guinevere

“Yeah…could’ve warned you about that happening.” Micah mumbled in a joking manner although his words were the truth. Nathan wasn’t in the greatest place and he didn’t imagine that ended very well for any girl who stuck too close. “One night stands don’t work if you’re living with the person. Just make sure any other stupid mistake at least, doesn’t live in the same block as you. Even better, tourists are great.”

“Definitely learned that the hard way,” she shuddered. “Isn’t that, like, the first rule of one night stands?” she asked, giggling a little. “Tourists? Yes because sleeping with someone who lives on the other side of the world is.... a really good idea.”

“There’s nothing to fix.” Micah said wanting to slide the whole thing under the rug along with everything else that was a mess in his life. “Okay…” He nodded his head looking over at her then tapping the spot next to him on the couch. “Then as your best friend, don’t do something that stupid again. You just gotta trust me on the why not.”

Gwen sighed in relief when Micah hit the couch next to him. “I can’t... If I do something like that again, I don’t think it’ll end well... Hell, it nearly didn’t end very well this time around and I don’t think I can survive the aftermath of another stupid mistake.”

“Understandable.” He mumbled looking away from her and straight ahead at the tv once again. For whatever reason he had been carrying the problems of everyone else and he kept getting dragged into things where he was made to be some voice a reason, which he hated. So he figured he’d just stay out of everyone’s business. “No worries.” He responded shrugging. He still wasn’t fond of the idea of Nathan and her in any sense but it wasn’t for him to butt into. “I’m not either of your dads.”

“I just... I really made a mess of things and I want to fix it,” she insisted, knowing his little no worriess wasn’t exactly all she wanted it to be. “No, you’re not. You’re my best friend who tells me when to do stupid shit and when to walk away, and I’ve really been missing that.

Forcing a smile despite the newfound information of Nathan, he shook his head reassuringly. “Don’t worry about it. Rather me than a complete stranger, right?” he teased. Pursing his lips as he sat back in the bench, “I know you think you messed up, but it’s your life, Gwen. Not Micah’s. He’s your best friend, and you’re his. Everybody makes mistakes. You shouldn’t beat yourself up about it.”

“Very, very true,” she giggled as she cuddled up onto the bench, pulling her legs into her chest. “Mistakes, exactly. That’s all that it was, a mistake,” she began, trying to convince herself more than anyone else. “A... I don’t know if it was a mistake.”

Trent looked down at her new choice of attire. His lips still sporting a grin. If he was actually in his own right mind state, he would have felt embarrassed, awkward for seeing a girl so exposed like that but of course he wasn’t right now, nor would he have remembered that later. “Sure.” He took the brush from her hand, looking down at her body as he imagined it as a canvas. He began to draw random stripes when suddenly an image of blood filled his thoughts. There was blood everywhere. Blood that he was brushing onto a girls skin. His head began to feel clammy. Blinking his eyes as he began coming to, he dropped the brush. “I… uh…I-” He looked around at all the lights, all the dancing, smoking, and drinking going on. Where was he? Was this a rave He remembered the girl in front of him. They were on the sidewalk and he asked her about a rave and she invited him. But he said no. He specifically remembered saying no and now he was here. “I…how did i-” He scratched the side of his head. “Oh my god.” He was about to panic. This wasn’t the first time he was somewhere and had no memory of what happened. Was he getting sick? Was this part of the fact that he was aging fast? What if it was going to happen again? Right now?“ He needed to leave, and fast. ‘I got to go!” he snapped, turning sharply but before he made it to the door, his nerves kicked into overdrive and he had to grip his head from the killer headache he was getting. Within seconds the pain was gone, and so was his consciousness. Turning back around, he straightened his shirt and walked back to the girl. “I wasn’t done.” He smiled, leaning down to grab the brush again. “May I continue?“ He asked, moving behind her so he could draw onto her back.

Gwen felt the cold body paint illuminating her skin, watching him draw on her. She gasped gently when he stopped and dropped the paintbrush and began to panic. Concerned, she followed. “This whole thing can be a lot for people. The lights in particular, the first time I got a killer headache,” she said, before he seemed to pull himself together again. “Of course,” she whispered, giggling slightly.

“Right.” Lilah dropped her gaze down to the ground. She couldn’t imagine living the way that the people who weren’t ignorant to what went on had to deal with on a regular basis. “Any particular reason you’re not ready for it or is it just in general.”

“I’ve been dealing with some personal issues, just trying to put some puzzle pieces together. I guess I’m still a little too hung up on those. But maybe just immersing myself back into work will help me a little bit.”

Leo nodded his head, encouraging her to continue. Mentally making a note of the first name in order to follow along with the story, Leo’s eyes widened in an instant the moment Nathan’s name left her lips. He opened his mouth to cut her off, but closed his mouth just as quickly when he realized she was too far into her rant to stop. Once she finished, he continued to gawk at her until he straightened up his posture, shaking his head as the thoughts rattled around in his head. What were the odds that this was the same Nathan that had gotten into a fight with the mayor’s son, and the same Nathan that Lilah knew of? “Okay…” he finally spoke, his voice as calm as he could possibly manage as he figured he’d hold off the subject of Nathan for a later time once Gwen was more rational about the situation. “So…This Micah guy. He’s your best friend, right? Surely he can’t be that upset with you. I mean, my sister’s my best friend and we argue sometimes. I’m sure it’ll all blow over, right? I’m guessing you’ve met this Nathan guy before as well, so in reality, it’s not just your fault. It’s his too.”

Gwen sighed and shook her head. “Oh my god I’m the queen of drunk oversharing,” she sighed, dropping her head in her hands. “I’m really sorry, Leo,” she whispered, taking a deep breath. “Yeah... he knew I was Micah’s roommate... I mean, he has been crashing on our couch for the past little while.

Willow gave her a smile. “I know.” She said and glanced down at the shoes that Gwen was taking off. “I don’t think it’s too bad.” Walking to the door of the apartment building, she unlocked it for them to continue they walk to reach her apartment. Once they did, she unlocked the door and allowed for Gwen to enter. “Now you can pass out.”

Gwen nodded as she took the cue from Willow to fall asleep. “Perfect. Night bud...” she whispered. Gwen barely even made it to the couch before she was toppling over and snoring.