You're Not Just A Teenage Dream | C.H.

"But, I'm probably too late, aren't I?"

Dakota reclaimed her spot on the sofa while Calum grabbed them beers from his refrigerator. Normally Dakota wouldn't get near beer, but she was so mad at Ashton and so freaked by what had happened in the lobby that she didn't even think twice about taking it. Calum sat next to her on the couch and took a drink, waiting to see if she would start talking; instead, she took a long swallow of her beer, grimacing at the taste.

"Not a fan of the lager?" He chuckled softly.

"Normally, I wouldn't touch this crap with a ten foot pole." She emphasized her point with another long drink and grimace combination.

"That bad, huh?"

"'Bad' would be the understatement of the century for the day I have had." Her anger had started creeping back into her bloodstream with the alcohol. "You can say 'I told you so' if you want."

"I wouldn't do that, I don't like being right about stuff like this. What did he do?" Dakota rehashed her experience in the lobby and the ensuing fight and near accident, stopping only twice to finish off her beer. Calum listened intently, also finishing his beer as she talked. When she got to the part about the almost accident on the highway, she saw his eyes harden.

"Someone just earned spot number two on my kill list..." he muttered as he got up to get two more beers. Dakota couldn't help but smirk at that.

At least someone has my back right now...

"So normally, I wouldn't drink this when there's beer in the house, but seeing as you've had a pretty shitty day by most standards, I'm gonna make an exception." Calum came back out of the kitchen with two shot glasses and a bottle of Fireball. Dakota was equal parts happy and terrified; happy that she wouldn't have to keep drinking that awful Corona, but terrified because she knew how fast Fireball worked its evil magic on her. Calum poured the shots, and they downed them without a second thought.

"Well, I'm already starting to feel better, I don't know about you." A smile had started to spread on her face and chased the anger away again, and Calum couldn't help but smile back at her.

"If you're feeling better, so am I!" He settled back against the sofa and turned the TV on, watching a rerun of How I Met Your Mother. Dakota took another shot before relaxing. They sat in a comfortable silence for two episodes, before Dakota realized how hard the alcohol was hitting her.

"Cal, where's the bathroom?" She stood up unsteadily.

"Lightweight, are we?" He said as he stood up to help her get her balance.

"No, I just haven't eaten or slept much the last 24 hours, you know that." She laughed. "Besides, we've drank together before!"

Calum poured another shot for himself while he waited for Dakota to get back, and then one more for the both of them before putting the bottle away.

"Aww, only one more?" Dakota pouted when she sat back down on the sofa.

"Yeah, we probably shouldn't get totally wasted. I mean, we probably have all weekend for that, considering how upset Ashton got..." She rolled her eyes at the mention of Ashton and immediately did her last shot, Calum soon following suit. When he looked at her, she saw how glazed over his eyes had gotten, and she was sure she probably looked the same.

"I don't even want to think about him right now." She said as she laid her head on Calum's shoulder. He put his arm around her, not knowing what else to say.

—-

As the last of the alcohol was hitting her, she turned her head to look up at Calum. He felt her looking at him, so he just barely glanced down at her. He had gotten quite used to her looks and could pretty easily decipher them, but this one had him stumped.