Unfamiliar Ceilings

It was about half past five and we were ready to go. I could only just walk in the heels Anna had picked out for me, but I have to say I looked pretty good. Of course, Anna looked better. She was wearing my black shorts and the purple shirt, but she made that look dressy. She’d paired it with her five inch black ankle boots and a pair of grey socks pulled to her knee.

“Wonder what’s taking these boys so long,” she said. “Shall we have a drink before we go out?”

I bit my lip. Mark still wasn’t home, and I didn’t know where he stood on me drinking. I shrugged my shoulders and told her I didn’t know. She disappeared into the kitchen and reappeared with two glasses, half-filled with a deep red liquid. She handed one to me and I shifted a bit uncomfortably.

“Don’t worry, just tell your dad it was me if he asks,” she said, sitting down beside me on the couch. So, we sat, and sipped from our wine, waiting. My phone buzzing from my pocket gave made me jump and struggled to keep the wine inside the glass; Mark would definitely mind if I stained the carpet. Anna laughed at me and I stuck my tongue out at her and got my phone from my pocket.

From: Dean Owens
Time: 5.56pm

We’ll be at your gate in about five minutes, get outside – D x

“Come on then,” Anna said, standing up out of her seat having read the text message over my shoulder. I sighed slightly and grabbed our glasses, taking them to the kitchen and putting them in the sink. I walked back through the living room and picked up my bag and my leather jacket. Anna had left the front door open and was walking down the front path towards Dean and Johnny, both of whom were lounging on the gatepost.

I turned and locked the door behind me, trying to keep myself steady as I tottered down to them while at the same time, texting Mark to let him know I was going out. Once I looked up, Anna and Johnny were already play-fighting and Dean was staring at me. As I approached, I had a look at him properly. He was dressed in a black v-neck shirt with a koi fish design, a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a charcoal grey American Apparel hoody and a pair of black slip on shoes. My stomach did a stupid little flip at the look he was giving me.

“You look fucking gorgeous,” he said, slinging his arm around my shoulders and following as Johnny and Anna lead the way up the street. I felt my cheeks burn at the remark, but smiled anyway. I had to stop being so bashful with him.

*****
Hiatus. That was the name of Dean’s friend’s club. I liked the irony of the name; the place was absolutely packed. People were crushed together like sardines in a tin. For one, there was a massive queue outside, but Dean just did that thing that people only do in films. He walked us straight to the bouncer and nodded his head, after which, the bouncer stepped aside and let us all in.

He led us down a narrow staircase and I was aware of loud, upbeat house music steadily growing louder the further down we went. Eventually, we emerged into the sardine tin/main room. From the doorway, I could see a raised platform directly opposite, complete with a DJ, a sound system, decks and speakers.

In front of the platform was the dance floor, a couple of private booths with gauze curtains were to the right of that, the bar to the left and several more tables placed at random points around the dance floor. Strobe lights and lasers were flying all over the place, and all I could smell was sweat and the smoke from a dry ice machine.

Dean tugged me through the crowd by my hand and led us to the bar. He leaned over the surface and attracted the bar mans attention. Anna was getting served by a girl with pale blonde hair, with a chunk of the side shaved to her scalp.

“Here,” Dean said, handing me a glass. “Ready to get drunk?”

“I’m not getting drunk,” I said.

“If you say so.” He smirked, raising his glass to me before taking a drink.

I took a tentative sip and grimaced slightly. Vodka, definitely, but I think there might’ve been a bit of Coke in there too. You know, maybe a thimble full.

Dean laughed at me and rested his elbow on top of the bar while we sipped our drinks. I glanced to my right and saw Johnny and Anna doing shots of something. Johnny really was a wimp, because after every single one he’d gag and slam the glass back onto the tray, while Anna would simply wait for him to get over it.

“Dance with me?” I felt Dean’s breath on my ear.

I laughed lightly. “Not a chance.”

He rolled his eyes. “Come on.”

“Maybe later.” I took another mouthful of my drink; it wasn’t too bad now. And I’d have to be at least a little bit drunk to dance. I felt something tugging on my right arm and turned.

“Leila,” Anna said, dragging out the ‘a’. “Will you do some shots with me? Please? Johnny’s really crap and says he’s going to be sick.”

I heard Dean laugh, “Fucking hell, we haven’t been here for twenty minutes!”

I laughed and shook my head shouting, “No, sorry.”

“Just one,” she shouted back, holding out the little glass to me. She gave me puppy dog eyes. Seriously. I just rolled my own and turned back to Dean, handing my vodka and Coke to him before turning back to Anna, who, as soon as I took the shot from her, clapped her hands like a delighted five year old.

“Okay, one, two, three...” On three, we both drank. The liquid burned, more than vodka, but tasted better at the same time. I coughed a bit once I’d put my glass back down.

“No wonder Johnny was going to be sick,” I grumbled. “What the bloody hell was that?”

“Tequila,” Anna said.

“Fucking hell.”

Dean laughed at me again, subtly putting his arm around my waist while it rested on the bar. He stroked my back lightly and we watched as Anna disappeared in search of Johnny.

“Having fun?” I heard Dean shout over the music. I finished off the last of my drink and turned to put it back on the bar.

“Suppose so,” I said, leaning back against it.

He laughed. “Well I’m bloody bored. Want another drink?”

I scowled a bit. “Nice to know I’m exciting and sure, I’ll pay you back tomorrow.”

“Of course you are,” he smiled. “No need.”

I insisted, of course, that I’d pay him back. But he wouldn’t hear it. He said that if I danced with him, that would be pay back enough. I told him I’d rather give him the money. And then he just pulled a sad face, jutting out his full bottom lip and drooping his bright blue eyes. I laughed and started on my second drink.

****
Two hours and countless drinks later, Dean and I had migrated to one of the tables near the bar. We were laughing about something completely irrelevant, both of us a little bit more drunk than I expected. What did I say about not getting drunk? Fail.

“And then Johnny tripped over this fucking tabby cat,” Dean said, laughing. “And fell down a flight of stone stairs. He only bruised his arse, but he was complaining for weeks.”

I laughed. Like an idiot. Because that really, really wasn’t as funny as I found it. I think we were talking about funny things that happened to us or people around us. I remembered something then.

“I remember,” I shouted, giggling. “I was on the bus and some guy turned around to his friend and called him a Mongolian mud-fighter.”

Dean gave me a funny look before laughing. He slid his chair around to place it beside mine and put his arm around the back of my chair. I leaned back and into him a little bit.

“Leila?”

“Yep?”

“You really do,” he said, leaning to kiss my neck lightly. “Look fantastically beautiful.”

I blushed and was glad for the darkness of the club. “Shush.”

He laughed. “No.”

“Please?”

He raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

“...No.”

He laughed and grabbed hold of my hands. “Good, now come on. You’re dancing with me whether you want to or not.”

The DJ seemed to be having a bit of a David Guetta spurt, and started playing Sexy Chick as we got up. I protested, a lot, but Dean was stronger than me and had dragged me through the crowd before I could run away. He placed his hands on my waist and pulled me close to him. People were touching us from every side and I could feel their sweat on mine. Minus the consumption of alcohol, I would’ve cared a lot more.

I reached up and looped my arms back around Dean’s neck; he was still taller than me, even if I was wearing heels. He put his forehead to mine and he basically moved both of us. I had no rhythm when sober, never mind after a few. I looked past Dean and saw a couple of girls behind him, dancing really close and shooting me snarls. I couldn’t help but smile.

I was slow to react to Dean when he pressed his lips to mine harshly. His hands shot to my hips and he pulled me closer again, clashing his pelvis to mine sharply. It was sudden, which was probably why I took so long to kiss him back. I knotted my fingers in his hair and kissed him back. Slowly, I became aware of his finger stroking a patch of my exposed skin. It was different from every other time. It had a certain...longing.

“Dean!” someone directly behind me shouted his name. I broke away to look behind me but he just put his hand to my cheek and turned my face back to his. I could feel his hand leave my hip to wave away whoever was shouting him. But they just kept talking, walking up close to him and shouting into his ear, saying they had to tell them something.

“I’ll be back in a bit, go find Johnny,” Dean shouted over the music before kissing me one more time and leaving. I just shrugged and looked around briefly, catching sight of a tuft of pink hair sitting in one of the booths. I made my way over there and saw Anna sitting with a couple more people, and Johnny leaning against her arm almost completely out of it.

“Leila!” Anna squealed, shoving Johnny away and grabbing me to sit between them. Johnny just slumped down into my side with his eyes half-closed. Anna started introducing me to the people I didn’t know, but I can’t remember what she was saying to me. I think one of them was called Andrew, another called something like Elisha. Jenna was there too with her friend from last time I saw her. There was half a tray of shots on the table and Anna challenged me, to see who could drink five shots fastest. My sense of judgement was gone, entirely.

“Three, two, one!” Elisha said, her voice only slightly raised now since the DJ had gone on his break and the only sounds were inane chatter and slightly quieter music playing over a speaker-system. On one, I started downing the shots. I think it was tequila again, but it didn’t burn even half as much as before. I slammed my last glass down and saw Anna only halfway through her fourth.

Andrew whistled from across the table. “New girl can drink.”

Jenna sneered slightly. “That was so disgusting.”

I just laughed and gave her a look. “Excuse me?”

“I said it was disgusting,” she said, a little bit quieter.

“Mm,” I said, tapping my chin with my index finger. “I do believe I don’t give a shit what you have to say.”

Ha. That showed her. I never would’ve said that normally, but, whatever, it worked. Andrew was laughing while Anna stopped to cough after she choked on her final shot. Elisha was talking to Johnny, trying to keep him awake and holding her pocket mirror over his mouth to check he was still breathing. Poor kid.

“I think I’ll take this one outside for some air,” Elisha said, moving out of the booth and wrapping Johnny’s arms around her shoulders. Jenna disappeared shortly after, leaving her friend, Anna, me and Andrew.

“We should dance!” Anna exclaimed, sitting bolt upright and almost toppling under the table. I laughed and shrugged my shoulders while Andrew stood and held out both of his hands for us to take hold of. Soon, we were all crushed together on the dance floor, moving around to another house song that I didn’t know the name of.

“I saw you with Dean before,” Andrew shouted over my shoulder, into my ear, placing both of his hands on my hips.

“Yeah,” I said. “Dean’s great.” Hello, call me drunk.

“Yeah.” I felt his hand move around to my stomach and Andrew’s breath closer to my neck. “You can do better.”

I shifted away from him and closer to Anna, who was doing some manic dance with a random boy. Andrew just stepped back behind me and grazed his hand over my bum, before snaking his arm back around my waist. He turned me around to face him and started trying to kiss me. I turned my head and did the best I could to push him away, but he just went for my neck then. I tried to get Anna’s attention, but she was gone by the time I looked. I kept slapping at his chest, trying to get him away but he was too strong for me. I knew I couldn’t scream because no one could hear me.

Andrew stopped when somebody tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and I caught a glimpse of Dean standing there, his fists balled up by his sides and his eyebrows raised. Andrew let go of me immediately and Dean drew his fist back and ploughed it into Andrew’s face.

“Fuck off, Morton,” Dean growled loud enough for me to hear. Andrew ran off sharpish, shooting Dean an evil look. Dean stood in front of me, now crossing his arms over his chest and looking at me accusingly. Shit.

“Dean,” I said – shouted – putting a hand on his cheek. “Thanks.”

He just rolled his eyes and took hold of my hand, kissing the palm clumsily. He leaned in and kissed my lips lightly, before moving to my ear and saying, “Let’s go home.” I could hear his voice waver and slur.

I nodded my head, suddenly feeling a bit more tired now that he mentioned home. I turned and looked for Anna, but it was hopeless. I let Dean tow me from the crowds of people, out into the breezy summer night. I remember asking myself if I had my bag, answering that in the affirmative, then wondering what time it was...

*****

We got back in one piece. Dean thought it best that I stay the night at his house and thinking back, I know why. We were both stumbling the entire way to the night bus, the entire way to a seat and the entire way up the street, past Mark’s house to Dean’s. I had a tight hold on my bag while the fingers of my other hand were curled loosely around Dean’s.

“Aren’t your mum and dad in?” I asked, almost tripping over the doormat as he let us in. Dean laughed and shook his head, telling me that they had a party up in Northampton for the night. A wedding or something.

We went straight into Dean’s room, him peeling off my jacket for me and slinging it over his desk chair. He removed his hoody as I collapsed onto his bed.

“I love your bed,” I mumbled from the pillow.

“I love you in my bed,” he said. I could hear the smirk again but I was too drunk to let it bother me. I rolled onto my back and Dean lay beside me, searching around the top of the duvet for my hand. He found it and squeezed it slightly.

Then, of all times, I started thinking. Something I shouldn’t ever do one hundred per cent of the time. I was leaving, in less than a month. Leaving behind some good friends, some family and Dean. I’d started to care about him so much and I knew I’d miss him if I left. What do I mean ‘if’? I have to go don’t I? I chewed my bottom lip slightly in thought.

“What’re you thinking about?” Dean said, breaking my reverie.

I hadn’t noticed Dean roll onto his side and prop his head up on his hand. He was watching me while I thought. I snapped out of it and turned my head to look at him. I lifted my hand and carefully placed it on his cheek – gladly, I didn’t take his eye out.

“I’ll deal with it when it comes,” I said quietly, closing my eyes. I heard Dean chuckle lightly and he put his hand over my own. Next thing he pressed his lips gently onto mine for a couple of seconds, before pulling back and saying, “Beautiful.”

The word itself normally makes me cringe, but it sounds amazing coming from him. I opened my eyes again and moved my hand to the back of his neck. I pulled him down so his lips met mine again. It was a lot fiercer, fiery, everything beginning with ‘f’ that has something to do with passion.

Soon, he was holding himself up on his elbows, our tongues dancing together with him settled between my legs. One of his hands was slowing trailing down my side to my hip, then down my leg to my knee. He bent my leg at the knee and slid his hand back up, evading the fabric of my shirt and making it ride up.

I did nothing to stop it.