Waking Up in Vegas

Chapter 6

“Three weeks?! Are you serious??” Nichole sat on the edge of her bed, staring slack-jawed as Carly packed her things. She nodded grimly.  “I’m completely serious. Stormie called around to a few law offices yesterday and the soonest they can have Ross & I in for an annulment hearing is next month.” She roughly tossed a few shirts into her duffle bag in frustration. “This is all your fault you know.” She said jokingly. Nichole scoffed. “I had nothing to do with it. You’re the one who took the first shot with them, Mrs. Lynch.” She retorted. Carly groaned and zipped up her bag. “Don’t call me that, please.” She muttered. Nichole smirked. “Carly Lynch…it has a ring to it you know.” She teased. Carly snatched one of the pillows off of her bed and threw it at her roommate's head. “Cut it out, Nikki! We’re trying to keep the whole situation on the DL. Ross could get in MAJOR trouble with Disney if word gets out that he went to Vegas while he was still underage, not to mention drunkenly marrying a complete stranger. And I don’t know what kind of trouble I might get in with both UCLA and Harvard if they find out so for the love of all that is good and pure in this world ZIP IT.” She growled. Nichole sighed and laid back against the pillows on her bed. “I’m sorry. It’s just…you! Carly Jackson! The most innocent, studious, goodie-two-shoes on the face of the planet! Out of all the people I know, I never dreamed that you would be the one to get wasted and married in Las Vegas! It’s funny!” she said defensively. Carly sighed. A slight grin broke out across her face. “It is a little funny I guess.” She mumbled. Nichole smirked triumphantly. Carly rolled her eyes and tossed another pillow at her, gentler this time. She chunked her last duffle bag onto the floor next to the door and looked around the room quickly. “Am I forgetting anything?” she asked. Nichole shook her head. “I don’t think so. You’re only staying for a few weeks anyways, and you can always come back if you did forget anything. Have I mentioned how completely unfair this is by the way?” she asked glumly, crossing her arms. It was Carly’s turn to flash a triumphant smirk. Since she and Ross were trying to work out the annulment, Stormie had offered to let her stay with them for the next month. She didn’t start classes again until the end of August so she’d figured it couldn’t hurt. Truthfully, she was dying to get out of her tiny dorm room. She slung her laptop case over her shoulder and picked up her bags. “I feel like you’re leaving me for good!” Nichole whined as she stood up and crossed the room. Carly laughed and shook her head as she pulled her in for a hug. “It’ll only be a couple of weeks Nik, I’ll be back before you know it.” She assured her.  

**

  Carly pulled into the Lynch’s driveway a few minutes later. They lived a surprisingly short distance from the UCLA campus. She hopped out and walked around to the back to get her bags. “Hey, Carly!” Rocky greeted as he stepped out of the house. He walked around to the back of the car and picked up two of her three dufflebags. “Hey Rocky.” She returned, pulling her laptop case & another small bag out and shutting the trunk. “Dang, Carly, got enough stuff?” Riker called as he walked over to where she stood. He picked up her last bag and slung it over his shoulder. She bumped him playfully. “Shut up!” she laughed.  She followed the two of them up the stony path to the house.  “So, three weeks huh?” Riker asked as he pushed the front door open. Carly groaned as she stepped in after him. “Unfortunately. And that’s only a preliminary hearing. We might not actually have the annulment finalized for another month after that, maybe two.” She grimaced. Rocky chuckled from behind her. “Well sorry that hanging out with us is such a burden.” He joked. She immediately dropped her bag on the floor and turned around. “Oh my gosh, Rocky, no, I didn’t mean it-” she started. Rocky laughed and pulled her into a hug. “Relax, Carly, I was joking!” he assured her. She heard footsteps thumping down the stairs in the corner. “Hello dear!” a chipper voice greeted her. She whirled around and saw Stormie crossing the living room towards her. She immediately felt a smile break out across her face.  Despite the reason behind her upcoming stay at the Lynch house, Stormie had been very kind and gracious about the situation. “Hey, Stormie.” She greeted as the mama Lynch pulled her into another tight hug. She wrapped her arms around her gratefully. It felt odd, all the hugging. She was an only child and her parents had both been very reserved with her while she was growing up. She never doubted that they loved her; sometimes, they just forgot to show it. Stormie stepped back and brushed a loose strand of hair behind Carly’s ear. “Are you hungry? I just made lunch an hour or so ago for the guys. I could heat something up while Rocky and Riker show you to your room.” She offered. Carly nodded. “That’d be awesome, thank you.” She said gratefully. Stormie nodded as she made her way to the kitchen. “Of course! Make yourself right at home.” She called over her shoulder. Rocky picked up the bag Carly had dropped a few minutes earlier and gestured to the staircase. “Follow us.” He said, making his way towards the stairs. She followed closely behind, sandwiched in between the two oldest Lynch boys.  “So I don’t suppose I’m getting the privilege of my own room?” She asked hopefully. Riker laughed. “No, sorry. You’re sharing with Rydel. But don’t worry, she’s a cool roommate.” He assured her. Rocky approached one of the many doors in the upstairs portion of the house and swung it open. “Here we are.” He said, stepping inside and gently dropping her bags onto the floor. Carly stepped inside as well and glanced around. “I didn’t see Rydel earlier, is she here?” she asked curiously. Riker shook his head. “She’s spending some time with our cousins in Colorado. She’ll be back at the end of the week.” She nodded as she picked up one of her many bags and laid it on Rydel’s bed. “What about Ross?” she questioned as she began unpacking her bag. Rocky picked up another one of her bags and placed it beside the one she’d begun to unpack. “At the studio filming. He’ll be home later. We’re actually having a barbecue tonight. Ratliff & his girlfriend and my girlfriend Julia are coming. And Riker’s fiancée.” He smirked at his brother. Carly immediately turned her attention to Riker. “I didn’t know you were engaged!” she exclaimed, smiling slightly. He grinned and looked down at his feet. “I proposed right before the trip. That’s actually why we went, to celebrate. I had no idea Ross would end up tying the knot before me.” He joked. Carly groaned. “Thanks for reminding me.” She grumbled.

  **  

Several hours later Carly sat nervously on Rydel’s bed, listening to the excited chatter coming from downstairs. Everybody was over at the Lynch house for the barbecue. She was terrified of facing Ross’s friends and the other boys’ girlfriends. What was she going to say? Did they know about Vegas? How was the family going to introduce her? Would they think badly of her? She nervously tugged on her boot laces. She didn’t want to seem like the creepy whore that married an underage boy whilst intoxicated. She jumped slightly when she heard a gentle knock on the door. Riker was standing just outside in the hallway. A red haired girl that appeared to be her age, maybe a year or two younger, was standing beside him. “Hey, Carly, you gonna join us?” he asked hopefully. She smiled slightly. “I don’t know if I’m feeling the whole ‘socializing’ thing tonight.” she mumbled, looking down. Riker stepped into the room, the redhead close behind him. “Come on, Carly! It’s gonna be fun.” He tried again. She glanced back up at him. He suddenly seemed to remember the girl standing behind him. “Oh how rude of me. Carly, this is my fiancée Kristen. Kristen, this is Ross’s wife Carly.” He said, stifling a laugh. Carly’s jaw dropped. Kristen giggled. “Don’t worry, they filled me in on the entire story. But I’m the only one who knows. Rocky’s girlfriend Julia and Ratliff’s girlfriend don’t know anything. And neither do any of Ross’s friends.” Carly smiled gratefully at the both of them. “Thank God.” She mumbled. She stood up and began following them out into the hallway. “Wait.” She said suddenly, stopping in her tracks. Riker and Kristen turned around to look at her. “Who do they think I am then?” she asked curiously. Kristen grinned and stepped over to where she stood. She looped her arm through Carly’s. “My cousin, who attends UCLA and who the Lynch’s graciously allowed to stay at their house for a few weeks while her dorm is being sterilized from a bug infestation.” She recited flawlessly. Carly laughed. “Oh my God.” She muttered, shaking her head. Riker smiled apologetically. “It was Rocky’s idea.” he said defensively. Kristen gestured to the staircase. “Shall we?” she asked, tugging gently on Carly’s arm. Carly sighed and nodded obligingly. “We shall.” She said, giggling, as she followed Kristen and Riker down into the living room.