Passed Out on Your Lawn

Waking up was painful. Now I knew why they called it a hangover – cause it felt like you were hanging off a bridge head first and wanted to fall off cause it hurt so bad.
I had a dry mouth and felt sick. The air smelled of stale beer and sweat, and the inner tent walls were dripping with sweat. Ew.
I yawned loudly and forced my way from between Ronnie and Shelly to crawl into the fresh air. I glanced over to the other tent to see a piece of clear plastic with some whitish-

“Oh god! You dirty fuckers!” I systematically rasped from my dry throat after realising it was exactly what you’d expect but don’t want to find lying around.

“What’s up?” Ronnie came out after me.
I was looking the other way, still on all fours and he pulled me by my waist to sit between his legs.

“You don’t wanna know,” I sighed trying to hold whatever may still be left in my stomach down.

“Oh man. Robert you’re a sick mother fucker!” he must have seen it.

I leaned into Ronnie’s chest in exhaustion and in return he held his arms around me and cuddled me. We’d hardly slept judging by the time on my watch.

“Can we go home please?” I mumbled.

“Soon, yeah,” Ronnie whispered and kissed the top of my head.

I must have dozed back off in his warm embrace because next thing everyone was climbing into reality.

Robert and Vanessa looked sheepish and stayed quiet but when they’d finished packing up their stuff they were holding hands.
We got everything together and made for home, Bryan volunteered to go in the trunk thankfully because I just couldn’t handle it. I opted out of going home because it was suspiciously early and I couldn’t be doing with my mom.
Fortunately Ronnie was more than happy for me to go home with him. I’d packed a complete set of clothes just in case and they came in real handy after my shower.

“What do you wanna do while I take a shower?” Ronnie asked as I curled up on his bed.

“Sleep,” I replied closing my eyes.

“You sleep a lot. Are you a cat?” he chuckled.

“Meow,” I uttered with a smile.

“Ok, I’ll be back soon.”

Ronnie left by sounds of it and I tried to sleep but obviously couldn’t. I wanted something to cuddle and the best I could do was a pillow. Memories of the previous night floated through my mind like clouds. I tried not to think of the dream but it wouldn’t shift. What if it’d been real? Would I actually do that? Would I have gone further? All the way?
My heart thumped vociferously against my chest and I felt light headed. That’s when Ronnie came back with a large bottle of soda and dripping wet hair…and…just a towel on.
I had to re-shut my eyes to stop myself staring, imagining, going nuts. Fuck! Why is my mind suddenly in the gutter? Is this what sexual tension is? God damn!

“Drink some of this,” Ronnie spoke so softly it was almost a purr, “it’ll make you feel better.”

“Ok,” I nodded and took the bottle, focusing my stare solely on it. Pervert.

**

My birthday was only days away. Got knows what my mom and her Paul had in mind but the guys decided that after whatever crap she would make me do that we’d go camping again for my sweet sick sixteenth.
That was also the day that Max would hopefully arrive home.
So…this is how it went down...

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“Nnnnnoooo,” I instinctively whined.

“Dakota, wakey, wakey,” Mom peered around my bedroom door and slid my black curtains open.

“Mooommmm whatthehell,” I turned to bury my face in the pillow.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Dakotaaa, happy birthday to you,” she sang happily.

I look up at her infectious smile and remembered how wonderful she could be, “Got you breakfast, honey.”

“Black coffee and cigarettes?” I joked. “Jack and coke?”

She rolled her eyes after months of having to adjust to my gradual attitude change and somewhat fearless mannerism alteration since having guys as best friends.

“Is chocolate pancakes ok?” she laughed.

“Thanks Mom,” I grinned happily and hugged her over the tray she placed in my lap, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she kissed my cheek, “Now get on up, you’ve got guests coming soon.”

“How soon?” I looked up from cutting my pancake.

“A couple hours,” she glanced at her watch.

“Cool.”

I ate and got myself ready for the day slowly. I decided on a band tank top, black skirt and ripped fishnets with Cons. Once I was satisfied with my hair and eyeliner I hopped down to the stairs where I almost crashed into Bryan.

“Wah! Don’t run with scissors!” he cried and held onto my arms so we didn’t topple over.

“I’m not holding scissors,” I raised an eyebrow.

“Good! Safety first. Now come on, everyone is waiting,” he slung me over his shoulder much to my aggravation and took me downstairs.

“Bryan what’re you doing?” my mom hissed as he took me through into the garden and placed me on my feet in front of the table which held a multitude of wrapped packages in jazzy paper.

“Happy birthday!” Robert yelled excitedly with a scrunched facial expression making me laugh.

“Thanks!” I hugged him.

I took a second to look around and found my mom and Paul, Vanessa, Shelly, Lynette and Sophie [what the fuck?] Bryan and Ronnie as well as Robert of course. I succeeded in keeping the smile despite Max being absent.

“Thanks for coming, everyone!” I called stridently.

It was weird having my best friends around in the same place as Lynette and Sophie. I don’t think they knew where to look or what to do with themselves.

I sat up on a chair and grinned, “Ok I’m ready, lavish me,” I laughed.

“Me first, me first!” Shelly rushed with a glittery purple bag and card. I opened the card first like I’d be raised to then looked in the bag to find a set of glittery nail polishes and a bright orange thong. When I held it up my eyes went wide and she burst into stitches.

“That was a joke! Happy birthday Dee!” she cried as I held the underwear, which was a size twenty or something obscene.

“Do me next!” Bryan whined.

“All in good time,” I winked then laughed.

“I didn’t mean it like that!” he smirked.

I went through the motions and was ecstatic to receive CDs, band posters, gig tickets and films from everyone whom I thanked in turn. Lynette and Sophie got me a cosmetic gift set between them and excused themselves but I thanked them for the present and their attendance all the same.

“Mom, why on earth did you invite them?” I asked her quietly once they’d left.

“I didn’t realise how much you’d cut yourself off from them. It was nice of them to come anyway though wasn’t it?” she replied.

“Yeah it was actually.”

My mom looked up and smiled at something but before I could turn a pair of hands covered my eyes.

“Sorry I’m late,” Max’s voice whispered close to my ear.

I spun and stared in astonishment.

'I thought you went to summer school, not sexy school,’ I said inside my head.
It was unreal how much his hair had grown in two weeks, just like I told him to, and now he’d dyed it black it was lush. Also there were snakebite piercings present and I swear I didn’t think I could like him anymore before but he’d proven me so wrong.

“Sexy school?” he smirked.

“What?” my jaw dropped.

“You muttered something about sexy school,” he told me with amusement.

“I…thought…I said that inside my head,” I blushed frantically and pushed my hair in the way as usual.

“Missed you,” Max pulled me into a hug, which I returned tightly.

“Missed you too,” I was so glad to have him back.

“Oh yeah,” he pulled away, “happy birthday,” he produced a large flat square covered in black paper.
Spinal Tap.
I hastily unwrapped it to find a pristine condition vintage vinyl record of one of my favourite old bands' albums.

“Sorry I didn’t get you a card but this is signed so maybe you can let me off,” Max smiled.

I found the signature and I think my heart exploded. I placed it down on the nearest surface and full on jumped on him, legs around and all.

“Thank you so much I fuckin’ love you!” I shrieked and repeatedly kissed his cheek without hesitation.

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you like it,” he laughed and held me so I wouldn’t fall off him.

“Like it? I love it!” I hollered and refused to let go of him.

When I finally did let go I picked the record back up to gaze at it in amazement, Ronnie came over and slid his arm around my waist. I looked up and first saw Max’s face kind of freeze as he looked at Ronnie, then Ronnie’s interest [whether genuine or fake] in the gift.

“Nice one, man,” Ronnie said.

“Yeah…well…my Aunt knows people ya know,” Max shoved his hands in his pockets and I came down off my high.

What have I done? What can I do now? Fuck!