Celebrity Status [1]

5.) Rude Awakenings

I woke up when I felt hands on my side, pushing me with a sudden, strong force. A second later, I rolled off of the bed and landed on the floor with a loud thud.

"Ow. Good morning to you too, sweetheart." I mumbled, slowly standing to my feet and rubbing the pain out of my butt to see a very surprised/shocked/angry/scared Ryder West staring at me. Ryder West. I was in his house. In his room. Seconds before this, I was in his bed. With Ryder West. Right in front of me, stood the very Ryder West.

"Who the hell are you?" He snapped. It kind of sounded like a shriek and I was suddenly worried that he was about to murder me or something.

This was when I realized that he was shirtless. My knees buckled at the sight and you would not believe the power that I had to muster up not to drop my jaw and drool. No, I forced my eyes back up to his face and answered him.

"Holly," I answered him, feeling slightly annoyed at my rude awakening but also still very starstruck. "And I'd appreciate something more like a gentle 'hey, wake up, gorgeous' to wake me up next time, thank you."

"Why the hell are you in my room? Sleeping in my fucking bed? Wearing my shirt?" He was frantically yelling at me now.

I groaned. "Something tells me that you completely forget the events of last night. Okay, so you got completely wasted. So I was like 'Oh my gosh, it's Ryder West! He's right there!' And then Andy was like 'Help me get him home, please.' So then I was like 'Okay!' So I brought you home and then you were all like 'No. Don't leave.'" I imitated his drunk, slurry voice. "And then I was all 'I can't sleep in what I'm wearing.' So then you were all 'wear my shirt.' So then I couldn't think of an excuse to say no, and honestly, I'm not too sure I wanted to. So I put on your shirt and then laid down on the couch and then you were all 'No, sleep with me.' And then I tried every excuse in the book until you wore me out. So here we are."

He looked at me like I was crazy. I was used to people giving me that look, so I didn't pay it any attention. "You're not just some crazed fan?"

"Crazed? I wouldn't say crazed," I defended myself slowly. I was actually very surprised at how calm I sounded when my heart was racing like a maniac in my chest and my hands were clammy. I was totally freaking out on the inside and I had no idea how I didn't let that show.

"I haven't seen you around. What were you even doing at that party?" He asked.

"Jeesh, what's with the twenty questions?" I muttered walking towards the closet.

"I'm sorry, I'd like to know who the hell I'm sleeping with," He still sounded irritated, even though I just explained to him that I was here to help. Maybe he's just not a morning person. I swung open the closet door and tossed the pretty red dress over my shoulder before grabbing my purse.

"It didn't bother you last night. And we didn't 'sleep' together, I just fell asleep," I mumbled, closing the closet door and standing before Ryder as he slid a shirt over his perfect body. God, he's gorgeous. Even more gorgeous than in the posters and the movies. It's better in real life. His muscles flexed with every movement as he raised his hands above his head and pulled on his shirt.

"Yeah, well, I was drunk last night," He said shortly, as if I didn't already know that. "And I'd appreciate it if you'd stop staring at me, it's starting to creep me out."

I blinked rapidly and averted my gaze to the curtains on the other side of the room. "Well I'm sorry, it's not every day I get to meet... you know... you."

"Wait... you look familiar now," He said, now looking at me with those insane eyes that I could stare at for days... and I have. Just not in the actual him. I've stared at posters, pictures, interviews of him. Never the real thing before. "You're Jackson's sister, right? What is it... Harley?"

"Close enough," I decided, feeling very uncomfortable in this situation. I can only hold off my horrible babbling for so long, and I know that I'm going to word vomit all over the place if I don't get out soon. "I should get going. Jackson better be making me sugar bacon right now."

"Sugar bacon?" Ryder repeated.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "You've known my brother for how long? And you've never had his sugar bacon?"

"Sounds disgusting," He dramatically cringes.

I scoffed. "Says you. You should try it sometime, but not today because I'm not sharing. It's like a heart attack for breakfast," I walked towards the door to the bedroom. "It was really nice meeting you."

"Yeah, uh, you too," Ryder mumbled right before I opened the door and walked into the hallway. "Thanks for the help last night, I guess."

I had a stupid grin on my face the size of Neptune as I walked down the long hallway. Luckily, I remembered Kale telling me that our houses are identical in structure, so I didn't get lost in the house. Unluckily, before I got to the stairs, a door swung open as I was walking past it and knocked me off of my feet onto the plush carpet of the hallway.

"Holly? What the hell are you doing here?" I heard Kale's voice before I saw his face.

Sure enough, I looked up to see Kale looking down at me with a confused expression. Not even lifting a hand to help me up.

I muttered a few choice words under my breath before standing to my feet and plastering a smile on my face. "It's a long story."

"Doesn't look like a long story," He muttered.

For a minute, I just stood there confused until I realized what he was hinting at. I guess it does seem pretty suggestive to be leaving Ryder's room this early in the morning wearing his clothes, carrying what I was wearing last night. "Oh no. We didn't."

"It's okay, Holly," Kale said with what seems to be a forced smile. "It happens all the time with him. But I'm sure Jackson's going to have a fit."

"N-no!" I finally said in a voice that was probably too loud for this time of day. "I did not have sex with Ryder West!"

He crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows at me, looking skeptical of me. "But you slept with him..."

"Yes, but he was drunk and- and I was just being nice!" I quickly insisted. I know that I don't owe Kale an explanation and if I did sleep with his brother, he shouldn't get upset. I barely know him.

"By sleeping with Ryder?" Kale repeated.

It took a minute for the realization to hit me. Holy cow pies, I just slept in the same bed. As Ryder West. For a whole night. Sure, I had the initial shock when I woke up, but it was glazed over with morning irritability. "Oh my burnt tater tots, I totally spent the night with Ryder West!" I gasped with a grin spreading across my face.

"Yeah, I think we've gotten past that."

"Do I smell like him?" I asked, getting closer to Kale so that he could smell me. "Be honest."

"What?" He laughed incredulously.

"Just smell me and tell me if I smell like Ryder," I continued to explain.

Kale seemed amused, which was a relief to me. Even as it was happening, I knew that I was acting a bit crazy, so I was glad that he wasn't just pushing me out the door or calling me insane. "I don't know what he smells like, I'm sorry."

"I'm never showering again," I declared.

"That's gross," He objected.

"Think of me what you will, I have sugar bacon awaiting me," I realized, turning away from him and heading towards the stairs.

"I don't think you need any more sugar. Ever. In your whole life. You've had enough already to fuel an army for three years."

I offered him a shy smile. "This is not a sugar rush. This is just pure Holly Thorne. I'm not crazy, don't look at me like that. I prefer the term abnormally happy." And with that, I disappeared out of view and down the stairs.

To the sugar bacon!