Pranking The Prankster

Chapter 45

Song
Moral Of The Story — Ashe

________________________

When I wake up the next morning I have no idea where I am. Blinking as I register my surroundings, I bolt upright, pressing my fingers to my aching temples. Josh does the same beside, peering at me through sleep-heavy eyes. I press my fingers to my aching temples.

"You're hungover," He says.

"Ugh." I lick my dry lips, grimacing. My mouth still tastes disgusting, all sour and pasty. I clamber out of the bed, stretching my underused limbs.

"Can I use your bathroom?" I ask. He nods, watching me closely. I mumble my thanks and stumble to the bathroom on unsteady feet. I flick the light on and examine my reflection in the mirror, touching the dark whisker burns on my throat. I splash some cold water on my face and emerge from the bathroom, nearly tripping over the oriental rug on the floor in my nervousness. Heat floods my face all the way to my hairline.

"There's something I need to tell you." Josh leans over me, his hands placed on either side of my shoulders. "I think I like you. Like-like you, I mean."

"Oh." I swallow, panicking internally. This is exactly what I've always wanted, right? So why can't I say them back?

"Anna?"

I bite my lower lip, feeling a mist of perspiration break out on my forehead. I've never told a boy I've lIke's him before. Heck, I've never told anyone that, except maybe my mother. I just haven't developed that emotion properly. Sure, I've read crappy romance novels and secretly pined after him for weeks and all that, but authentic intimacy with Josh scares me now. So how do I respond to him?

Josh is frowning. He lets go of me and steps back, the austere angle of his jaw clenching. "Right."

I swallow, twisting the edge of my tank top nervously in my hands. "Typical," He says, shaking his head. "Classic Anna. You practically seduced me last night, and now you're acting like you don't remember any of it."

"Josh, it's not that, it's just that I —"

"You don't feel the same way. Right. Understood," He grunts. He's getting it all wrong, and I don't even have the guts to correct him. "Do me a favour and just eff off, Anna."

I swallow, feeling the unshed tears prickling behind my eyelids. I lurch for the door and pull it open, stumbling across the hallway back to my room. Then I collapse on my bed and start to cry.

▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫

When we get back to Virginia it's like there was a total blizzard everywhere. Over the last four days we'd had a whopping thirty centimeters of snow. Gives me a good excuse to stay indoors for the rest of the winter break, actually. I swallow a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich in three bites and wash it down with milk straight from the carton for breakfast and plan to spend the entire day just lounging bed. So for the next few hours, I gouge myself on a tub of Ben & Jerry's Americone Dream ice cream and sulk. Luke calls at two o'clock, and I pick up the phone with a groan.

"Did you butt–dial me again?" I demand. "I swear I'll hang up if you did."

"Anna, that was one time, okay? Jeez. It's not my fault this stupid phone is so touch sensitive."

"Whatever," I sigh. I scoop a big spoonful of ice cream and shove it in my mouth. There's silence on the other line until Luke finally asks, "Can I come over?"