Something Great

Chapter 4

"Did something happen? With you and Cal?" Luke asked. Ralley could feel him looking at her, but she didn't want to meet his eyes.

She huffed.

"Not really. I just... I kind of hid from him for a little bit."

"What?" Luke chuckled. "Why?"

Ralley turned her body so she was sitting cross-legged, looking at Luke.

"It's dumb... We kind of.. Made out a little and I freaked out because I hadn't gotten that intimate with anyone in a long time. So I hid in the bathroom."

She laughed at herself, and not in a good way.

"That's not dumb," Luke comforted. "It can be really nervewracking, getting intimate with someone. Especially for the first time in awhile. You shouldn't worry about it."

"He's probably pissed off at me," she said, moving to rest her head on Luke's shoulder. She felt a little better, but she thought it was about time for her to call it a night.

"No, not pissed," he thought aloud. "Just really really confused."

"You know," he spoke up after a silence, "it's been awhile since Calum's been with a girl, too... He's gonna hate me for saying that."

They laughed together. Ralley thought Luke had a nice laugh.

She sat up straight and looked at him.

"Thank you, Luke. Seriously. I feel a lot better."

"I'm glad I could help," he smiled at her, but she was caught up in his eyes. She'd never seen such blue irises before-- naturally, anyway. And they kept getting closer and closer and close--

Ralley's phone rang, and she and Luke jumped away from each other with wide eyes as they realized what they'd almost done.

Her phone kept ringing. It was the default ringtone. She glanced at the screen and back at Luke.

"It's Ashton."

Luke nodded, his lips forming what would've been a half-smile if he was smiling. He rubbed at his jaw nervously.

"Hello," Ralley answered her phone.

"Ralley? It's Ash. I'm downstairs with Ava. I think she needs to go home."

She turned her back to Luke.

"What happened?"

"I..... She... She's just really drunk and I'm worried about her."

"Okay," Ralley said. She thought she could hear Ava talking in the background but Ralley couldn't make out what she was saying. "I'll be down there soon."

She hung up and turned to Luke.

"It's Ava."

-

Calum was downstairs on his living room couch, not quite as drunk as Ava, but if he finished whatever the hell was in his cup, he'd be dangerously close. Girls whose names he hadn't bothered to ask surrounded him, listening to him blather on about he didn't really know what. He didn't particularly care either. He just needed to talk.

He hadn't been able to find Ralley when he came downstairs, and even though he'd gotten progressively more drunk since he'd given up the search, worry still prodded at his brain.

That was about the time he saw her coming down the stairs with Luke on her heels. Her hair was mussed up, and she and Luke walked right by him without a glance. He narrowed his eyes and staggered up off the couch, discarding his half-empty cup carelessly on the powder blue carpet.