After I've ushered Spencer inside, sat her on the couch, fetched her a glass of water and an ice pack, I drop into the couch beside her. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, I attempt to provide some comfort. The feeling of her shaking shoulders and her small sobs, hurts my heart.

"Spence?" I softly coax. "What happened? Who did this?"

"Trust me, I deserved it," she sobs, softly dabbing her eye with the ice block. "I feel so stupid."

"Well can you expl-"

My sentence is abruptly interrupted by the front door swinging open. Nathan strolls in wearing last nights clothes, looking rather proud of himself as he tosses his keys up and down in the air.

"Hello girls," he sings out before his eyes rest on Spencer's face, assessing her with furrowed brows.

Slowly his expression morphs into fury and before either of us can say anything he storms out of the room and up the corridor. Spencer and I exchange curious glances as the sound of banging and thumping echoes out of the walk way.

"Right." Nathan reappears with a baseball bat in his hand and broad shoulders. "Who's skull am I breaking?"

"Nathan," Spencer chuckles through a sob. "It was a girl.. I don't think you can break a girl's skull with a baseball bat."

"Hmmm." Nathan lowers the bat and purses his lips together with a thoughtful expression. "Does she have a car? I could smash a few windows?"

"As much as we both appreciate the heroism," I tell him, "Spencer hasn't even told me what happened. So just relax for a second."

I look away from my deranged brother, giving my attention to Spencer. I nod reassuringly in the hopes that she'll open up and explain what's going on because I'm starting to go a little crazy.

"Tim had a girlfriend!" she wails, breaking out into another fit of sobs. "I had no idea! She came back to his place this morning while we were sleeping!"

"Who's Tim?" Nathan asks, tapping the bat on the ground.

"This guy I slept with last night.." she mumbles.

Nathan's eyebrows raise as his mouth turns down. "Right." he slowly nods his head with a perplexed expression. "Okay well I'm gonna go shower. But uh. You guys" - he waves the bat at us as he backs away - "sort that out. Between you."

"What's that about?" Spencer gives me a puzzled look after Nathan has evacuated the room so fast that anyone would think it was on fire.

"He thinks of you like a sister Spence. He wants to hear about your sex life as much as he wants to hear about mine."

"Speaking of your sex life..." She manages to give me a sly smile through the tears. "Who dropped you off this morning?"

"Na uh." I shake my head, not wanting to talk about the evening with Drayton anymore than I want to think about it. "You need to explain what happened!"

"I did! Some bitch walked into Tim's room this morning, found us in bed, went absolutely nuts and then socked me one right in the eye. I'm not even mad about getting hit," she huffs loudly. "I'm upset because he had a girlfriend and he used me. I liked him."

"Spence, you had one night with him?"

She frowns and I feel a little guilty for dismissing her feelings. But really, she hadn't seen him in years, how could one drunken hook up result in anything genuine that quickly. This is and always has been Spencer's problem, she throws herself at the first boy who makes her feel special or wanted without getting to know him first or taking things slowly and she's always the one who ends up hurt.

"I know you probably think it's stupid," she mumbles. "But I kinda had a crush on him in school and then last night we just seemed to hit it off and I thought the potential was there.. ya know."

"Um-"

"Oh of course you don't know." She throws her hands up. "You're not a romantic."

"Hey, I appreciate romance!" She gives me a sideways glance and I see the doubt in her gaze. "I do! I would just rather wait until I'm in California before I find it."

"Ugh why are you still talking about California?!" Spencer hasn't been shy about voicing her distaste over my College choice. She's completely against the idea of my up and coming relocation. There's no doubt that I'll miss her and I've tried to convince her on more than one occasion to come with me but she won't leave her Mom.

"Spence, I will be moving to California. I sent in my college applications the other day."

"They could still get rejected." She shrugs, holding the ice pack on her cheek again. "I'm hoping anyway."

"You're hoping that I don't get into the college of my dreams?"

"Ugh, no of course not." She lets her head fall back on to the sofa. "I just don't want you to leave me, okay!"

"Even if I don't get into CalArts, I'm getting out of Archwood," I tell her, smiling at her big brown puppy dog eyes. "But I know that we'll always be best friends!"

It won't matter how much space is between us, she's my best friend and she always will be.

"Yeah." She gives me a sad smile and a little wave of guilt flushes through me. We're all each other has and I wish following my dreams didn't mean leaving her behind. "I'm sorry by the way. About last night. Ya know, leaving you in town. I had way too much to drink and I wasn't thinking. I am really sorry."

"It's alright." I smile, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "I think Karma took the lead on this one."

I point at the bruise on her face and watch her wince in agreement. Poor thing. She messed up last night, but that doesn't mean I'd want her to get hurt. I've got half a mind to find that fucked up little couple and give it back tenfold.

"What am I going to tell my Mom about this?!" Her panic is evident as she stares at me with an expression that screams 'help'. "She's going to flip out, Dallas!"

"Just tell her. . . tell her that we were playing baseball?!"

"Baseball?"

"Yeah and you took a hit to the eye. Can't tell her that it was a football. It's not the right kind of bruise. Definitely looks more like a baseball."

"Dallas!" she shouts with exasperation. "We never play baseball! She'd see right through that."

"Does it matter?" I shrug. "She can't prove that you're lying. It's not as if she's going to turn around and say 'oh are you sure you weren't out clubbing last night and some guy that had a girlfriend took you home and she caught you together and punched you in the face?' I mean that's a far stretch."

"You summarised that really well." Spencer nods as she leans her chin on her balled-up fist. "Fine. Baseball it is I suppose."

After that conversation's been settled, Spencer offers to make some waffles for breakfast, although it's now technically after lunch. I'm long overdue for a shower so I head to the bathroom while she gets to work in the kitchen.

However being alone with my thoughts means the series of last nights unfortunate events are free to dredge themselves back into the projector of self-torture that's playing in my head. I'd forgotten how long the cringing can go on for after a night out.

I'd almost slept with Drayton, or well almost thought I was going to sleep with him, considering his only plan was to tease me. And then I'd announced that I'd never sleep with him because he's a cliche. I'm the definition of a mess and I can guarantee that, that entire scenario would have played out a whole lot differently, had I been sober.

Not to mention that I'd confessed my occasional tinder dates. It's a good thing I'm resilient or I don't think I'd be able to show my face around him ever again.

After devouring the waffles, which Nathan generously helps with, Spencer and I hang around in the back yard. I spend a few hours doing some dancing, which I manage to incorporate some cheer practice in to, while Spencer lays in the sun, soaking up the heat rays from a lawn chair on the deck.

She's never understood how I can move so much while I have a hangover, but dancing is almost like a cure. It gives me release, it clears my head it makes me feel energised and alive. Dancing is my escape, in which the only form of perfection actually exists for me. In a world so dark, it shines a light. Granted its temporary but in that moment of movement, nothing but purity exists.

• • •

Pulling into the school car park on Monday morning, I'm unsure of what to expect when I inevitably encounter Drayton. We'd left things civilised but I'd been specific that we aren't friends. So do we say hello to each other? Do we acknowledge our short yet somewhat interesting history?

I have no idea so I decide I'll just go with the flow. I spot Spencer leaning on her car, with earphones stemming from the cellphone in her hand as her head bops back and forth. When I've pulled into the spot next to her, I jump out of the car with my backpack and walk towards her.

"Boo." I pull the bud out of her ear and laugh as she jumps. "Sorry. Hey the bruise looks a little better!"

"Yeah that's because it's covered in like ten pounds of concealer." She rolls her eyes as she winds the headphones up and slides them into her backpack. "Mom believed the baseball story by the way!"

"I don't know whether to be impressed with your storytelling or appalled with your Mom for being so gullible."

We both laugh because we know that Spencer is a terrible liar and she's lucky that everyone else around her seems to be totally oblivious.

My eyes suddenly move to the sleek jeep that comes tearing into the parking lot. Spencer must notice my abrupt change in demeanour because she turns her head towards where my gaze lays and spots Drayton climbing out of the jeep.

He slings his backpack across his shoulders as his eyes meet mine and a small smile lifts his lips. Spencer turns back to me with her jaw hanging open and I realise too late, that she's put the pieces of Sunday mornings puzzle together.

"That's the jeep!" She marvels with a glazed over look. "Drayton dropped you off!? You were with Drayton on Saturday night?! You were with Drayton on Sunday morning?!"

"Spencer!" I hiss. "Shut up! He's coming over here."

She straightens up and surprisingly doesn't turn around again. Instead she does her best to wipe the stardom from her features and adopts a casual air as Drayton comes to a standstill beside us.

"Hey," he says simply with a small smile. His eyes flicker over to Spencer briefly before they meet mine again. "What happened to your friend?"

"Uh" - Spencer lifts her hand with sheepish expression - "its Spencer." She points to her chest with a slight shrug.

"Hey Spencer," Drayton greets her and I can tell that she's trying not to burst at the seams with excitement. "So what happened?"

Spencer gives me a pleading look, it's a silent exchange but I don't need an explanation to understand that she doesn't want the truth to come out.

"Uhhhhh, she got into a fight." I quickly nod my head while she looks at me with furrowed brows. "Yeah a fight. With this guy . . . at a bar! He told her to shake what her Momma gave her . . so she told him um - she told him he was an inbred hick and then he slapped her." Drayton's eyes widen and he looks like he wants to find the fictional fuckwit and kick his teeth in himself. "Yeah so then after he slapped her, Spencer beat the life outta him . . . with a bar stool! Yeah it was bad. . . he's in hospital. Don't fuck with Spencer."

Spencer laughs nervously as Drayton nods his head looking as though he's thoroughly impressed with the tall tale.

"Yeah don't.. uh - don't fuck with me." She chuckles. "Yeah anyway I gotta go."

She quickly disappears, dashing across the parking lot, leaving Drayton and I watching her retreating figure.
Yes, she just screams bar fighter, bad bitch with that nervous jog. I give Drayton a guilty grin and start slowly walking away from the parked cars.

"That's not what really happened, is it?" he asks as he walks alongside me.

"Nope," I admit. "But let her have this. The real story is... a little embarrassing."

"What, did she walk into a door or something?"

"Uh, yeah sure."

He looks down at me with a sideways glance, seeing right through the little white lie.

"She's not getting abused by a boyfriend or anything, is she?"

His fierce tone takes me by surprise and I am sure to keep my eyes on the pavement because I can just visualise how hot his protective expression is. I mean, I remember it somewhat from the alleyway on Saturday and I really don't need to see it again.

"Shit no!" I assure him. "No she doesn't have a boyfriend and it definitely wasn't domestic abuse of any sort."

"You're not gonna tell me what really happened?"

"Sorry." I shrug my shoulders. "Girl code. I'm legally bound to secrecy."

"Ah that's okay," Drayton chuckles as he holds the school door open so we can step inside. "That's actually one of the things I like about you."

I contemplate his words for a few short steps until we're standing next to my locker. "There's more than one thing you like about me?" I ask with a curious expression.

He gives me a small smile. "See ya Dallas." And then he leaves, striding down the corridor and disappearing amongst the sea of students.

His hot and cold attitude is going to give me whiplash. I suppose this is what you'd call not being friends but being civilised. A little chit chat in the hallways. Strange mysterious compliments. I'm just pleased to know that things don't have to be awkward between us.

I finish shuffling through my locker and slam it shut to find Spencer standing wide-eyed next to me.

"Tell me everything!" She jostles on the spot with a cute little dance. "Are you guys like, seeing each other? I ship it!"

"First of all," I gesture at her happy dance, "that's cute. Second of all. NO. We aren't doing anything."

We start weaving through the crowded hallways towards homeroom. There are far too many eager ears around and I really hope that Spencer can manage to keep her voice down while we have this conversation.

"So how did you end up at his house? How did he end up dropping you off? I need to know!"

"Your thirst for scandal never ceases to concern me."

"Tell me."

"Ugh," I groan, realising that she's not going to let up. "Fine. Okay so after I spoke to you on the phone-"

"We spoke on the phone?!"

"Wow," I pierce her with a disapproving glare. "Anyway. Yeah when I realised that you'd left I was going to take the train home but Drayton offered me a ride, but I was super drunk so he took me back to his place to look after me and that's it. Nothing happened. Nothing scandalous. We just slept and then he dropped me home."

I leave out the suspicious stalker and Drayton's fake kidnapping because the way he'd acted afterwards had been a little strange and despite the fact that he can be a jerk, I don't want to talk about him in a bad light. Not anymore. Something's shifted and now that I know him a little more, It doesn't feel right being as harsh as I previously had been.

I especially don't want to mention the way he'd teased me in bed. The fact that drunk Dallas had considered jumping his bones so easily made me want to slap myself every time I thought about it.

"Okay," Spencer scoffs after a moment of bewildered staring. "That is so boring! You are so boring!"

"Yeah," I sigh. "That's me."

• • •

When I arrive at work later that afternoon, I hop out of the car, massaging my shoulder as I lock the door. The after-effects of cheer practice are already making themselves known with aches and pains causing my muscles to groan in protest to my movements.

My phone chimes when I'm halfway to the entrance so I open the message from Nathan, spinning on my heel and walking back to the car as I read the text.

Sis, can you leave the keys in the car, I needa borrow it tonight.

I open the door and slide the keys under the drivers seat. Nathan carpools to work every day which means he doesn't need his own car, but occasionally he uses mine for his own personal reasons. Most of which I don't want to know about.

I type out a reply as I jog back to the diner.

I don't finish until nine. So can you pick me up please?

"Hey Dallas," my co-worker, Stefan greets me from behind the counter as I rush back to the staff room to change. "Don't rush too much, boss isn't here!"

Our boss Craig isn't a complete terror, but he runs a tight ship and being late isn't tolerated in the slightest. I'm only two minutes behind, but that would result in ten minutes overtime. Ten minutes may not sound like a lot, but at nine at night after a long day of school, cheer and work, its ten minutes of hell.

I finish changing and pull on my apron, huffing out a loud breath as I walk straight over to the order rack and start preparing the listed items. The diner has classic southern charm, bright yellow walls with a floral indentation. The deep rich wooden tables are scattered around the laminate flooring. Our countertop holds the cash register and faces out over the diner. Behind the counter is a little narrow space to walk and on the other side is a bench which holds the coffee machines and a little window which looks through to a kitchen. A metal rack hangs above the window where all the orders are placed, making it easy for the cook to access them as well as myself on this side of the wall.

"How was your weekend?" Stefan asks while I prepare two non-fat macchiatos.

"Uh, yeah it was fine," I respond vaguely as I always do.

Stefan's a nice guy I suppose. He's not bad looking either with a white blonde buzz cut, the top of his hair a little longer and always drenched in gel. His warm skin tone compliments the white hair and his brown eyes are soft and sweet. The female customers always fall all over him. He just isn't my type, but he makes no secret about the fact that I'm his. He's asked me out on more than one occasion. My rejection doesn't deter him any. He just leaves it for a while and then tries again.

"I thought you were going to the club opening in Castle Pines?" he asks after he's finished serving another customer. I pick up the macchiatos and start to walk on to the floor as he follows behind me.

"Yeah I was there," I tell him, setting down the drinks on the table belonging to two regulars that we often see. "Can I get you ladies anything else?"

"No thank you dear."

I smile and walk back to the counter to carry on preparing food and coffees.

"I didn't see you?" Stefan continues while I make an iced coffee.

"I was definitely there."

"Damn. I woulda asked you to dance," he mumbles, sounding a little disappointed. I can't say that I share the feeling. I'd danced with enough people that night without adding Stefan to that list. Who probably would have attempted to do more than dance.

The bell for the door jingles and Stefan turns to the register to serve whoever's come in. Now that he's out of my line of sight I roll my eyes, letting the physical sarcasm seep out because I can't be rude to him. Not that I want to be. It's just a reflex when his flirting starts to rear its head.

"What can I get for ya?" Stefan asks.

"I'd like to request a certain waitress to serve me please," a deep voice asks and I look over my shoulder to see who it belongs too. "Her."

Stefan looks behind him towards me with his brows knit together in confusion.

"Grayson?"

• • •

Guys ! 1000 reads ! Y'all are beautiful people !! 😍 so much love ! Until next time x