Adriana POV
"Alec, for the last time, you do not need to bring a fucking spanner!"
"But Becca you never know it might be useful!"
"Ugh. Whatever. But don't complain about my stuff."
"Why? You don't massive ass heels for a walk in the forest."
"You never know."
"Ugh. You and your lady crap."
"Lady crap? Little stereotypical, brother. And it is far from crap."
Sighing, I close my eyes, listening to the relentless bickering of the two siblings. Personally, I don't understand why they need half the things they want to bring. Their pointless comments might just make my head explode.
"WILL YOU TWO SHUT THE HELL UP I'M TRYING TO SHOWER!" An extremely irritated voice roars through the house, causing me to flinch. A couple of feeble apologies ring out, yet the two continue to mumble to each other, assuming that being slightly more quiet makes it less frustrating. How am I going to survive with them all?
This morning, I awoke to the sound of hushed voices in the kitchen. It had been decided - annoyingly, without me - that the search for Emily would commence today, as soon as some supplies and spare clothes have been packed. Supplies being limited as much as possible, since we are going into the forest.
Yes, that forest.
Admittedly, I was a more than shocked when they told me. Nobody steps foot into that forest, for whatever reason; not to mention than the darkness smothering the area has always been far too suffocating to want to go near it in my opinion. But if there is a solid lead that they have found it might as well be followed. It makes sense that whoever has Emily would take her where sane, perfectly normal people aren't generally found. I only hope that these three plonkers know what they are doing before anything goes tits up. I am not very eager to become some rabid animals snack.
After our discussion, I ate my weight in chocolate Cheerios, and the smartass had decided to go have a shower. He has been doing so for an unnecessary amount of time, his supposed 'fifteen minutes' being almost four times longer than anticipated, probably with the intention of not having to put up with the other two (not that that appears to be working in the slightest). Honestly, at this point, I really don't blame him.
As for me, I have not as of yet begun packing, since I have insisted on getting some of my own clothes instead of wearing one of Becca's many cropped tops all the time. Alec especially had been reluctant on letting me go back to the house, but I had assured him that Edmund would most likely be drunk. He therefore wouldn't notice me if I ripped his nuts off and fed them to a dog, a suggestion with which Alec replied, "tempting". Diana won't be a problem as she will be attending to the lazy sod's needs, not wishing to leave him. As long as I can sneak into my window without burning the house down to a crisp everything will be fine.
Which brings me back to my own current situation. In the living room, trying to decide which jacket I should get. Which by the way, is a hell of a lot harder than it sounds, since I have a minor obsession with all things leather, and my jackets are my babies.
After five minutes more of careful deliberation, I decide that I will just pick up whichever one I see first and turn to picking at my nails for entertainment, all background noise / bickering sufficiently quieter. I wonder if they have finally come to an agreement and decided to shut up. Although of course, me being me and utterly lost in my head, I completely failed to notice the half naked man stood waving, clicking his fingers and trying to get my attention until a sudden sharp pain shot through my ear.
My gaze shoot up along with my hand which now massages the throbbing extremity. Glaring at him, I attempt to yell something along the lines of "what was that for" but end up mumbling incoherently with widened eyes, since he is stood in only a loosely wrapped, baby pink towel. With that, a smirk plays on his lips, one that barely affects me due to the fact that my attention is more drawn to a pristine, chiseled set of abs.
Thankfully, he snaps me out of it before my ever curious eyes have chance to travel any further and worsen my little predicament. That stupid chuckle rings out, causing heat to rise through me, painting redness everywhere it passes. This only amuses him more as he leans back on the wall, finding entertainment in the reaction. Sighing, I pinch the bridge of my nose, thinking of something to say, something that will enable me to save myself from the massive hole I just fell into. However, just as I start to pull myself together, the unspeakable happens.
The towel slips, almost falling completely, and all knowledge of the English language disappears. And to top it all off, I think my organs just gave up from what could have been a near traumatic experience, yet my gaze is physically unable to move.
Seemingly taking pity on my inability to form coherent sentences and appearing a little flustered himself, he finally stops chuckling, clearing his throat awkwardly before he speaks.
What he said, I have no knowledge.
So, I do the first think that always, without fail, comes to mind. My go-to, A-grade response.
"Huh?"
He shakes his head, rolling his eyes. "I just want to know where Alec is."
"I thought he was packing with Becca?" I reply, confusion taking the weight off of my embarrassment. He was literally in his room a second ago. Or maybe I just got too carried away being a perv to notice his absence?
"He was. Now he's not." He answers curtly.
I resist the urge to say something sarcastic, and instead try to be helpful, although he definitely didn't miss the eye roll. "What do you need him for?"
"A new shirt. May have had a slight mishap with the one he gave me."
"Mishap?"
"It was a little tight around the top." He gestures to his shoulders, and my eyes widen slightly. Did he mean he ripped it?
I quickly pull myself away from the image implanted in my mind before I have chance to take it any further. However, being able to think now, a new thought comes to mind. "Just a shirt? Do you want jeans too?"
He smirks. "No, I'm just going to wear mine. And they fit just fine." He winks. Seems he's recovered now. The nerve of this guy. He irritates me to no end.
I scowl. "And you couldn't have put them on before you came in here?"
"What's wrong?" A mischievous glint appears in his eyes. "I'm not naked."
One of my brows raise. "A towel doesn't count as clothes."
He reaches down, taking hold of the towel, an almost sincere look crossing his face. "If you don't like it I can get rid of it..."
"NO!" I look away, cheeks blazing as I shield my eyes.
That infuriating chuckle sounds again, making me groan. "Relax. I'm wearing underwear."
"Because that helps," I mumble, looking back to him.
He appears to contemplate something, before looking down, pulling the towel forward slightly, a look of concentration on his face. "You're right. It doesn't."
I groan as I stand, about to make my rushed escape. What the hell have I gotten myself into. "I think I'll go get that shirt for you now."
Like the imbecile he insists on being, he trails behind me, his expression taunting. "What's wrong?"
"You're disgusting."
"No, you just have a filthy mind."
"I'm the filthy one? You're the one making comments like that."
He huffs.
Pulling open Alec's bedroom door, I step inside, going over to his drawers. Pulling them open one by one, I search for signs of any shirts while trying not to be too conscious of the presence behind me.
"You know," he begins, his voice holding a light tone. "I could have just been referring to the fact that the little green dinosaurs on the underwear are quite embarrassing. I'm quite sure anyone would have been mortified."
I almost choke, a huge smile spreading across my face as I let out a laugh. "Dinosaurs? Why the hell do you own dino drawers?"
Scoffing, he smiles back at me. "I don't. They're Alec's."
My eyes widen slightly.
He leans on the wall to my side, crossing his arms. "I mean, he told me they had never been worn. But who knows. He seems rather like the type to wear little dinos."
Shaking my head, I get back to searching and give up on the conversation, figuring that it's only going to lead to more taunts.
Finding a black checked shirt that looks a little on the larger side, I throw it, aiming to hit the smirk right off his face. "Get dressed. I'm going to get some of my stuff."
As I walk past, I could swear he mumbles something rude, although when I glance back at him he smiles stupidly and waves a hand, the other one slowly loosening the towel. Averting my eyes sharply, I hurriedly make my way out.
*****
Well this is going bloody brilliantly.
Turns out it's harder than I thought to sneak through a window without stabbing one's arse with a cactus and cussing loudly.
Luckily, nobody appears sober enough to realise that the pain induced swearing session wasn't a hallucination. That is, apart from the prat watching me from the backyard with his newly acquired shirt, laughing his head off like a lunatic. I should really learn how to keep my mouth shut.
Gathering my wits, I spot one of my leather jackets on top of some other clothes on 'the chair'. I suppose it'll be that one then.
After putting it on, I grab my back pack from the foot of my bed, taking it over to my wardrobe. I don't even look at what I'm putting in, since most of it will be plain black anyway. I make sure to pack deodorant, a body spray, plasters... Someone is bound to need them since they're too hung up on taking junk.
It doesn't take me long to finish. I don't know when or how, but I end up sat cross legged on the floor, taking in my surroundings. All the furniture remains untouched apart from a picture frame that doesn't appear to be in here anymore. It's image is ingrained in my memory - Diana holding my hand at a fun fair, Mr Tedd clutched in my hand as I look up at Edmund with a carefree smile on my face, a smile that seemed fully reciprocated at the time, but upon reflection was actually quite half-hearted on his part. I was five in the picture, celebrating my birthday. Edmund had won Mr Tedd for me on one of the games. The bear looks practically the same now as it did then, even after I gave it to Emily, who keeps dropping it in the toilet. I remember vividly the day I gifted it to her. She was a few months old and would cry at anything, nothing helping her little fits. I had brought her up to my room to read to her before bed since Diana and Edmund were out as usual, and she had spotted the bear on my bed, reaching her tiny little hands for it before face-planting the duvet. Unexpectedly, she hadn't started crying, but had attempted to manoeuvre herself towards the toy, determination on her face. It was the first time she crawled. From that day the bear became hers, and she has loved it as I had ever since.
A loud voice draws me out of my memories, calling to me from outside. I must have been longer than I thought.
Pulling myself together, I push up, lifting the bag onto my shoulder and huffing at the weight. I make my way back to the window, however I don't quite make it more than one step.
I freeze
Floorboards creek across the hallway and the sound of footsteps halts outside my door. My breath catches.
The doorknob twists, and I break into a run for the window. But I've already been spotted.
Just as I start to get through the window, I am yanked back by my hair, my body slamming down onto the floor with a thud as a high pitched yelp escapes me. I am lifted unceremoniously and shoved further across the room. Before I even get chance to see my attacker, a hard foot winds me, halting my movements. My hair is pulled upwards, and in front of me is...
Not Edmund.
A balding man grins maliciously, yellow teeth showing through greying lips. "What's wrong, pretty? Didn't think your daddy had friends?"
Despite everything, I find myself scoffing.
He scowls, before kicking my stomach again. "Ed! Guess who's back!"
Balling my fists, I get up. If this guy is friends with Edmund, he's most likely drunk, so I can probably take him. He reaches for me, not before I stagger clumsily to the side just fast enough to be able to be able to land a solid kick to the bollocks a second later. Keeling over, he covers his jewels while giving me an expression mixed with shock and... lust? Really, I kicked his balls and that turns him on. And to think I was calling myself a pervert not long ago.
I bolt to the window again, only to be pulled straight back into him, his arms caging me in as I squirm. One of his hands comes upwards, but before it gets too far I manage to move enough for his grip to loosen. But however much I stomp on his feet or elbow his ribs, he seems completely immune to pain, his hands circling back around my body tightly.
He shifts his arms, picking me up and lifting me over his shoulder. He walks over to the bed, slapping my butt on the way while ordering me to stop moving.
Oh hell no.
As soon as he throws me on the bed, I grab for the salt lamp on my bedside table, ripping the plug out of the socket as I do so before ramming the base into the side of his head. He collapses, just as I see smartass making his way through the window with wide eyes as he takes in the scene.
Stepping into the room, he looks around, scratching the back of his head. "Um... What did I miss?"
Dropping the lamp, I gape at him. "What the fuck took you so long?" I ask breathlessly.
He looks downwards, his feet shifting awkwardly. That's when I notice. "I lost my shoe," he mumbles, cheeks tinged pink.
Sighing, I roll over and off the other side of the bed, before walking over to my bag and hoisting it up onto my back. Taking one last glance at the man on the floor, I roll my eyes. We'd better get out of here before Edmund comes to check on him.
Turning, I limp my way to the window, barely looking back and ignoring the pain. "Let's go, tough guy."
He mumbles something under his breath, but complies. This is going to be a long trip.