The Waitress

7 - All Summer Long

Jared knocked on the bathroom door for the hundredth time that morning; it was 5:30 and Kaely had – for some reason – locked herself in. She had been in there for about half an hour, but the shower had only been running for ten minutes. The other twenty minutes she was just... well, Jared didn't know, really. She was angry, though. There was that.

"Leave me alone," she grumbled from the other side of the door, and Jared sighed. At first, he thought that it was because of what had happened last night – his nightmare, and their long conversation – but now he knew it wasn't. Eliot had tried to get in too and she blew him off as well.

"Just come out, please," Jared pleaded. "We need to go and if there's something wrong with you–"

"No, nothing is wrong," she shot back quickly. A little too quickly. "Just- just go already."

Jared glanced back at the guys, who were all scattered around the room cleaning up after themselves. He caught Leo's eye, who only winked at him. He scowled back.

"I can't help if you won't talk," Jared sighed, leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom's closed door. Kaely must've thrown something at him because he felt something solid collide with the door right where Jared's head was on the other side. He suspected it was a bar of soap.

"Go away," she grumbled.

"I'd say it's her time of the month," Leo called back over. "Why else would she get grumpy after having a shower?"

Jared rolled his eyes and turned back to the bathroom door, lowering his voice. "Kaely," he murmured. "Come on. Remember what you told me last night? Let me in."

If that didn't work, he didn't know what would bring that girl out of the bathroom. His only ploy was hoping she wasn't a hypocrite.

But, just as Jared thought she wasn't going to come out, the lock to the bathroom door slowly clicked open and Kaely pushed it open so it was slightly ajar. He pulled it further out and stepped in, closing it over behind him. She was leaning over the sink, looking paler than ever, and his initial reaction was to step forward and hold her. But he held back, instead plastering a worried expression on his face as he came to stand beside her.

"Are you okay?" he asked hesitantly. "What's wrong, are you hurt?"

"I threw up," she replied quietly, her fingers flexing against the white of the ceramic sink she held. "Didn't want to make it a big deal."

"Did you eat something bad?" he asked next, but she shook her head, eyes closed.

"No, I haven't eaten at all," she admitted weakly. "It's kind of the last thing on my mind."

"Then that's the problem," he replied, taking her shoulders to gently guide her away from the sink. "Come on, I reckon the boys got you something to eat before. Are you going to pass out or something? Want a wheelchair?"

"Yes," she grumbled, and he laughed as they stepped out of the bathroom, Kaely trying not to trip over.

"Hey, she's not dead!" Eliot exclaimed, and he was hugging her before she could wind up the energy to protest. He began swaying from side to side, rocking them both in his arms like a mother would to her child. Jared could hear Kaely growling from where he stood, grinning.

"Get off me," she grumbled, trying to whack him. He only held her tighter.

"No, you need a hug," he whined, and she gave in, lolling her head forward to land it on Eliot's chest. She was still frowning with her eyes closed, but Jared could tell that she was cheered up slightly. Although she would still be expecting food.