Branded for Ruin

13. LOVER DEAREST

KAI

His heart was beating so fast, you could swear it was going to jump out. Thinking about the nights events, it made Kai uneasy. It made him uneasy because what if he wasn't there? Not a single person tried to help her but him.
    Hours ago, Spencer was gasping for air. She had almost lost her in a way he didn't want to imagine. He could feel his fists ball up as he thought about the events of the party. His head throbbed as he came down from the alcohol.
   Kai wanted to stay with her, but with paramedics and her mother he couldn't. How was he going to explain what happened? He wanted to throw himself off a cliff for walking away. The night was going so well, he even thought maybe he could tell her finally.

    He may have went overboard with his actions, but he meant every bit of it last night. It took him far too long to realize it, but Spencer wasn't someone he could just let walk away. She made him feel things he had never felt before. She made him feel alive.
    Even then, pulling her out of the pool, she looked so beautiful. Spencer had always been beautiful, ever since he laid his eyes on her.
  Kai wants, no, he needs her to be his. They've thrown 'friends' around so much and are never direct with each other, he was not completely sure what she wanted.

    Around five in the morning, he was finally able to drift into a comfortable sleep.

SPENCER

    Opening her eyes, she could hear the clanking of dishes and the smell of coffee. She sat up to see she was still at Lycus's house. "Oh! You're up!" Hayley gleefully says as she sits on the couch opposite of Spencer.
   Spencer wrapped the blanket around her as she yawned. "What time is it?" Before Hayley could respond they hear, "Ten in the morning!" from Lycus in the kitchen. Spencer's eyes went slightly wide as she leaned up, "I guess I did need the sleep.." she trailed off as she rubbed her head.
   
   Hayley quickly noticed her, "I'll get you some medicine." Swiftly heading into the kitchen. The mix of alcohol, perfume, and chlorine was still so intoxicating to her. Smelling her hair, she remembers back to the previous night. Her body shuttered as she recounted, every part of her ached.

   "I feel pathetic.." she says softly as she hides her face in her hands. Hayley and Lycus came walking in with medicine, Coffee, and cinnamon rolls. "You are not pathetic Spencer. That low life Aaron is." Spencer could feel her jaw clench tight. Just the thought of his name pissed her off, she knew his soul was dirty.
   "I barely spoke up for myself." Spencer said as she grabbed a cup of coffee. Her eyes were glossy and puffy from all the tears she has spilled. Almost her entire face was all dry from a mix of chlorine and crying so much.
   "Aaron wasn't listening to anyone." Lycus told her as Hayley and him sat down. "Do not think this is your fault in any capacity." Hayley demanded her best friend, only to receive a small smile. "When did my mom leave?" Spencer asked as her thoughts finally landed on her family.

   Hayley sighed as she pulled apart her breakfast, "Probably around three, she had paperwork to fill out and was worried about you." The three friends sat in silence as they all remembered her mother's reaction. Seeing the look on her face wasn't going to be an easy image to forget.
   They finished off their breakfast just enjoying the morning. Taking just a moment to not worry about anything. Spencer wondered why it's so hard for her to have one good, uneventful year.

   "Is my costume ruined Hals?" Spencer asks as she held worry in her eyes and voice. Through everything, her focus is that dress. Deep down, no one really knows exactly the impact The Phantom has on her.      
  Hayley sighed, "It's ripped and bleached.. but I believe I can fix it." Hayley informs her as Spencer nods and sighs, "I really hope it can be fixed. It's my favorite."
 
Nothing bothered her more than feeling helpless. This entire thing has got her feeling guilty and pathetic.
Everything was so perfect until Aaron, it makes her wonder how things could've went if Aaron never threw her in. Finding a distraction is what she needed right now, her head throbs even more as she recalls the night. Between all the alcohol she consumed and almost drowning, her entire body felt like it was on fire.
    She mostly remembered being in the air then suddenly was under the water, getting cold fast. Next thing she knew, paramedics were standing over her and faintly heard screaming from Kai.