stormy weather (dreamnotfound)

chapter 20 - needy

Once we were dressed, we left the bathroom and went back to the living room where everyone else was waking up. I sat down on the couch we had slept on and watched Clay plop down next to Nick and flick him in the forehead, laughing once he slapped his hand away and whined.

"That is so disrespectful," he mumbled once he sat up. Clay pretended to tighten his non-existent tie, mocking his formal tone. Nick stuck his tongue out and spit at him, while Clay started to wheeze and blocked his face.

"Oh look, my tea's ready," Nick remarked as he started slapping him on the shoulder.

"Wha-at?" Clay wheezed in return.

"Cause you sound like a fucking tea kettle." I burst out laughing with them, trying to hold it back when I noticed Karl stirring.

Clay and Nick continued hitting each other like middle schoolers, and all I could do was watch in amusement. After a few minutes of continuous bickering, Clay shoved him too far where he lost his balance and landed on Karl who was on the other side of the couch. He kicked him off and pouted as Nick regained his balance.

"You woke him up!" he fussed as he slapped Clay on the arm again. He laid down next to Karl and hugged him lightly for a moment, petting his hair in an attempt to lull him back to sleep. Karl scoffed and pushed him off, making Nick shoot an annoyed frown at Clay.

"Me? It's not my fault you have such a fat ass." Clay put his hand on his chest in defense while making a snarky expression.

"I do have a dump truck, don't I?" He stood up from the couch and looked behind him, making Clay pinch the bridge of his nose in disappointment. Alex sat up from across the room, squinting his eyes at us. "Can you please shut up?"

"Make me," Nick replied as he pretended to flip his hair. Alex rolled his eyes and laid back down in defeat.

I stood up from the couch and tried to overcome my laughter. "I hate to break up... whatever this is, but Clay and I should be heading back now."

Nick gave me a disbelieving expression before pointing a thumbs down at me. "Boooring."

I rolled my eyes and frowned at him. "My mom's gonna be wondering where I am."

"You told her you were with that bitch, right?" Clay asked, pointing towards his sister. I held in a laugh at his choice of words and nodded slightly, looking over at the sleeping couple.

"How are you supposed to get back?" Nick asked, crossing his arms.

"Race ya," Clay replied as he raised an eyebrow, not even waiting for my reaction before running towards his shoes.

-

Clay called a cab and we took it through town, asking to be dropped off near the castle. I told him I should go home but he didn't want me to leave yet, so I shrugged and decided to follow him.

Once we arrived at the castle we stopped at the foot of the stairs. I gave him a questioning look before he took my hand and lead me around the building, going off the sidewalk and pushing through the bristly bushes.

"Ow," I mumbled when my skin caught in a branch, looking down at my arm to brush it off.  Even though I kept complaining, he stayed silent and carried on. After a few more painful moments, we came out of the shrubs and were behind the castle now, standing in front of a wide field that stretched across the horizon. I took a moment to admire it before he started walking again.

He dragged me across the field and I noticed we were heading towards the trees that surrounded it. He turned his head around and gave me a sly smile that only lasted a moment, making me start to doubt. A few thoughts ran through my mind while I tried to figure it out.