Please Don't Try and Turn On the Lights

30. Love is a Laserquest pt. 1

After having climbed the stairs for what felt like an eternity, I had finally made it upstairs. I followed Alex into the bedroom and he closed the door behind me. I sat down on the bed waiting for him to join me but he didn't.

"What was that all about?" he asked as he crossed his arms. He was looking at me with piercing eyes.

"You're one to talk!" I spluttered. My voice was still high pitched, "you see how it feels now?"

"So, let me get this straight; I nearly kissed Arielle and that justifies you going after Miles?"

"I didn't go after anyone," I spat, "and furthermore, you have no right to get this upset - you were the one to ruin this thing between you and I. It's over."

"No, it's not and you kn-"

I suddenly felt a rush of high blurring the rest of his words, "Alex, I'm very very angry with you right now! I don't want to look at you," I dawdled in such a slow manner that there was no anger in my voice.

"Wait a minute, are you high?" he looked at me, disbelieved.

"Uhm, no?"

"Your eyes are all red.."

"Chlorine from the pool," I argued.

"Do you feel like chips with cheese?" he squinted his eyes.

"Oh god yes!" I said excitedly.

"You're high, alright.." he said with a sigh and dropped his arms to the side, "I'm putting you to bed now but this conversation is not over," he lifted his index finger at me.

"Okay, mum," I said and got under the covers. I didn't even hear Alex leave the room before I had fallen asleep.

-

"Rhea, Rhea" I was awakened by someone shaking me lightly. It was dark outside but the sun was starting to come up meaning that it must be very early in the morning.

"What?" I whispered. I was still high as a kite and I was having a hard time focusing on the person next to me, "where am I?" I asked.

"You're in my bed, dumbass," Alex said, "scoot over. You're taking up all the space."

"I'm gonna go find a sofa," I said, "I don't want to sleep here with you."

"Good luck with that," he said, "the sofas are occupied by the lads"

"Then I'll sleep on the floor."

"Come on. Just sleep here. I won't do anything. I won't even touch you, alright? I'm tired too," I could tell by the way his words were slurred, that he was very very drunk.

"You're just as fucked up as I am right now," I laughed.

"Fuck, I had so many whiskey shots," he said, "the room is spinning like crazy," he closed his eyes and touched his forehead, "I'm gonna be so sick tomorrow."

"Good. You deserve it."

"So do you," he said, "kissing Miles like that."

"I absolutely did not kiss Miles. Be reasonable, you prick," I hissed.

"Just let me have this one reason to hate you a little, alright? That will make the fact that you hate me so much easier."

"I don't hate you," I said.

"You said so."

"Because I was angry with you, not because I fell out of love with you," I said without having thought it through. I clasped my stupid mouth shut with my hand but the damage was done. Alex had heard.

"You do love me, don't you," he had turned on to his side and he was looking at me with a curious expression.

"No," I lied.

"It's okay," he whispered, "I think I'm in love with you too."

"I don't want to be in love with you," I said, "you hurt me all the time."

He sighed, "I know. I wish I was better at handling....this stuff," he reached his hand out as if to touch me but stopped his motion halfway and drew his hand back, "did you ever imagine love to be different when you were younger? That you would just meet someone and that would be your happy ever after?"

"No," I said truthfully, "I always knew that heartbreaks would be involved."

"I used to think that love would be a bit challenging but mostly just fun - like playing laserquest or paintball or summat with your best mates."

"That's unrealistic," I sighed, "and I hate laserquest.."

"How on earth can you hate laserquest? Me and the lads used to go all the time!"

"I tripped once and chipped my tooth. My mum was angry with me for days," I said and pointed to the tooth that was 50 percent plastic.

"Love might still be like a laserquest," he smiled, "and by using that analogy, chipped teeth are equal to heartbreaks. They're fixable."

"I guess you're right," I sighed, "Apart from the fact that you don't mend broken hearts with nitrous oxide and plastic."

He laughed, "yeah - but on the other hand, your mum would probably be mad at me for breaking something of yours anyway - let it be teeth or hearts - so lets say we're 50/50 on the laserquest-thing"

"Oh gosh, my mum would absolutely hate you!" I laughed.

"Yeah?"

"Yes! With those ghastly sunglasses of yours, and the fact that you wear leather when its 5000 degrees outside, and the way you use too much grease in your hair - not to mention your horrible Sheffield accent."

"HEY! You can insult me but leave Sheffield out of this!" he said and touched the Sheffield tattoo on his arm, "is that really coming from the Scouser??"

That made me laugh.

"So, your mum probably wouldn't like me huh?" he continued when my laugh had calmed down a bit.

"Not with your raging alcoholism and bad boy demeanour"

He didn't say anything.

"Me on the other hand?" I sighed, "I think I'm in love with it.."

I couldn't quite place his expression, "So if you're in love with me and I'm in love with you why can't we make this work?"

"Maybe we were meant to break each other's hearts"

He shot me a loop-sided grin, "nice lyrics! I think I might actually have to give you the 10 percent."

"Don't quote me in anymore of your songs," I groaned, "As if that would win me over - I still think you're a greasy fucker."

"Yeah yeah, just keep on being cruel to me if it makes you feel any better. Break my heart. See if I care. I'm still a fool for you."

"Goodnight, Alex. I hope you hurl up your guts tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Rhea. I hope you do too."

"Idiot"

"Git," I could hear a small smile playing in his voice.