brutal | grayson hawthorne

let's blow this popsicle stand

***
Daddy Issues by The Neighbourhood
***

We're missing Emily's birthday fundraiser, is all Liz thinks about on the ride to Phoenix, and she's sure Jameson and Grayson have thought it too because no one has said anything since they got on the jet.

It's all very uncharacteristic of the trio who could spend hours talking into the night whenever they would set up blanket forts and an unreasonable amount of snacks in the solarium when they were younger.

But they suppose there's not much to say when they're all too caught up in their own worlds, and are slightly terrified of what's going to happen in the near future.

They call an Uber to take them to the Grayson estate first, each only having a backpack of their overnight belongings. Sheffield Grayson has a security team to rival Hawthorne House's, so Grayson leaves a business card (that Liz and Jameson bullied him for) with their hotel information on it.

They don't talk about how sucky it is that they weren't allowed onto the grounds, because as soon as they'd settled into their hotel room, Jameson reveals that his backpack has only the best liquor that he stole from Hawthorne House to play Drink of Dare with, his few clothes wrapping up the bottles so they wouldn't clink against each other.

"We're not playing," Grayson doesn't even give Jameson a chance to present his case as he shrugs off his suit jacket to place it on the bed that Liz hasn't already fallen backward onto.

"What else are we gonna do while we wait?" Jameson gets three coffee cups from the desk in the room beside the Nespresso, filling them up with tequila despite Grayson's rejection.

"Call Avery," Liz offers, still staring at the ceiling, thinking about the reason they're even in Arizona in the first place. Well, she supposes she's more there for Grayson and his father, but the search of Toby, Avery's father, is also high on the list of priorities.

"Fine," Jameson sighs dramatically and collapses on the ground with his phone to his ear.

Grayson sits on the edge of the bed beside Liz as they overhear Jameson talking about how he'll do whatever it takes to get Grayson to play Drink or Dare with him, knowing Liz is down to do anything that'll cure her boredom at any given moment.

"Are you okay?" Liz sits up and reaches a hand out to straighten Grayson's collar from the back where it got folded weirdly.

"You don't have to keep asking me that," his head turns towards her, and she lets her arm fall to rest on the space on the bed behind him.

"Then stop looking like you're not," she uses her thumb on her other hand to press the spot between his eyebrows. "You'll get wrinkles," she tries ironing out the crease where he furrowed his brows.

"Fine, you guys can share a bed," Jameson hangs up the phone, looking jokingly disgusted at Liz and Grayson. "But no funny business."

Grayson just grabs a pillow from the chair beside him and throws it at Jameson, almost knocking over a bottle.

***

About three hours later, Jameson's face is red after holding a handstand for three minutes, Liz has surprisingly hot winged eyeliner on from where Jameson did her makeup, and Grayson is drunk out of his mind from repeatedly turning down dares.

"Drink or Truth, then," Jameson tries after Grayson refuses to sing "You Belong With Me" like an opera singer. "I'll go first. Are you two fucking?"

Liz chokes on the tequila she was drinking despite it not being her turn, her throat burning horrifically.