Almost Alice » l.h

0.9

I could feel someone running their fingers through my hair. The music sounded kind of far away and muffled and I was praying I didn't actually end up in Ross' car. Calum wouldn't actually let Ross sneak off with me, right? I mean, I didn't know Calum very well but he didn't seem like that kind of asshole.

The pain in my head hit like a train. I let out a small groan and someone shifted under my head.

"Alice?" Calum's voice asked.

I'd never been so relieved to hear his voice. I blinked my eyes open and was happy to see the room was dimly lit. I knew with my headache, the light would've been a bitch to look at. Above me was Calum's face, contorted in worry. I figured my head was in his lap.

Then I realized I still felt drunk and sloppy because I giggled for no reason.

He sighed. "Jesus Christ, you're okay. I was starting to think I should call the paramedics or something."

"What happened?" I asked, my throat hoarse from yelling so much at the party. "Where are we?"

"You passed out so I took you to Michael's parents' house instead." he explained, his fingers still going through my hair. "I couldn't find Amy and my phone died so she doesn't know yet. Do you feel alright? Michael went downstairs to get you some water and aspirin."

I nodded and sat up, Calum making sure I did so slowly. "I'm fiiiiine."

"What happened?" Calum wondered. "You hardly drank that much. I thought you did this shit all the time?"

I giggled quietly and propped myself next to him, up against the headboard. I stretched my legs out - they were so much tinier than his - and rubbed my forehead with the heels of my hands. I couldn't tell if it was the alcohol still left in my system or the fact Calum was being so nice in genuine but I didn't bother trying to avoid saying what I was thinking.

"I'm not exactly the Alice everyone thinks I am." I shrugged.

I suddenly got nauseous but fought the urge to throw up, mostly because I didn't know where the bathroom was and didn't want to get lost in Michael's massive house.

Calum looked at me curiously and I watched him from the corner of my eye. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He didn't sound angry or anything, just curious and a little confused. It was a pretty strange statement, anyway.

I turned to look at him and put my hands down, a smile playing at the corner of my lips. "Can I tell you something?"

He nodded. "You literally gave me a boner tonight. I think we're close enough that you can tell me secrets." he chuckled.

I felt my cheeks heat up but I didn't say anything about it. Instead I took a deep breath, tried not to throw up in Calum's lap, and just said what I'd been hiding.

I told him how I really was. I told him that I've never had a drop of alcohol in my life until tonight which is why I passed out so easily. I told him about the homeschooling and the countless hours of my free time being spent alone in my room, reading and writing. How I never knew what Amy had told her friends about me until the night before I was told I was to be going to school with her, and how she came up with an insane plan and I just followed it like a lost puppy because I wanted friends. I didn't want to let my sister down so we kept it up and fooled everyone.

Then, for some reason, I quoted Alice in Wonderland.

"I'm Alice but not the one everyone's been talking about." I said before giggling at my own dumb reference that he probably didn't even understand.

He just stared at me blankly. I couldn't tell if he was angry, confused, okay, or anything. I was hoping he'd forgive me because I actually liked Calum now, unless that was just the alcohol too.

"But shhh," I stage-whispered when he said nothing, pressing my finger to his lips. "don't tell anyone. Especially Luke."

Calum crossed his eyes to look down at my finger and mumbled against my lips, "Why Luke?"

I giggled and bit my lip. "He's cute."

"Since when do you think that?"

I shrugged.

Calum sighed and nodded. "Alright, I won't tell him. I won't tell anyone."

I looked up at Calum like he was Jesus and giggled. "You're not mad at me?"

He shook his head and looked at his lap. "Not at you. You didn't mean to lie. I'm pretty pissed with Amy for lying like that in the first place. I'll bitch her out later but I won't tell anyone for your sake."

I chewed on my lip and watched Calum as he grimaced at his jeans. It was silent for a while, the only sound was the music from next door.

After a moment, I said, "I didn't think you liked me very much. You always teased me."

Calum laughed a little and looked at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "If I tease you, it means I do like you. I wasn't going to just judge you right off the bat."

"That's what I did, a little bit." I told him, nodding to myself. "I thought you were kinda scary. Hot, but scary."

He smirked and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know I am. But I'm not scary. The piercings don't mean shit, Alice."

I rolled my eyes too. "Well duh. I know that now."

The door opened and Michael walked in with water and a few pills in his hand, holding them out to me. "Here you go. How do you feel?"

"She's still tipsy." Calum told him, sounding like it amused him a little.

"What happened?" Michael asked him.

As I took the pills from them and popped them in my mouth and took a sip of the water - I almost spit it out because I expected alcohol and didn't get any - Calum drummed his fingers on his jeans.

"She, uh," Calum mumbled. "I think she just got overheated. I'll keep her here for a while. Ross was trying to get with her anyway."

I lurched forward suddenly and stared at the end of the bed intently. "W-where's the bathroom?"

Calum chuckled, quickly pulling me out of bed and out into the hall. "Sweetie, I don't even think we have time to get there. This place is a maze."

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Everyone probably predicted Calum would be Alice's bff