Number 15 - Katie McCabe

9

It's silent. Leah and I stand there still as Katie glares at both of us, my shirt still unbuttoned and bra on full display. With me still being pretty drunk, I don't grasp that maybe it's a good idea to do it up. The silence stays for a moment until another flash of rage crosses Katie's face. "Why don't you take your shit somewhere else," She says while looking away from us. Her fists are balled up and if I wasn't completely out of it, I would probably say her eyes were filled with hurt, almost as if her angry face was just to mask emotions she felt underneath. But why would she be hurt, why would she be mad? I just don't get it. I open my mouth to say something but nothing comes out of it, instead, the silence lingers for a moment longer. "Well? Get out." Katie adds, standing to the side to hint us to leave, not looking us in the eyes. Leah takes my hand and we run out into the dim hallway, which thankfully no one is in. She bursts laughing when she looks at me, leaning against the wall to stop her from falling over.

"What?" I furrow my brows in confusion, my vision somewhat blurred in the dark lighting.

"Oops." Leah continues to laugh while pointing to my neck. I look in the mirror in front of me and see that it is covered with red and purple marks.

"Leah?!" I stressfully say. It would be fine if they were in a place where I could conceal, but they're all on my jaw and down my neck. As I inspect them in the mirror, I realise that some of my buttons are still undone, so I start to button them up before Leah places her hand on mine.

"No, I like it undone," She says as she takes my hand away from my top, causing me to laugh.

"Leah, I can't go back in there looking like this," I chuckle, starting to do it up again when Leah stops me for the second time.

"Then don't, let's go," She glides her finger down my bare chest. "Come back to mine, please."

Katie's POV:
I don't know why it riled me up so much, seeing her and Leah. The girl I despised on the pitch, the girl who's been a bitch to me every season, the girl who can't seem to get out of my head. Why was she haunting me like this? She hadn't done anything to deserve a spot in my mind. I barely even like her, I tolerate her at best. But then why was I so mad when I saw them together? I guess she always knew how to get under my skin, how to make me the most agitated, how to make me hate her even more every time I saw her. But did I hate her? We had only just started getting along, but as soon as I saw her and Leah, it set me off. Maybe it's the alcohol that's messing with me. I walk back out of the bathroom after sitting there with my thoughts for a while to apologise to Willa and Leah, I was so rude. But then again, they were the ones doing that basically out in the open without any respect for anyone. The image of them together starts to irritate me again and I clench my jaw even tighter than it already is, heading to the kitchen to get myself another drink. I grab the whiskey bottle, not even bothering to pour some in a cup, I just want to get over what I'm feeling right now, because whatever it is, I hate it.

The night is slow, the walls are sinking into each other as I walk around the room. What room am I in? I can't comprehend where I am in the house, all I can think about is Willa. Why the fuck is she still in my head? I also realised not long ago that she had left, and Leah was gone too. All I see is red, and all I feel is rage, maybe drinking wasn't the best idea I've had. "Hey, are you okay?" Someone grips my shoulders but I shrug them off forcefully.

"Go away," Is all I can manage to get out. I make my way to the couch, whiskey bottle still in hand as I lie down, melting into the leather, hoping it'll swallow me whole. Someone sits beside my head, I assume the same person who grabbed my shoulders. I can't make out who it is, my vision is blurred, the fan on the ceiling is turned off, yet for some reason it's spinning for me. My face flops to the side and I close my eyes for a moment before the person next to me speaks.