Awakening

6.

As
the two friends practically fell out of the taxi outside Shaun's house,
laughing hysterically over the least little joke, they were only just sober
enough to notice the car parked outside Kelly's house next door.

"Hey,
hey, looks like you've got visitors!" declared Shaun, "But you're
'ere so … who they visitin'?"

"Idiot!"
laughed Kelly, "That's my daddy-dearest's car -
uh-oh, the 'rents are home!"

"class=SpellE>Ohhhh, youse in trouble!"
drawled Shaun, slinging an arm around her shoulders, "Who's been a naughty
girl?"

"Hey,
it's cool - told 'em this
morning I'd be out tonight … Hadn't planned on comin'
home an' waking them though …"

"And
they're cool wi’ that -
their little girl ’ out all night? They know
what you an' that asswipe get up to?"

Kelly
tried to slap at his arm indignantly, but ended up grabbing at him to steady
her balance and grinning instead.

"They're
well aware you take me out and get me drunk against my will … class=SpellE>asswipe!" she said smugly, before realising he was already
guiding her unsteadily towards his own house. "Hey! Where
you takin' me?"

"I
didn't see ya puttin' up
much o' a struggle. And we're goin' to my place -
'rents are off some place for … for … I don’t ‘member how long! Oh well, and I
can't leave ya in the street …"

"class=SpellE>Awww - I didn't know you cared! And anyway, I could just
wake my folks - they won't mind … much …"

"Hell,
I just don't think I can get up the … the ... whaddayacall’ems
– the things that go up, ya know? style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>Stairs! The stairs, by myself!" grinned
Shaun, "Or I'd leave ya 'ere in a
heartbeat!"

"So
you just want to get me upstairs?" joked Kelly,
wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, even as she followed him, "Oh, I
see!"

For
a moment, he was too busy first finding his key and then struggling to find the
lock to reply, but as he opened the door, he grinned broadly at her over his
shoulder.

"Don't
try tellin' me you don't want me too!" he
sniggered, causing her to simply ignore his remark and gesture back towards the
lock.

"class=SpellE>D’ya always have such a hard time class=SpellE>gettin' it in?" she asked sweetly, bringing a mock
look of shock to his face.

"class=SpellE>C'mere, ya dirty minded …"

She
shrieked as he grabbed her and easily hoisted her over his shoulder, swaying
unsteadily on his feet as he carried her into the house, kicking the front door
closed behind them. Unable to find a light switch, Shaun struggled through the
house in the dark, bumping into things and swearing copiously while Kelly
alternately giggled wildly or shrieked for him to put her down. By the time he
deposited her on the couch and collapsed down beside her, they were both
laughing hysterically at nothing and everything.

*

“My
sides!” gasped Kelly, through her giggles, as she clutched at her ribs and
leaned back against the plump cushions of the couch. “What’re we even class=SpellE>laughin’ at?”

“You!” Shaun laughed, setting them both off again, before
they finally began to calm down and Kelly wiped away tears of laughter as she
reached out to turn on the nearest lamp.

“We
need coffee – black coffee.” she sighed, covering her eyes with her hands,
already dreading the hangover she knew she would have in the morning.

“class=SpellE>Nooooo!” complained Shaun, “That’d defeat the purpose of class=SpellE>bein’ drunk! Sober’s no fun! class=GramE>Didn’t ya ‘ave
fun? Forgotten all ‘bout … what’s-‘is-face?”

“Who?”
she said with a wry grin, but her eyes darkened sorrowfully and her friend
already regretted bringing it up, hoping he hadn’t just wasted all his efforts
at cheering her up.

“No,
no, no, NO!” he insisted, shaking his head solemnly and scrambling round where
he was sitting so he could cup her face in both his hands and look into her
eyes. “Not the sad look – sad look bad! Gimme a smile
… That’s my girl!” he grinned as she couldn’t help but comply. And suddenly, a
strangely sobering realisation struck him.

Here
he was, in an empty house, a dimly lit room, with the girl he had been in love
with for as long as he could remember – his hands were resting lightly on her
cheeks and he was looking down into those deep green eyes as everything seemed
to grind to a standstill. It was as if the world consisted of nothing but the
two of them – a thought he put down to the influence of alcohol, but it seemed
none the less true for that. He was drunk, but not too drunk to see what was
happening. This was his best friend, the girl he had always wanted; she
deserved to have someone who knew just how incredible she was and he knew – he
had always known. He was, however, drunk enough to make everything logical; to
make everything all nice and neat and to straighten it all out so it made perfect
sense in his head. Sober, he knew this could ruin everything – his friendship
with her, his relationship with his girlfriend, her relationship with her
boyfriend … But now, drunk and yet seeming to see the more clearly for it, none
of that mattered because she was smiling up at him and that was the only thing
that was important. Her skin was soft under his hands and he let his thumbs
trail lightly over her cheeks, his gaze still fixed on her. He had said nothing
before this; had watched while some other guy won her over and never once
complained; he had always been there for her and yet had always had to settle
for being “just good friends” – a pretty poor consolation prize from where he
was standing. How was that fair? He couldn’t do it anymore; didn’t want to try
– Ryan didn’t deserve her; he didn’t want Amy; Kelly deserved to be happy and
he could make sure she was. This was right; this made sense …

So,
in the instant that all flashed through his head, he leaned down and kissed her
…

*