Between Us

chapter seven

07

My eyes fly open.

At first I don't know why I woke up so abruptly, but then I realize: it's 6:50 in the morning. School starts at 7:30.

"Fuck!" I hiss, throwing the blanket off my bare legs. I find a bra lying on the floor and strip off my shirt, quickly trying to get it on. I'm left in my bra and underwear as I search for a pair of jeans and a shirt.

I find a random t-shirt (that doesn't look much like mine, to be honest, but at this point I don't care) and throw it on. I grab my backpack, converse, and a pair of my signature ripped jeans and run down the stairs, jeans in hand.

I throw my backpack and shoes onto the couch, running into the kitchen pantless. My dad is at the kitchen table in his suit for work, drinking a cup of coffee. When he sees me, he just rolls his eyes. He's used to this by now, because more often than not I forget to set my alarm clock and I'm in this position.

I cram a bagel with cream cheese that was just sitting on the counter in my mouth, even though there was a bite taken out of it. "That was Reed's," Dad tells me.

I shrug. "Mine now," I mumble, although it doesn't sound anything like what it's supposed to.

I pour coffee into my mug, drinking it quickly, trying to ignore how it burns my mouth and throat. Suddenly Liam comes walking into the kitchen, swinging a set of keys around his finger, my mom behind him in her work attire.

"Liam offered to drive you to school because you woke up late," Mom says. "Nice of him, yeah?"

I nod. "Very nice. Thanks," I say, shooting him a thumbs up. I'm actually glad he did, because Reed took the car we share to football practice.

I can tell he's fighting off a laugh. "Are you going to school pants-less?"

I look down at the jeans in my hands. I shrug. "I suppose not," I answer, slipping my legs in and wiggling my hips to get them up. I look at the time as I button them. It's 7:00, and it takes ten minutes to get there, without traffic, and ten minutes for me to get to my first class because the hallways are always jam-packed with students and my class is in the back of the school.

"Bye, love you!" I yell as I grab my shoes and backpack off the couch. Liam is right behind me as we walk out the door. "Shit, it's cold."

I'm not wearing socks or shoes, so my feet are freezing and I forgot a jacket. Great. I practically throw myself into Liam's Jeep and start putting my socks and shoes on.

Liam starts his Jeep and drives, eyeing me and my frazzled state. "Rough morning?"

"You could say that," I mutter, tying a shoe. I tie the other one and lean back. "Everyone knows I forget to set my alarm clock most of the time, and nobody comes to wake me up. Damn it's cold."

Liam laughs. "Did you forget your jacket too?" I nod, hugging myself. "There's a hoodie in the backseat, you can borrow it," he says, nodding back.

I twist my body to reach back, and I find the hoodie on the seat. I grab it and slip it on, noticing that it was a little big. It's grey, with I'm guessing his college's mascot on the front with the college's name.