Coping With Clarity

Chapter Sixteen

“Hello you’ve reached Selena’s voicemail, narrated by Demi Lovato. If this is Taylor callin’ ‘leave a message guurrrl!’. If this is Nicholass Jonass - hang up the phone douche.”

“Oh my- I’m laughin’ so hard! When did you chance your voicemail? Nevermind, call me when you get this sweetie.”

Beep

“Selena, who the fu-; where are you? Call me.”

Beep

“Selena, it's mom. How did Prom go? Taylor called so don’t worry I know your at her house. Call as soon as you get this ‘Lena.”

Beep

“I soooo just covered your ass, you better be gettin’ ready to call me back. I need details!”

End of Messages.

~

All she could hear were the pitter patter of rain, banging against the window pane. It was probably only a light shower but the room was still amplified from the sounds it endured the night before.

Selena can tell her body is starting to awaken. A crushing fact due to how she can feel herself tangled in a warm body, close and still. Heart beats so near that they’re in sync.

There’s a silent buzzing in the background.

Her eyes crack away the lull of sleep, expecting a shine of sunlight but, luckily for her vulnerable irises, pale skies cloud the window view. The rain she heard is nothing more than spitting droplets that she would kill to have massage her body from slumber. The water wouldn’t go amiss either.

Dry sweat is never a nice thing. Being so enrapt in last night, in Demi, Selena never gave it a second thought. It was simple to blame all the morning-after scenes in movies for not preparing her for her desire to be clean. (Even though the evidence of sex made her feel fresher and more mature as she lay so close to the person she held through pleasure.) She didn’t expect to feel any different, but then again the change was always there. It just took a series of fortunate events to turn the wheels in motion.

Her mind isn’t fully attuned to everything yet, but her senses are relaxed. Selena darts her eyes to the mirror on the wall, where so much started; it showed the door still closed, the lock untouched. ‘What time was it?’

The hospital had several showers available on every ward, to Selena’s experience; but she kinda didn’t want to move.

The night had shuffled Demi onto her side and brought Selena behind her, cocooning their bodies with the sheet; that now rested on their hips. Selena’s limited vision, as she was pressed right against Demi’s back, could spot the marks she’d hoped wouldn’t look too vibrant. Pinks, yellows mix with purple. There’s still more tan than those. Selena smiled into Demi’s shoulder. Letting it all bubble in her. The strokes, pieces to a puzzle, jumping of metaphorical cliffs and everything Matt Nathanson ever sang about.

Selena likes how the raindrops on the window make little scaly shadows on their skin. They blend together. Somehow her realization wakes Demi; or Demi realizes she’s awake. She doesn’t really know but it all works when Demi’s heavy voice wakes her up, the way her morning should have started. All she hoped for.

“Your phone's been buzzing non-stop.”

The tinny background noise dismissed earlier pipes up to prove Demi’s point. Somewhere in all the chaos her clutch bag ended up sitting, prime position, on Demi’s bedside table. Selena blinked up at it but didn’t move, preferring to laze in the way Demi fit in her arms.