After Dark • Peter Hayes

Chilly

Piper's pov;

The tooth paste foamed in my mouth quickly. I was the only single solitary person in the bathrooms. Although there wasn't many others in at their bunks either. Must all be out making memories or whatever.

I felt partially excited to be in this new place, with new people, not all good but different but I also felt on edge. If I didn't stand out I'd be out. Alone. Factionless. The thought made me shiver while I stood here brushing my teeth.

Leaning down to the running tap I spat all the foamy pepermint toothpaste out. Wiping the side of my mouth with my hand and wetting my brush.

"You really are everywhere aren't you blue?" A deep voice startled me slightly. Until I saw who was behind me in the mirror.

Peter

"What do you want?"

"Well," he began walking to the sink beside mine. "I do prefer good hygiene" he wiggled his tooth brush mid air as if I were stupid. An erudite. Stupid. He knew what he was doing. Seen how angry I'd gotten before. "You know we all share the bathroom right?" He laughed squeezing the striped paste onto his brush.

He stood tall beside me and I was far from small, a respectable 5 foot 7. He surely had to be over 6 foot.
He had changed his attire. He wore a black T-shirt that clung to certain areas like his shoulders and chest but hung a little looser around his stomach and dark trousers that reminded me off jogging bottoms, something erudites rarely wore. His pyjamas. He seemed different dressed down. More chilled if that was possible based on a change of clothing. He leaned down, top rising slightly to show a slither of his hip.

Spit.

"You know you're staring was cute for the first 10 seconds, now it's creepy" he laughed lifting his head to face me, staring at my, lips? Hands still clutched to either side of the sink.

"I'm the one with a staring problem?" I retaliated quickly.

"Yea blue, I'm just looking at that" he pointed to my mouth, I tried to look in the mirror but he'd alright pulled the bottom of his shirt up to wipe something underneath my bottom lip. It was warm. His top. His thumb wrapped under the fabric was forceful but it didn't hurt.

"What the hell?" I protested looking at his shirt drop, toothpaste. I had tooth paste there the whole time.

"You're welcome" he winked grabbing his tooth paste that he'd sat behind the tap and leaving me alone again to think about the fact I had tooth paste there while trying to smart talk him. Christ have mercy.

For some reason he made me tense. Without doing anything. He would simply stand there brushing his teeth and I'd feel on edge, wondering what he'd do or say and yet I knew he wouldn't hurt me. Or at least hoped he wouldn't. Although Peter seemed slightly more bearable alone. I suppose every one is.

"Hey Pip, you alright, been in here a while" Will's hands lay over my shoulders as he spoke behind me.

I hadn't even thought.

"Oh, yea. Just taking a minute. Or ten" I chucked a tiny bit at the end to put his mind at rest. Will had always been caring. He loved me and I loved him, although in a friendly way, that was something I knew for certain. We'd questioned it but both came to the same outcome. It just be fucking weird.

"Cool, you need to change unless you plan on sleeping in that" I looked down to my sport style leggings and long sleeved top. Yea I should change.

"Ah where's the changing rooms?"

He laughed. Why does everyone keep laughing.

"There isn't any, you either change at your bunk or in one of the showers I suppose."