Count Me the Hours

After what felt like twelve hours, my eyes fluttered open. The first thing I saw was a black wall a few inches from my face. I frowned in confusion. I rolled over and saw more black walls, as well as several posters hanging from the wall, a dark red sofa across the room, and a nice sized tv as well.

I pushed myself into a sitting position and stared down at the dark red sheets of the bed as I tried to piece together my day. I pressed my lips together and sighed, thinking about the events from earlier in the day.

I left the bed and the room, feeling a bit disoriented as I walked down the hallway. I looked lovely, that was for sure. My shorts had riden up and I had not motivation to fix them. My tank top had lost it's fit and was hanging sloppily from my frame. I felt scummy, like I could use another shower.

Josh had left my bags in the living room, so I walked in there to grab a change of clothes. I hoisted one of my suitcases onto the coffee table and unzipped it. As I did, my eyes flickered to the front door. There was another suitcase sitting there and I frowned. I took a step toward it.

"Don't even think about," a voice said from behind me, a familiar voice. I whipped around and screamed jumping a foot in the air.

Sarah was leaning against the doorjamb from the kitchen and smiled when I turned around. I virtually tackled her, much to her discretion.

"What are you doing here?" I asked excitedly.

"Dree called me last night and we split the cost of my ticket out here," she said with a shrug.

"You're welcome," Dree said loudly from the kitchen.

"Where's Josh and Stephen?" I asked her as I walked into the kitchen. I opened the fridge in search of a water bottle and found one. I took a long drink and looked at her.

"Band practice," she said, looking up from her book.

"Josh is in the band too?" I was rather surprised by that. She simply nodded.

"Jesus Christ, this state is just made of cute band guys," Sarah said, pulling herself up onto the counter top to sit.

"More or less," Dree said quietly. "Once they're done rehearsing, Stephen and Josh are picking up a nice amount of liquor and we are having a party."

"With just the five of us?" I questioned with uncertainty.

"Nah, Brian and John are coming over, and maybe Jess. That's the rest of the band. I called Eric and Kenny, but I don't know if they'll show."

"You didn't call Garrett, did you?" I asked, sounding rather grim.

"Of course not. Why would I do that?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Just curious. Usually you have some form of hidden agenda," I said truthfully, taking a sip of water.

"I do not!" she protested. I gave her a skeptical look my her brow remained set.

Sarah clapped her hands together once, causing Dree and I to jump a bit. "We really need to get you ready," Sarah said, tilting her head as she studied me.

"For what exactly? I realize there's a party, but I don't see why I have to get ready, persay," I said with a shrug.

"Lu, we love you, and we're doing this for you. Let what happens tonight, happen," Dree said calmly.

"What are you saying?"

"Cut loose," she instructed. "Wear the jeans I gave you, and the bra. Wear a low cut top."

"Thanks for the suggestions, but-"

"Those weren't suggestions, they were instructions," she said, cutting me off. "Now go change so we can do your hair!"

Too exhausted to protest, I stood up with a sigh and searched through my suitcase for clothes that would satisfy her instructions. The jeans she'd given me hadn't been washed, but the bra had when I'd done a quick load of wash at Garrett's a few days ago. I changed, putting on a simple teal v-neck, which, in accordance with the bra, showed off plenty of cleavage.

"Damn," Sarah said when I returned to the kitchen.

"That bra works wonders, I tell you," Dree noted. She'd gotten some beers out of the fridge and one was in front of her, another in front of Sarah, and a third was set out for me.

The girls elaborated on what to do with my hair. They settled on a side braid, leaving my hair wavy. Dree had a tube of eyeliner that matched my shirt perfectly and they used that along with a silver shadow for my eyes. They forced a tube of caramel colored lip stain into my hand and force me to put it on. Dree handed me a pair of low heels to put on as well.

Stephen and Josh arrived soon after they were done "spicing me up," carrying the booze in. They set the bags down on the counter and emptied them. I walked into the kitchen to help and Josh turned when he heard the click of my heels in the tile. The beer bottle in his hand dropped and shattered on the tile.

"Shit," he hissed, looking down at the glass and liquid. I grabbed a few of the kitchen towels from the drawer and handed them to him. He thanked me and began picking up the pieces of glass. I stooped to help him and he glanced up, getting an unintentional look down my shirt. Awkwardly, we both stood up quickly.

When I turned away, Dree was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, looking very amused. Silently, I gave her the finger.

Half an hour later, I'd been introduced to Jess, John, and Brian, the rest of Josh and Stephen's band. Kennedy had shown up, with Pat in tow. Eric showed up, already half tipsy as well.

Drinks were poured and music blared. After two drinks, I made my way outside. I sat on a chaise, facing the lawn. I was out there for ten minutes when I heard the back door open. I turned around as Kennedy walked toward me.

"Hey, Kenny," I said quietly as he sat down beside me on the chaise.

"What happened with you and Gare?" he asked, cutting to the chase. I pursed my lips, running my tongue over my teeth. When I didn't answer, he persisted. "Something happened, Lu, it's obvious. You're here, with him no where in sight. You guys have been connected at the hip since you've been here."

"It's none of your business, Kennedy," I said, my jaw clenched.

"Bullshit, Lu! I went over to his house earlier and there was a whole in his wall the size of his fist. I don't know what happened, but you need to fix it. Garrett would barely say two words to me, he wouldn't even get out of bed," Kennedy explained exasperatedly. He stood up and paced a bit.

"What happened between Garrett and I happened, and sure, in a way, it's my fault, but I can't fix it. I went over there earlier to get my bags and all he did was yell at me. He fucking hit Josh!" Now I was getting angry.

"Why would you take Josh over there?! Seeing you with another guy is like salt on an open wound!"

"I know, okay? I just didn't want to go over there alone, Dree had to work. I knew I'd leave there as a mess, and I needed someone there with me." With the last word, something inside me snapped. "I'm tired of everybody here asking what's going in with me or what happened, why'd I leave! Everybody just cares about what happened in the past, not about who I am now. And right now, Garrett is in my past, so I'd appreciate it if you just left me alone, Kennedy."

Without a word, he nodded and walked back into the apartment. I watched him go and saw Pat standing at the door awkwardly. Guilt swelled in my stomach when I saw his hurt expression. I turned back to my original position and faced the lawn.

Tears stung in my eyes and I tried desperately to blink them away. They coursed down my cheeks, falling and hitting my jeans, leaving wet spots.

A few minutes later, I heard the door open again.

"If you're Pat, Kennedy, or Eric, please just leave me alone," I announced as I heard footsteps. I wiped my eyes furiously with the heel of my palm.

"I didn't hear my name in that list," Josh said as he stood over me. I looked up at him and forced a pathetic excuse for a smile.

He had two beer bottles in his hand and he offered one to me. Hesitantly, I took it. I'd already made a big enough mess, I didn't need to add alcohol to the mix.

"What happened with Kennedy?" he asked as he sat down in the seat Kennedy had vacated.

"He asked what happened with Garrett," I said, raising the bottle to my lips.

"What'd you tell him?"

"That it was none of his business."

"That'a girl," he said, nudging me with his elbow. A faint smile carved its way onto my lips.

We sat in silence for a while, drinking our beers. Our elbows were touching and our arms would brush as we took drinks.

"Want to go for a swim?" Josh asked, out of the blue.

"A swim?" I questioned skeptically.

"Yes, a swim. There's a pool over there," he said pointing to the next lot. There was in fact a pool, surrounded by a fence. "We can hop the fence easy."

I couldn't help but laugh. "I think I need another drink before I'm ready for that," I said, looking over at him.

"That can be arranged," Josh said, patting my knee as he stood up. "Sit tight."

I listened to his footsteps as he returned into the house in search of more beers. I let out a sigh when I heard the door close.

"What happens, happens," I told myself quietly. I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans, trying to stop the clenching feeling in my stomach. I took another deep breath and heard the door open again.

"Your order, m'lady," he said, handing me one of the bottles. I nodded my thanks and brought it to my lips. "You okay?" he asked quietly, looking over at me.

I could have easily lied, said I was fine. But for once, I didn't.

"Not really," I said, shaking my head bitterly. Josh frowned, looking concerned. I took another long drink from my bottle before standing up. "Now how about that swim?"

Josh smiled and nodded, standing up as well. I kicked off my shoes and walked across the lawn towards the fence. Josh waited a moment, tugging off his Chucks and his socks, before breaking into a jog to catch up to me.

The fence was low and we were easily able to get over it. Standing on the concrete outside the pool, we faced each other awkwardly. He took the initiative and removed his shirt and dropped it to the concrete. He looked at me and with a blush rising up my neck, I lifted the hem of my short and pulling it up my body and over my head. He licked his lips before tugging at his belt and unbuttoning his jeans before pushing them down. I took a deep breath and did the same.

"Uhm, wow," he said, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably, looking me over.

"Hey, eyes up here, bro," I said, pointing to my eyes, in case he'd forgotten where they were.

"Right," he muttered. I nodded with a quiet laugh, taking the elastic out of my hair and unweaving the braid, taking out the clips as well. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, I dived into the pool.

I resurfaced, pushing my hair out of my face. I smiled as Josh put a hand on his hip and stared down at me. "You said we were coming over here to swim," I said with a laugh.

"You're right," he commented before taking a few steps back and taking a running jump into the pool. He landed less than a foot from me, showering me with water.

He didn't resurface and I looked around. Suddenly, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist and he spun me around in the water. Laughing, I tried to squirm out of his grasp, but it didn't work too well. I finally broke free and still laughing, swam away from him.

I got to the edge of the pool and climbed out of it and walked over to the diving board. I stood on the end of it, bouncing slightly.

Josh waded over to the area beside the diving board. "Come on, Lu. Show me what you've got," he teased, hooting loudly. I winked at him before taking a big jump and doing an even flip in the air and still landing in a perfect dive. "Damn, where did that come from?" he asked with a laugh when I swam over to him.

"I used to do diving," I said with a casual shrug, the best I could manage while staying afloat.

"Like, as a sport?" he asked. I nodded, pushing my hair back. "Interesting. I did not know that."

"There's a lot you don't know about me," I said, matter of factly. I swam to the more shallow end of the pool, where I could touch and relaxed, leaning against the side of it.

"Like what?" he asked, putting a hand against the metal edge of the pool, leaning ove me.

"Like the fact that my favorite color is yellow. And that my dad was an alcoholic. My name isn't actually Lu, it's Tallulah. I'm a journalist and I only write with pen." I paused. "You're turn."

"I play the guitar in The Summer Set, my favorite color is blue. My guilty pleasure is Taylor Swift songs," he said, his brow furrowing as he thought about his next words. "I hate my handwritting, and I'm going to kiss you."

He was true to his words and he leaned down enough to press his lips against mine. Slightly taken aback, body froze. My lips were the first thing to react and they moved against his with ease. He cupped my face in once hand, his thumb moving over my cheek bone. He pulled away and my eyes opened. He smiled down at me before kissing me again. He pressed me back against the cold metal of the pool wall. While the back of my body was cold, the front was warm from the heat of his body.

After another minute of his lips on mine, he pulled away and looked away from me. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know you just kind of broke up with your boyfriend, or whatever you'd call Garrett, but, God, I don't even know. All day, I feel like I've been like, gravitating towards you, like I want to be with you. And I do, but it's obviously not something that seems good for you right now. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." Josh raked his hands though his wet hair awkwardly, causing it to stand up. He took a few steps away from me, the water slowing him down.

"Josh?" I said on the quiet side.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning around.

I stared at the ripples in the water between us, pressing my lips together before smiling. "It's okay. You don't have to apologize."

"Are you sure?" he asked. Wordlessly, I took steps toward him and splashed him lightly with water, nodding. He smiled, kissing my cheek before splashing me back.

We swam for another ten minutes, kissing frequently before we hopped out of the pool, both of us shivering. He wrapped his arms around me and we pressed again each other for warmth. Without drying off, due to lack of towels, we pulled out clothes back on just to keep warm on the journey back to Dree and Stephen's lawn.

We slipped into the apartment unnoticed and we could hear the music from the living room. We tip-toed down the hall to Josh's room. He opened the door for me and closed it when he walked in.

"You're bags are out in the living room still and it might be weird if you went out there looking like that," he said, sifting through his drawers. He was right, that would have been weird. My t-shirt was soaked and my hair was wet and hanging down my back. He handed me a t-shirt and a pair of his boxers and I smiled shyly.

He stepped into the hall so I could change in private. When he returned to the room, he smiled at me and I couldn't help but blush as I felt his eyes caress the curves of my body. I was completely bare under the clothes he'd given me.

"Josh?" I said, clearing my throat. He tore his eyes from my body and met my eyes. I licked my lips before pressing them together. He let out a deep breath, raising a hand to rest it on my waist.

The dark colored room was poorly lit, only the lamp across the room. There was an ambiance of lust in the room, and I was absorbed in it. His hand, warm, slid up the shirt and rested on the curve of my waist. He did the same with his other hand, the hem of my shirt rising high.

He leaned down and kissed me softly once, then with more fire behind it. Swiftly, he raised the shirt back over my head. He trailed his fingers down the my spine slowly, raising goosebumps along my skin. His hands on my neck gently, he sat down on the bed behind him, pulling me down to him. I straddled his waist as he pulled away just long enough to slide his own shirt off.

He leaned backward, and I fell down to him, our bare chests together. He flipped us, his arm looped under me, holding me close. He'd kicked his jeans down and I took a deep, shaky breath before pushing his boxers down his hips. He pushed my borrowed pair down slowly and I kicked them off.

"Lu?" he asked, kissing my neck once, then my shoulder.

"Yeah," I asked, toying with his ear idly.

"Are you okay with this?" he whispered, brushing his lips over mine. I simply nodded, knowing that if I tried to speak, my voice would fail me.

I wanted to do this, really, I did, I wasn't lying about that. I felt hollow though, out of place. I knew I didn't belong in Josh's bed, at least not at that moment, but I accepted it. After all, what happens, happens.

When it was all done and over with, as we both lay there catching our breath, I looked over at Josh and blushed as I smiled. He glanced over and me and let out a quiet chuckle.

"That was pretty good," I said, a hint of amusement in my voice.

"Pretty good?!" he scoffed. "Only pretty good. Damn, babe, I was working hard. And personally I though it deserves more of a fucking awesome rating."

"Now you're just flattering yourself," I informed him, placing a hand on his chest before kissing him.

"Oh, come on, I'm not that bad," he grumbled.

"I was teasing, Josh. Calm down, you were great." I laughed as he put an arm around me, pulling me to him. He kissed my lips before kissing my shoulder again.

"That's more lime it," he said.

Relaxed pillow talk followed as we both slowly lost our grip on consciousness, fading into the realm of sleep.