Firework Eyes (A Vic Fuentes Fanfic)

Chapter Eight

I wasn't sure if it was the room spinning or me anymore. A few cups of whiskey and coke past tipsy, I tossed the ping pong ball across the table and it landed with a splash in the last red cup.

"Ha! Take that!" I cried, throwing my arms in the air.

Mike dropped to his knees dramatically, pressing his hands to his stomach and making a groaning sound as though he'd been stabbed.

"Presenting the reigning beer pong champion Rachel!" Jaime grabbed my hand, holding it up as if I'd just won a fight.

Vic and Tony applauded. They were sitting on the sofa, drinks in hands watching the game. Or rather watching me annihilate Mike. Jaime, the makeshift referee slid my remaining three cups across the table to Mike.

"Loser drinks the table." Jaime announced, before setting up another triangle of cups, "Tony, you're up Turtle. Me verse you."

Tony took his spot at the other end of the ping pong table and I fell down on the sofa next to Vic. He looked across at me, he looked happy. Happy and drunk.

"I still don't know how you're so good at beer pong." He said gently.

I shrugged, "It's a gift."

He laughed as I pulled a can of beer from the fridge. I took a sip of the bitter liquid and cringed, the first mouthful was always the worst. A cheer rose up from the ping pong table Tony had Jaime down to his last cup. Tony was the only one who'd ever even come close to beating me.

"You hungry?" I asked turning to Vic suddenly.

He turned his head towards me slowly, considering my question, "Yeah I think I am. Pizza?"
I nodded, "I'll guess I'll go up and order."

Standing, Vic stood too, "I'll come."

I couldn't help the butterflies that filled my stomach. I'd spent the whole night attempting to push what I'd heard from my mind. If I ignored it, it didn't exist, right? Wrong. I'd heard it and I felt awful keeping it to myself but it wasn't as if I could say something to him. Jogging up the stairs and to the phone I dialled the number of the pizza place from memory. Placing our usual order I rested the phone back in it's cradle and strode over to where Vic was standing in the kitchen. Leaning against the bench he looked relaxed in black skinny jeans and a black crewneck jumper. He looked hot. I banished the though from my mind as soon as it entered. It was the alcohol that had me thinking like that. I'd heard something I wasn't meant to and now beer was twisting my thoughts.

"What're you thinking about?" Vic asked me quietly.

I shrugged, leaning against the bench opposite him, "Nothing exciting."

"You're always thinking about something exciting." He replied.

I shook my head, "You'd be wrong there Victor."

It was his turn to shrug, "Hey I never got to thank you for today. You've always got my back."

"Of course I always have your back. I'm your best friend."

He nodded, pushing himself up off the bench and taking a step towards me, "Yeah I know. Still I appreciate it."

He took another slow step towards me and I straightened up, boosting myself up to sit on the bench. He was a foot away from me now, shifting his weight from foot to foot. His eyes were focused on his shoes but I could see he was debating something. Was this it? Was he about to tell me what he'd told the guys? I didn't know how I'd react.

"Rach. I've got to-"

A sudden knock on the door cut Vic off and I let out quietly relieved sigh. He seemed to freeze for a moment before turning away from me.

"I'll get the pizza."

"There's cash on the bench by the door." I murmured.

He walked out of the kitchen and I didn't realise I was so tense. Pulling my hair back I tied the top half off my face. I wasn't sure if I wanted Vic to tell me or not. I knew my rational brain would say one thing but the alcohol in my system was saying something else. The alcohol was telling me to grab Vic's face and kiss him. It was telling me to not let him go. It was telling me that I really wanted pizza. Vic walked back into the kitchen, four pizza boxes and garlic bread stacked in his arms.

"I left the change on the bench. Want me to take these down to the basement?"

"Sure, I'll grab some plates and follow you down," I replied.

Grabbing some paper plates, I filed down the basement steps after him. The other three boys were laying in bean bags in front of the Xbox, Crash Bandicoot was running across the screen.

"Who's hungry?" I called at them and I'd never seen them move so fast, they were up and had the pizza boxes open in an instant.

Taking a bite of cheese pizza, I grabbed my drink and sat back down on the sofa.

"Did you want to tell me something before?" I asked Vic, he was on the other end of the sofa, empty cup in hand.

He shook his head quickly, "No don't worry about it."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "What's going on-"

"So Rach, this party tomorrow what's going on?" Our conversation was cut off for the second time that night only this time by Mike.

"Send out a message boys, bring all your friends let's get wild."