Life As We Know It

Chapter 4

Drew's POV

That night he couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned, spending almost an hour just staring up at the ceiling. Twitter wasn't much help to resolving his boredom, as fun as it is to interact with his fans. Fifteen minutes passed as he replied to the people, and then his eyelids were growing heavy. He bid goodnight to his amazing friends online, and once again tried to sleep. 

It was already three in the morning, and although his eyes were tired, he couldn't sleep. His mind immediately thought of going to the kitchen, in hopes that he would find Jennel there making her usual cup of hot chocolate. Exactly this time of night. He was just about to leave his room when he remembered that she wasn't here anymore. 

Dropping his hand from the doorknob, he sighed and flopped back onto his bed, phone in hand. He debated on whether or not to call her. It is a terrible time to have a chat but maybe if he give it a missed-called, she would know that he tried to reach her? Without thinking further, he searched for her number that he'd asked for the first time they started talking. 

The memory flashed through his mind. She had looked younger although it was only a few months back, way before the transformation. With yellow-streaked brown hair, fishnet leggings and combat boots. Bootcamp, he remembered. Her talent surprised him, and he was immediately attracted to her. Her petite frame wore confidence, and that cherubic face had a smile on it at all times. They had just been accepted to go to Judges' House when he decided to say hello, and since then, their friendship bloomed

A smile formed on his lips as he stared at her number on his phone. She looked different now, jet black hair with bangs, but still with the cute face he adores. He shook his head for wasting time before dialling her number. Two rings and he decided to hang up when the other line answered. He panicked, not knowing what to say and only managed a stutter.

"G-good morning, Sunshine." He collected his flirty demeanour, and beamed to calm himself.

"Good morning to you, too. You're up early." She said, and he could hear her smile.

"I'm sleeping late. Like, really late," He chuckled, somehow loving the sound of her minor laugh on the other end of the line. "Let me guess, hot chocolate and blankets?"

"Ten points to Mr Chadwick!" She exclaimed, and he laughed with her. "You know me well. Three in the morning is my time." Her voice trailed off.

He cleared his throat then, and tried to change the subject as he sensed that she would soon be reminded again of how she is no longer in the competition and at the mansion they had spent weeks in. He tried to think up a conversation, any decent one, but on what, really? All he's feeling now was that he misses her. He sighed again, as Jennel waited for him to speak.

"What's up?" She asked, her tone playful.

"I miss you." It didn't come out as a blurt, or rushed, but he was glad she couldn't see his face.

There was a pause, and it could've been 3 seconds but it felt awfully long to Drew. 

"I miss you, too." Finally she said, her voice breaking.

He wanted to take her in his arms right then, and maybe pepper her beautiful face with kisses. But she was nowhere near him and he had the urge to sneak out now to meet her.

"Where are you now? On the way back to Rochester?"

"No. I'm at the nearby hotel with my sister. There's an interview tomorrow for that elimination. Well, later at noon. I'll be off to Rochester after."

"Meet me, will you? Just round the corner, I'll meet you in five."

"But-" 

She didn't get to argue when he hung up and jumped off his bed, pulling on a sweater and jeans before he quietly sneaked out of the room, careful not to wake Wes and Keaton who seemed to be in a real deep slumber because they weren't the slightest bit disturbed by Drew's phone conversation. He closed the door quietly and managed to get out of the mansion without anyone's notice. Luckily for him, there isn't anyone else like Jennel who gets up at three.a.m.

He rounded the corner of the mansion and could see the supposed hotel Jennel must be staying in for the night. He waited for a whole three minutes for her to show up, half afraid that she won't appear. He rubbed his hands together for heat in the cold night, and when he saw her walking out of the hotel lobby, his lips broke into a huge grin.

She was smiling all the way as she walked up to him. He took three steps before his arms now wrapped around her, and much to his and her surprise, his lips crashed against her plush ones. He expected her to pull away, but after a second's hesitation, she was kissing him back, their lips moving against each others', their emotions now finally exposed.

Jennel's POV

He kissed her. He just kissed her. Her heart banged at her chest as her arms wind around his neck. His lips felt warm against hers, and his body gave hwrs heat and she shuddered not from the cold. The night was surprisingly quiet, but Jennel appreciated the silence. It felt like her feet had left the ground and she doesn't want to look down for fear of finding out that they're really flying. Which, of course, they aren't. It just felt like it.

When he pulled away, he kept his arms around her, as he buried his face into her neck. She closed her eyes in content, feeling so good ever since being eliminated from the competition of her dreams. After months of flirting and playing around, he finally kissed her. But deeply she wondered what all of this was supposed to mean. 

After what seemed like forever, Drew pulled away, his eyelids half closed with weary, but his smile was priceless, causing her heart to jump a beat. He cleared his throat and took a glance around them, taking her hand and leading her somewhere away from the hotel.

She giggled then, and followed him. "Where are we going?"

"Anywhere!" He called back, now half running and dragging her along.

For that moment, she didn't doubt about anything at all. She trusts him and the feelings he gave her as she followed him into the night. That good feeling like everything will be perfect.