Powering Through: A Sequel to Learning To Swim For Real

Chapter 26: A New Beginning

Kelsey woke up to a throbbing head and furry feeling mouth, simultaneously feeling like she was dying of thirst and needed to puke. She rolled over and saw blond hair obscuring a familiar face.

Shit.

She sat up and looked down at herself. She was still wearing her yellow dress, though that didn't mean much. Her shoes were gone, and she shifted carefully, felt her underwear between her skin and the dress, and upgraded her situation from "shit" to merely "crap."

She looked around. She was in a bedroom, sparsely furnished, with books everywhere. Phoenix's room, most likely, since he was slumbering next to her. She vaguely remembered coming upstairs with him last night, wandering the long halls of Candy's Bel-Air mansion in the wee hours of New Year's Day, hopelessly drunk, talking and laughing with Phoenix about anything and everything.

She saw a mini fridge next to the bed, opened it, and found it full of bottles of water. She opened one and nearly emptied it in one swallow, which alleviated one problem, but made the other one worse.

She grabbed another bottle and went in search of a bathroom. The first door turned out to be a small office, with more books and a computer, and the second door was a walk-in closet. Hippy or not, you could definitely tell he used to be a model. This boy knew how to dress.

Kelsey finally found the en suite on her third try and went to the bathroom for what seemed like forever. Ahhh. She also found some aspirin in the cabinet, and took a few with her second water. She also took the opportunity to wash her face at the sink.

Feeling a little more human, she went back to the bedroom, this time looking for her shoes. She tried to remember what exactly had happened last night. She remembered drinking a lot of champagne, talking to Phoenix and Kiki, and not feeling miserable for the first time in a week.

She remembered seeing Jack, too.

Kelsey sat down on the bed with a soft thump. He had looked really good, so handsome in a teal shirt that she remembered picking out for him, along with fitted, tailored slacks. The look on his face, though, when he saw her with Phoenix, was awful.

He'd been with Marian, though. So he was really trying to get on with things, then. She'd better try, too. Kelsey sighed, raking her fingers through her hair. She wondered what time it was. She heard a sound and looked over at Phoenix.

He had rolled over and was regarding her with one eye cracked open.

"Good morning," he said, his voice raspy. "Did you sleep well?"

Kelsey nodded. "Hell of a hangover, but I'll live. Thanks for letting me crash."

Phoenix sat up slowly. "Mi casa es su casa," he said, spreading his hands expansively. "Oh, fuck, man, too bright," he muttered, rising and adjusting the curtains.

"Have you ever thought of moving out?" Kelsey asked. "You know, getting your own place?"

Phoenix looked around, then looked back at Kelsey, shrugging. "Why? I'm not even twenty-five, my parents are the coolest people, I've got plenty of space here, I can come and go as I please, I mean, it's a pretty sweet deal, I think."

"Yeah, I guess so," she agreed. "Not many people our age get along with their parents, you know?"

Phoenix nodded. "But like I said, Candy and my dad are the best. I'd miss Lulu and Seth, too, you know? We even eat dinner together sometimes, which most people find unbelievable in this day and age." He looked around again. "I like it here. And I feel welcome. So I stay."

Kelsey nodded. "And I also want to thank you for not putting pressure on me about--about anything," she said, looking at the bed. "I mean, we were both pretty wasted, but I remember you wanting to, and I remember saying no, and I remember you stopping, so thanks for that."