Amanda and I said goodbye to them, Amanda giving Calum a long lasting hug with Cal telling her he'd see her soon. Luke and I had shared an awkward final hug, then Calum, Mikey, and finally Ashton, who hugged me as if I were a delicate piece of china. We tore away moments later and we said our final goodbyes before we walked out of the hotel room. We turned to walk to the elevator when we saw an old friend.
Arlow was walking down the corridor, his broad shoulders making him look large, but when he saw us, his lips tugged upward into a tight grin, his eyes lighting up like a little puppy seeing something exciting for the first time. "Amanda! Thalia! I haven't seen you guys in forever! Have you come to see the boys?" the large man greeted us politely and excitedly. "Ya know, they talk about you guys often."
I smiled weakly down to my toes, feeling a wave of depression and pride hit me at the same time and causing my emotions to see-saw back and forth in my stomach. "Actually, we were just leaving, but I'm sure you'll see Amanda again," I said softly.
"What about you" Arlow's question made me feel a deep hole in my gut, growing deeper and deeper as I thought of the appropriate way to answer the question without making myself feel like shit. I opened my mouth to say something awkward, but Amanda had my back, as always.
"She and Luke decided they're better off friends," she said quickly. Arlow looked saddened.
"Aw, I shipped you two so hard," he mumbled and I tried hard not to laugh, hearing that get uttered from a grown man, and it didn't help that he had a Navy Seal tattoo on his forearm just above his elbow. "Well I guess I'll see you soon, Amanda. Bye Thalia," he said, waving weakly and I waved back before we awkwardly stepped around each other.
Amanda and I walked to the elevator and I stepped into the small metal box, feeling my vision go blurry. Amanda saw this and said nothing, but simply let her hand rest on the small of my back and rub small circles, trying to get me to feel better, but I wouldn't. Something was eating at me alive as we exited the hotel, and as we got in the car, I felt it once more.
But I ignored it, and drove home, back to my house, back to normal. When we got there, Amanda went to the kitchen to order pizza, while I went to clean up the living room from where Ashton, Amanda, Calum and I had slept for a few hours before heading to the hotel. I stripped the beds of their blankets and tucked them back into the couches, applying the couch cushions and shoving the blankets back into the closets clumsily.
I peered at the living room, feeling hollow and empty. There was no trace of what had happened the night before.
I walked to the kitchen to see Amanda leaning against the counter. She was talking on the phone before she hung up and put the device on the counter boredly.
"The total's fifteen dollars," she said, sliding out her white wallet and flipping through it. "I have nine here," she said and I walked to the cookie jar. Inside was where I stashed money for pizza and I pulled out sixteen, handing it to Amanda without a word. "Thalia? That's a huge tip," she stated with wide eyes and I shrugged.
"Maybe they'll need the extra money for a date they'll take their girlfriend on, ya never know," I stated and Amanda stared at me for a moment before putting it with her money.
"Okay then, what do you wanna do?" the blonde girl asked and I shrugged my shoulders glumly, staring at the kitchen flooring beneath my different colored socks. "Thalia, babe, you either need to get back together with Luke, or forget about him. You've been away from him for half an hour and you look like someone stabbed your grandmother."
I looked up at Amanda and scratched the back of my head. "I can't get back together with Luke," I stated softly.
"Have you ever even thought about giving him a second chance?" Amanda asked me.
"If he was the one for me, he wouldn't need a second chance," I stated and Amanda looked at me before nodding, knowing that I'd made a point. I sighed and looked at her. "When's the pizza gonna get here?" I asked, changing the subject.
"Forty minutes at least," Amanda said. "What should we do until then?" My mind scraped every area of the house, thinking of something, anything, but I couldn't help but shrug.
"I'm not sure, but we have to do something. I need to get my mind off Luke," I said, my mouth feeling dry after reciting the blonde boys' name. Amanda nodded and I looked outside. It was around lunch time, and it was a clear, sunny day. "This sounds stupid, but we could go play in the sprinklers...?" I suggested and Amanda laughed.
"Sure. We have to work up an appetite somehow," she joked with a grin and I laughed softly before we headed upstairs.
"Which swimsuit do you wanna borrow?" I asked as I opened the drawer and started messing up the neatly folded bathing suits, Amanda next to me, gazing at each one.
"Where's that one with the pink- oh there it is!" Amanda happily pulled out my white bikini with the pink polka dots that had pink stripes around the edges. I giggled before pulling out my light blue one with gold sequins on the top hem of the lower half.
I shut the drawer and we slid them on carelessly, walking to the full-body mirror and admiring them happily.
"We could go shopping later today," I said as I finished tying a knot for the top half of my bikini. Amanda nodded and then we rushed down the stairs, and out to the garage. I had to do some digging, but eventually, I found the sprinklers, but then we saw the slip-n-slide. "Which one?" I asked, as if it was really a toss up.
"Obviously the slip-n-slide!" Amanda declared and I laughed before grabbing it, pulling it free from its box and we walked out to the front yard. While Amanda unfolded it, I went around and grabbed the long green house that was attached to the faucet, turning the knob to full blast and letting the slightly warmed water splash on my feet as I walked back. Amanda took it and started filling it up before plugging it into the main hole, where the water would shoot out of the side border in slightly thick rays and splashed onto the slicked material.
"You go first, and I'll take a picture for your instagram," Amanda suggested and I nodded, walking to the front porch where we'd previously set our phones, along with the pizza man's cash, and walked back, hanging the device to Amanda.
"Okay, one, two, three," Amanda said as I backed up. "Go!" she shouted and I ran toward the water. I slid on my stomach through the rays of water and laughed as I slid into the pool of water at the end. "Perfect!" Amanda declared and I stood up, walking over to her and crouching. Thank god for clear technology, the picture really did look great. My eyes were bright and happy, free from depressing thoughts, and my smile was pure and real. "I uploaded it," Amanda said proudly.
"Awesome," I said and stood up, Amanda following shortly after. "Now you," I beamed and rushed over, grabbing her phone and then coming back to the end of the slip-n-side with the pool. I counted her down excitedly and then she slid down the path. I took the pic the same time she took mine and she looked gorgeous. I envied the pure, smile, her bright blue eyes, her long, beautiful blonde hair. I smiled weakly as I gave the phone to her.
"What's wrong? Does it look awful?" she asked worriedly and she looked at it before beaming proudly. "It's amazing!" she stated and ran a hand through her hair.
"It really is," I stated before hearing my phone ding from a notification and I picked up my phone. I checked instagram, and sure enough it had come from there. I read the activity with an annoyed expression.
luke_is_a_penguin likes your photo.
(I'm not changing the user bc this story takes place in 2013, so either suck by dick or shut the fuck up. thanks bb)
[A/N] THIS STORY IS ALMOST OVER!
I MIGHT MAKE A SEQUEL! BUT I DUNNO THO!
xxx
