G O L D E N | why don't we |

┃T H I R T Y - N I N E┃

"if these walls could talk, they would have nothing to tell" - tamia

Zach chased Emilia through the hotel, both of them shivering from being soaking wet and the cold air condition hitting their skin as they ran. Emilia had the bright idea to splash Zach in his face with the water after he picked on her height for two minutes straight which resulted in them running.

"Zach you deserved it!" Emilia yelled back to him as she ran down the hallway where their rooms were, "Did not!" "Did too!"

Zach had grabbed her shoulder and tripped over her foot which resulted in him landing on top of her just as Jack was walking out of Leylah and Zach's room. Jack's face was pale, his neck red and his eyes wide open like he saw a ghost.

Emilia giggled still a little tipsy and looked up at Jack, her smile fading, "Hey you okay, Jack?" Zach lifted himself off her and gave her a hand to pull her up. Jack lifted a smile to his face but it never reached his eyes, he ran a shaking hand through his hair and sighed.

"I'm fine just tired and extremely drunk so I'm off for some sleep, I'll um see you guys in the morning." Jack spared a soft glance at Zach before walking down the hall to his shared room with Jessie and disappearing inside.

"He sounded pretty sober to me," Emilia commented but Zach was still staring after Jack oddly, his vision was a bit fuzzy but he knew something was off. 

"Anyway, I'm freezing so I'll see you tomorrow, wow tomorrow I'm going to be nineteen," Emilia said with a giddy smile walking across the hall to her room with Daniel and noticed Zach hadn't stopped staring after Jack.

"Zach? Are you okay? jeez, what's up with you two tonight?"

Emilia's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and Zach stepped back chuckling to himself, "Nothing I just...nothing anyway, good night soon -to- be birthday girl and good luck taking care of that hangover." Emilia rolled her eyes waving to him before entering her hotel room to see Daniel sitting by the window strumming his guitar. The only light on was the lamp closest to him and he didn't look up as Emilia entered. She grabbed a towel from the bathroom counter and slipped off her bathing suit, hanging it on the shower rod. She wrapped herself in the towel and walked back into the room to grab clothes when she noticed Daniel was playing a somber tune. 

She padded over to him and when she placed a hand on his shoulder, he jumped surprised to see her.

"Oh, when did you get here?" he questioned putting down his guitar.

"Not too long ago, you didn't hear me come in?" she asked as he grabbed her hand pulling her to sit on his lap.

"No, no I was so into this song." He answered playing with one of her stray curls, wrapping it around his finger absentmindedly.

"Hmm okay, are you alright? I feel like everyone has been in a down mood all day." Emilia ran her fingers through his hair, picking at one of the shorter strands, Daniel leaned up to press a kiss to her collarbone.

"Um, babe?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you in a towel? Like only a towel?" 

Emilia giggled and tried to slip off his lap but he locked his arms around her. "I was going to put clothes on I swear! Daniel, no."

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Zach entered his shared room with Leylah and was instantly hit with the smell of her perfume. The smell that usually made his heart flutter was suddenly so strong and heavy in the air, it was nauseating. Leylah was sitting on the bed, her hair wet from an obvious recent shower, she was in one of Zach's shirts and she was staring off into space. All the lights were on and he was beginning to get a headache from the smell and the calm of the alcohol in his system.

"Why did you spray so much of that perfume? I hate to say that I think I'm beginning to hate it." Zach said with a short laugh but Leylah didn't smile or laugh back. 

"Well I'm gonna go take a shower, do you need anything?" Leylah shook her head and finally looked Zach in the eyes and he knew right then and there something happened. Jack and Leylah were acting strange but something in his gut told him not to push her, not yet. Zach turned on his heel and walked into the bathroom, not bothering to close the door behind him. 

Leylah got up from the bed and even though she had showered, scrubbed her body down, it was like the feeling of Jack's body against hers wouldn't disappear. She could still feel his lips on her skin, the burning touch of his hands on her body. She ran her fingers through her hair roughly and pressed a fist to her forehead as she tried to think it through. She wasn't just not going to tell Zach, she had to. Seeing him made her stomach turn and she felt so wrong, so out of body the experience was and yet she let it happen, she barely pushed to stop him, like she actually wanted it. 

Leylah turned out most of the lights, leaving the lamp on Zach's side of the bed on for him before she climbed into the bed, facing the window. When she closed her eyes, it all came to her in flashes and she curled up in a ball wanting it all to go away but when Zach finally climbed into bed with her,he pulled her close and she tensed up, the feeling of his body against hers was now being compared to another and she felt the hot tears slip down her cheeks.

"Baby, are you okay?" Leylah didn't answer him as she turned in his arms, snuggling herself into his chest. Zach held her tightly, hating the fact she was crying into his chest and he had no idea why.

Zach kissed the top of her head, closing his eyes as her body racked with tears.

They stayed like that for most of the night, and eventually, Zach fell asleep, his arms secure around Leylah. But Leylah couldn't find sleep, she had wrapped herself around Zach trying to soak up all of him.

The smell of his cologne, the feeling of his arms, the curve of his jaw, his soft hair, because she knew very well once he found out what she had done, she could never be that close to him again.

✧

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Emilia, Happy Birthday to you!" Emilia woke up surrounded by her best friends as they all, clad in their pajamas and bed hair sat on the bed singing cheerfully to her, Jessie's yawn finalizing the song. Daniel was sitting right in front of her holding a huge vanilla cupcake with blue frosting, a number nineteen candle sticking out of the cupcake.

"Happy birthday baby." Daniel said before lighting the candle and handing the cupcake to her, "Make a wish" he whispered and Emilia's eyes looked at every face around her. Those sleepy but cheery faces around her before she closed her eyes, making her wish and then blew out the candle.

"Let's get this party started!" Zach cheered before running out of the room waving his arms wildly earning laughter from the group.

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a/n: omg i know, i know this is like extra short and I'll probably add more or somethin' idk but i hope you enjoyed, it's 3:30 and i'm so sleepy so i'll see you babieess in the next chapterrr luuuvvvvssss youuuusss