~Bailey's POV~
"Where the fuck did everybody go?" Jordan and I stand in the empty living room.
"Must you inject a curse word in every sentence?"
"Wasn't this room uncomfortably full not even thirty minutes ago?"
"My question is: where's mom and Nick? They wouldn't leave us here, would they?"
"Nah, Demi's too paranoid for that shit. She probably thinks some alien mermaid would abduct us."
As we make our way to Nick's room, I cover my eyes.
"What are you doing?"
"God only knows what could be behind the door."
"The door is open."
"I'm not taking any chances," I blindly walk forward, only to bang into the door and end up on the floor. "I thought you said that the door was open," I groan.
"It is."
"Barely," I uncover my eyes, revealing Nick's ceiling.
"What are you two doing?" A groggy Demi pipes up, and I freeze. "Just because you're frozen, Bailey, doesn't mean that I can't see you."
I squeeze my eyes shut like a two-year-old: the classic 'I don't see you, so you don't see me'.
"I can still see you."
Dammit.
The doorbell chimes.
Nick should really start charging people to enter his house.
"I'll go get it," Jordan volunteers as I return to my feet.
I mischievously eye a sleeping Nick.
"What are you up to?" Demi quirks an eyebrow at me, and I smirk.
"Chocolate sauce or whipped cream?" My smirk soon morphs into a frown. "That sounded less kinky in my head, I swear."
Shaking my head, I make my way to the kitchen, stopping in the doorway upon seeing Dianna.
"Hey, Bailey," she chirps.
"Um, hi," I awkwardly mutter, tugging the refrigerator door open.
As I rummage through the fridge, she clears her throat.
"I...you know that we didn't abandon you, right?" Her inquiry is barely audible. "Neither you nor Jordan."
"I can't speak for Jordan," I sigh, placing the whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and container of cherries on the counter. "But I know that you guys didn't shun me or anything. Demi didn't even tell ya'll about me. I don't blame you," I offer what I hope is a reassuring smile, and it must be by the way a grin lights up her face.
"I want to get to know you, both you and Jordan, if you'd let me."
"I see no problem with that, and I'm sure Jordan won't either," I return the grin while wondering where Jordan ran off to.
I'm assuming she's in her room. Way to leave me to deal with all of the awkward social situations. I can totally feel the love.
"What exactly are you planning on doing with that?" She gestures towards the food.
"Wake Nick up."
"Nick?" She arches an eyebrow. "You don't ever address them as your parents?"
"No way," I snort.
"And why not?"
I shrug, clenching my jaw to refrain from blurting out truthful answers.
"You're scared, aren't you?" She gently pries. "You're scared that they'll leave as soon as you become attached."
"I'm not scared," I scoff. "No offense, but you have no idea what you're talking about."
She hums as I gather up my artillery.
"You remind me a lot of your mother when she was a teenager."
"I am nothing like her."
Surprised at just how harsh my tone sounds, I scramble to grab my things and return to Nick's room.
"I do not like where this is going," Demi says, sounding unimpressed by my antics.
"You don't have to like the show to enjoy it."
"Yes you do."
I shush her.
"Bailey-,"
I shush her again.
"Don't-,"
"I am trying to formulate a plan here," I look at her in exasperation, my annoyance only growing when I see her wearing a smirk. "Does me being flustered amuse you?"
"Flustered? Who are you? Charles Dickens?"
"I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed."
"That's Shakespeare, sweetheart."
"I failed English," I shrug, tracing Nick's eyebrows with the chocolate syrup.
"Tell me that you're joking."
"Do you want me to lie?" I shake the can of whipped cream. "I kept putting curse words in my essays and describing the readings as boring gibberish written by depressed dead people."
I cover Nick's face in whipped cream while still managing to avoid his eyes. For good measure, I place a cherry on his nose.
"Do you think that the cherry will stay put?" I tilt my head to the side in thought.
She gasps as she leans over to see my masterpiece.
"I think I did a pretty decent job," I innocently grin.
Her gaze shifts back and forth between Nick and I.
"Here," she hands me her phone. "Take a picture before he wakes up."
I don't question her as I open up the camera on her phone. I curse when it makes a loud shuttering sound.
"Who leaves their phone sound on?" I hiss.
"Normal people," she defends.
"I don't."
"My point exactly."
"Bailey," Nick groans, stirring awake. "What are you doing?" He blinks at me, slowly awakening. "What's that?" He points to the food containers that I placed on his nightstand.
"Ice-cream condiments."
He blinks at me again.
"I'm not even going to question it," I clamp my hand over my agape mouth as he runs a hand down his face.
"Bailey," he closes his eyes, as if wishing that he is dreaming.
"Yes?" I stifle a giggle.
"I'm going to give you a two second head-start."
I curse, then run, him hot on my heels.
"Jordan!" I scream, ignoring Dianna's confused expression. "Help!"
She rushes out of her room only to stand at the top of the stairs with furrowed eyebrows.
"Gotcha," Nick grabs me from behind and hoists me into the air. "Any last words?"
"I hear that whipped cream facials are totally trending right now."
"You heard so very wrong, darling," he chuckles before tickling me viciously.
"Stop!" I screech though my laughter, feeling my face flush and tears stream from the corner of my eyes. "Demi!" I wheeze, my lungs burning, yet I continue to laugh against my will. "Mom!"
Everything stops as soon that one syllable slips past my lips. Everyone's silent, obviously surprised. I hurry to my room, pushing past Jordan in the process, and locking the door.
"I am so stupid," Hot tears spill down my cheeks, no longer from enjoyment. "How could I have been so stupid?"
Ignoring the constant pleads and empty threats from the other side of my door, I pick at my thighs with nail clippers before thankfully finding a pair of scissors and slicing my skin. Afterwards, I bury myself underneath blankets, shove my earbuds into my ears, and fall asleep to the sound of heavy metal music and the voices in my head.
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