Study of Life and Love

June swayed heavily on her crutches; her eyes were hazy and not able to focus. I laughed as Liam and Riley both helped her down onto one of the couches in the King’s backyard. There was alcohol in her left hand and she happily took another swig. I was sure that she probably shouldn’t be drinking after the doctors gave her pain medication for her foot today, but I was just happy that I had finally been able to convince her to go.

“Hey,” I jumped as arms wound their way around my waist and a drink appeared in my vision. I took me a moment before I accepted the drink from Daniel and smiled up at him, allowing him to press a quick kiss against my lips.

“Thank you,” I said politely, taking a sip, the alcohol was the first thing I noticed, the coke being a more secondary flavour.

“She okay?” Daniel nodded at June.

“Pain meds, then alcohol, she’ll be having a really fun night.” I said smiling as June tipped half her drink on the couch.

“Sidney’s here, by the way, thought you might want to know.”

I stiffened up and frowned down at my drink. I was angry with Sidney and I had every right to be but I didn’t want to snap at her. I didn’t want to fight her but I was going to stay angry with her.

“Come on,” Daniel tugged on my hand and pulled me towards a group of guys that were all from his house. I squeezed his hand in thanks, he knew I didn’t want to talk to her and this was probably the best place to hide.

Daniel’s boys were all loud, just like drunk college boys should be, but they were funny. Constantly cracking jokes at each other’s expense and happily wrapping each other in headlocks as payment. I found myself smiling at their antics, feeling comfortable in a group of people I probably would have steered clear from.

“So Thea, you’re from the dark side, got any secret plans coming up that we should know about?” One of the boys leant towards me. I didn’t know his name but everyone called him Dot because of the white dot in his jet-black hair.

“If I did I am definitely not drunk enough to spill.” I teased.

“Well Daniel, get the lady another drink, how many do you need to get drunk?” He asked, his tone was joking but I could tell he was also half-serious.

I laughed good-naturedly and downed my drink before causally passing it to Daniel. He stared at me shocked, obviously not expecting me to be able to hold my own. He was about to get a surprise.

“I’m in a sorority Daniel, I can hold my own in drinks.” I assured him. A chorus of ‘ooh’s’ spread through the group and Daniel laughed, loudly.

“You’re on,” he grinned before disappearing towards a drink cooler.

“You did not just challenge him to a drinking competition,” Turner, Daniel’s second in command shook his head at me.

I shook my head at their lack of faith and I gladly met every drink that Daniel took, each shot burned and every beer sculled until both Daniel and I were laughing too hard to drink anymore. I was too drunk to even appreciate the respectful stairs I got from his fraternity brothers.

I was swaying when someone grabbed my elbow. I grinned widely at Caydance and through my arms around her, breathing her shampoo deeply into my nose.

“Hi.” I yelled excitedly.

“I’ve been looking all over for you, how much have you drunk?” She asked, eyes wide in surprise.

I started laughing as Daniel tipped backwards, ass hitting the ground. He looked up confused and lost, hair flipping over his face. I laughed and reached down prepared to help him up but only toppled over, falling into his chest. Laughter floated through me as I looked up and watched the lights and faces spin around in front of me.

“Oh boy,” Caydance muttered, reaching down to hall me upright.

“She tried to out drink him,” Someone told Caydance who only shook her head. She didn’t seem that surprised anymore.

“Course she did. Come on, let’s get some water in you.”

I pouted as Caydance pulled me to my feet; I wanted to stay with Daniel.

“Have no idea why you’re even with him,” Caydance muttered, thinking I couldn’t here. I smacked her shoulder in annoyance.

“Just because you don’t know him doesn’t mean he’s a bad person.” I told her. She pulled me into the quiet house and towards the kitchen. The party could still be heard outside but no one was in here.

I wobbled as she leant me up against the counter and opened the fridge door.

“He’s nice you know and funny and he always asks me about my day.” I rambled, frowning at Caydance’s lack of response. I wanted her to understand. “We have a lot in common you know and he’s interested in what I study and he has this big family right, like five brothers or something and he’s the smallest, I mean can you imagine him being the smallest. And when he kisses me I feel, I feel like maybe someone could actually love me.”

Her eyes shot up from the glass of water and they held so much pity I couldn’t take it. I grabbed the glass of water and gulped it down, wanting the burning in my eyes to go away.

There was a shadow in the doorway when I finished my glass and Louis stepped into the light. “You girls okay?” He looked amazing, like he always did. Light feather-brown hair was so artfully ruffled that it looked like someone had spent most of the night with their hands pulling through it. Someone probably had. I felt sick.

The glass slipped from my hands and smashed against the floor, glass flew everywhere and I stood there frozen.

“Don’t move,” Louis said quickly, marching over.

I stared down at the glass pieces, dumbly freaking out. “Holy crap, I am so so sorry Louis. I broke your glass. That was so rude of me, I should not have broken your glass. Oh my god, please don’t hate me?” My eyes were wide and I felt woozy, the water felt too cold in my stomach. I didn’t want him to hate me.

“It’s okay Thea,” Louis grinned and grabbed my hand, gently pulling me away from the mess. Caydance swept it all up.

Louis opened his mouth to speak more but I rushed to the sink, my lips felt numb and my stomach heaved, everything came up acid and orange. I closed my eyes and heaved more when the smell assaulted my nose. Someone grabbed my hair and pulled it back but I couldn’t stop heaving as everything ripped up through my stomach and burned my throat, tumbling into the sink below me.

By the time I was done, I felt miserable, my nose was running and I had the worse taste in my mouth.

Someone was pressing a damp cloth to my face.

“Let’s get you home,” Arms wrapped around my waist and another under my knee before I was lifted off the ground. I hung on tightly and buried my face in the neck of the person who was holding me. I could see Caydance behind us as we walked through the house.

I closed my eyes, the passing scenery made me feel woozy.

We went outside because the cold air hit my skin and I shivered, trying to bury myself closer into the warm body that was holding me.

“It’s okay,” Louis’ voice floated down to me and I realised that he had been talking, whispering into my ear, which meant he was the one who was holding me. I knew, somewhere in the back of my mind that tomorrow I would be mortified about this but for now, while I was still drunk and in pain I was going to allow myself this. So I tightened my hold around his neck and breathed in deeply allowing his smell to overpower the smell of vomit that had been stuck in my nose since I had pulled away from the sink.

“Alston should not have allowed you to drink that much,” I heard Louis say as we began to climb stairs. His arms didn’t falter in their grip around me and I opened my eyes to see Caydance still behind us. She didn’t look drunk at all and that was confusing.

“It’s not Daniel’s fault, he’s a good person.” I mumbled, knowing I should defend Daniel.

Louis snorted, disbelieving. That annoyed me. I pulled my head back and smacked his chest. Eyes still hazy as more than one of Louis’ heads were looking down at me. I tried to focus on the middle one.

“He is. He is good to me.” I tried to remember what I had told Caydance earlier, but my tongue felt too big and my eyes were drooping. “He cares about me,” I insisted.

“I’m allowed that.” I grumbled and blinked at the light that suddenly filled, what I realised, was my room.

Louis laid me down on my bed and Caydance’s head replaced his three heads. I let go of Louis and reached out to grab Caydance’s hand.

“Tell Louis that Daniel cares about me and that’s he’s a good person okay? He should know that.” I pouted at her.

“Thea,” Louis was trying to say my name but I could only focus on one person at a time and I was even struggling to focus on her.

“He makes me feel wanted.” I tried to explain to her. “I want to feel wanted and he cares and Louis doesn’t. So I get to have Daniel because I can’t have Louis.” It still didn’t sound right.

“Louis doesn’t want me.” I said firmly, eyes now focused on the ceiling as my quilt was pulled up around me. I felt warm, cocooned and safe. “Doesn’t want me. Daniel wants me. So I get Daniel. Don’t I get Daniel?” I began to worry. Should I not have Daniel. Did I make the wrong choice?

“Got to sleep Thea.” Caydance’s voice floated above me and a warm hand gently pushed my hair from my head, fingers running through the strands of my hair and I let the alcohol pull me under until even my brain was numb.

-

The thought of class was enough to make me cry while my splitting headache practically burned away at my eyes. My lecture room was getting closer but as I looked across the Great Court I saw Daniel, lying under a tree, a few of his mates around him. I took that as a sign and switched directions, maneuvering my way through the crowds of students, some I recognised and nodded at. It felt like the whole campus was hungover. Probably because the majority of the campus was at the Kings party last night.

One of Daniel’s mates nudged him as I neared and Daniel lifted his head to watch me, a smile flittered across his face and I found myself smiling back despite my splitting head.

“You look like crap,” he said to me, happily. I laughed despite the insult, and dropped down to sit next to him.

“Look a hell of a lot better than you,” I teased back, sighing and pushing my bag back so it could be a pillow while I stretched myself out alongside Daniel.

“Thought you had class?” He asked, lying his head back down.

I groaned. “Nothing in the world sounds as bad as going to class right now.” I assured him.

We both lay there for a moment letting the dull murmur of the people around us float. I lazily closed my eyelids.

“Sorry for being so drunk last night. Should have made sure you got home.” Daniel said suddenly, his eyes screwed shut.

I laughed and nudged his arm. “You didn’t need to make sure I got home, I was the one that insisted on out drinking you, I’m just as responsible. From what I remember Caydance got me home.” I omitted the part of Louis. I didn’t remember him but Caydance told me he was there. Apparently I had broken a glass in the kitchen before he had helped me home. I had hoped I wasn’t too embarrassing.

“Props to you for the drinking. I’m pretty sure we tied. Gotta say I was surprised.” Daniel flicked his eyes over to me and he looked almost proud.

I laughed; again, feeling quite relaxed and free here despite my head. “There’s still a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

Daniel grinned wide. Eyes alight with happiness as one of his hands reached out to entwine with mine. They lay in the grass between us. “I look forward to finding out.”

I stayed there for a while longer before my stomach grumbled enough to alert me that it was dinnertime. I allowed Daniel to pull me down into a kiss, I grinned against his mouth and pressed the few chaste kisses that he demanded before getting up and leaving the boys, still hungover.

I slowly made my way back to the house as the sun began to step, I knew that the girls would be starting to prepare dinner and I should be there to oversee it while Sidney was still AWOL. I was annoyed at her, slowly bubbling into anger when I remembered how she had ditched us all lately. We were her responsibility and it’s like she couldn’t care less.

So I was more than surprised when I found Sidney in the kitchen, making pasta with Louis at her side. I blinked, confused, and took a hesitant step back but they both already saw me. Smiling wider than I expected.

“How are you feeling?” Louis stepped towards his bag that was lying on the counter. “I saw you weren’t in class today so I thought you might be sick in bed, after last night.” Louis pulled out a stack of papers and offered them to me. I frowned at them before realising they were notes from class.

“Uh, thanks.” I said, grabbing onto the stack of papers. “Thanks, also, for last night. I don’t remember getting home at all but Caydance said you helped. So thanks.” I didn’t take my eyes off the notes; I always found it hard to stare at Louis. It used to make me stutter and blush but now, staring at him, just tended to hurt more.

There was an awkward pause in the kitchen and Sidney turned her back on us, focused on stirring the pasta.

“You don’t remember me carrying you back here?” Louis asked.

I looked up at him this time, mortified. “You carried me back?” I asked, a blush riding up my cheeks. That was all different levels of embarrassing.

It was Louis’ turn not to meet my eyes this time; he fiddled with the straps of his bag before picking it up and throwing it over his shoulder. “It was nothing,” he said, not quite meeting my eyes. I guess this was as embarrassing for him as it was for me.

“I better get back to Kings, dinner will be ready.” He said swiftly.

He moved to Sidney and said something softly, before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. I watched, confused. Louis and Sidney were close, I knew that, that had both started in the same year and both were picked as leader of our houses because of each other.

Our alliance was legendary and historical, the two leaders must get along and work together and Sidney and Louis worked together and balanced each other out like no other leaders have before. They were basically our houses power couples, platonically. But I still had never seen them be quite that close emotionally. It made me irritated for reasons I didn’t want to look at too closely as Louis barely nodded at me before leaving the kitchen.

I frowned, annoyed at my feelings and the headache that just didn’t seem to want to go away. I was starving.

“Dinner’s just about ready, can you start setting the table?” Sidney asked pleasantly.

I immediately grew angry, how can she just disappear for weeks and not give a shit about any of us and now waltz in and act like it’s all-okay.

“So what, you’re back now and everything’s okay?” I asked, there was harshness in my tone that I hadn’t expected. Neither had Sidney with the surprised look she sent me.

I wasn’t finished. “You disappear and don’t give a rat’s ass about us for weeks and now you think you can just come back in and run this place like nothing’s happened.” My voice was steadily growing louder, and Grace girls were starting to fill in the kitchen, expecting dinner.

I didn’t care, my head hurt and I felt sick. Sidney stepped away from the pot of pasta and stepped towards me, one of her arms outstretched and I stepped away from her.

“I’m the one who had to step in and do your job. I’m the one who was left with all the responsibility that you decided you didn’t want. I convinced June to go to the hospital after she clearly hurt her ankle. Luckily it was just a sprain.

I’m the one that made sure Lisa made it to her Grandmother’s funeral and that the sorority made a donation to her funeral costs that is rewarded to all Grace members on their death.”

I could tell by Sidney’s shocked flinch that she hadn’t realised that Lisa’s Grandmother had passed away or that Lisa wasn’t even here. That just made me angrier.

“I’m the one who has had to mediate between both Leah and Olivia while they constantly pick at each other.”

I saw Olivia out of the corner of my eye; look away, mouth turned into a frown. I still didn’t care.

“I’m the one who had to sit through Caydance’s issues with Harry, and Riley’s daily freak-outs over Liam. Nina lost an assignment on her computer the other night and I stayed up all night helping her re-write it. I made sure that Heather was picked up from the train station after her holidays and I made sure Louise got soup and sleep while she’s been sick with the cold.” I was so angry and so done with Sidney.

“I’ve been doing all this shit while you’ve been having some psychotic break and running off with Niall so do not come back into our lives, into this kitchen and act like everything was okay when you just up and left. You just left and you didn’t give a shit.” I spat at Sidney. I wanted to say so much more. About how I needed her because I thought I had it finally figured out, but Louis’ notes were still clutched tightly in my hand and I didn’t want to hurt Daniel.

Sidney wasn’t responding, the whole kitchen was still as I breathed raggedly. There was a pain behind my left eye that was signaling an oncoming migraine and I just wanted to get out of here and climb into bed. I wanted to wallow in the darkness for at least twelve hours.

The scream that ripped through the house shocked us all out of our shock and brought the whole house running into the foyer before Leah stormed into it, her eyes angry and her hand wrapped tightly around what looked like a snake. It was rubber, I noticed, thank god.

“I found this, in my bathroom. I am terrified of snakes, this is not funny.” She hissed, throwing the snake into the middle of everyone and her eyes found Olivia’s. Her glare only hardened before she stomped back into her rooms. I looked at the snake oddly, remembering the fake spider’s I found in the bathroom this morning.

Notes

Caught up on my updates and my next one will be Thursday like it was originally. My plan is to always update on Thursdays! :D
I think this chapter hinted at a few things with Louis and Thea. We might just make a big break through before Thea's next chapter ;D