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The golden sunlight peaking through the spaces in the blinds made CJ wince as she slowly opened her eyes. The instant she began sitting up she felt the consequence of the night before.
CJ almost let out a laugh in relief once she noticed the small trash bin from her bedroom placed conveniently beside the sofa. She leaned off of the sofa, pulling the trash can closer so she could throw up. Gus shot up from his spot on the make-shift bed he made himself on the floor.
"Hey, are you okay?" He moved to her side, gathering her blonde hair into his hand to hold it out of her face.
"Yeah... yeah I think I'm okay." CJ chuckled softly, sitting up. She held her pounding head in her hands.
"I'll get you some water." Gus announced.
CJ watched him disappear into the kitchen, still in his clothes from the night before. The living room was a mess. Taco Bell wrappers, sauce packets and shot glasses all over the coffee table, blankets and pillows on the floor in front of the TV- that must be where Gus slept. She doesn't remember asking him to, but it made her feel better.
"Here." Gus returned with a glass of water and aspirin.
"You slept here last night." CJ observed, accepting the items from Gus.
"Uh, yeah." He shrugged. "Was that not okay?"
"Why did you do that?"
"You were drunk." He started. CJ raised an eyebrow at him. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay, I guess. There were a lot of dudes across the hall at Tracy's and... I don't know."
CJ studied the man in front of herself, taking a sip of her water.
"Thank you."
"It's nothing." Gus brushed it off, turning to pick up the blanket-bed and pillows from the floor. "I'd do it for any of my homies."
"Oh, we're homies now?" CJ smirked.
"Yep." The tattooed boy grinned. "And since I babysat you, you owe me."
"Owe you what?!"
"This." He held up one of CJ's cigarettes, along with her lighter. He gave the girl a wink and made his way out the door.
_______________
"You're leaving?"
Corinna froze at Tracy's sleepily-spoken words. She slowly turned to face him, pulling her jeans the rest of the way on.
"Um, yeah." She chuckled, looking down as she fastened the button. "I wasn't actually planning on staying the night, I'm sorry."
Tracy sat up in his bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He reached for the already rolled blunt on his nightstand and began to smoke.
"Could you hand me my shirt?" Corinna asked shyly. Tracy grabbed the white t-shirt from the end of the bed and silently handed it to the brunette.
"Alright." Corinna shifted awkwardly. "See ya."
"You don't have to leave," Tracy suggested. "We can just chill."
Corinna tried to hold back a smile. She loved the idea of spending the day with Tracy- he was the most down-to-earth, interesting guy she's met in a long time. But she didn't love the idea of overstaying her welcome after a hook-up.
"Maybe another time?" She suggested hopefully. Tracy nodded, looking more interested in his blunt than in the conversation.
_______________
Gus watched groups of hungover teens and adults filtering out of Tracy's apartment from his spot against the wall, smoking the cigarette he took from CJ. A couple of them stopped for a photo, which he didn't have the heart to refuse even if he wasn't in the mood.
"Gustav."
Gus turned to find a petite, raven-haired girl with large sunglasses exiting the apartment as well.
"Layla." He replied with a small smile.
"I was looking fucking everywhere for you last night. Everyone was like 'where's Peep?', 'I swear I just saw Peep', 'Peep's always at Tracy's parties', and I just had to look dumb and be like 'I don't know.'" She took the cigarette out of his hand, putting it to her own lips. "Since when did you smoke fucking Camels?"
"Uh, I don't know I just-"
"Are you coming over tonight?" Layla asked suddenly, returning the cigarette.
"I don't know." Gus rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward. Layla frowned.
"Well, I brought you something." She smiled. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a little baggy of white powder, and slipped it into Gus's pocket. "And there's more where that came from. At home."
Gus glanced over Layla's shoulder and spotted Corinna coming their way.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there." He spoke quickly. "I'll text you." He watched as Layla wandered to her car. There's no way she was safe to drive; he made a mental note to check on her soon.
Corinna didn't even look at Gus as she walked down the steps. She kept her eyes on her phone, but didn't seem to be typing or scrolling.
"Have fun with Tracy?" Gus observed with a smirk. Corinna's cheeks blushed deeply.
"Yeah, I guess." She rolled her eyes.
"He kick you out?"
Corinna frowned. "No, I left."
"He's not awake yet?"
"No, he is." Corinna corrected. "He's smoking up in his bed."
"Wait. You and Tracy hooked up last night and he didn't ask you to leave this morning?" Gus asked, dumbfounded.
"Why? Is that what he usually does?" Corinna looked just as confused.
"Well, yeah."
Corinna couldn't help but smile. Tracy didn't even want her to leave, he asked her to stay.
"I'm gonna go check on CJ." She announced, changing the subject quickly.
"She's okay," Gus reassured. "She threw up but she drank some water and shit. She seemed alright before I came down here."
Corinna looked at Gustav like he was insane.
"What?"
"Did you two..?"
"No!" Gus shook his head. "I just stayed to make sure she was alright. You were with Tracy, so..."
Corinna just smiled, motioning for Gus to follow her as they returned upstairs to CJ's apartment.
