Drunk

Kingsley was passed out still in the clothes she wore yesterday. She was laying on her bed with her hair fanning out against the pillow and mouth slightly parted and she looked so peaceful and adorable it was hard to connect the sleeping girl with the sharp contrast that was her temperament this morning or with the girl whom pulled in the drive way only ten minutes earlier nearly taking out the mailbox.

Sure I had only known her for about two days but last night it almost felt as if we were good friends. This morning by the time I made it down stairs it was as if she had made a sharp one eighty and couldn't stand the sight of me or anyone else for that matter and I know Cammi told me not to take it personally and 'She just gets like this sometimes.' but I think the fact that this behavior is a common and accepted occurrence is more worrying than anything. I had been around her all of three days and I don't believe I had seen her sober once.

I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard something like arguing down stairs. I threw Kingsley's sleeping form one last glance and smiled at the sight before heading towards the commotion down stairs.

I could make out their conversation before I even got completely down the stairs.

" Bullshit Caleb, it's your turn to babysit and I have plans!" I heard Cammi huff.

His turn? and I could only assume they meant Kingsley in her sick state as I could just hear her barfing upstairs as if on cue.

"You can bail on one lunch with you're friends Cam. It won't kill you. I really have somewhere important to be."

I was on the last step just paused watching as Caleb grew angry flailing his arms a little for emphasis.

While Zayn sat leant against the kitchen counter watching just as interested as I was.

"Like?" Cammi asked crossing her arms and shifting her hip in a way that insinuated she already knew he wouldn't answer.

At this Caleb just huffed and flopped down on the couch exasperated and Cammi gave him a victorious smirk before pecking Zayn's cheek and nearly skipping out the door on her way out.

I waged an internal war for all of a minute before plopping down next to Caleb.

"I don't have much to do today." His face shot in my direction and his eyes lit up. "I mean Zayn's got an interview soon but I could send him in my car and he could come get me later when you're finished you're business."

"Are we serious!? Can we just send Cammi off and replace her with you?" He nearly yelled grabbing my face and kissing my cheek before springing off the couch. "Check on her ever hour or so to make sure she's alive and keep her company when she wakes and if she wakes crazy call Cammi. Help yourself to the fridge."

Wakes crazy?
I should have probably been more scared than I was intrigued.

And in seconds he was gone leaving before I had a moment to reconsider.

Zayn looked at me strangely and shook his head in a slow almost condescending manner as if I was crazy but he didn't have the energies to talk about it and was already running a little late for the first job interview he'd managed in America so he just took my keys and left anyway throwing a 'call me when you're ready' over his shoulder.

Kingsley was out for about five episodes of friends and two check ups before I heard a a crash upstairs and I was standing up to go see what happened when I heard her door open and fell back in the couch.

"Ccaalleebb!" I heard her call as she started down the stairs. "I'm extra super sorry this time and you have to forgive me quick cau-"

She cut off mid sentence when she saw me and I thought she might snap at me like this morning but she just tilted her head to the side in that curious puppy way she does when she's about to ask a question all traces of the girl from this morning seeming to have vanished.

"Where's Caleb?" She asked.

"Top secret." I said simply and she shot me a look so I shrugged back. "Didn't say."

"If he wasn't probably already pretty mad at me I'd be mad at him. How'd he convince you to stick around here?"

"Maybe I wanted to." I said simply giving her a small smile.

She smiled a little soft smile and shook her head in the same way Zayn did and it was as if everyone was in on a - not so secret - secret that I was just oblivious to.

"Keep talking like that curly and I might start think'n ya like me."

I gave her my best smirk. "You might be right."

She just shook her head again and ignored the comment.

"Well you'll do. Come on, let's go do something super fun. Go shower and change and if you need clothes I'll run by your house."

I was slightly hesitant to experience Kingsley's 'something fun' but I was endlessly curious about her and all things surrounding her and I had promised Caleb to keep her company. It was only four in the afternoon so she couldn't be planning to take me to some wild party so all I could do was hope this wasn't some elaborate plan to haul me into the woods and kill me.

"S'okay. I brought extra clothes."

---

Sober Kinglsey was brilliant. She was all bright smiles and alive and jerky movements singing incredibly off key to some ridiculous Nsync cd she kept in her car. It took everything in me not to stare at her the entire time.

She was infectious and magnetic. The cd was bloody awful and her voice was probably worse but I found myself singing along if for no other reason than to laugh with her. She even had me dancing and waving bye bye bye just to see her laugh open mouthed and squinty eyed.

The car ride went on like this for about two hours without actual conversation just repeated terrible old songs and belting lyrics and broad smiles and dimples and her in her denim shorts and baggy t-shirt and oversized sunglasses and me stealing glances at her when her attention was on the road. So I never actually got the chance to inquire as to where exactly we were going but eventually we pulled into an area that could be best described as shady.

It wasn't long before I could see the top of a Ferris wheel and lights in the distance as it was seven now and the sun was mostly setting.

About fifteen minutes later we pulled up to a small picket sign stuck in the ground right next to the road. 'Thrillville parking this way' it read with big cheap red letters chipping away from wear and tear.

A little further up the road there was a large circular area filled with gravel and little parking dividers in the ground. There had to be only fifty cars in the lot at best and it was still mostly full.

"So a theme park, yeah?" I asked glancing towards Kingsley and instinctively rubbing the back of my neck.

"Whatever made you guess?" She shot me a grin.

I kept waiting for her to pop open her glove compartment or reach in the backseat of her car or under the seat to produce a flask or an entire bottle of Jack or maybes mini bottle but I was pleased when she simply ditched her sunglasses and swung her door open.

I took a breath and followed her out of the parking lot towards a large arch with the words Thrillille lit up across it as the 'V' had gone out and the entire place was dodgy enough to make me wary of even stepping under the arch much less getting on the rides.

"You've been here before?" I asked more for assurance purposes than curiosity.

"Every chance I get." She beamed.

"You live like right by Six Flags. Why drive all the way out here for this?"

She rolled her eyes at this. "Six Flags is crowded with long lines and tourist. If you haven't picked up on it yet I'm not a fan of people. This is perfect and small and the rides are better and the food is a million times better."

"But you like me." I smirked only responding to the beginning of her sentence.

She chose not to answer me walking under the arch to a booth that read 'Pay for entrance' and I hurried after her. Just as she was telling the very bored acne ridden teen in the booth that she wanted passes for two I hip checked her to the side reaching for my wallet.

"That'll be 62.23"

One second I was reaching in for money the next my wallet was in Kingsley's hand and she was grinning at me. "You aren't paying for me. Not up for debate."

She reached in her own pocket producing the entire fee.

"Well you're not paying for me." I said completely appalled she would even try.

"Think of it as payback for taking time out of you're oh so busy life with you're many friends to babysit."

I opened my mouth to repeat to her that I wanted to be there but she had already turned back to the boy in the booth who was obviously bored with our bickering and a line was forming behind us.

She simply turned to me with a triumphant smile and handed me back my wallet before grabbing my hand and pulling me into the park practically skipping.

"First pizza." She informed me yanking me to the left.

"I'm paying." I insisted.

She rolled her eyes. "If it makes you feel like a man, curly."

"Oi, I'm plenty man. I can show you." I remarked.

She stopped in her tracks turning to face me. "Okay."

"Okay?"

She raised her eyebrows smirking. "Mhm. Right here. Go." She urged.

I raised my brows at her but reached for my pants anyway and started to undo my belt if for nothing more than a feeble attempt at not letting her win. It was like playing a sick game of chicken with my junk. I should have known I would loose. Kingsley's stubborn and had no embarrassment in me flashing a bunch of small children and their parents my little buddy and more than likely becoming a registered sex offender in the process so when I got as far as my pants unzipped and she was still watching me expectantly I gave up with a huff and zipped my pants back up and re fastened my belt.

"Precisely." She grinned obviously pleased. "Now stop talking shit and go get me some pizza."

I pulled a face but did as I was told.

When I found Kingsley with the pizza I had just received she was tucked into a picnic table in the corner of the small grassy area designated as a food court. Her head was turned in the opposite direction as she watched something intently with her elbow rested on the table and chin rested on her fist.

I followed her gaze as I set the pizza on the table and took my seat on the other side. She was staring at a couple a few tables away. The girl was small and pretty probably slightly younger than Kingsley and myself. Her face was red with anger as she talked animatedly and fast. The boy sitting across from her looked nothing more than bored as if the argument had occurred only a million times before.

"A lovers quarrel." I commented and she looked up noticing me for the first time and snorted.

"What do you think they're fighting about?" I asked her taking a piece of pizza.

She shrugged grabbing a piece for her self and turning her attention back to the argument. "Any number of things I suppose. For starters that awful snap back she's told him a dozen times not to wear in public cause he looks like a duech or maybe the fact that he showed up thirty minutes late to pick her up or maybe Franchesca won't stop texting his phone."

"Franchesca?" I asked furrowing my brows.

"Naturally that's all you got out of all of that." She said dryly. I just grinned.

"I'm curious, what does Franchesca look like?"

"Your mother. Now eat your pizza so you have something to throw up later."

I shrugged and did as I was told.

At about this point Zayn texted asking where the hell we were and I typed a quick response telling him to go ahead and take my car home and I'd be there later.

---

After an hour or two I was shocked I still had my arm attached to its socket with Kingsley's hand firm in mine our fingers laced as she pulled from ride to ride jerking from one direction to another. She was full of more energy and life then I had ever seen bottled in a person. She acted like an over excited ten year old at Disney world rather than a twenty year old at Thrillville. I had to admit it was contagious. I could spend an entire day watching paint dry so long as Kingsley was doing it with me with this same vivacious excitement.

The rides were dodgy and the attendants lazy and bored and probably could give shit less if you were properly buckled in but despite my apprehension and the ever present scenes playing in my mind from that final destination movie where the roller coaster kills everyone I let Kingsley pull me by the hand to every ride in the park until there was not a thing we hadn't been on except the ferris wheel.

Of all the rides in the great Thrillville I have to say the Ferris wheel probably looked the most rundown but Kingsley's hand never left mine and I didn't have it in me to stop her when she breezed past the bored teenager holding the gate open and pulled me into the small circular seat right next to her at such a proximity our thighs were touching only then letting go of my hand and lacing her own fingers together and placing them in her lap as she squirmed slightly in anticipation with the same broad grin on her face she had worn all night and it took a small amount of self restraint not to reach out and touch her lips.

I resolved myself to just staring at her watching her reaction as the ride picked up and started moving. I studied her expression as we reached the top and she looked around at all of the lights and the few people still left milling around this close to closing time. I decided the expressions she wore were much better than anything I could see actually looking around the park.

After a moment she must have felt my eyes on her because she turned to me with a lazy smirk and tilted her head to the side in that way but I didn't give her time to ask the question. I slid my arm up on to the seat behind her and leaned in pressing my lips to hers. I thought for a moment she could have pushed me away and slapped me and this would be an awkward Ferris wheel ride and even worse car ride home but she responded immediately as if anticipating it.

Her hands went to my hair burying her fingers in my curls and I grabbed her hips shifting her body so she was sitting cross ways in my lap.

Her lips moved slowly and lazily against mine and my hands stayed securely at her waste touching the bare skin just above the hem of her shorts.

She pulled away too soon and looked down at me from her position on my lap with my hands still firmly on her waist and her hands draped lazily around my neck. She tilted her head to the side again and just looked straight into me. I gave her my best sheepish grin with my dimples on full display hoping I looked charming and adorable or at the very least like a puppy she didn't want to kick.

"This is not a date." She declared confidently after a moment.

I just chuckled and shook my head slowly looking down for a moment before lifting my gaze to meet hers again. "I know that."

"I don't do relationships." She stated slowly watching me carefully.

I already knew this before she said it. It was painfully obvious she wouldn't but I don't think anything could stop me at this point from taking what ever she would allow me.

I shrugged smiling lazily and staring up at her. "So we're friends who kiss and this is our not-a-date."

She shook her head at me in that way every one seemed to be doing lately and sighed. "You'll expect to much of me curly and you'll only end up as disappointed as everyone else."

I failed to see how anything about her ever could disappoint me so I just shook my head right back. "All I'm expecting is your company."

She rolled her eyes at me but didn't object and I took that as a yes so I leaned and gave her another peck on the lips as the ride pulled to a stop at the ground and we made our way off the ride and lazily drug our selves back to her car.