The promise. [Short Chapters]

Chapter Three.

The next morning consisted of the absolute most confusing moment of my life. I reluctantly awoke to the afternoon sun beating down on my face from an unfamiliar half-covered window. I didn't recognize the room I was in, and I sure as hell didn't recognize the view outside of the window. I gently sat up, cradling my forehead in my right palm to soften the blow of the hangover headache I was experiencing, but it was no use, because my temples began to pound at the sight before me.

My body. Only underwear. Lump of dark brown hair lying next to me.

I panicked. I wasn't a hookup kind of person. Shit, truth be told, I was a virgin. And now I was in a strange bed, half naked next to someone who I was unsure of the identity of. I wanted to wake him up and scream..

"Who the fuck are you?!"

But I didn't want to get myself into an even more awkward situation. I resorted to trying my hardest to roll the boy over without waking him, but I found myself even more horrified than before when I saw who I was next to.

Joshua Goddamn Motherfucking Franceschi.

At that point, I ignored my headache and jumped out of the bed, throwing my clothes back on before I bolted to the door. I was too late, though, and Josh awakened as I was slipping my sandals on.

"Who the fuck opened the curtain?" he mumbled sleepily. I thought that I could maybe slip out of the door before he noticed me, but it was too late. He chuckled slightly.

"Lo, your hair..."

I crinkled my nose at him before bringing my hands up to touch the platinum and lavender mess atop my head. It was sticking out every which way. I probably looked like an electrocuted mop that just soaked up some grape juice.

"Fuck my life," I muttered, sliding down the wall, almost in tears. I put my head down and hugged my knees to my chest, trying my very hardest not to cry.

Josh quickly stood up and stepped my way. He was at least wearing a t-shirt with his boxers, so I wasn't blinded by his pale chest, something I usually would have laughed at him for, but I wasn't in too much of a laughing mood.

"Lola, what's wrong? You were down last night too, when we first got to the party. You know you can tell me anything." He rested his hand on my elbow, and I took this as a signal to lift my head and let my tear-filled eyes meet his concerned ones.

"Don't you see what we just woke up from, Josh? Number one, Max will have our fucking heads for sleeping together, and number two, I feel like a cheap slut with no recollection of how she meaninglessly lost her virginity."

He cringed at my use of the word "meaninglessly", then managed a halfhearted chuckle at me.

"Lo, we didn't have sex. You passed out or fell asleep or whatever it was that you did last night, so we all walked back to Matt's place -- well, you were carried here. I was making sure you were alright and I guess I fell asleep next to you."

I raised my eyebrows at him, not quite convinced by his story. "Then why were we in our underwear?"

"It was hot as hell last night, are you kiddin' me?" Josh chuckled.

I still wasn't convinced for some reason. "But what about the state my hair is in right now?"

"Your impressive dance moves," Josh chuckled. "I wasn't aware you were blackout drunk last night, jeez."

"Me either, apparently," I groaned, lowering my head once more, only to lift it up again with a horrid expression on my face. "Come to think of it, my clothes do smell like alcohol."

Josh stood up and extended his hand to help me. I eyeballed him for a second before accepting his hand, only a little concerned when he didn't let go as he dragged me to the closet in the corner of the room. He handed me one of Matt's t-shirts and a pair of basketball shorts and backed slowly away.

"You change, I'll be looking for food in the kitchen, and then we can get back to school before Price castrates me."

He left the room and I began to change, suddenly very glad that Matt was such a skinny fuck and his clothes didn't appear to be tents on me like Josh's did. Also Matt's shirt smelled nice, like a mixture of cologne and laundry soap and the essence of unicorn or something magical like that.

After a few minutes of being a bit of a creep and smelling his shirt, I padded off to the bathroom to fix my hair and found myself appalled at the sight of my own reflection. I wasn't aware that the small amount of eyeliner and mascara I had put on the day before could run so damn much. I splashed water over my face and hastily rubbed the greyish black smudges off of my cheeks, then stole a hair tie (which I'm assuming and also hoping belonged to Matt's mother) off of the counter and threw my hair into yet another messy bun before strutting back off to the kitchen.

"Well doesn't someone put me to shame, lookin' all lovely in my clothes?" Matt announced brightly as I stepped into the room. He was in the middle of a conversation with Josh, but stopped mid-gesture, leaving his left arm in the air, a piece of toast dangling from his fingers. Josh was sitting at the dining table across the room, looking rather uncomfortable, but I ignored him for the time being because suddenly Matt was being adorable.

"You alright, Lola? I was worried after you passed out last night," he asked, finally lowering his arm to take a bite of toast. "Lucky you had Josh to keep you company, aye?"

Before I could respond, Josh cut in. "Lo, we should get going before they send out a cavalry looking to have our heads for not checking back in last night."

I gave him an eye roll and he returned with a look that I can only imagine to be that of a mother whose child just came in past curfew. Or Price after Josh and I came in after curfew. I turned to Matt, half chuckling. "Sorry, Matty, but Josh's diva mood swings call."

"Well, shit to him. C'mere, doll," Matt chuckled, opening his arms for me to lean into.

"I don't see enough of you lot. Come over more often? Surely hanging with Dan, Chris, and me are better than parties with bloody Hamilton kids?"

I broke from his embrace and started to walk to the front door with him and Josh.

"Of course. Hammy is not well-known for its good times."

"Later, Matt." Josh gave him the typical bro-nod and we walked out of the door to find a cab waiting for us in the driveway. Before I could even open the back door, though, Josh put his hand on my shoulder and turned me around softly but quickly.

"The hell was that, is there something going on between you and Matt?"

My eyes narrowed and my jaw dropped.

"Well aren't you a bit hasty, Joshua? No, there is nothing going on between Matt and me. He was being a good, hungover, friend, something you should be taking note of!"

Josh tipped his head back, frustrated, and his messy hair spilled down his neck.

"Then what the hell was with him calling you 'lovely' and 'doll'? I'm not bloody stupid, Lola!"

"You call me 'lovely' and 'cute' and 'love' all the time, Josh, and this is nothing more than a stupid platonic friendship!" I fumed, finally shoving him out of my way so I could get in the cab. I watched out of the window as he punched the air then slid into the cab, this time taking the other window seat instead of sitting in the middle, next to me.

It was going to be a long drive back to London.