleep for a couple more hours." I whined.
"Why is he on the floor?" She pointed at Carter's body lying motionless.
"I feel like we got wasted last night because we lost our nightly buddies." I put it in hand quotes and shuffled over to my room. My head was pounding through my skull. "I don't think I can get through this hang over Tal."
"Well you have to. We have a plan to get Reese and Adam to stop fighting." I collapsed onto my bed. "You always fight through them Bails. How else did you used to get up to go to classes in college or go to work your shift?"
"I'm not fully rested. It's not even noon yet." I whined.
"It's half past noon. What are you talking about?" Talia walked into my closet looking for something I could wear. Then she walked into the bathroom. I heard the shower turn on before she fetched me. "Clean yourself up. Clear your mind. Hangovers are a part of the brain. It's an illusion we all fall for."
"I feel like wringing my hands around your neck." She rolled her eyes at me before leaving. I peeled off my t-shirt and boxers and go into the shower. After washing and rinsing as well as me trying not to fall in the shower, I finished. Feeling mildly better, I brushed my teeth and piled my hair on top of my head into a bun.
I could hear Talia kicking Carter awake. "We have a plan that we are sticking to. You are involved so get your lazy ass off the fucᴋing ground and clean yourself up. The guys are getting you soon."
"I never agreed to this." He grunted before pushing himself off the ground. I walked into my room and looked at the selection of clothing Talia picked out. Only leaving the bikini, I put them back in my closet and decided on a muscle tee layered over my bikini top. I jumped into a pair of shorts and put on some sandals.
I searched for my aviators and a sun hat before exiting my room. I grabbed my wallet out of the counter and my phone off the charger. "You have a bag?"
"Yeah." I stuck my things in her bag and grabbed the cup from Teavana she held out for me. After guzzling down a bottle of water, I sipped on my tea silently. "Your car, right?" She nodded.
"Carter, the guys will call you when they come to pick you up!" She yelled down the hall. We left the apartment and got into her car to head to the venue. "So we pick up Ashley and Reese. We are going to Santa Monica and are psytract her. Adam will pop out, say some sweet words, and boom, they stop fighting."
"Hopefully," I added.
"So pessimistic." We listened to the music flowing through our speakers. Talia and I were singing along to the Rihanna song playing on the radio when Ashley and Reese got in the car. "You brought bathing suits, right?"
"Yessir." We pulled out of the driveway and headed down to Santa Monica beach.
Finding parking was hell, waiting in line was even worse. Eventually, we got to the front. The guy at the stand wrapped my bracelet around my wrist and I entered the park. "So which ride are we doing first?"
~∞~
"Bailey! Ashley! Stop being inappropriate with the horses. There are children everywhere." Talia reprimanded. Ashley and I were riding the horses on the carousel. We were having too much fun.
"I think we're high on excitement," Ashley noted. I laughed and continued to cheer as we went around on the carousel. When we got off, I skipped towards the Icee Station to create my own concoction. We all sat on the nearby benches and relaxed while listening to the gleeful noises around us.
"Reese. Your choice is up next. What do you want to do?" Reese grew a mischevious look on her face.
"Pacific Plunge." The answer casually rolled off her tongue.
Talia and I looked at each other before screaming 'YOLO' at the top of our lungs. I finished my ICEE with a lowest record number of two brainfreezes.
"You see that line Reese?" Ashley pointed at the growing line to the ride.
"Yes. And we will wait." I took the time to analyze my surroundings and scope the scene for cute guys. It all looked like children and families meaning I was less likely to find someone in our age range. Saturdays were the busiest.
At the front of the line, we showed the ride director our bands and got two seats each of us paired. To our luck, we got the last seats, and it's worse to be in the back. I sat with Ashley because she seemed to be on the same level as me. "I swear, if you get me killed, I am dragging you down with me." I said to Reese. Ashley and I grabbed onto each other's hands as the safety things were locked into place.
Soon enough we were swinging like a pendulum gradually gaining momentum. "We are all going to die together," Talia's statement hung in the air as we gradually got higher and the swinging blew more wind in my face.
I screamed loudly and felt my own tears hit my face. Some tears weren't able to flow freely due to us going against air. The ride slowed down and I eagerly wanted to get off. "My stomach's in my ass!" I complained in a like-manner to Kevin Hart.
"I'm going to throw up." I collapsed on a bench, Ashley doing the same. Talia's phone vibrated and she smiled at me. The guys were finally here.
"Do you think you're ready for the Ferris Wheel?" We meekly nodded. The things friends do to help out their friends. We stood in the line around the same time the guys were there. How we were going to pull this off was beyond me. Up ahead, I could see them talking to the person that seats people in carts. Maybe this would work, but like always, I speak to soon.
"No. How dare you even try to coax me into this." Reese said.
"Reese, I just want to talk. Please."
"No." Ashley and I looked at each other before shoving Reese into Adam's arms. We motioned to the guy to hurry up and close the gate while Reese struggled to get out of Adam's grip. The seven of us got into a separate cart in front of them.
"Whoever came up with this needs to be shot in the foot twice," I said as we watched the altercation between them. I could only hear raised voices, but not the words spewing out of Reese's mouth. As it began to rotate, we could only see them for split seconds.
"They won't kill each other." Carter remarked.
"Reese might kill him," Ashley spoke up. "Listening to her conversations at night."
"Especially when she's drunk," I added. Ashley nodded in agreement. "I doubt she means it though. They did confess their love for each other. He did propose and she said yes. What more proof do they need?"
"This is a test." Talia explained the tests couples go through to test the strength of their bond.
"Isn't that what you're going through right now, Kyle?" I looked at him. He narrowed his eyes at me.
"Basically." Talia answered for him. Kyle just glared at the both of us. "You two are currently losing. I mean, how many times have you two broken up and got back together, this year alone?"
"This is none of your business. None of you." Kyle remained quiet for the rest of the ride. We got off first and stood outside. All of a sudden, Reese came stomping out and walked away, but Adam grabbed on to her hand.
"What could you possibly want now? You made it clear you don't trust me and what you think of me. What more do you have to say?" Reese cried out. We were drawing a crowd. I prayed that Adam didn't make a complete ass out of himself.
I noticed how he stared at her left hand and intertwined their fingers together. "You're still wearing the ring."
Reese stared dumbfounded at him. "Do you want me to take it off?"
"No!" He yelled all too quickly. "I know what I said was out of line. I'm just nervous. I said some things that made you angry, and seeing you hurt has been messing me up. This week has been hell because you weren't the first person I saw in the morning."
I could see Talia crying silently beside me. I even had to admit that Adam's spiel was the cutest thing I have ever heard.
"I realized that I can't live without you Reese. I want you in my life now and forever. I love you, Reese. All of you regardless of what you've done or who you've been with before me. I don't care because I fell in love with you for who you are." Reese made a movement to wipe her tears. "So please, never take that ring off."
Reese didn't say anything, instead pulling him in for a kiss. The cheers and claps from around them made me smile. "They passed the test," Talia whispered from beside me, and I couldn't help clap along with the crowd.
~∞~
"I want to go jet skiing." I told Carter and Kyle. Kyle was still silent since we brought up his whole relation-shit. "I think it will bring you out of this mood Kyle."
"I'm not in a mood." He snapped.
"And I'm not a bartender," Carter countered. "You see how both are lies?"
"What he's trying to say is that your letting this Lea girl control your emotions. Just because she controls when your relationship starts and ends doesn't mean she has power on what you can and can't feel. Stop being a Debby Downer and go jet skiing with us." Kyle shook his head at me.
"Whatever." I cheered gleefully and grabbed his arm before skipping towards the station. Carter trailed behind us.
"Three jet skis please." We rented them out. I put on my life jacket before getting on the small contraption. "Oh this is going to be fun."
"I can ride with you if you need guidance," the shack boy suggested.
"Nah. I've done this plenty of times before, but thanks for offering your help." I smiled at him before revving the engine. "Race ya!" I yelled to the guys before speeding off when the guy let my jet ski go.
They eventually caught up to me, so I veered water onto them. I saw Kyle crack a smile meaning my mission was accomplished. There was to be no one unhappy on our spontaneous outing. The sudden splash of water woke me from my thought process. "Payback!" They said simultaneously.
I made a sharp turn and headed for them before spinning around to splash water on them. Back on track, I headed towards the shack and made a 180 to go in the opposite direction.
The freedom that came with a jet ski was overwhelming. I had so much power and I didn't know what to do with it. We raced back to the dock, me being last place. "You guys totally cheated by working against me. It was unfair."
"You are officially the sorest loser I have met in my life." Kyle wrapped an arm around my neck and ruffled my hair before letting me go.
"You really had to do that?" He only grinned. I rolled my eyes and trekked back to our site. I sat cross legged on my towel and looked out at the horizon.
"Our plans are amazing." Talia said.
"I admit, I did doubt it, but it came through." I looked at the happy pair that were even more playful than before. "And we aren't good friends."
"Said no one ever." Talia added.
***
Aye! Another update. Look who is making a comeback. It's officially midnight where I am. I finished this chapter and I hope you like it. Expect another soon. I need to add to an outline because I ran out of plans for my next chapters. I literally winged this one. Wasn't Adam's apology sweet? I almost cried and I wrote it. Vote, comment, follow!
On another note, please pray for Ferguson and peace in the world. We must end the unrest and live in solidarity. I'm sick and tired of hearing the unjustices and the corruptness that is the current governement of the US as well as the unjust treatment in other places around the world. It starts with us, the youth.
SPREAD LOVE NOT HATE!