Alternate Ending

drunk Eleanor

~ author's note ~

This is probably one of my favourite chapters so far! :-)

Still Zach's POV:

I make my way up to the front door of the building and gave a few knocks. Someone, please answer. I am startled by such a sight. Trying to hide myself from laughing my ass off, I see a drunken Eleanor. God Bless her soul.

"Eleanor. You're drunk." I say, still trying very hard to mask a laugh.

"And you," she says, pointing to my chest, "must be the pizza man."

Her eyes trail to my hands, obviously confused because I had no boxes of pizza in my hands.

"It's Zach." I simply say, placing my hand on my shoulders and trying to duck down to have our eyes levelled. I only hoped this helped her recognise me.

"Zach? Like Zacharyyy?" She slurs, trying to keep herself up. Before falling, I wrap her arm around my neck. "Easy there El. We should get you home."

"Home? But I don't take rides from strangers." She mumbles and grasps onto my shirt for support. How many drinks did this girl have? But I smile, for El would be the only person who would drink and still think logically about taking rides from people at this mystical hour in the city that never sleeps.

"But I'm not a stranger now, am I El?" I say, carrying her to the car.

"El? Only Zach calls me that you idiot." I clear my throat as I feel heat surmounting on the surface of my cheeks. Get a grip Zach.

"Okay, yeah, we need to get you home, Okay?" I say but she simply nods in reply.

The drive home was one for the books. If I had a camera and a laptop to edit, I would've created this year's greatest comedy entitled, "Hastings gone wrong."

The entire time she made remarks that had me laughing my ass off.

"Did you know, I've always wanted to be a marshmallow-"

"Zach, are you circumcised?" I nearly choked at that comment.

"Alex is a manwhore... I just cussed... bathe me in holy water."

"Are you a parking ticket, because you've got fine written all over you-"

"Ahhh-zeekenwah-subabichiwawa! Zach, I'm actually in the lion king broadway show! SHHH! Don't tell anyone." Okay, that made me laugh my ass off.

"Aw shit. Am I ugly? I'm so ugly right now. Ohhh my god Zach. Don't look at me!" She grumbles, trying to bury herself in her hands.

"You look beautiful all the time El." I smile, awaiting her reaction.

"I'm bea-ut-ah-ful? Did you really just? Don't lie Zachary..." She chuckles to herself. But I am alarmed as I feel both of her hands on my chest from behind.

"Why would I lie to you." I incredulously retort, obviously distracted by her hands.

"Oh Zachary Zachary Zachary." Shivers move up my shoulders as she whispers in my ears.

"AHHH- ZEEHENWAH!" She yells in my ears, singing the lion king song again.

I chuckle at her actions. I could get used to this drunken Eleanor.

"Christ El. What did you drink?"

"Stop! I'm practicing for my show! Let me be!" She says, stepping out of her seat. Okay, that's enough Eleanor.

"Eleanor I suggest that you sit down now, or I could get pulled over." I look at her through the rear view mirrors and she simply rolls her eyes and sends me a death glare.

"Hey Zach. Zach guess what." Here we go again.

"Yes El?"

"I think I'm drunk. Real bad."

"No shit Eleanor." I laugh, enjoying every bit of this.

As we pulled into the driveway I could tell Eleanor was about to knock out. But as we entered the house, I jinxed that. She continued to ramble and ramble on.

"I think I should snort marijuana." She says, taking a seat on the couch. Jesus, I'm genuinely concerned for her right now. After giving her some water, I sat across her from the couch, continuing to listen to her crazy remarks.

"I'm not drunk Zach, I'm intox- intoximo- intoximotated." She laughed hard at herself, making it hard for me to suppress my laughter. I watch as she stops laughing and she keeps her eyes glued on mine to observe me for a long time.

"What?" I question, for her gaze on my was long and full of curiosity.

"Nothing, I just really like your eyes." She says, coming closer to me.

"And your hair, and your toned bod, and how you can be such an ass but it's okay... oh and your ass too." She rambles, but I keep my eyes glued on hers. Imagine if she wasn't drunk and was nonchalantly making all these confessions...

I watch as her eyes widen and that was the cue for one thing. She was going to vomit any minute now. Alert, I rush and carry her over to the bathroom nearest to us and had her expel all of it.

Lifting up her hair and caressing her back, she groans as she let it out.

Will she remember all of these in the morning?

"Fuck. I am so fucked." She curses. It sounded completely foreign to me to have her cussing and all, but I thought it was funny.

"OK, let's get you to bed now." I attempted to take her hand to lead her to her room but she resented.

"Shower... a shower would be nice." My eyes widened at her suggestion.

"I can undress..." She says, already stripping off her dress, leaving her in a bra and spandex.

"Shit," I curse to myself. My eyes trailed her body, but I looked away knowing that this image would be forever buried into my head. Preparing the hot water for her, I waited patiently outside the bathroom door to make sure she doesn't slip or do anything stupid.

As I heard the shower being turned off, I knocked and asked for permission to enter to hand her some clothes. Unfortunately the door to her room was locked because she always locks it before she leaves. Pressed for time, I simply looked for one of my sweaters and handed her a pair of sweats that once belonged to my sister.

Seeing her dressed in my sweater and sweats was surprisingly appealing to me.

With her door locked, she had two places to sleep in: the living room or my room. With a big sigh, I decided that it was best she stay in my room, because she would probably fall off the couch in the morning with the hangover she will have.

Leading her to my room, she stops at the door, causing us to bump to each other.

"Zach, my head hurts. I don't know what's going on, but thank you." She says, looking up to meet my eyes. She finally sobered up... just a little.

"It's nothing—-" I say but I am cut off by the hug she gave me. Without hesitation I wrapped my arm around hers and whispered, "It's nothing El."

She simply smiled and walked over to my bed, to dose of in a deep slumber.

After a quick shower, I joined her in bed. I smiled at the sight of her sleeping. Other than the fact that she snored, which I thought was pretty adorable, I too dozed off.

Let's see what the "morning" has in store for us.