Status: COMPLETE
The Lodge in the Forest
Good work, zombie arm
Holden came up behind Dana and pushed her under. Taken by surprise, she accidentally elbowed him in the face, splitting his lip.
"Ah!" He cursed. Dana clapped her hands to her mouth in horror.
"Oh my god! Holden I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! Are you ok?!" He put his hand over his face and it came away bloody, but he was grinning.
"Don't worry about it Dana, I've had worse." Her eyes looked exceptionally blue against her wet hair. She looked so guilty he thought it was adorable and took the opportunity to plant a kiss on her pale cheek.
"Payback."
She smiled shyly, face reddening and turned in the water, swimming to the side to unearth another beer from the cooler. There she hoisted herself up, showering a disgruntled Marty with lake water in the process.
"Why are you getting me wet again?" He complained mildly, then giggled for no apparent reason. He was still shirtless and damp; his hair drying into it's familiar bedraggled mess. A recently-lit spliff was clutched in long fingers and his eyes were hazy.
"Oh sshh." Dana reprimanded lightly, smiling at him.
"Don't ssshhhh me, woman, I am man therefore I am...superior..." He snorted to himself again. Dana rolled her eyes. There was no talking to him when he was like this.
"You're such a dick when you're high."
"I am...not! Dana, you lie..."
"Marty, you were just a sexist prick."
He inhaled dramatically.
"Ha ha, I was joking..."
"Well, it wasn't funny." She left her beer on the ledge and lowered herself fluidly back into the water.
"Dana. Dana! I'm sorry I'm -." The redhead swiped the beer and paddled backwards, somehow managing not to look at him as she did it.
"Really baked..." He finished off to himself, flopping back on the pier defeated. He took a long drag of his joint and grinned dreamily.
"Well if you aren't the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He told the sky.
"You're - you're blue like...daisies." He murmured blissfully.
The evening saw the five young adults partying hard in their cabin in the woods. Several bottles of wine were scattered across the table in various stages of consumption. Beer cans and bottles alike were piled in creative-looking sculptures on the floor. Chips and candy littered the sofas, wet patches where liquids had been spilled put the final touches to the background.
Now for the occupants. Kurt was sat on one armchair with Jules pulled across his lap. Marty was sprawled in the other one while Dana and Holden were sat awkwardly next to each other on the sofa. Marty dared Jules to make out with a stuffed wolf's head, then they wandered around the basement for a bit. Finally Jules and Kurt retired to their room for some 'alone time' and Dana, Holden and Marty were left to their own devices.
Holden had been thinking about kissing Dana all night. The more drunk he became, the better the idea seemed. She hadn't said anything about him kissing her at the lake and she was single, which was always a good start. He'd heard rumours of a sucky situation with a professor but he wasn't expecting any more than a kiss, if that was all she was ready for. He wasn't a bad guy - he would go as far as the girl wanted and no more. She was in control. He watched her as she stared blankly at the table, fingers wrapped around a quarter bottle of rose. She must have felt him looking at her because she looked up and smiled sweetly, her eyes so very large and blue, lighting up. This was the moment. And he leaned in slowly. The smile faded, and a look of confusion pulled her lips into a tight line. He put his hand out to touch her cheek, to tell her he wanted this, but she turned her face away, shutting him off, her eyes downcast and her body lines rigid with misery. Holden brought his hand back quickly and bit his lip in consternation.
"I - I'm sorry, I just thought..."
He must have really misread all the signs. This girl didn't want him. He sat back against the sofa cushions as she got to her feet, moved her hair distractedly back from her face with a trembling hand, muttering:
"I'm just gonna...g-g-go to the bathroom." And tottering unsteadily out of the room. Holden sat for a moment longer, then headed to bed so he could rest his addled, drunken mind. Marty followed the boy's progress with his glazed eyes. Drinking and smoking was such a bad idea sometimes. He couldn't get his brain to just...do things. He needed little neon arrows to get him from a to b. Puppet strings to make his limbs respond in the appropriate order at the appropriate times. On that thought, he decided to have a nap, and woke up 30 mins later fuzzy and disorientated and somewhat more sober. There was no-one there. Where had everybody gone? Had they all gone to bed? He really needed to empty his bladder. Stumbling over to the bathroom, he threw open the door to a boatload of steam and the drumming noise of water on the tiles.
"Hello?" No answer. He tried again.
"Hellooo?" He really needed to pee. He sorted himself out, rinsed his hands and went over to cautiously knock on the shower door, before realising it was very slightly ajar.
"Hello?" He very slowly pushed it open, and was greeted by a torrent of spray. He put his hand out to protect his eyes and squinted past it to see if there was anyone there. There was. It was Dana. And she was clearly upset, soaking wet and curled up with her arms around her knees as the shower rained down on her. The wine bottle stood empty next to her left foot. Marty didn't know what to do. He approached her carefully, as though she was a wounded bird, and knelt down in the shower stream, putting his hand gently on her shoulder as he felt the warm water soak through his clothes, skin, run down his face into his eyes, which he cleared away frustratedly with his free arm.
"Dana." He shook her softly, "Dana. I think it's time to stop now."
"Wha - what are you -?" She tried to open her eyes, but water poured in so she closed them again.
"Why are you-?" Her hand came up to shield her face as she tried to figure out who had disturbed her. Here she was trying to wallow in her pain but nope - someone had to come in and crash the party. God she was so...angry! She pushed the hand away but it two came back, one on either shoulder and there was a face close to hers enunciating very calm, practical advice but she was upset and furious and everything that had happened with Manning and the school and with Holden came flooding back and she wrenched the arms off of her, shouting at him to leave her alone but he wouldn't and she began to weep again.
"Dana. Dana. Please don't cry. You have to get up now. You - you really can't stay in the shower forever. I'm sorry." He was so fucking calm and rational. Marty was never any of these things. And for some reason this pissed her off mightily and she slapped him messily across the face, water and all. Then she shook her finger at him with every word.
"You leave me alone Martin Mikalski. I don't want you in my life, d'you hear me?" Through the haze of steam she saw shock colour his funny coloured eyes and pain lance through them but she was too tired, too angry and drunk to care. She just wanted peace and quiet.
Marty stood slowly and squelched out of the cubicle, not really sure how to take this new development in their friendship. He was dripping - literally sopping wet from head to toe - his cheek was stinging where she had hit him. For a small girl she had some swing on her. He turned doggedly in his door, then stopped short, realising he still didn't want Dana to be alone, crying in the shower and that even if she didn't want him she would have someone take care of her - someone she couldn't refuse. He turned heavily and stomped up to Jules' bedroom, banging very loudly and incessantly on the wood until she opened it, eyes barely open, wearing a huge t-shirt that came down to her knees.
"What the holy fuck is going on, Marty? It's 3 am!"
He met her gaze levelly and said very distinctly so she couldn't possibly misunderstand him:
"Dana is sat in the shower, crying her eyes out. Please, please can you...get her to bed. Please. I know she'll listen to you. And I'm...sorry...for waking you." He waved vaguely and left the rest up to her. They were best friends, he knew she would help Dana. Man, he was tired...and so cold, he should probably...change into some dry clothes or something. Marty plodded into his room, locked the door behind him and stared at the unmade bed unseeingly for a good 5 minutes before he got himself into gear and fumbled around, stripping off his wet clothes and drying himself half-heartedly before pulling on new sweatpants and a shirt and depositing himself into bed, barely tugging the duvet around him before he fell asleep, glad of the sweet oblivion.
Dana woke up the morning after with a very sore head and absolutely no recollection of the events of the previous night. She stumbled into the bathroom and threw herself headlong into the toilet before vomiting copiously into the bowl. Oh dear god. She thought she might die. Clinging onto the rim she closed her eyes and willed her stomach to stop churning. What had she drank last night?! Oh god. She was gonna hurl again. After what seemed like the billionth attempt to empty her insides she managed to drag herself back to bed and fell into an uneasy sleep, full of as much tap water as she could gulp down in one sitting.
"Ah!" He cursed. Dana clapped her hands to her mouth in horror.
"Oh my god! Holden I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! Are you ok?!" He put his hand over his face and it came away bloody, but he was grinning.
"Don't worry about it Dana, I've had worse." Her eyes looked exceptionally blue against her wet hair. She looked so guilty he thought it was adorable and took the opportunity to plant a kiss on her pale cheek.
"Payback."
She smiled shyly, face reddening and turned in the water, swimming to the side to unearth another beer from the cooler. There she hoisted herself up, showering a disgruntled Marty with lake water in the process.
"Why are you getting me wet again?" He complained mildly, then giggled for no apparent reason. He was still shirtless and damp; his hair drying into it's familiar bedraggled mess. A recently-lit spliff was clutched in long fingers and his eyes were hazy.
"Oh sshh." Dana reprimanded lightly, smiling at him.
"Don't ssshhhh me, woman, I am man therefore I am...superior..." He snorted to himself again. Dana rolled her eyes. There was no talking to him when he was like this.
"You're such a dick when you're high."
"I am...not! Dana, you lie..."
"Marty, you were just a sexist prick."
He inhaled dramatically.
"Ha ha, I was joking..."
"Well, it wasn't funny." She left her beer on the ledge and lowered herself fluidly back into the water.
"Dana. Dana! I'm sorry I'm -." The redhead swiped the beer and paddled backwards, somehow managing not to look at him as she did it.
"Really baked..." He finished off to himself, flopping back on the pier defeated. He took a long drag of his joint and grinned dreamily.
"Well if you aren't the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He told the sky.
"You're - you're blue like...daisies." He murmured blissfully.
The evening saw the five young adults partying hard in their cabin in the woods. Several bottles of wine were scattered across the table in various stages of consumption. Beer cans and bottles alike were piled in creative-looking sculptures on the floor. Chips and candy littered the sofas, wet patches where liquids had been spilled put the final touches to the background.
Now for the occupants. Kurt was sat on one armchair with Jules pulled across his lap. Marty was sprawled in the other one while Dana and Holden were sat awkwardly next to each other on the sofa. Marty dared Jules to make out with a stuffed wolf's head, then they wandered around the basement for a bit. Finally Jules and Kurt retired to their room for some 'alone time' and Dana, Holden and Marty were left to their own devices.
Holden had been thinking about kissing Dana all night. The more drunk he became, the better the idea seemed. She hadn't said anything about him kissing her at the lake and she was single, which was always a good start. He'd heard rumours of a sucky situation with a professor but he wasn't expecting any more than a kiss, if that was all she was ready for. He wasn't a bad guy - he would go as far as the girl wanted and no more. She was in control. He watched her as she stared blankly at the table, fingers wrapped around a quarter bottle of rose. She must have felt him looking at her because she looked up and smiled sweetly, her eyes so very large and blue, lighting up. This was the moment. And he leaned in slowly. The smile faded, and a look of confusion pulled her lips into a tight line. He put his hand out to touch her cheek, to tell her he wanted this, but she turned her face away, shutting him off, her eyes downcast and her body lines rigid with misery. Holden brought his hand back quickly and bit his lip in consternation.
"I - I'm sorry, I just thought..."
He must have really misread all the signs. This girl didn't want him. He sat back against the sofa cushions as she got to her feet, moved her hair distractedly back from her face with a trembling hand, muttering:
"I'm just gonna...g-g-go to the bathroom." And tottering unsteadily out of the room. Holden sat for a moment longer, then headed to bed so he could rest his addled, drunken mind. Marty followed the boy's progress with his glazed eyes. Drinking and smoking was such a bad idea sometimes. He couldn't get his brain to just...do things. He needed little neon arrows to get him from a to b. Puppet strings to make his limbs respond in the appropriate order at the appropriate times. On that thought, he decided to have a nap, and woke up 30 mins later fuzzy and disorientated and somewhat more sober. There was no-one there. Where had everybody gone? Had they all gone to bed? He really needed to empty his bladder. Stumbling over to the bathroom, he threw open the door to a boatload of steam and the drumming noise of water on the tiles.
"Hello?" No answer. He tried again.
"Hellooo?" He really needed to pee. He sorted himself out, rinsed his hands and went over to cautiously knock on the shower door, before realising it was very slightly ajar.
"Hello?" He very slowly pushed it open, and was greeted by a torrent of spray. He put his hand out to protect his eyes and squinted past it to see if there was anyone there. There was. It was Dana. And she was clearly upset, soaking wet and curled up with her arms around her knees as the shower rained down on her. The wine bottle stood empty next to her left foot. Marty didn't know what to do. He approached her carefully, as though she was a wounded bird, and knelt down in the shower stream, putting his hand gently on her shoulder as he felt the warm water soak through his clothes, skin, run down his face into his eyes, which he cleared away frustratedly with his free arm.
"Dana." He shook her softly, "Dana. I think it's time to stop now."
"Wha - what are you -?" She tried to open her eyes, but water poured in so she closed them again.
"Why are you-?" Her hand came up to shield her face as she tried to figure out who had disturbed her. Here she was trying to wallow in her pain but nope - someone had to come in and crash the party. God she was so...angry! She pushed the hand away but it two came back, one on either shoulder and there was a face close to hers enunciating very calm, practical advice but she was upset and furious and everything that had happened with Manning and the school and with Holden came flooding back and she wrenched the arms off of her, shouting at him to leave her alone but he wouldn't and she began to weep again.
"Dana. Dana. Please don't cry. You have to get up now. You - you really can't stay in the shower forever. I'm sorry." He was so fucking calm and rational. Marty was never any of these things. And for some reason this pissed her off mightily and she slapped him messily across the face, water and all. Then she shook her finger at him with every word.
"You leave me alone Martin Mikalski. I don't want you in my life, d'you hear me?" Through the haze of steam she saw shock colour his funny coloured eyes and pain lance through them but she was too tired, too angry and drunk to care. She just wanted peace and quiet.
Marty stood slowly and squelched out of the cubicle, not really sure how to take this new development in their friendship. He was dripping - literally sopping wet from head to toe - his cheek was stinging where she had hit him. For a small girl she had some swing on her. He turned doggedly in his door, then stopped short, realising he still didn't want Dana to be alone, crying in the shower and that even if she didn't want him she would have someone take care of her - someone she couldn't refuse. He turned heavily and stomped up to Jules' bedroom, banging very loudly and incessantly on the wood until she opened it, eyes barely open, wearing a huge t-shirt that came down to her knees.
"What the holy fuck is going on, Marty? It's 3 am!"
He met her gaze levelly and said very distinctly so she couldn't possibly misunderstand him:
"Dana is sat in the shower, crying her eyes out. Please, please can you...get her to bed. Please. I know she'll listen to you. And I'm...sorry...for waking you." He waved vaguely and left the rest up to her. They were best friends, he knew she would help Dana. Man, he was tired...and so cold, he should probably...change into some dry clothes or something. Marty plodded into his room, locked the door behind him and stared at the unmade bed unseeingly for a good 5 minutes before he got himself into gear and fumbled around, stripping off his wet clothes and drying himself half-heartedly before pulling on new sweatpants and a shirt and depositing himself into bed, barely tugging the duvet around him before he fell asleep, glad of the sweet oblivion.
Dana woke up the morning after with a very sore head and absolutely no recollection of the events of the previous night. She stumbled into the bathroom and threw herself headlong into the toilet before vomiting copiously into the bowl. Oh dear god. She thought she might die. Clinging onto the rim she closed her eyes and willed her stomach to stop churning. What had she drank last night?! Oh god. She was gonna hurl again. After what seemed like the billionth attempt to empty her insides she managed to drag herself back to bed and fell into an uneasy sleep, full of as much tap water as she could gulp down in one sitting.
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:)