THEA
"Do you have any classes for the next hour or so?" I asked Shawn. Everyone recovered quickly but there was still concern in their expressions that Mackenzie was going to walk back through that door and Shawn's world would fall apart.
"Nope," he shrugged taking a huge bite out of a burger.
"Does that mean you want to be my knight in sweaty armour?"
"That's gross," Charlie pulled a face.
"Where do you want to go?" Shawn ignored her comment.
"I want to do some shopping," I smiled sweetly.
"But you're crippled," Junsun smirked.
"The correct term is disabled and that never stops you," I retorted.
"How am I disabled?" he frowned.
"You're disabled in the brain," I huffed.
"I think that's referred to as being 'on the spectrum'" Austin commented.
"Fine, I'll go with you shopping," Shawn nodded devouring the rest of his meal.
"You're ditching me?" Charlie frowned.
"No, Doobin said he was having trouble remembering your choreo on top of the other classes he's taking, I figured you were going to help him out and that would have left me stuck here," I sent her a slight smirk.
"He doesn't need my help," she gave me a warning look.
"Actually, some help would be great," Doobin nodded.
"Seriously?" she asked in a flat tone.
"I mean if you don't want to, I'll just go ask one of the other students," he shrugged.
"Oh, come on, throw the kid a bone," Austin sided with Doobin. I had to cough to cover the laugh that almost burst from my throat.
"Fine, but you better pay attention because I'm not doing this again," she huffed.
"Right," but Doobin and I mumble together.
CHARLIE
I knew that he didn't want me to help with the choreography, he could do it in his sleep. But I wasn't going to boost his ego any more than it already was.
"So what part of the choreo is confusing your little brain?" I sighed following him into an empty practice room.
We have a few around the building, they were just small 5x3 meatre rooms with a mirror covering one wall and a door, there were no window and the rooms where soundproof so that several students could practise at the same time without disturbing or being disturbed by anyone. The doors also had locks on them, convenient.
"Why don't we start with something you know isn't small?"
"You're attitude?" I raised an eyebrow.
He just smirked, let out a slight laugh, then his face turned dark with lust, he took a step towards me and instinctively I took one back leaving me pressed up against the wall, with nowhere to go. His lips connected with my neck and a small moan escaped my lips, I felt his smirk on my neck before he relocated his mouth to mine. I wanted to curse myself for giving in so easily but the logic in my brain evaporated the longer Doobin's lips assaulted mine.
"If you want me to stop just say so," his husky voice whispered inside my ear. I didn't trust my voice so I just didn't say anything, he waited a few moments before taking my silence as permission to continue.
I was lost in my train of thought as we slid to the floor, he stretched my hands over my head with one hand, logic slammed back into me when I felt the cold metal clamp around my wrists.
"What are you doing?" I frowned.
"Having a little fun,"
"What if someone tries to come in?"
"The door is locked, and the room is soundproof. But if you want me to unlock you then that's fine, just thought it would be fun," he shrugged.
I don't know why, and I wasn't even sure when I had decided it would be fine, but the words seemed to fall from my mouth before my brain had the chance to run them through a logic filter. Instead of saying what I should have said, being the responsible adult and his teacher, I said;
"Leave them on,"
BM
I wanted to throw everything, I had to step away from my desk so that I didn't throw anything breakable or important. I was trying to function on barley any sleep, Austin has stolen so much money that I wasn't able to give a lot of shifts out to my staff and I even had to let a few go. They were understanding about the whole situation, but not being able to use my staff meant that I had to cover the shifts. Thea still came in and worked the kitchen, but she didn't say anything to me, she just showed up, did her job, and left. So my day usually went; up at 3 a.m, work at the bakery until 6a.m, come home and get a few hours sleep, usually 3 or 4, then wake up but no later than 10 a.m, set up the bar, re-stock the shelves, do ordering, open, serve customers until closing at 1a.m, clean the bar, maybe eat something, quick shower, sleep for an hour, and repeat.
So, I was overworked, overtired, understaffed, and severely stressed. I had been to the bank about a loan, but they felt like I was too much of a risk, I had reported Austin to the police, but I wasn't hopeful about getting my money back, I should probably talk to one of the boys about it because I know they would help out in the bar but they hadn't been home since I slept with Olivia, it was pretty clear they know about it, also I vaguely remembered hearing Charlie's voice.
I'd been feeling guilty about that since it happened, not just because of her technically being Sam's girl-whatever, or because it was Jae's bed, or even the whole Thea situation. Don't get me wrong, I felt bad about all of that, but I had also realised that I had kind of been seeing Somin, and I mean, we weren't dating per say but it's not okay to show someone that you're interested in them and the go and slept with someone else. That's not the type of person I am, but I haven't really been acting like myself lately.
Pushing my friends away, keeping secrets, sleeping with strangers, getting angry for no reason. Okay, not for no reason, but in from the point of view from everyone else it is for not reason because I haven't told them what's going on.
Maybe I should just sell my car.
THEA
"I still don't understand why you haven't already done your Christmas shopping," Shawn frowned at me as we made our way back to the dance studio. We had been gone about an hour and a half, long enough for Mackenzie to be long gone, and for Charlie and Doobin to have finished, 'dancing'.
"I have most of it done, shut up, like you have any Christmas shopping done," I huffed defensively.
"I only have to buy for a handful of people, and I'm not Miss Overly Organised, which is why I'm surprised that you're Christmas shopping wasn't don't in like July," he retorted.
Okay, it was actually already done, but in September, not July. I just needed a reason to get Shawn to stay out shopping when he was insisting on my getting off my foot. Besides I found some things that I just had to buy for Charlie.
"Maybe you should have used this time to do your Christmas shopping,"
"I still have time,"
"Christmas is in like 8,"
"Yeah, that's 8 days full of time to buy things,"
"When there is nothing left in the shopping centres that qualifies as good gifts, you'll regret waiting," I shook my head at him.
"It's the thought that counts," he tried to counter,
"And apparently they're the last thought," I retorted.
"Has anyone ever told you that they can only handle you in small doses?" he huffed at me.
"All the time," I nodded as we walked into 1Million, well technically I hobbled but I wasn't about to admit that.
"Shit. I have a class in 10 minutes," Shawn groaned.
"I thought you said you were free?"
"I forgot about it, I'll catch up to you later," he rushed off.
I looked around for Charlie, she didn't seem to be anywhere maybe she was still with Doobin? Her car was still out the front, and she wouldn't leave me here anyway. She had to be with Doobin, I should probably find them before Shawn stubbled across them.
"You're back," Doobin nodded towards me, he was standing in the doorway of one of the classrooms. I looked around him to see if Charlie was in there. She wasn't.
"Yeah, have you see Charlie?"
"I have," he smirked.
"Okay, stupid question. Do you know where she is?"
"Of course," he nodded still smirking.
"Well are you going to tell me?" I sighed.
"She's in that room," he nodded towards one of the practise rooms.
"Thank you,"
"Thea," he called as I turned away from him.
"What?"
"You might need these," he handed me a set of small keys.
"These look too small to unlock the door," I thought out loud.
"They're not for the door," he smirked, I frowned and began to ask him what they were for but he turned and walked into the classroom, that Shawn was teaching.
I headed over to the door he had pointed towards turned the handle, but it was locked. I thought he had said that the key wasn't for the door. I knocked just in case I had the wrong door. Then realised that the rooms were sound proof so I wasn't sure she would even hear it, so I rattled the handle.
CHARLIE
The door handle turned and shook, if whoever was on the other side was calling me, I couldn't hear them, the downside to a soundproof room. Did I risk opening the door to see if it was Doobin with the keys? What if it was one of the other boys? How did I explain being naked and handcuffed in a practice room? I didn't. Which left me with no other option but to wait until Doobin decided to come and save me. Even though he is the reason that I'm stuck in this situation to begin with.
My phone started buzzing in my pants pocket on the floor. I maneuverer my way towards them and somehow managed to answer the call, only because it was Thea. I hit the loudspeaker button.
"Hey,"
"Hey, opened the door,"
"Why?"
"Because Doobin gave me a key and said that you would need it,"
"Where is he?"
"In Shawn's class,"
"And where is everyone else?"
"How am I supposed to know?"
"So, if I open the door, you're the only one out there?"
"Well, other than the reception staff but they're all busy. Why are you being weird?"
"Okay, I'm unlocking the door, but hurry up," I sighed working my way to my feet. I unlocked the door and quickly ducked behind it just in case anyone looked over to see what Thea was up too.
"Why are you being so weir..." Thea started at me.
"Close the door!" I snapped.
She pushed it closed and tried to cover a laugh with a cough. May have actually worked, if she didn't just laugh instead.
"What?" was all she could manage to get out between laughs.
"Shut up and give me the keys," I snapped.
"And you think you're going to be able to unlock those cuffs by yourself?" she raised an eyebrow once she stopped laughing, although she still managed to chuckle at me.
"Yes," I cursed the doubt that found its way into my voice.
"Do you want me to uncuff you?" she giggled.
"I want you to stop being a jerk, but I guess I'll take the uncuffing," I sighed, she held her laughter until I said uncuffing, for some reason she found that hysterical.
"Thea!"
"Oh, wait, I have the perfect thing for you!" she beamed.
"Like the keys to these cuffs?"
"Yeah, yeah, in a second," she rolled her eyes rummaging through the bags in her hands.
"Bro, I'm literally standing here naked," I was starting to get a little annoyed.
"Yeah, I know, I'm about to fix that,"
"You could just give me the damn keys and I could get dressed!"
"Yeah, but that wouldn't be nearly as entertaining. Ah! Here it is," she smirked pulling a jacket from one of her bags.
"I have clothes over there,"
"Yeah, but this works sooo much better, I saw this in a shop and had to buy it for you, because you're technically Doobin's professor, I got you a professor jacket, with elbow pads!" she unfolded the grey checked jacket, brown patched covered the elbows.
"I hate you, now uncuff me,"
"Argh, fine," she rolled her eyes.
THEA
I uncuffed her and she basically kicked me out of the practice room, she's so touchy sometimes. I watched Shawn's dance class through the glass door. Doobin seemed pretty pleased with himself, he caught my eye through the door and smirked at me, I suppose that the fact I was the only other person who knew about the two gave him a small kick, considering that he could basically brag about it with one look.
"Let's go," Charlie came out of the
SAM
"I want food," Jae whined lounging across the edge of the couch.
"Then go get something," I shrugged.
"Are you kidding me? The last time I took food out of that crazy dwarfs kitchen she withheld food from me for like a week,"
"It was an hour, and that's because you were so annoying she didn't want to listen to you anymore,"
"Yeah, well, it felt like a week,"
"Then order something,"
"That takes too long to get here, and it costs money,"
"You can wait until she gets home,"
"Can you message them and see how long they're going to be?"
"Why can't you do it?"
"Because I don't know where my phone is," he whined
"You're literally staring at it,"
"Shh, busy," he muttered scrolling through Tumblr.
SAM: Hey, where are you guys? Jae is complaining he's hungry and I'm worried he is going to eat me.
I wasn't expecting her to reply so quickly but she replied before I could relock my phone.
CHARLIE: Just waiting for Thea to get her braces off, not sure how long it will take.
"Charlie doesn't know how long she is going to be,"
"They went shopping, how much can two poor girls even buy?" he huffed.
"They're at the dentist, Thea is getting her braces off," I rolled my eyes. He paused, looked at me and smirked.
"Come on," he stood up.
"What?"
"We'll go get food, Thea is going to be in so much pain when she gets back," he beamed.
"You don't need to sound so happy about it," I frowned.
"Yes, I do. Do you know how easy it is to annoy her when she's in pain, and then she does that thing where she get huffy and hurts herself, it's hilarious, but I'll even buy her food to make up for it,"
"Really?" I looked at him sceptically.
"I mean, you'll pay for it because I lost my wallet, but sure," he shrugged.
"Of course, you did," I rolled my eyes.
"I think I left it next to or on my bed, so it may as well be lost, who knows what naked parts of BM have touched that," he shuttered.
"Okay fine," I sighed.
"Keys," he held his hand out.
"Why?"
"Because you still can't drive? Do you think I'm going to walk there and like go into the building with those people?"
"Those people? Who are also going to buy fast food because their too lazy to cook for themselves?"
"If you were supposed to cook for yourself they wouldn't have invented cars and drive throughs, are you going to mope around here daydreaming about Charlie or are you going to come on this adventure with me?"
"We're going on an adventure?"
"It's modern-day hunting, come on Samwise," he stood.
"Does that make you Frodo?" I raised an eyebrow following him.
"I feel more like a Gandalf, wise and magical,"
"More like Radagast," I commented.
"Charlie likes him better anyway," he shrugged.
CHARLIE
The boys weren't there when we got home, or at least Sam's car wasn't and he still can't drive so unless Jae decided to go out and take Sam's car, which wasn't likely.
"I thought the boys were staying again?" Thea frowned.
"Maybe they went to get a change of clothes," I shrugged.
"Hopefully they don't come back, the last thing I need right now is Jae and his stupid face,"
"Are you sure you two don't have a thing for each other?" I raised an eyebrow.
"If by 'a thing' you mean do I want to stab him with a sword? Then yes, but if you mean in the general sense, then I would rather stab myself with a sword," she pulled a disgusted face.
"You two just seem really interested in where each other are," I shrugged.
"I am in enough pain right now; do you have to make me want to vomit as well?" she sighed.
"Shouldn't you be pain-free after having your braces off?"
"You would think so, after two years with the pressure moving my teeth you would think the release would be amazing, not painful,"
"Then again, it's been two years of pressure, what happens when you release the pressure after you hurt yourself?"
"Intense pain," she groaned collapsing into the couch.
"There are painkillers in the kitchen, do you want me to get them?"
"I'll get them, hot coffee might help with the pain," she sighed.
"Alright,"
"Do you want water in the kettle?" she asked.
"I'm good," I shook my head.
She just nodded leaving the room, I checked my messages to see if Sam and sent one letting me know where he had gone, he hadn't.
CHARLIE: Hey, where are you guys?
SAM: Jae decided he would have me buy us food, he thought it would be entertaining to get things Thea can't eat and eat it in front of her.
CHARLIE: Forget his wallet again?
SAM: Apparently he lost it
CHARLIE: I bet you it's in his pocket
"Where are these painkillers?" Thea asked, she walked into the lounge room pulling the door with her.
"On the shelf about the kettle,"
"They're not," she shook her head.
"Maybe they're in my bedroom," I got up, she turned around to leave the room, the door handle wouldn't turn.
"Not funny," I frowned at her.
"Not kidding," she frowned back.
"Seriously?"
"I must have hit the lock on the way in,"
"You locked us in the lounge room?"
"I mean not if your bedroom window isn't locked," I thought about it, I had locked it a few nights ago, there was a breeze that came into my room and the window only stayed securely closed if it was locked.
"Is yours?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Paranoid," she pointed at herself.
"So you locked us in the lounge room," I sighed.
"I mean only technically, we can just call one of the boys to come to save us," she shrugged.
"Jae and Sam only went to get food, they'll be back soon,"
"See, we're fine," she shrugged again.
"I'll text Sam and ask them to hurry up,"
SAM
CHARLIE: Hey, can you guys be quick, Thea locked us in the lounge room
"We don't need anything else?" I asked as Jae pulled out of the parking lot.
"No, why? Do you miss Charlie already?"
"No, the girls are locked in the lounge room, Charlie wants us to come save them,"
"How did they...?" he because.
"Thea," I cut him off.
"Of course," he shook his head.
"Well, let's go to the Zoo then," he smirked, which probably meant he wasn't going to save them straight away.
"The Zoo?"
"Their lounge room is basically entirely windows, which means we can eat and enjoy the show,"
"Charlie will kill you,"
"Probably," he shrugged not seeming too phased by the idea.