XII

I've been writing this one for a while with a lack of creative juices... So after many requests, here goes :)


You've Got the Love


"Alice..." a voice whispered to my left. "Ali, c'mon you need to get up." I pulled the blankets over my face in protestation as they were gently peeled away.

"Pelino?! Get a move on." I cracked my eye open at the voice. Brady? What is he doing in here?

"Why am I in your room?" I asked, still hiding under the covers. Last night had been messy. I don't remember anything after the sixth jagerbomb. And the fact that I was in Brady's room was beginning to worry me a little. I would never do anything with him, he was a friend, and just a friend at that. No friends with benefits or whatever Nat calls them.

"Because you were a state." I groaned inwardly at his words. What embarrassing thing had I done now? Maybe it was a blessing that I couldn't remember much.

"Hold it, I don't want to hear it," I began, knowing that Brady would recount last night's events in alarming accuracy. He had done it before, and he was known to exaggerate ever so slightly. "So you put me to bed?" I asked, wondering how I had made it up two flights of stairs to the top floor.

Gently, I pushed the covers away from my face, blinking at the harsh light that streamed in through the window. "What time is it?" I rubbed my eyes, looking around for a clock or at least my phone.

"After eleven." Jeez, it wasn't even midday and he had pulled me out of my slumber. Seriously?

Brady sat on the end of his bed in just a pair of jeans. He threw a large top at me to put on. In confusion I looked at myself. I had somehow managed to undress into my underwear and get into bed. "Lizzie and I had to get you into bed, you kept trying to get up, so she undressed you," he said following my gaze to the chair where my dress was neatly folded. Thank the Lord for Lizzie.

"So what did I miss last night?" I said sitting bolt right up in bed, pulling the large sweater over my bra. My dignity probably went right out the window last night.

"You don't want some aspirin or water first? No hangover?" Brady asked trying to work out how I was feeling. I shook my head. I felt absolutely fine. A little tired but pretty refreshed.
"No hangover," I said. He scowled in disbelief, muttering something about being young and hangovers not affecting me which I chose to ignore. I would love a coffee which would wake me up a little more, but that could wait.

"Not much. You were dancing like a maniac with Lizzie and then decided to start stripping. You said some pretty harsh things to the hockey player, Jordan. Then Lizzie and I had to put you to bed, you started slurring your words and were having problems walking." I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear anymore.

"Thanks for looking after me," I replied. Brady's always been such a sweetheart, looking out for me. And obviously last night, I couldn't handle my drink leading me to pass out in Brady's bed.

"Did I totally embarrass myself last night?" I asked as I got up, pushing the covers off me and picking up my stockings that I had worn last night. Brady's sweater was long enough that I could get away by wearing it with black opaque stockings.

"Nothing you can't handle Pelino," he grinned at me as I went into the bathroom to wash away the residue of last night's mascara.

Hmm. I've heard that one before. So I can't have been that bad, but bad enough to make a fool of myself. I wonder what exactly I said to Jordan.

"Brady?" He turned around to look at me. "Do you know what I said to Jordan?"

"Not too sure. I only heard the last part. He didn't look happy, and you managed to seriously piss him off that he left pretty soon after you had a go."

"But what did I say?"

"That you hated his arrogant guts and you never wanted to see him again. Then you tried to march off but stacked it on the floor." Brilliant. I couldn't even make a graceful exit. He tried to control his laughter as I glowered at him.

"He left alone too," Brady added quietly.

I nodded; that last fact only bringing a slight smile to my face. He hadn't left with that Susie. "Brady? What's a puck... bunny?"

He laughed. "Did he call you a puckbunny? Seriously? Pelino, you're far from a puck. That's ridiculous."

I shook my head, wondering why it was so funny. Jamie had called Susie a blatant puckbunny and even Jordan knew she was a puckbunny.

"Jamie said Susie was one."

Brady grinned and then began to explain that a puckbunny was someone who only liked hockey for the players - who had no interest in the sport and would dress up for matches in the hope of scoring a player for the night. I was definitely not one of those, thank you very much!

"Let's go downstairs and face the music Pelino."

____________________________________________________________________________


Brady drove me home through the snow and the beginning of yet another snow storm. My head was beginning to ache, but it was nothing a couple more hours in bed and a strong americano couldn't fix.

"You gonna be OK Pelino?" Brady said as I took off my seatbelt. I nodded. He wasn't always going to be there to rescue me when I got too drunk. I needed to grow up and sort my own shit out. I had no idea how many people I had pissed off last night, I hadn't seen Lizzie this morning to apologise to her for looking after me, but she was pretty high on the list. Right now there was one person inside who I wanted to speak to more than anything.

"Thanks Brady. I'll call you later, 'kay?" He grinned as I hopped out and crunched my way across the gravel and up the steps. Noisily he pulled out of the drive and down the street.

Jordan's truck thingy was still here which was a good sign - I desperately needed to apologise after what I had said last night.

"Hey sweetie, how was last night?" Mom said breezily as I took off my coat and boots in the hallway. Was she drinking already? It's only midday.

I nodded, making my way through to the kitchen. "Your Dad and Jordan literally just left for the road trip, you just missed them." I tried not to show my disappointment but I could feel my shoulders sag as I began making myself a coffee.

"Oh, I thought they left tomorrow," I lied, completely forgetting that they had a roadtrip. Memorising the Petes' schedule isn't exactly a high priority for me. "When are they back?"

"Sunday," Mom replied as I made myself a sandwich. I don't eat bread or any carbs but I needed a quick fix that was going to stop my churning stomach before I crash for the afternoon.

Could an apology wait until Sunday? I thought the sooner the better if it was going to be accepted. There were many questions I wanted answers to: what did Suzie mean to him? What did I mean to him? Why did he kiss Suzie and ignore me all night? What are we, if anything? What does he want from me?

I made my way upstairs with a heavily buttered slab of toast. I could see the reaction on my mother's face when I reached for the butter but the glare on my face demanded her not to ask. I didn't need a criticising glance right now.

Stretching out across my bed, I decided to turn on my phone and see what the damage was from last night. There was a short but sweet one from Nat wishing me a Happy New Year and asking how Jess' party had gone, if there was any gossip etc... Then there was one from Lizzie asking how I was feeling, the same from Jess and one from Austin wishing me a Happy New Year.

Nothing from Jordan.

Did I expect there to be? No, not really. But I wanted there to be one. I guess it would have shown that he cared. Which was what mattered to me.

Maybe I would send one? I wasn't sure. Was it the right thing to do? I began to type out a message and then deleted it, not really sure what I was saying or wanted to say. It should be done today or tomorrow; if I left it until he got back, maybe it would be too late, he would have moved on. Maybe he has already moved on.
With Suzie, the puckrabbit.

I closed my eyes and curled up on top of the duvet, thinking back to the afternoon we had spent sledging and the kiss in the snow until sleep overpowered me.