Sketched Out

Chapter 5

"Jooooaaannn! I'm coming up, you better be awake you lazy bum!"

My eyes creaked open, and the light made my head pulse. I grimaced and rolled over, thinking the voice was my imagination.

"Jooooaann, I'm almost up!"

I realized it wasn't my imagination. Charlee was here.

I blinked a few times in rapid motion and lurched up, this making me stomach and head hurt at the same time. I groaned and held my head between my hands. And then I realized there was someone else stirring in the bed beside me.

"Who is yelling? It's like 10AM." Stephanie, the girl from lastnight, said with an annoyed eye roll.

I stared at her blankly and my head was scrambling.

"Joan, can I come in?" Charlee asked outside my door, knocking a few times.

"Uhh, one minute." I said quickly and stumbled out of my bed and grabbed a bathrobe, pulling it onto my nude form. I felt sick from all the movement.

"What the hell is going on?" Stephanie asked, sitting up in my bed, the blankets covering her bare breasts. I began to panic.

I didn't know why I felt guilty, I wasn't dating Charlee so I had nothing to feel guilty for... she's the one who decided to intrude in my home this morning.

"I'm coming in now!" Charlee said, and my reaction was much too slow.

"No! Uh, wait!" I fumbled over to my door but it was too late.

Charlee flung open the door and let herself in. Her blonde hair was pulled in a loose updo, decorated with a red ribbon. She wore a simple white blouse and a crimson skirt with just as bright red heels. She held a beautifully wrapped present in her hands. She looked so beautiful that, it made it harder for me to function.

She stopped dead in her tracks to stare at Stephanie, who was staring at her with an aggressive, annoyed look.

Charlee looked at me, her glossed lips parted in shock and confusion.

"Charlee... Hey..." I said, stepping towards her.

She stepped back and I stopped.

"...I'm sorry..." she said slowly, looking down at the present she had in her arms. ".. I didn't realize you had company." her shiny green eyes looked at Stephanie again, looking as if she were about to cry. "It's Christmas Eve... and.." she stuttered.

"Charlee, I--" I began, but she interrupted me.

"No. It's okay, Joan. Really." she quickly set the present down on my dresser and turned, leaving the room before I could stop her.

If I didn't feel like complete and total shit before, I sure do now. I pressed my cool palm onto my burning forehead, breathing slowly. My brain was a mess, I had no idea what to do first.

"Who the hell was she?" Stephanie asked, sliding out of my bed completely nude, and I looked away from her body.

"My friend." I stated, although the word friend was not even close enough to the way I felt about her. Not even bestfriend. Or girlfriend, or wife. Soulmate was probably the proper term... and I turned her away.

"She didn't act like she was just your friend." Stephanie said, sauntering over to me with her head tilted. I continued to look away.

Stephanie touched my face, and turned my cheek so that I could look at her. "You look awful baby, too much alcohol lastnight?"

I nodded numbly.

"Aww." she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled her bare body against me. I twitched, and kept my hands at my sides.