ghostbustin'

“Shoot.” Rowan sighed, running an exhausted hand through her hair. “Does anyone know how to fix phones? I may have dropped mine somewhere a phone should never be dropped.” she called out in the hallway, looking down into the the bathtub with luke warm water.       

“I can’t really fix a phone,” Carden begun, walking down the hallway over to the girl who just called down to him. He peered his head into the bathroom, quickly, to see the bathtub full of water and her phone afloat on top. “But, I know putting your phone in a big bowl of uncooked rice will fix it. Or, it should, anyway. The rice absorbs the water out of your phone. At least, that’s what’s supposed to happen. How’d you drop it in the tub, anyway?”

“I never thought I would say this, but I might actually miss Portland’s cold, rainy winters right about now. I mean, the sun and the heat is great and all but, there’s something about wearing shorts and crop tops in December that doesn’t sit well with me.”        

“I know what you mean. My crop tops are freeing, but sinful.” Carden agreed, clearly in a joking tone, but lowkey being the owner of at least several crop tops which he had in his closet currently.

Charlotte smiled victoriously as Carden conceded and agreed to go to Viper with her. It’d been her favorite since the first night, but she could hardly ever find anyone to go there with her; everyone preferred to be homebodies. “Take as long as you need,” she teased, finishing off her beer. When he returned, Lottie was tapping on her wrist, pretending like she was wearing a watch and keeping track of time. “Goodness gracious,” she exclaimed with fake exasperation. “I was worried that you were gonna make me wait until next Christmas!”       

“I don’t think I’d still be drunk by then.” Carden figured, as the two of them begun making their way out. Carden hadn’t left the house since it begun, but Charlotte seemed to know where they were going, as she should since she was the one who picked it out. Carden just graciously followed, unable to help but wonder what being out with Lottie would have in store for him. “I could try and find you a date too while were out, if you want. What’s your type? Muscular, attractive, kind of hairy, and really gay? I’ll keep my eyes open for them.”

“Hey Carden! “  Morgan chirped upon seeing the boy.  “My significant other has yet to show up, so how about I get a drink as well and we can celebrate our loneliness together.“ if Morgan had not been so damn oblivious he would have noticed that Carden was doing everyting but fine and that he probably should stop drinking. If Carden claimed he was doing great who was he to doubt that?       

“Yeah, buddy!” Carden cried, excited to have a buddy to knock back a few beers with. “I think that. We could be alone together, man. I like it.” He had the boy follow him out to the kitchen where he’d stocked a few beers in the fridge, and handed one over to Morgan. “Well, at least there’s a chance they’ll still show up, right? I don’t know, I’m not good at being positive. I’m trying, man.”

Phoenix looked up at the boy, listening to him speak as he stood a little speechless. “Oh.. well, I’m sorry that they left,” he said, clearing his throat before pointing towards the empty bottle of beer, the smell of alcohol filling his senses. “But isn’t it a little early to be drinking?”      

“Nooo ... ?” Carden responds, phrased more as a question rather than an actual answer. “I mean, if you think about it like this,” he begins, his words slurring together, “It is really late from yesterday. So, If I started drinking yesterday night, which I did, then it’s just a prolonged drinking? So, I’m okay.” Carden nods proudly, acting as if he had just something so deeply and truly profound. 

“Is this the part where I let you make a stupid decision… on ice skates.. and then record it?” Kat asked, slightly scowling.       

Dumbfounded, Carden looked around the room the two were standing in. A confused look plastered on his face as he says, “ ... but there’s no ice here.”

“I’m sorry, that really sucks,” Juliette said with a frown. “If it makes you feel better, mine hasn’t shown up yet and isn’t answering my calls.” She paused for a moment before looking at him. He seemed nice enough. “Do you want to go get drunk?”          

Carden couldn’t help but laugh at the girls last remark, waving the empty bottle in his hand in front of her face. “Uh ... one step ahead of you, I guess.” As his mild laughing fit was finally put aside, Carden cleared his throat, looking at the girl. “I’m sorry about you’re significant other, by the way. I’m not going to say anything like “I’m sure they’ll turn up!”, because the people on this show have proven to be unreliable.”

“You’re not fine..” Sighing, Kaylie shook her head. “I know it’s sucky man, I’m having some troubles of my own. But not about me, about you. I need to get you in a chair or something.”  

Carden nodded, allowing the girl to take role as a kind of caretaker over him. “I’ll be fine, then. Eventually. I can be fine and drunk at the same time.”

Charlotte nearly spit up her beer at the boy’s reaction. It was so over-dramatic that it was laughable. “No, Carden, I’m just taking you to a bar that has good music,” she explained, shaking her head with a laugh. “Change into jeans though… I’m gonna find you a hot date for the evening.”         

“Well,” Carden begun, a little on the fence to the idea. A bar? The kid was plenty drunk already, and it’s not like he was known for his amazing will power and self restraint, especially when it came to alcohol. But, that’s Lottie’s role in Carden’s life for you. “I do like good music.” He agreed, finally, after a moment or two. “You’re going to have to give me a bit to get up and put pants on, though.” He explained, stumbling his way over up the stairs and to his room. After a solid five minutes or so, Carden was back by Lottie, dressed and ready to go. 

“If you get a few more beers in me, that can be arranged,” Charlotte remarked with a wink before opening her drink and taking a swig. She leaned her elbows on the counter, her eyes trained on Carden as he spoke. She could see the sadness overtake his features. “Like I said, fuck ‘em,” she repeated, walking over to him and patting his back gently. “Drink up. When you’re finished, I’m taking you out.”           

Carden’s head shot up with the words “taking you out”, his eyes going wide and focusing on the girl. “Lottie, what are you planning? Not that I don’t trust you but ... ” Pause. “I don’t like surprises. Do I need to change, or anything?” He gestured, looking down at his track pants and t-shirt ensemble. “Because I have a suit in my luggage.”

Avery momentarily racked his brain for alternate possibilities. He just really didn’t want any harm to come to Carden. “Okay, uh, you’re right, there are a lot of lamps and things in your room. How about we just go outside and lie in the sun for a while?” He suggested, placing his hand on Carden’s shoulder.          

“Sun?” Carden repeated, looking the boy over. “Yeah, I could ... I could go for some sun.” He nodded along as the two made their way outside. A slight breeze brushed by Carden as he made his way out into the hot Florida weather. Without a watch, Carden tried to guess the time by the suns position in the sky. Needless to say, he couldn’t figure it out. “This is good. I can’t break the sun, right?”

Charlotte kept Carden balanced as they made their way to the fridge, her hand holding onto his upper arm. “Alright?” she scoffed, stopping in front of the fridge and looking up at the boy. “You don’t know me at all.” She rolled her eyes at him before leaning down and grabbing two beers, handing Carden one. “I feel like a weight has been lifted, honestly,” she explained. “I don’t like relationships.” She laughed as he tried to retract his statement with an apology. “No, you’re absolutely right,” she replied, shrugging his shoulders. “It doesn’t matter how great you are in bed… You can’t turn a gay man into a straight man.”     

“Good in bed, huh?” He mused, grabbing a bottle opener and taking it to his drink. “I think I’ll need proof.” He laughed, sliding the opener over to the girl, and brining the bottle to his lips. “But, really, I’m glad you’re not all upset. Like I’m not too much a relationship guy myself, but ... ” He trailed off, looking at the current state he was in, and what exactly caused that too happen. “ ... You know, still gets to you. Sometimes. Maybe. I don’t know, Lot, don’t let me get all mopey. Mopey Carden is no fun.”

Steven flashed a smile to Carden as he appeared along side him. “Hey, Carden” he said, signing before smelling his breath. He was about to ask why he was drunk, but then he read the other’s lips and instantly sighed. “Carden, I’m sorry that happened. But still, you shouldn’t use that as an excuse to get drunk or anything” he told the other, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “Come on, lets go to your room or somewhere you won’t get hurt.”      

Carden leaned up against the male, using him as support to stay standing up with an arm wrapped around his front in an embrace. “Where I won’t get hurt?” He repeated, looking to the male. “You goin’ wrap me up in bubblewrap, or something? Tape a pillow to my head?” He laughed, nearly his entire weight on the poor boy beneath him.

“Hey, me —,” Harrison countered, spinning around on his heel to divert his attention from going back upstairs to the boy who called out to him. “Oh, hi, Carden,” he greeted, and he eyed the other male for a moment before he almost frowned. It was sad - or at least it should have been. “Is that an invite to come drink with you or are you showin’ me the cool beer tricks you’ve learned since then?” he was teasing, for the most part, gesturing towards his swing on the empty beer bottle.          

“It’s both.” Carden nodded, turning on his heels towards the kitchen, and ushering for the boy to follow. He grabbed a beer and tossed it to the boy, taking one for himself as well. “I just don’t wanna be alone. It’s all lonesome, you know?”