THE NEXT MORNING I woke up to what felt like an army of mini Alex's beating my head like it was some kind of drum. When I finally forced myself to get out of bed, I stumbled to the bathroom. My head was spinning like crazy and I really had to pee. I almost let out a scream when I saw my reflection. My dress was wrinkled and stained with dried up vomit residue, my hair was a bird's nest, and my face resembled that of a rabid raccoon.
There was no chance I could let Mom see me like this, so I stripped out of my clothes and stepped into the shower. I tried to recall memories from last night but it was all a blur. When I stepped out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around my body and walked back to my room. Then I changed into the comfiest pair of pyjamas I could find and braided my wet hair. Once I was dressed I went to the kitchen while trying my hardest to not collapse. Alex was eating pancakes as he watched a TV show, so I passed by him to get some painkillers from the kitchen.
"Aspirin's in the top left cabinet," Alex said without sparing me a glance.
"Good morning to you too."
"It's two o'clock in the afternoon."
"Then why are you eating pancakes?"
He looked offended. "Pancakes are universal. They deserve to be eaten at any time."
I rolled my eyes. "Is Mom home?"
He snorted. "When is Mom ever home on a Saturday?"
He made a valid point. Even before the elections Mom was never one to sit around and relax. She always had to be doing something. I opened the cabinet and took out the aspirin. I dumped two pills on my hand and popped them in my mouth before washing them down with a glass of water.
"How'd you get home last night?" he asked.
My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to recall. "Not sure. I think Holden gave me a lift."
"And you're just friends, hmm?" Alex teased.
"Shut up and eat your breakfast."
When Alex scowled at me, I simply smirked. I decided to go to my room and rest in an attempt to nurse my pulsating headache. As I walked to my bedroom, I happened to pass by Brenton who looked just as bad as I did. His hair was disheveled, his eyes puffy, and he was an overall mess.
"Are you aware that your shirt's inside out and backward?" I asking in a taunting tone.
He shot me a groggy glare. "Bite me, Daniella."
"Someone isn't in a good mood," I mused.
"Damn right I'm not. Care to know why?"
"Not really..."
"Last night I was drunk as hell and ready to sleep for the next ten years, but you know what I came home to? Freaking puke on the driveway!" He ran a hand through his messy hair. "So there I was at four in the damn morning hosing off the driveway so Mom wouldn't see. At times you're such a piece of..."
I tuned him out when something clicked in my head. Memories of last night began to resurface. The numerous beers I drank, my run-in with Cade, and... Despite my throbbing head, I sprinted down the stairs to the front foyer. I rummaged through the keys on the keyring near the door but it wasn't there. I couldn't find my car keys.
"Don't you have any manners?" Brenton yelled from the top of the staircase. "If I'm bitching at you, then at least have the courtesy to stick around and let me bitch!"
I swung open the front door and ran outside, not caring that I was wearing pyjamas and fluffy pink slippers. I shielded my eyes from the harsh rays of the sun, which really didn't help my headache in the slightest. I breathed a mini sigh of relief when I saw my car on the driveway.
At the very least he didn't steal it.
I walked onto his porch and rang the doorbell several times. Inevitably the jerk didn't open the door but instead of milling around outside, I decided to try my luck and jiggle the doorknob. The door opened with surprising ease. Either I was excellent at breaking in or he never locked his door. While a sane person would definitely not walk into the sketchy house with the unlocked door, I couldn't exactly pin myself as sane.
The door opened with a creak and after looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was watching, I entered. This house may have looked like mine from the exterior, but the interior was a whole other story. The living room floor was littered with empty beer cans and takeout containers, the white carpet now a blend of browns. The paint on the walls was chipping, and there wasn't much furniture except for a couch and a dusty old TV.
I tiptoed around the living room in search of my keys, peeking under old newspapers and empty coke bottles, but it was nowhere in sight. Desperate to find them, I opened up a moldy pizza box, but second I did, several tiny spiders scattered out of it. I clamped my mouth to suppress a scream and I toppled over, landing on the ground with an audible thud.
"Who's there?" a voice demanded at the top of the stairs.
Afraid of getting caught, I quickly crouched behind the TV.
"Show yourself. I got a bat and I'm not afraid to use it."
I heard footsteps creep closer and closer to me. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping the footsteps would recede. Maybe if I couldn't see them, they couldn't see me. That seemed logical, right?
"Found you, bastard." Someone grabbed my collar and the bat dropped. "Why the hell are you in my house?"
Slowly I opened my eyes. Above me stood a very furious James. The only thing different about this encounter — aside from the fact that I could basically be charged for breaking and entry — was James was clad in boxers. Solely boxers.
I would have answered his question, but I was too busy staring at his near-naked body. Maybe I was still a little drunk or maybe the sunlight was hitting him at the right angles and defined his already lean muscles even more... I shook my head, trying to snap myself out of what would have ended up becoming a horrific daydream.
"I believe I asked you a question. Why did you break into my house?" he repeated in a gruff voice.
I awkwardly rubbed my arm, shooting him a sheepish smile. "The door wasn't locked so technically it wasn't a—"
"Okay, I'm calling the cops." He picked up the nearby landline and began to dial.
I snatched the phone out of his hands before he could finish typing in the number. "Wait! I came to get something that belongs to me."
James folded his arms across his chest, and it took all of my willpower to not ogle at his toned arms. "The garbage? By all means, go ahead."
"Funny," I said dryly. "I'm talking about my car keys."
"Speaking of things that belong to us, where's my gift?"
"Huh?"
The corners of his lips tilted up. "You don't remember much, do you?"
I didn't know what kind of game he was playing but I was far too hungover for this nonsense. "I remember you have my keys."
"Let's make a deal," he said. "You give me your name, and I give you your keys."
"How about you give me my keys or I get you arrested for car theft?" I retorted.
His mouth turned into a scowl. "Coming from the drunkard who broke into my house."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Keys please."
"Nice rhyme, Edward Lear."
"Who?"
"Never mind. And your name is?"
"None of your business."
"Then no keys," James tutted, slowly turning around to walk away. I was certain he was bluffing, but I didn't want to take any chances.
"Dani," I mumbled.
He stopped. "What?"
"Technically Daniella Evangeline Parker, but I go by Dani," I said with a sigh.
He smirked. "Nice to officially meet you, Daniella."
I grimaced upon hearing my full name. "Just give me my keys."
James walked down the living room and I followed him to what looked like the kitchen. He opened the fridge door and took out a carton of milk before taking a sip directly from the carton. "Don't have 'em."
"Excuse me, what?"
"I do not have your keys." He made sure to say every word slowly as if I couldn't understand them if he said it any faster.
Panic was starting to kick in. "Where are they?"
"Beats me. You had them last."
I paced back and forth. "I am so dead. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my—"
"Will you shut up?"
"I can't help it! I'm freaking out over here!"
James took another sip from the carton. I was too busy worrying to lecture him about not being a filthy scum. I mean seriously, who drank directly from the carton? I lived with three ogres and even they had the decency to pour their milk in a glass.
"Last I remember, you put them in your pocket. Now get your ass out of my house."
Without a warning, James literally pushed me to the front door and outside. Before I could say anything he slammed the door in my face. Yet again.
I didn't waste a second, and I marched straight to my house. I ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time as I made my way to the bathroom. I leafed through the pile of dirty clothes in the laundry basket before I found my dress from last night. I dug my hands into the pockets, a sigh of relief escaping my lips when my fingers grazed over the cool metal. I pulled my dress into my chest, hugging it tightly.
"Thank God."
Someone cleared their throat behind me, catching me by surprise. "You should really learn to knock," Alex said, seated on the toilet with an unamused look on his face.
~*~
"No way," Amber said in disbelief.
I flipped through TV channels, unwilling to make eye contact. "Unfortunately it's true."
We were hanging out in my living room and I was recounting what went down at the party to her. I would have preferred to omit the James part, but I knew if she found out from someone else she'd be mad at me again, so I decided to tell her everything.
"And here I was thinking you ditched me at Holden's when all along you were getting it on." Amber threw a handful of popcorn at me. "Look at you, Dani!"
"Okay, no more popcorn for you." I grabbed the bowl out of her hands and put it on the coffee table. I continued looking through different channels to see what movies were on. "Top Gun or Toy Story?"
Amber shrugged. "Doesn't matter, I'll probably sleep through it anyway."
"The whole point of a sleepover is to stay awake and have fun."
She popped open a can of sprite and took a sip. "Did you guys kiss?"
I picked up a cushion from the couch and groaned into it. "Don't remind me of Cade."
She shook her head. "No, I meant you and your hot neighbour."
Had I been drinking a beverage at that exact moment, it would have been the perfect opportunity for me to do one of those classic movie spit-takes. Unfortunately, I was not, so I ended up choking on my saliva.
"Why the hell would you say that?"
She took another sip and raised her eyebrows suggestively. "The two of you drunk, alone in your car at night..."
"He wasn't drunk," I pointed out. At least I hoped he wasn't. Or else my car could've been severely damaged.
"Have you two spoken since?"
I focused my attention on the movie in an attempt to dodge her question. "So when does Tom Cruise come in?"
"You're watching Toy Story," she deadpanned. "Now answer me."
"Perhaps."
Amber smacked my arm. "Spill!"
"I may have broken into his house."
She gawked at me. "What's wrong with you? Super sexy neighbour won't hold up in court for you committing crimes!"
Brenton entered the living room and flopped down beside me on the sofa. "Since when was Dan a felon?"
I scowled at him. "Could you, uh, not eavesdrop?"
He took a handful of popcorn and threw it in his mouth like the slob he was. "Could you, uh, shut up?"
Amber gazed at my twin lovingly. "Hey, Brenton."
"I missed you at the party yesterday," he said, not even sparing her a glance as he gobbled down more popcorn.
"Maybe because you were smashed beyond repair," I muttered.
"I didn't stick around too long. I had a job interview this morning," Amber said though I didn't miss the stink-eye she gave me.
"How'd that go?" Brenton asked, pretending to care.
Amber smiled at him. "I think it went well."
"You never told me about an interview," I said.
"You never asked."
I cocked an eyebrow. "So much for telling each other everything."
"Why don't you go cry us a river in the kitchen and bring chips?" Brenton suggested.
"Why don't you get off your fat ass and get it yourself?"
"Amber." Brenton turned to face her. "Would you like some chips?"
"I'd love some!" she chirped, a grin on her face.
"Now, now, be a good hostess and get the chips," Brenton said to me.
I grumbled incoherent words as I walked to the kitchen. Of course Amber agreed with him. If Brenton told her to jump off a cliff she'd do it in a heartbeat, no questions asked. When it came to boys Amber was a fool, but when it came to my brothers she was a puppet. It was sad to watch her be such an idiot at times.
Worst of all, whenever I said anything she assumed it was all due to my bias and disgust of her liking my brothers. I mean, that was partially the reason but not all of it. I genuinely believed Amber could find someone more suitable for her because the guys she always went for were not a good match.
When I returned with a bag of chips, the two of them were so deep in conversation they didn't even notice me. I decided to turn around and head upstairs with the salty goodness. If anyone deserved an entire bag of ketchup chips it was me. I flicked on my bedroom lights, ready to waste hours watching mindless videos on my laptop. Just another Saturday night.
I let out a yawn and my gaze shifted over to the stream of light pouring in from the window across from mine. My eyes widened when I saw James — who was still in his shirtless glory — and I quickly ducked down. Upon doing so, I smacked my head against the side of my bed and shouted some choice words.
"A criminal in the day and a peeping Tom at night," the voice of James mused.
I rose to my feet and rubbed my aching head. My poor noggin had been through too much today. Out of comebacks, I held out my hand and flipped him off.
"That's a little inappropriate, don't you think, neighbour?"
"I think you need to leave me alone." I reached over to shut my window.
"Before you leave, I think I have something that belongs to you." Aside from my dignity, I didn't think there was anything else I left at his house. Proving me wrong, James held up a fluffy pink slipper...my fluffy pink slipper.
"Are you sure you don't secretly harbour a love for pink slippers?" I questioned.
He threw it at my face. "It's fuchsia, not pink."
"Thank you for the useless fact of the day."
"Have you banged your head against a wall recently?"
I gave him a confused look. "What?"
His lips curved into a smirk. "You don't remember the demonstration you offered to display for me?"
"What are you talking about?" I tried to channel any memories from the car ride, but my mind was blank. I couldn't recall a single second of that ride.
"A little birdie told me banging your head against a wall burns quite a few calories." He lit a cigarette, his eyes glimmering mischievously when he noticed my distasteful expression. "Want one?"
"You're filth."
"That's probably true, but at least I remember what I did last night." James took a drag of his cigarette. "Try not to get drunk again, neighbour." On that last note, he shut his window.
Once James was out of sight, Amber happened to enter my lair. "Hey, my parents want me home so I don't think I can spend the night."
I sat down on my bed and took out my laptop. "That's fine."
Amber leaned against the doorway. "Are you okay, Dani?"
"Just dandy."
She sighed. "Sorry for getting sidetracked with Brenton."
I didn't bother looking up from my computer screen. "You should get going. Don't want to keep your parents waiting."
"I'll text you tomorrow," she said before leaving.
It wasn't as though I was that mad at Amber. I mean I was slightly miffed at most, but if I let her chitchat for a while, all she'd talk about was what Brenton said, or how his hand accidentally skimmed her leg, or how he supposedly winked at her when in reality he probably just blinked. I just hoped her obsession with Brenton would end soon because I couldn't bear another second of it.