Mess of Fading Lines

"When is the devil leaving?" I asked, snuggling up to Lucy since her mother had effectively kicked her out of her room. I yawned pulling some sheets over my body. It was still around three in the afternoon, but after John and Garrett left, we didn't want to dwell in the living room, where Lillian had set up wedding planner central.

"I don't know, when the wedding is planned?" Lucy moaned, flipping the channel on TV from a re-run of the Daily Show to Keeping Up With the Kardashians, I made a mental note of how perfect their hair was and to try it some time, before I moved to my side and got comfortable again.

"But that could take forever," I whined, half joking and half serious. I found myself looking at short-term leases on apartments while I was riding back from the restaurant, John and I hadn't talked since our exchange after the kiss. God, I can't believe I kissed him, this didn't help my delicate mental state at all.

"Why don't you go stay with your lover boy again," Lucy said, before flipping the channel again, some soap opera came on in Spanish. It looked quite scandalous, involving slapping, dramatic gasps and camera angles and everything. As soon as I zoned into the show she changed it again.

"Why don't you keep the TV on the same channel for more than three seconds," I retorted flipping to lay on my back, debating on whether I wanted to take a nap or read a little then take a nap. My life is so challenging, I don't know how I do it.

"Seriously, what's going on with you and John," Lucy asked, ignoring me and flipping the channel again. I groaned knowing I would never have the mental attention span to actually read while she was going channel-crazy so instead I flipped over onto my side slash belly to get into sleeping position, closing my eyes.

"Nothing, just saving me from being ridiculed more than usual by your dragon- I mean mother," I peaked my eyes open as a smile spread across my lips. Lucy was smiling back at me as she flicked my forehead. "Ow, you bitch! Oh my God! Have you been bitten? Are you turning?" I asked jumping up and checking her neck jokingly. She started giggling and slapped my hand away.

"No super seriously, are you in to John? Because Garrett and I thought you two would, like, get along," Lucy said looking at me, turning on her side to look me in the eye. We were both still wearing our nice clothes from brunch, but it was exhausting being around Lillian neither of us wanted to change.

"Super duper serious?!" I asked in a mocking tone, raising my voice to sound like an idiot. She punched me in the arm and I decided that was enough, I smiled and shook my head looking her in the eye. "No, there's nothing going on between us and I'm not in to him," I said using air quotes to say "in", she rolled her eyes in disbelief and turned her attention back to the television. "But we have been getting along better and he's a cooler guy then I thought, so there," I admitted shyly, a slight blush coming to my cheeks.

"Whatever, when you guys get married and have beautiful babies, I'm gonna say I told you so and I'm gonna enjoy it," She stated curtly. I shoved her lightly, both of us laughing. "It will be a sweet victory," She grinned, with those two words, it triggered us to sing Sweet Victory from the Spongebob episode we had just watched. We laughed until there was a knocking on the door, when Lucy got up and checked dragging her feet the entire way. She opened the door and revealed no one there, then there was another knocking noise. I scrunched my nose pensively and turned my head and saw John and Garrett crouching next to the window. I almost fell out of the bed from shock and fright, also letting out a tiny yelp.

"What are you two doing here?" Lucy asked, opening the window after seeing what had scared me. She smoothed her dress down, seeing as it had crinkled from us laying in bed. They both climbed in through the window, Garrett first, pressing his lips gently to Lucy's before they got kicked by John following him.

"We were in the neighborhood and decided to rescue you," Garrett shrugged before Lucy nearly died from shock. All her life she had been into the idea of the handsome prince and the white steed. She was into the whole "my hero" moment. John crashed on the bed next to me and pushed his legs off.

"Don't get your dirty shoes on my bed," I said firmly, but with a smile still on my face. John kicked off his flip flops and placed his feet back on my bed. "You know what don't get your dirty you on my bed," I said shooing him off, he jutted out his bottom lip.

"Aw, come on, baby," He said raising his eyebrows before he turned around and saw Lucy and Garrett getting a little too into the moment. He cleared his throat, "So if we're gonna get out of here both of you will need your faces," He whispered, but loud enough we could all hear. I decided to take advantage of this moment and packed a backpack, filling it with all the essentials for a sleep over, including an outfit for tomorrow and zipped it up.

"If you wanna sleep in the same bed as me so bad, you got it, or I'm sleeping on Garrett's couch, but I am not staying here as long as I can help it," I smiled when John gave me an inquisitive look. He chuckled lightly before I slipped into a pair of denim shorts, a tank top and flip flops, changing in my walk-in closet.

"Wait, what's happening?" Lucy asked once she finally removed her face from Garrett's and saw me changed and holding an overnight bag. She pieced it together, as if her mind had heard everything and was lagged processing it. "No, Holden that's not fair! I can't say I'm going to stay at my boyfriend's house because my mom will say I'm a skeezy whore!" Lucy whined, throwing her hands to her side.

"What kind of whore are you?" I grinned jokingly until I saw how genuinely distressed Lucy was. I paused to think, orchestrating a master plan in my mind until it finally hit. "Idea: instead of me staying with Perv-face over here, why don't we go stay with Roxie and you can actually tell your mom you're going to a girl's night!" I gushed excited.

"Yes! Let me go pack!" Lucy said running around of the room. Garrett seemed confused at everything that was happening while John just looked at me with his charming, crooked smile.

"Perv-face?" He asked raising an eyebrow at me. I melt a little bit as his grin expanded to show all of his teeth. I tried not to think about his lips pressed against mine, because I am not attracted to him because he is a perv-face. I tried reasoning with myself.

"Yep, you are indeed, I could've said doody-face so don't complain," I smiled jokingly. He let out a half chuckle before Lucy came rushing back in, her cheeks flushed as if this was some exercise or other.

"Okay, I'm ready," She smiled, Garrett was the first to jump out of the window and as Lucy tried to get her leg over the windowsill without flashing the world or ripping her skirt it dawned on me.

"Lucy, if your mom knows where we're going, why are we sneaking out of our own house?" I asked. She paused, setting her leg back down on the ground and tilted her head. I nodded slightly, drawing the side of my mouth into a smirk.

"Shut up, John get out, we'll meet you out front," She said laughing slightly, stepping aside so John could slip out. He was so skinny it was easy and both boys waved as I shut and locked my window. I raced out the front door as Lucy talked to her mother meeting the two guys in the lawn. As soon as I walked up to them they seemed to quiet down, this made me nervous. It was similar to in high school, when people stopped talking about you so you knew they had been talking about you.

"Go, go, go, go," Lucy rushed me over to Garrett's car, as she got in the front seat John and I sat in the back. Lucy started laughing as soon as we were driving down the street. I looked over the seat at her, letting my concern show on my brow. When I saw Garrett he had the same face as me. "To Roxie's! I'm so done with my mother!" She giggled, wiping tears from her eyes. I'd never seen her act like this so I was still worried, but excited to get away. We drove to some apartments down the road and found a parking spot, the four of us adventuring to apartment B16.

Once Lucy knocked on the door I realized we had failed to tell her we were coming. Roxie answered the door with her hair messy and her shirt raised a little. We all smiled slightly knowing what she had been doing. She straightened herself out before asking what the hell we were doing here.

"Uh, long story short, Lucy's mom's a bitch so we're having a sleep over here!" I said walking in before calling out, "Hey Halvo!" He poked his head out of her bedroom and waved awkwardly, putting a shirt on before he walked out.

"Guys, I love you and all that bullshit, but this is a one bedroom apartment, where are you guys sleeping?" She asked looking as we all piled in. I sat down on the couch and flashed her a giant grin pointing down.

"Lucy can sleep on the floor," I waved off, soon after Lucy's fist collided with my arm. I winced as no one even paid attention she wrapped her arms around me apologetically. Halvo and John exchanged handshakes quickly before talking amongst themselves. "Or, you could just go to Garrett's. How many bedrooms do you have?" I asked looking over at him.

"Uh, well three, but that's only 'cause me and Pat have a room, then there's a room to crash at," Garrett said thinking about it. I wondered if everyone had a designated "crashing" room for parties. I really didn't care where we ended up so when Halvo handed me a beer I let everyone else sort it out and sipped on it still dead tired and about to fall asleep. I felt myself drifting off when I felt a weight on my stomach, seeing now I was lying on the couch and Roxie was sitting on top of me.

"Yeah, uh, don't take this the wrong way or anything, but get the fuck off me," I laughed pushing her lightly. I was glad I had put the beer I had been sipping on the table because it would've been all over her couch.

"Why are you so tired every time I see you?" She asked, obliging and once I had sat upright, took a seat next to me. I shrugged, I had been sleeping I really had no reason to be tired, I just was. "Good answer," She smiled sarcastically. I bumped her shoulder and looked up to see Garrett and Lucy sharing a one-person recliner looking too comfy.

"So what's the plan stan?" I asked anyone who was listening. Instead of answering the question everyone simply started laughing and snickering.

"Did you really just say that?" Lucy asked, playing with Garrett's hands that were wrapped around her. She looked so happy, I was glad they were finally getting married and taking this step. I flipped her off before taking a sip of my beer. "I guess we're crashing at Garrett's house, you and John are crashing at Nick's and Halvo and Roxie are staying here... together," Lucy laughed wiggling her eyebrows.

"So no pressure or anything, but everyone else is getting lucky tonight so, uh," John said, leaning forward suggestively. I mustered up the best look I could to summarize, "in your dreams you fucking perv who keeps on winning me over then fucking me over" and he raised his hands defensively. "Well, I'm about to crash shall we?" He asked standing up and clasping hands with Halvo.

"I hope your love-making is worth my pain and misery," I said dramatically clutching my forehead. I smiled to let them know I was just kidding, and hugged everyone goodnight. When John and I left the apartment I looked up at him awkwardly. "Did you even drive?" I asked looking around for his car.

"Walk with me," He smiled shoving his hands into his pockets. It was nighttime now, so the temperature had dropped to a bearable ninety degrees and I jutted out my bottom lip still considering going back and ruining Halvo and Roxie's date night. Instead, I saw two green eye staring at me with an emotion I hadn't seen before, his lips played into smirk. I felt something melt inside me and I nodded, walking next to John into the night. What the hell was I doing? What the hell was going on, nothing. Just nothing.