Sleeping With a Friend

Chapter Four

“They should be here any minute. You said nine right? And gave them the right address?” I paced back and forth, letting my nerves get the best of me.

“Y/N, calm down. They’re men, they’re never on time.” Sophie flipped a page in her magazine.

I stopped moving, “So what does that mean for you?” I smirked at her and saw her eye roll.

Suddenly there was a buzzing that startled both me and Sophie.

“Hello?” I said into the speaker.

“Hey Y/N? It’s Luke, can you buzz us up?” I was relieved to hear that they were actually there. In the background I heard someone yell “let us in!”

I smiled, “Yeah, come on up. I’m on the third floor.” I pressed the button that granted them access into the building and waited for them to knock on my door.

“Are you excited?” Sophie leaned over the back of the couch.

“Yeah,” I shrugged, “It’s just drinking.”

“But you know what they say, drunken minds speak sober thoughts.” 

“I have nothing to hide! Besides I think I have enough self-control to hold it together. Unlike you Ms. Two-drink-Donna. You would think you would build a tolerance for the amount of alcohol you drink.”

Sophie rolled her eyes, shutting the magazine and tossing it on the side table, “Yeah well at least I know how to have a good time!” Her voice didn’t sound like she was joking like I was. I furrowed my eyebrows at her. My lips formed a flat line as I wondered what the reason behind it was. There was a knock at the door and I silently thanked them for their timing of breaking up the awkward moment between me and Sophie. I cleared my throat and walked toward the door, sticking my eye against the peep hole to make sure it was who I thought it was. I swung the door open and grinned as I saw the four boys I had just became friends with last night.

“Hey guys! Come on in!” I stepped to the side, letting them walk in, each saying their own form of a hello. Ashton was the last one to walk in and our eyes met for a moment as he walked past. I could almost see my life flash before my eyes. Maybe it was the past, or maybe it was the future, all I know is I blushed and had to clear my throat to break another awkward situation. “Uh, hey.” I said to him, looking down at my feet and shutting the door.

“Hi.” He grinned, following his friends to the kitchen. I heard Sophie directing them to get drinks in the kitchen. I cursed at myself for being so awkward.

I gave my hands a shake like I was shooing away any awkwardness or nerves I had in my body and shuffled to the kitchen. Everyone was circled around it, each leaning against their own piece of counter like they had etched their name on the marble. They each had a beer bottle in hand, so I joined them, grabbing my own and etching my own name against the table. Sophie was talking to Luke, Calum and Michael were in a conversation so the awkwardness was rising between Ashton and myself. There was no way I would strike up a conversation, I had no idea where to even begin with this boy. He sat on his phone and sipped his beer. I gazed at his lips and his throat as he swallowed the alcohol.

“So! Why don’t we play a little game?” Sophie interrupted my staring.

“What did you have in mind?” Calum looked over at her smirking face.

“Hmm, how about Never Have I Ever? It’s a good way to get to know each other better.” I chimed in, cheering myself on in my head for being the one to come up with it. Sophie had been avoiding my glances since they got here and I worried that I might have upset her with my comment earlier. But in reality she should be used to it, we always had backhanded comments to say to one another and it never seemed to bother her before. “Why don’t we move into the living room so we’re more comfortable?” They nodded and I lead them into the living room where we scattered. I sat in the corner of the couch, Michael next to me and Ashton on the other side of him. Luke and Sophie sat together on a chair next to the TV and Calum sat on the floor in the middle of the room. I asked him if he wanted to sit in a chair but he assured that he was fine.

We each put three fingers up and began the game. So far so good. We started with easy questions, things you probably could have done when you were younger making everyone put down at least two fingers and their drinks half gone as well. Then the questions started getting dirtier, more intimate questions I know I didn’t want people to know. Sophie had continued to be a bit hostile toward me, whether it was with words or giving me an eye roll ever now and again. We were well into the game and I still had two fingers up and the boys were wondering how that could even happen, finding it amusing.

“How is that even possible?! How are you not even close to losing” Michael exclaimed with a chuckle and two fingers down. I giggled, opening my mouth with a rebuttal but Sophie cut me off before I could start.

“That’s because Y/N is a good girl. She always does what she’s told and never takes chances.” She began, her words weren’t slurring so I knew she wasn’t drunk and just rambling off, “You should have seen her in college, and she rarely left her dorm room. While everyone else went out for a party, she stayed in to study or read.” She sat up from Luke’s lap, no longer leaning against his chest. The room grew silent as everyone felt the hostility now. I could feel her eyes staring deadly at me as she gulped down her drink. Now I was the one avoiding her. Luke touched her arm, to pull her back against him.

I coughed lightly, the awkwardness and nerves tingling all throughout my body as I felt like everyone in the room had their eyes on me. “I’m uh just gonna go to the bathroom.” I was quick to pull myself together and stand from the couch, “This beer went right through me.” The fake smile on my face could full hundreds of people as I walked to the dark hallway. I headed straight for my bedroom instead of the bathroom, feeling a lump in my throat. I didn’t want to cry, but the tears were already there and I felt as if there was nothing I could do about it. I closed the door slightly so that there was a slight crack and the light from the other room was shining through. I kept the room dark and sat on my bed, keeping my sniffles as silent as I could. Damn I felt like I had just been stabbed in the back about ten times. Words hurt, especially when they came from your best friend’s mouth. Through my ramped thoughts and teary eyes I didn’t hear the door open, but the presence of someone else had startled me.

“I knew you weren’t going to the bathroom.” The voice came from the person I had heard the least from the whole night, Ashton.

I placed my hand on my heart and breathed heavy. “You scared me.” I kept my gaze down at the ground and wiped my cheeks. “What are you doing here? Your friends are still out there.” He stayed leaning against the door frame.

“I could tell what she said bothered you, so I wanted to make sure you were alright.” He explained.

I sniffled, continuing to wipe my face, not replying to him.

Ashton left the door frame and made himself at home, sitting next to me on the bed. “Don’t listen to her. I’m pretty sure she was just drunk.”

“But it’s true.” I whispered, “I’m like the lamest person ever.” Ashton chuckled.

“I’m pretty sure there are lamer people out there Y/N.” It was the first time I heard him say my name, it sounded so beautiful coming out of his mouth. “You shouldn’t let her get to you. You work hard for things you deserve and there is nothing wrong with that.” It was like he took the word right out of my mouth. I set a goal for myself and where I wanted to see myself and I’ll be damned if I let anyone else take it from me. I was proud of how hard I have worked and planned on continuing it.

I wiped my cheeks one last time and finally looked at him. “Thank you.” I admired him so much more now. Before I just thought he was a pretty face, now I knew he was a pretty heart as well.

“No problem.” He grinned and I blushed. Ashton stood from the bed and held out his hand, which I took and he pulled me up. “Let’s go back out and pretend like nothing happened, yeah?” I nodded, grateful to have come to know someone like him.

Ashton walked back out to the group as I fixed myself up to hide the fact that I was crying. That’s the last thing I would need to happen right now. He had helped me to realize where my priorities stood and what I wanted. Right now my focus was on work and gaining the respect I deserved. I stepped back into the living room and took my seat. I peeked over at Ashton and nodded with a smile on my face. The night went on and so did I, ignoring anything else that came out of Sophie’s mouth.