Paperwork || c.h z.m {slow updates}

8. Washing Day

"Why is there a drunk guy on my three thousand dollar leather couch?" Sarah hissed, pulling the quilt off me bright and early the following (Sunday) morning. She then threw it towards the door. It must be washing day. 

I sat up, rubbing my eyes and moving my hair out of my face. Sarah was still in her pyjamas with her hair tied up messily and looked incredibly tired. "What? How'd you know he was drunk?"

Sarah sighed, settling her hands on her hips and starting at me beadily. "I can smell it. That's how. Now I'm pretty sure he's yours unless there's something Alfie's not telling me, so can you please get him out of here before he stinks up the whole apartment."

"He doesn't smell bad." I reputed, pouting. Last night he smelt musky, which I could relate to the feeling of having your head in the clouds as odd as that sounded.

"He's drunk Cassie. Which means that when he wakes up he's going to be hungover and I don't clean the house on Sundays; I do sheets and bedding once a month. So if he's sick, you have to clean it up."

"I get the picture." I shushed her and swung my legs over the side of the bed while Sarah opened the curtains in my room. "Alfie doesn't know he's here, does he?"

She shook her head, picking up the quilt from the door. "No. But can you get the sheets of your bed once you're done in here. I'm doing sheets today; they'll be all fresh and clean by this afternoon." She smiled and I rolled my eyes at her 'I love cleaning (but not on Sundays)' attitude.

Well, at least Alfie won't be mad at me, as long as he doesn't find out. "So what happened to you two last night?" I asked sleepily as Sarah bunch the quilt up in her arms.

"We played monopoly all night." Disappointment sank her words like the Titanic. She rose her eyebrows at me and sighed.

I winced. "Ouch."

"Yeah. Ouch." She emphasised.

Then something occurred to me from last night. "So why'd you call me?"

"Oh," Sarah stood up suddenly. "You know how we have our voicemail hooked up to the apartment phone as well?" She asked, pointing to the general direction of the phone in the kitchen.

"No."

"Well we do," she began, clearing that up first of all. "And I got a call, around eight o'clock from some guy called Calum and he wanted to know why I was on your phone, because he was supposed to be on a date with you and was asking where you were. That's when I figured out what had actually happened. So I told him I'd try your phone because you 'must have got caught in traffic'. And I called you and you didn't answer."

"Well, I arrived just after quarter past eight. So it could have been worse." I suggested lightly. Sarah glared at me with an annoyed expression, and I was sure that in her head she was cursing me for making two dates on the same night at the same time. I was cold without the quilt on.

"Yes Cassie, it could have. Good conclusion." Then she shut the door behind her, taking the quilt with her. Now I had to get Calum out of here before Alfie got up; which would be difficult considering Alfie'd be up within the next ten minutes and he wasn't a morning person. Much like myself.

I dressed quickly, grabbing a jacket as well, considering I'd most likely have to walk Calum to his car which was situated down the street. Opening my bedroom door to the living room, I found it quiet, no one was there besides Calum on the couch. Sarah would have already headed downstairs to do the laundry and wouldn't be back for the next half hour or so, but she wasn't who I was worried about.

Alfie and Calum were going to clash regardless of what I said or did. So I had to act fast.

Shaking Calum's shoulders probably wasn't the most responsible way to wake him up, but when time is of the essence, you take what you can get. He didn't wake up at first, instead groaned and rolled onto his side slightly. That was when I noticed that Alfie was standing at his bedroom door, look of pure confusion on his face.

Before I could even get a word in of explanation, he began shooting off questions. "Why is there a guy on the couch? Why is he unconscious? Cassie did you knock him out?" He asked, so blunt and serious that I knew he couldn't have been joking.

"You are kidding me? Right?" I asked wearily, raising an eyebrow.

Alfie frowned, not sure whether or not I was being serious. "I only 'kid' on occasion Cassie."

"Okay." Skeptically, I continued trying to wake Calum up, but I could still feel Alfie watching judgementally.

Finally he stepped in, giving me a slight push away. "You're not doing it right." He rose his hand to (what I presumed) hit him before I flinched and he grinned. "Just kidding." He stood back for a moment, a hint of annoyance flickered across his face. "Hey, just... a umm, he's not the guy who picked you up. Is he?" Alfie chewed his bottom lip, looking at me cautiously. 

I groaned and flopped back on the couch next to Calum, elbowing him a couple of times to which he opened his eyes sleepily, shot me a hazy smile and lay back down. "Fuck."

"I'll take that as a no." Alfie guessed, heading into the kitchen. Most likely after this, he'd try and avoid me until I got Calum out of the apartment, but still ask Sarah what happened rather than me. 

Jabbing him seemed to be working, so I kept at it, poking his arm repeatedly until he sat up, sleepily rubbing his eyes. "What?" He grumbled, frowning at me.

"My roommate and her boyfriend want you to leave." I put simply considering he was well and truly hungover.

Calum groaned. I glanced over at Alfie who was watching without comment but being judgemental like he always was. Somethings never change. "Five minutes." Calum muttered, turning over onto his side, facing away from me.

Frowning, I yanked his shoulder so he was on his back again. "No, now."

The sudden movement seemed to jolt him too much. "Where's the bathroom?" Fuck. I helped him to his feet and slinging one of his arms over my shoulder, with difficulty we lumbered towards the bathroom, almost tripping up the step along the way. Thankfully Alfie decided to be helpful in a situation he otherwise refused to take part in and opened the bathroom door for us before I pretty much dropped Calum onto the tiled floor in the direction of the toilet. Just don't make a mess. Sarah will disown me and kick me out and I'll have to move back in with my parents which means I'll probably have to cut-short my internship. 

He didn't make a mess thank god, but he was still here when Sarah came back half an hour later. She didn't say anything but that didn't stop her from giving me the look. It wasn't my fault he was drunk.