I feel really awkward releasing this so quickly.... /: But I guess I'm just really excited that I'm finishing this up. I've been working on this since March. So, after these few chapters I'm going to rewrite the first couple chapters, then revise and edit and fix the whole story, then post it in the novel section or something. So, yay! Haha, here's chapter 14. PLEASE NOTE: This story is dead serious to me. So, even if you find one little mistake, I would appreciate it if you could point it out. I really need to get these down good. Thanks!
“Ahh!” Carly and I jumped back on the bed, screaming at the horror movie that flashed across the screen. Brad nor Aaron were in the hotel room when we came back from the club, but we weren’t tired yet. We ordered room service and a scary movie, cuddled up on the bed and prepared to scream.
“I don’t want to watch anymore!” Carly screamed in the pillow, scared. I laughed at how frightened she was and looked around.
“Oh my god, Carly.” I poked her.
“What?” She gulped, looking up from the pillow. Her hair was in a pony tail directly on top of her head in a camisole and shorts. We cuddled together as we became more frightened, Carly latching on to my oversized t-shirt from time to time.
“The shades, we forgot to close the shades!” I teased her, pointing to the sliding doors that looked out into the black night.
“Shut up, Evie!” She slapped me, digging her head into the pillow again. I chuckled to myself slightly at my little joke, then moved my attention back to the movie.
“Pay attention, you don’t want to miss the movie!” I whispered in her ear. She slapped the pillow and grunted a muffled ‘Shut up’. I laughed and dug myself deeper into the blankets, beginning to be scared myself.
“Hey - one question.” Carly lifted her head from the pillow. I looked over at her, waiting for her question. “They change these sheets every morning - right?” I rolled my eyes at her teasing joke, then went back to the movie. The night before, Aaron and I went a little far in our bed. Right now, we weren’t on speaking terms but that didn’t stop what we had.
All of the sudden, the hotel room’s phone rang and Carly and I once again screamed. We jumped back and stared at each other. If anyone needed us, they would have called our cell phones.
“You get it - you’re closer.” I nudged Carly after the third ring.
“No, I’m scared!” She pushed her face into my shoulder. I rolled my eyes and on the fifth ring and I climbed over her body to pick up the phone.
“He-Hello?” I stuttered.
“Sorry for disturbing your movie, Ms. Evie, but there is a Laurent Selez on the line for you.” A man from the reception desk informed me. Carly’s mom!
“Oh yes, thank you.” I answered, looking over and laughing at Carly who hid under the sheets. “It’s your mom.” I whispered.
“Oh my god!” I heard her grunt and dig deeper into the covers. I giggled and waited to be connected.
“Hello, Evie!” I heard Carly’s mother on the other line.
“Hey, Mrs. Laurent. How are you?” I asked, sitting up and pulling the covers off of Carly’s head.
“I’m doing just fine, is Carly there?”
“Yes, actually she’s right here.” I looked at Carly who rolled her eyes and sat up to take the phone. I handed it to her and then hoped of the bed to use the bathroom.
From the bathroom I heard a few “Uh-huh”’s and “Yeah”’s, but nothing really important. I then placed my mind on other things, like Aaron. Where was he? Was he mad at me? I wanted to tell him sorry for how I over reacted, but I thought against it when I realized what Carly told me earlier: ‘That’s what he’s waiting for. You need to let him say sorry for a change.’ I was about to walk out when I heard knocking at the door.
I opened it and there was Brad, hands in pockets. “I forgot my key.” He smirked innocently. I rolled my eyes and let him through. He walked in and shook his hair, then motioned to Carly who was speaking rabid Portuguese on the phone.
“Her mother.” I laughed. Brad nodded and understood, then he took off his jacket and hung it in the closet.
“So, what are you girls up to?” He pointed to the screaming T.V.
“Oh,” I stopped to laugh, “scary movies. Really intense, actually.” I nodded. Brad smiled and shook his head. We walked into the bedroom and sat around Carly who had an angry expression plastered on her face. I laughed and turned to the movie as Brad stared at Carly.
I heard the phone slam against the receiver and turned to Carly who had her arms crossed like a little five year old who didn’t get their way.
“She wants us home tomorrow!” She huffed.
“What? But we have until Saturday!” I protested. Brad stayed quiet, not wanting to interfere.
“That’s what I told her. So she told me she wants us home before twelve on Saturday. So it looks like tomorrow’s our last full day in Miami.” Carly shrugged. Brad came over and snuggled in with Carly.
During the next movie, Carly screamed into Brad’s shoulder who’s arm was wrapped around her shoulders with me laying across their legs. I was on the verge of falling asleep when I heard Carly scream and my eyes shot open. This was going to be a long night…
A hard kick in the gut can really get a girl up in the morning. I grunted and looked at who kicked me. Brad and Carly were huddled together - sleeping, and Carly’s foot made another unexpected swing at me. I dodged it and fell off the bed. I got up and looked to see Aaron sleeping in the other bed. I glanced at the time and saw that it was five in the morning. I moaned knowing I could not go back to sleep now that I was up. I headed into the bathroom to take a shower and change.
I made my way out of the bathroom, flipping my hair out of my eyes to see that Aaron’s bed was empty and Brad and Carly were still sound asleep. I sighed - so that’s how Aaron managed to avoid me all of the time. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed out a flavored water from the refrigerator. I walked out to the bed and grabbed some shoes to place on my feet and then headed out the door.
Carly woke up tangled in sheets and a pair of arms. She stretched and rubbed her eyes, the sleep cascading its way over her. “Evie?” She murmured, looking sleeplessly around the room.
“Mm, no. It’s Brad.” She heard a low voice mumble from under the pillows. Carly unraveled his arms and stumbled out of bed to go find Evie. She looked in the kitchen, bathroom and on the balcony to find out she was home alone with Brad. Great.
After Carly got dressed and ate a breakfast bar, she sat outside on the balcony thinking of her to-do list for the day. Carly needed Brad to know she looked at him like a brother and that the mingling and kissing was not brother-like. She needed a break from him, she needed space. But how did she explain that without sounding cliché.
Carly rubbed her temples, leaning back in the plastic green chair. She hauled her feet on the railing and sighed, racking her brain for ideas. She wanted to get this over with before the end of Spring Break. She wanted to be able to know that her and Brad wouldn’t hate each other, and last, she wanted him to understand that this isn’t because of the cheating.
The sound of the sliding door awoke Carly from her thoughts, making her alert to all surroundings. Brad walked out with sleepy eyes, dressed, and two cups of coffee in his hands. Carly smiled wearily up at him and accepted the coffee when he motioned it to her. He sat down on the chair that was next to her and yawned.
“It’s pretty out today.” He observed, his eyes looking out at the Atlantic Ocean as each wave rolled in.
“Yeah, it is.” Carly nodded, taking a sip of her warm coffee. A tingling feeling rose in her stomach and made her shiver. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, feeling slightly uncomfortable being next to Brad. She felt a soft touch caress her hand and saw that Brad was reaching out for it. She smiled and looked down at the coffee, the tingling feeling rising.
“Are you okay?” He asked, his face full of concern.
“Yes. I’m fine.” She slurred out, taking another sip of her coffee.
“You look like the life has been drained out of you.” Brad tilted his head, squeezing Carly’s hand. Carly felt her eyes water and instantly shut them.
“I’m just tired, not really feeling well this morning. I think it’s because its our last day.” She lied as she kept her eyes shut. A lump rose in her throat and her heart was beating her up internally for lying. That’s the last thing she wanted to do was lie, but what else was she supposed to say? As Carly kept on choking on her thoughts, Brad waited to read anything more in her face.
“…Okay.” He finally let out, releasing the squeeze on Carly’s petit hand. Carly pulled away from his hand and set the coffee down on the table in between them.
“I need to go to the bathroom.” She spat out quietly, racing to the bathroom. Carly opened the door, a few tears already trickling down her rosy cheeks. She closed and locked the door, then grabbed a tissue from the carton on top the sink. “Oh my…” She cried, sitting on the toilet and placing her head in between her arms that rested on her knees. She kept her sobs quiet so that Brad didn’t hear and see her in the bathroom through the glass door, crying her eyes out. Carly wanted to be free but was it worth fighting the battle and heart ache?
Aaron walked around the crowded audience who awaited the next local band to perform on stage. He felt awful that he hasn’t heard a response from Evie yet, but he wasn’t going to rush anything to her. He looked up at the band that set up the stage, moving out the old drum set and bringing in the new one, plugging in and tuning guitars, the amplifiers squealing with every wrong tune note. He was at a festival on the beach where bands played and local’s partied.
Aaron felt as if music was what brought his spirits up. He never really thought about what might cheer him up before since he never let anything bring him down. He did live up to be a real hard head and Aaron didn’t mind it. He didn’t care what people had to say, as long as he could graduate and become the person he wanted to be. Only, Aaron didn’t know who he wanted to be and there was someone who made him care. She was the only person ever to make him care.
Music started to enter his thoughts and Aaron realized the band that was setting up before was now playing. He knew that this was their last night in Miami, so he decided to make it his favorite. Right now it was the festival, then a new shirt from the local boardwalk shops, then it was off to downtown where he would find something entertaining. Maybe a movie. Aaron shifted weight from one leg to the next, bobbing his head to the music. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment, wanting to be content with himself for once.
