(1) Talk Me Down: An All Time Low Fanfiction Romance

Chapter 52: Not So Bad

        It took me nearly an hour to gain enough power in my legs to stand up. I regained my balance in the heels I was in, sighing and running my fingers over my face. I didn't want to have to clean the entire house up, but it was either do it now, or do it in the morning. I was sure that even if I was tired beyond words, I would never be able to fall asleep after everything that's happened.

        I couldn't help but remember the way that Veronica's voice sounded in my head as I walked into the kitchen, closing the door and bending under the sink to get garbage bags. The venom in her words when she told me I wouldn't survive high school without her bit me. I could only imagine the way she was going to make me pay when I was there, how much of a living hell the entire place would be until I graduated.

        I was robotic while I picked up the kitchen slowly, continuing into the living room while throwing the bottles into the bag. I dragged the bag along and leaned it against the couch.

        I wasn't sure what cae over me, why I felt like I needed to defend Rian. Well -- obviously I knew why I did it. Rian meant a lot to me, even if he probably thought I wasn't worth the frustration and annoyance. I'm sure that's the reason he left; he realized that it was all way too much to deal with. If he saw me, I'd think I was crazy too.

        I tucked a few more bottles in the bag, getting as many as I could to make me feel like the process was going quicker. It was going to be a long night. I hadn't even realized it was after eleven when everyone left. I'm sure this would be the talk of the school on Monday. I mean, I ruined my own party.

        I guess to put it simply, the rest of my high school career was going to be an absolute hell.

        I squeezed my eyes shut, rubbing the corners with my thumb and index finger after dropping the half-finished alcohol into the trash. I didn't want to do this right now; there was too much going on in my head. I was drowning in my thoughts.

        I was in my bottmeless pit of thought, but not deep enough to not hear my door open. I looked over my shoulder, not realizing that my eyes were filled with tears until I saw how blurry my vision was. I noticed the way the figures walked into my kitchen. I couldn't make them out behind my blurry eyes, but by the sounds of the voices, I knew exactly who it was.

        "What are you guys doing here?" I asked, wiping my eyes. I didn't want tem to see me upset. They didn't need to.

        "We left to get cleaning supplies," Jack's lisp was audible from when he opened his mouth, a bright smile on his face as he held up a box of trash bags. I laughed weakly, noticing the yellow rubber gloves that extended all the way to his elbows. I wiped my eyes, shaking my head at them in disbelief.

        "You're ridiculous," I mumbled softly, turning around all the way to meet their gaze. Alex had some kind of mask over his face, like he was ready to play doctor or something. Zack and Rian were the only ones dressed normally out of the group.

        I couldn't help the way that my heart melted at the fact that they would come to my house to help me pick up the trash and bottles they didn't even use. I couldn't think of one time when Ava, Sophia, Veronica or even Jay and Charlotte had helped out cleaning after a party. Normally they ran before they were even asked.

        "Cleaning is a very serious ordeal, Ms. Diakoulas," Alex said with a muffled voice under the mask, eyes serious as he looked at me. I giggled once, running my fingers through my hair while I shook m yhead. I felt like I was talking to Ghost Busters instead of the members of a band.

        "Will you idiots clean upstairs?" Rian finally spoke up, rolling his eyes with a grin. He looked over to Zack, nodding behind him towards the dining room. "You want to get the dining room, too?"

        "Yes, sir," Jack saluted Rian before walking towards the dining room where the stairs were located. Zack sighed lightly with a chuckle before turning around with a bag and walking away.

        I hadn't noticed how much I liked Rian's smile; how dazzling it was. Even in a brand new white V-neck, it was just as bright. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. My fingers were wrapped around my middle securely as he omved into the now cleaner living room. He stopped a foot away from me, swaying back and forth. I couldn't look him in the eyes, feeling emotions crash over me like a wave.

        I sniffled once, looking at my feet and realizing just how much they were dying in these shoes. I reached down quickly, frustration and sadness surging through me. I ripped them off, throwing them away from me as quickly as I could. I was so tired, so angry, and so messed up.

        "Those stupid shoes were killing my feet," I said in a small grumble, finger fixing themselves around my sides again. I listened to Rian let out a sigh, fingers moving from his pockets as he reached for me, and caught on near my waist. He drew me closer without a word, my face mressing into the side of his neck while his fingers brushed against my waist.

        I coudn't deny the fact that I missed his touch more than anyone could imagine. I missed the way his lips felt against my temple, and how he let them linger there in comfort. I clutched his t-shirt, breathing in his smell. It made the pinching in my chest resolve and the aching nearly disappear.      

        "Thank you for coming back," I said with a shaky breath. I felt him nod against me, hugging me closer. I pressed my lips against his collarbone softly, squeezing my eyes shut to hold back tears.

        "If you're this upset, why did you do it?" He seemed unconcerned with my statement to him, and more worried with my tears. I pulled away, saking my head and wiping my eyes again.

        "Because you were unhappy with what I picked the first time," I said, meeting his light brown eyes. He gazed at me, looking at my salt stained cheeks. His thumb moved to my face, gliding across them in attempts to make them disappear.

        "You didn't have to do that just beacuse I was pissed at you for believing your friends. I probably would have too." He said softly, face centimeters from mine. It made it harder to think about what I watned to say. I didn't want him to think that I regretted this decision, because even if I was hurt, I could never want to take back what I did.

        "Someone was going to end up being mad at me in the end. I just decided that I didn't want it to be you," I whispered with uneven breaths. I looked at his lips in front of me, noticing the way that they turned up by what I said before crashing them against my own.

        My heart spun erratically while remembering the way his mouth moved. His fingers cupped the sides of my face while I gripped the front of his shirt tightly. It reminded me just how much I ached to be around him these past two weeks, the past two weeks that I doubted him, yelled at him, and accused him of awful thins. And he was still here, still waiting for me to change my mind.

        He was better than me, so much better.

        "Jesus guys, get a condom," Alex groaned while walking into the kitchen with a bag full of bottles and can. I pulled away, embarrassed and laughing lightly as I looked the room over. Zack had appeared with his own trash bag, along with jack and his own bag.

        "Classy." Zack rolled his eyes at him, smirkng in his direction. All Alex did was shrug with a smile, flipping his hair out of his eyes. Jack stripped his fingers of his gloves before tossing them into his bag of bottles like a doctor would. I couldn't help but continue to giggle at the sight, feeling Rian's finger wind around my lower back while kissing the side of my head lightly.

        Suddenly, my decision didn't seem so bad.