Temporary Bliss

After getting that frantic phone call from Caroline, I grabbed Cameron’s hand and drug him to my car. I immediately started the car and threw it into reverse, putting on my seatbelt as I backed out. I drove well over the speed limit the entire way to Caroline’s house, after stopping at a drug store to pick up what she asked me to, with Cameron gripping the door handle the entire time and asking me to explain what was going on.

Once I parked my car in her driveway I took the keys out of the ignition and got out of my car and ran up to her door like a madwoman. Zach was standing there banging his fists on the door yelling at Caroline to let him in.

“Move it!” I ordered.

He spun around to face me, “It’s no use! She won’t let me in! She won’t even tell me what’s going on!” he stressed.

Cameron appeared behind us with a confused expression on his face as I banged on the door, “Caroline! It’s me, let me in!”

“Zach and Cameron can’t come in!”

“Okay, that’s fine! Just let me in!”

Just as the door started to open Zach spoke up, “It is most definitely not fine! She’s my girlfriend, I want in! I deserve to be let in!”

“Wait, so you don’t know what’s going on either?” Cameron questioned.

“No!” Zach yelled as he threw his hands in the air before tangling his fingers in his hair. “And Charlotte won’t fucking tell me either!!!”

I rolled my eyes at Zach, “Just stop your whining! It’s a girl problem okay!”

“Charlotte can you just come in already?” Caroline yelled from the other side of the door.

“Yeah, coming!” I stuck my tongue out at Zach and quickly walked into her house. I shut the door and locked it behind me. There stood Caroline in baggy sweatpants and a sweatshirt.

“Upstairs to the bathroom, now.” I ordered.

Caroline sat on the edge of the tub as I set the plastic bag on the counter and started pulling boxes out.

“Did you get everything?” Caroline asked with a shaky voice.

“Yes. Don’t worry.” I turned around and looked at her tear stained face. My heart immediately sank, “Caroline, everything is going to be okay.”

She continued wiping her tears away as I sat down next to her, “Why did this have to happen to me though?”

“I don’t know, we’ll fix it, but you’re going to need to take everything off.”

She sighed and stood up, removing her sweatpants and sweatshirt, leaving her in her underwear and bra.

My hand shot up over my mouth as I tried not to laugh. She finished putting her hair up in a bun and turned to look at me.

“I swear to God charlotte, you better hold that laugh in or I’m going to kill you.”

“I can’t help it!” I squeaked. “You just look so funny orange!”

I couldn’t hold it in any longer and my laugh escaped.

“It’s not my fault my tan turned orange! The lady told me to do 4 so I did!”

“Well, at least you’re not as orange as an Oompa Loompa!”

She rolled her eyes, “Let’s just try and get this off, can we?” I nodded, grabbing the baby oil off of the counter. “Google said to put the baby oil on, let it sit for a few hours, then take a hot bath and exfoliate, and it should come off. Simple enough.”

“What did we learn from this?” I asked as I began to rub the oil onto her back as she put it on her arms.

“Don’t get a fucking spray tan, that’s what.”

“Ding, ding, ding!” I laughed, “At least prom is still a few weeks away.”

“No kidding.”

After Caroline was covered from head to toe in baby oil I left her to change into a pair of shorts and a loose shirt. I hopped down the stairs and peered out the peephole in the front door. Cameron was sitting down on the steps and Zach was leaning on the railing, drumming his fingers against the wood.