Maraschino 🍒 (gxg)

12

i am... so sorry for the delay. i have literally no excuse lol.
./.

Chelsea woke up the next morning alone. At first she wasn't alarmed -- she tried going back to bed several times -- but then she remembered she was sharing the room. She shot up, awake and alert, head pounding under her heart. Stephanie came from around the corner.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up," she said. She walked to the edge of the bed and put her shoes on.

Chelsea checked her phone. It was past two in the afternoon. She groaned and laid back in bed, prepared to sleep her hangover off for the rest of the day. She listened to the rustle of the sheets as Stephanie moved and willed her brain to stop spinning.

"Carlie tried calling you a million times but you were comatose. She texted me and asked if we wanted to go downtown shopping with her."

She was right -- Chelsea looked at her cell again and saw there were at least ten calls and texts from Carlie, different versions of "are u up?" and "wake the fuck up!!!" She contemplated ditching the plans and sleeping, but at the same time, she didn't want to be all alone, in the motel or at the academy, despite desperately wanting to nurse her hangover. She guessed maybe because of what happened last night, but she left the thought at that.

"Alright, give me a couple minutes." She sighed and slid out from under the blankets.

Chelsea muscled her way through a shower and got dressed; Stephanie had to lend her another pair of clothes since her suitcase was with Carlie at her friend's, but thankfully they fit a little better than the pajamas. She felt a little better after the shower and chugging a couple small bottles of complimentary hotel Gatorade.

"She should be pulling up soon," said Stephanie as she checked her phone. As soon as she said so, it started ringing. "We'll be down in a few," she said, then hung up.

They met with Carlie at the front of the hotel, Bryan driving his tiny sedan and her in the passenger seat. She still had some makeup stuck to her face, and her hair tacky with hairspray, but other than that, she looked totally fine -- way more fine than Chelsea felt.

"Hey, girlies!" she shouted as they climbed in the back. Her loudness was already bringing back the headache. "What's the agenda for the day?"

"You're the one dragging us downtown," said Chelsea.

"You're right! Didn't know if you had any suggestions. They opened a new Sephora off Fifth."

It was about fifteen minutes from the hotel to downtown, and by the time they reached a parking garage, Chelsea was more exhausted than when she woke up. Not just because of the headache, but Carlie was being extra energy-consuming. It was amazing how upbeat and energetic she was after an entire night of dancing and drinking.

She dragged them all down Fifth Street, to Sephoras and JC Penny's and GAPs. Bryans arms were nearly dragging on the ground.

"Let's get piercings," she beamed suddenly. They were sitting at a Cinnabon, taking a break after hours of walking around and splurging (well, Carlie did most of the splurging on herself). Chelsea didn't know what Stephanie was feeling or thinking, but she remained as stoic as ever through the whole ordeal, silent and non-complaining.

"How do you have money for all this stuff?" Chelsea asked. It seriously seemed like her bank account was endless.

"Daddy's money." She turned to Bryan. "Do you know any piercers in the area?"

"My tattoo guy does piercings, we could go to him," he said. After hanging out with him for the whole day, Chelsea determined he was one of the few okay guys in the world; he wasn't being gross to Carlie or her and Stephanie.