I could have sworn no time had passed when Tara was leading me out of the club by my hand. I was sure to anyone else, I looked as awake and sprite as I had coming in, but I felt terrible. I didn't want to throw up, luckily, though my whole body wanted to sag into my bed and just die for a while.
Katrina had a similar look on her face, but I could see that she was controlling it, unlike me, who just hid things like that with ease.
The purple hallway was making my head pound, the rumbling floor beneath my shoes trying to knock me off balance. I was telling myself over and over again that I wouldn't embarrass myself in anyway until I was completely alone — or maybe with Katrina, because she seemed like she would never mention it to anyone, whatever I did. She was too nice to expose me if I did anything.
Even in my state of 'I'll follow whoever has my hand', I was observant enough to notice the boys following us from a distance. They had their eyes trained on the figures of their girlfriends, none of them looking at me. No one would ever look at me like that: pure lust and longing. Why would they? I was a bitch and-
I stopped my thought process before it got too depressing. And it helped that a rush of cold air was flung into my face the second we were through the door. Tara led me effortlessly passed the bouncer, who was now alone. There was no line at all. Was it so late that people would only be leaving the club? That seemed... impossible. I could have sworn it hadn't been very long.
My body moved with the flow a couple of steps behind a determined Tara, who was completely unaffected by the alcohol she had consumed. She'd taken in more than me, yet she was perfectly standing and awake. I believed her, then, that she would be able to drive me home. Didn't she say something about her and Katrina staying over? Would that still happen when the boys were in their grasp?
I was sitting in the car next, silent and unmoving. Tara climbed into the driver seat while Katrina came in the back with me. She took my hand, and I didn't stop her, leaning my head back for a little while.
Tara was talking to Jake, who was leaning against the door of her car. "Next time, don't show up randomly. This was supposed to be girls night."
Jake was smirking. "I couldn't let you out of my sight knowing you looked like that, Tara."
There was a desire in his voice that came out in a snarl. The way Tara's face twisted was obvious even to me, sitting in the backseat ready to sleep.
Tara never moved her eyes from Jake when she spoke now. "Katrina, will you be alright at Beck's alone?"
Katrina barely hummed back, leaning her head on my shoulder. I moved uncomfortably but she didn't get off. I was still too buzzed to be bitchy.
"I'm coming straight back to the house."
"Don't keep me waiting." I swore Jake disappeared, but I was still too sleepy to really process what had happened.
I let the wind whip my hair when Tara started off of the parking lot. The big Jeep driven by Xepher followed closely behind, hugging Tara's bumper until they turned off down another road.
Had the boys come in a car? I didn't remember seeing them getting in one.
An immeasurable amount of time passed before I saw my apartment building. It was so underwhelming, knowing the other building I had slept in recently. That one was so unique and beautiful and I couldn't believe, in that moment, anyway, that I was letting a couple of bad attitudes get in my way of staying there again. It was like, however, seeing my own car had brought back my common sense and I pushed that thought from my head.
Tara stopped the car and twisted back to face us. "You two okay from here?" she asked hesitantly.
I wasn't being fooled, though: I knew she just wanted to get to Jake and rip his pants off.
"We're fine, go fuck your boyfriend," I snapped — taking myself by surprise — as I climbed out of the car.
Katrina was quick to follow me, taking my hand for support.
Tara laughed. "I will do, thanks for the permission." She paused. "Take care of yourselves." Then she flew out of the parking lot so fast my mind couldn't comprehend it until she was already gone.
I looked at Katrina, silently asking her if she wanted to go inside.
We started walking in silence and headed up to my apartment door. The halls felt still, without the beating of music beneath my feet or against my fingertips or controlling the pace of my heart. Part of me couldn't believe that the night was already over; that we had been out for hours already and it was early in the morning.
Katrina stepped into my apartment ahead of me and dropped the handbag I hadn't even noticed her carrying on my kitchen counter. She slid off her heels, too, and tugged the hair tie from her hair. It fell in strands of brown and blonde around her face. When she looked at me, I could see that she was exhausted.
In my almost-drunk attitude — bitchiness a thing of the past — I couldn't allow her to sleep on the couch. So I slid my shoes off as well and grabbed her hand, pulling her through my apartment. "You can sleep with me," I told her.
"Thanks," she murmured back.
My bedroom was just how we left it. I handed Katrina a strong makeup wipe and we stood next to each other in the bathroom taking off the heavy makeup. Her whole wipe was covered by a couple of swipes on her face whilst mine was just covered in the eyeliner.
By the time we were done, I felt like collapsing.
"Can I borrow something to sleep in?" Katrina asked sleepily as she peered out at me from the bathroom. I was already stood by my closet wondering exactly what I was going to give her. My eyes flickered to Colby's backpack in the corner of my room. I was tipsy, so I wasn't thinking.
I picked up my normal oversized shirt and handed it to her. "Here," I said, then turned for the backpack.
Katrina was completely silent as she watched me reach in and pull out a shirt. It smelt of him already, and I fought to convince myself that I didn't want to smell it.
"Becky... are you sure? I can wear that-"
"It's fine," I said quickly. I shut my bedroom door to give myself a little privacy and undressed. Of course, there was only one item to take off before I could pull the big shirt over my head. The smell of Colby invaded my nose, sending a pleasant spark down my back.
Bad, bad idea but it was too late now.