Love Bites

Chapter 9 - Jealousy

- Hey Ellie, have you touched something here? - Charlie cried, craning out to see what was happening in the corridor.

After a couple of second Elle appeared in the other end of it with a towel wrapped around her head and a blow-dryer in her hands.

- What do you want?

- I wonder if you have rummaged in my desk.

- No, why would I?

- I don't know, but I can't find something that I put on it!

Charlie turned her pencils, rulers and papers over one more time.

- What exactly? A drawing? - Elle asked curiously, approaching Charlie and leaning over her shoulder. Charlotte hardly managed to put one of the album lists under the pile of others.

- M-m, yes.

- These are some very nice landscapes, - Elle praised, taking out a picture that showed a beach in the evening dusk, palm leaves trembling in the breeze and waves attacking the seashore.

- Oh, thanks...I thought I could send them to mom and dad.

- Great...You can as well send them some Polaroid photos of yours.

Charlie frowned.

- What photos are you talking about?

- That couple...they must be over there...

Elle lifted some books and turned over some papers, then grabbed something that was lying there on the table.

Charlie caught Elle's hand and took the photos from here. These were the pictures of Duff and Slash that she has taken on her Polaroid the night they went to the Guns N' Roses show. Some of them looked really intimate as Charlie snapped them in the dressing rooms after the concert has finished.

- Yeah, send them. Show yo' parents you aren't wasting your time.

- Don't bitch, Ellie!

- Did you have a threesome by any chance?

- Come on, are you nuts?!- Charlie goggled at her friend, her fingers squeezing the photos tight, - we didn't have anything, I am not a slut! Me and Duff...we just had a stroll around the block and ate some doughnuts, all!

- Really? - Elle's voice went weak and calm, her eyes dropped, - sorry, Charle, I shouldn't have said so!

- Okay, okay, I am not offended, - said Charlotte softly, patting Elle's shoulder, - what happened? You've been like a vixen lately!

- Nothing, - Elle looked away, her restless hands toying with her waistbelt.

- Come on, tell me! Maybe I could help...

- Thanks, I'm alright. See you around! - Elle rushed towards the door, jumped out and closed it behind her. Charlie watched her leave, shrugged and returned to her pictures. Elle hasn't been herself recently, she's constantly anxious and harsh, but Charlie couldn't figure out why. Did she have troubles at work, or were her worries connected with a copper-haired musician? Charlotte didn't know.

Charlie knew she and Axl broke up on a bad blood note, but he probably acted like that with everyone. Elle, however, has been irritated and short-tempered since then. She's been having more one-night stands than she did before, and every one of them left with a scandal. Charlie connected

She took a picture she hid from Elle in her hands. It was a black-and-white sketch, one of her attempt to draw a portrait. The picture showed Duff with his bass guitar during a show. Charlie's tried to capture his adorable shy smile, but she wasn't sure if she was satisfied with the result. Anyway, it had the spirit she was aiming for, and it caused the feeling of his presence, almost like he's just left. She could nearly hear his sexy deep laughter and feel him towering over her. For now it was enough for her.

***

The gloomy feeling of unrest crept over the house that evening. Izzy has been feeling uneasy the whole day, and the glass of whiskey and countless cigarettes he had earlier didn't help very much.

He was sort of bored, but nothing he did pleased him. He didn't felt like going out, and inside there was nothing to do. Izzy took his guitar in his hands and sat down to do some jam. He really lacked inspiration these days, but he hoped practice will let him write something.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock of the door being kick opened. Axl appeared in the room, wearing nothing but a towel around his hips. His hair was disheveled and his face was red, but Izzy wasn't particularly surprised by his look, as he's heard him having really loud sex with his girl for about two hours. That's pretty much all what he was about when he didn't have a girlfriend to fight with.

He's been even more hostile and anxious than ever lately, he got into rows every othet day, but nobody knew the reason.

- Agh, that's you. I thought it were Duff and Popcorn.

Izzy lifted a brow.

- Why?

- With their hookers, - Axl snapped, holding a cigarette between his lips and trying to light it, - see, these two gals from the diner.

Izzy understood he was talking about Elle and Charlotte. Izzy was thinking about beautiful Louisiana girl with her charming little French accent the other day, wondering where did she go. Duff and the other one seemed to be a thing, but he hasn't seen Elle around.

Axl has been dreaming about her, too. It was kinda embarrassing, and he would never admit it, but he wished she would tag along with Charlie one day. They spent a very brief period of time together, but it only made him want more. Elle wasn't like most of the girls he met, screwed or dated. She wasn't so goddamn inocent or credulous. She knew she just wanted a fuck, and she didn't bother neither him nor herself with romantic illusions.

- I seriously doubt Steven has anything to do with hookers, - Izzy muttered after a pause, putting his bangs away from his face.

- So it's Steven she's banging, right? - Axl roared, not caring to control himself.

- Hey dude, chill out! I don't know! Looks like you have it bad for the blondie, don't you? - Izzy squinted, staring at Axl.

- Fuck off!

Izzy felt a tad jumpy contemplating this. Of course she was going to choose Axl over him. After all, he was the star, the face of the band. And they slept together! From the bottom of his heart, he wished things won't work out for Axl, only that one single time.

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♪ Queen - Jealousy