FicWad

My eyes flickered open, revealing a darkened hotel room. My brother lay curled up next to me, mouth agape. Next to him was an unconscious Andy. I smiled slightly and turned my gaze to the glowing red numbers off the clock that seemed to scream at me from its place on the nightstand.

It read 3:16 am.

I sighed and stared up at the spackled ceiling. A crack slashed through its surface, which went nicely with the scuffed walls and questionable carpet stains that would cause a black light to explode. Sure, it wasn't the Ritz Carlton. But we sure as fuck weren't NOFX.

The sound of four other lungs breathing in sync filled the still air. Despite having a bed that wasn't on wheels, I couldn't seem to fall asleep. Silently, I rolled off the mattress, careful not to wake Andy or Joe. The carpet was soft under the weight of my feet. My heart pounded so hard against my ribcage, I was sure it would wake the whole room. I held my breath as I tiptoed to the heavy door and slipped out into the hallway. Through the eerie silence, the low hum of the flickering fluorescent lights could be heard as I made my way down the hallway and into the lobby. An illuminated pool sat in the back of the hotel, surrounded by high white walls. The cheesy brochure portrayed it as "a tropical lagoon." But what sat before me was nothing more than a cement hole in the ground complete with a handful of leaves floating carelessly. But at least the water wasn't brown.

I looked around cautiously as I slipped my shirt over my head. My jeans soon followed and were thrown to the concrete, leaving me in just my bra and panties. My descent down the ladder was a pleasant one since the water was still warm from baking in the sun all day. I lowered myself, allowing the liquid to consume my body from the neck down.

All the stress of being a merch girl seemed to melt away. Nothing existed while I floated weightlessly through the water and looked up at the starlit sky. In that moment, I wondered what was beyond that inky blanket. Aliens? God? Surely, there had to be more. Life was far too beautiful and contrived to be just a random firing of events and occurrences.

A voice cut through the blissful silence, but still sounded muffled due to the water. Patrick was stationed on the side of the pool, looking slightly baffled in his plaid pajama pants and faded New Found Glory t-shirt.

"May I help you?" I asked, allowing my feet to touch the roughly textured floor of the pool.

"What are you doing?" He asked, his voice in a hushed whisper.

"Swimming." I responded simply as I swam over to the edge where he was standing.

"I can see that. But why at four in the morning?" I shrugged at his question.

"Wanna join me?" I asked, watching my long red curls straighten upon meeting with the water. He shook his head.

"I don't have a bathing suit." His excuse was pathetic and I think he knew it.

"Neither do I. Just swim in your boxers." He frowned.

"They're boxer briefs. And they leave nothing to the imagination." I smirked inwardly before placing my elbows over the side of the pool.

"I have no imagination, so you're safe." He crossed his arms over his chest as he debated whether or not to join in the fun. "It's just me, Patrick."

He sighed and bowed his head down.

"Turn around." He whispered, a child-like tone to his voice. I scoffed.

"Seriously?" He nodded as his fingertips nervously played with the drawstring of his pajama bottoms.

"Seriously." I obeyed and twisted so my back faced him. I could hear the soft sound of clothing being removed and tossed to the side.

"Wooo wooo! Is that Patrick Stump, the Fall Out Boy sex kitten in his manties*?" I heckled as I kept my back to him. His light laughter subsided before he reprimanded me.

"Shut up, Lo." The water made delicate ripples that slowly dissipated past me, alerting me of his entrance into the pool.

"Can I turn around now?" The sound of crickets was the only response. "Patrick?" I rotated my head, only to see a dark, underwater bullet shooting toward me. A yelp escaped my mouth and echoed through the night before I attempted to elude my predator. My hips were the first place his hands grasped as he surfaced. His light brown hair was plastered to his head with droplets running off the ends. A wide smile, teeth and all, inhabited his mouth as his long eyelashes clumped together, bound by the chlorinated liquid. In that moment, he was the picture perfect example of adorable and I couldn't help but soak it in.

"What?" He suddenly asked, the smile remaining on his full face. I tilted my head, showcasing my confusion.

"What do you mean 'what'?" I asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"I don't know. You just had a weird look on your face. Do I have a booger or something?" I chuckled as he wiped at his nose.

"No. It was nothing."

"Are you sure there's nothing there?" He tilted his head up, giving me a great view of his nostrils. I gave him a playful shove before attempting to swim away from him and his faux boogers. He continued after me, his nose still in the air.

"Knock it off!" I squealed as his arms encircled my shoulders, pulling me closer to his moist chest in a bear hug. His green eyes harbored a slight bluish tint from the reflection of the pool lights. My back bumped into the rough surface of the cement siding of our enclosure, indicating there was nowhere for me to go. His drenched hands migrated to my face, holding it softly. My mind screamed at me to stop him, to stop his approaching mouth, but my eyes just fluttered closed. The only thing I focused on was his soft lips on mine and the delicate sound of our tongues meeting. He was gentle, as if every touch or caress would break me into millions of pieces.

He breathed in sharply as I kissed and nipped at the warm skin of his neck and down to his collarbone. I wrapped my legs around his hips as my hands found their way to his long hair while his lips found mine again. A small grin spread across my face when I felt his body responding.

Abruptly, he removed his mouth from mine and stared at me with an expression that rivaled a terrified child.

"I can't do this." He whispered, gently pulling away from my grip.

"What?" I watched in confusion as he backed away.

"Do you realize how many bridges we'd be burning?" I shook my head.

"What bridges? With who?" He scoffed.

"Well, your brother for one. He's so dead set on you and Pete getting back together. This would-"

"This is none of his business. What I do and who I do it with is none of his concern."

"OK, and how about Pete."

"What about him?" The male rolled his eyes, an incredulous look upon his face.

"C'mon, Lola. You know as well as I do that he's still in love with you." The heat rose to my face as I felt the anger setting in.

"I'm over him. It's not my problem if he's still hung up on me."

"You're right. It's not your problem. But it's my problem. He's still my friend. He's still an important person in my life. But I guess you've managed to over look that." My eyes narrowed.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You don't take into consideration how your actions and behavior affect other people. As long as you're getting what you want, it doesn't matter what happens to everyone around you." My mouth dropped at his harsh words.

"That's not true, Patrick!" I objected at his retreating form. "It does matter. But I'm not going to stand here and deny my feelings for you." His shame and consciousness disappeared as he exited the pool without hesitation or a request for me to look away.

"Look, Pete can be a stubborn, childish asshole," He began to gather his clothing. "And sometimes, I can't stand to even look at him. But I still respect him and he's still one of my best friends. Even on his shittiest day, when he's the biggest douche on the planet, I still couldn't get involved with his ex." And with the ending of his speech, he headed for the hotel, leaving me alone to let his words soak in.




* Man + Panties= Manties. Your assignment is to use this word in a sentence today. Oh and review. It makes me want to write :)