Shadows In Durango

Crap!

"Morning sleeping beauty! | was starting to think that you wouldn't get up!" Emma jokes, drying her wet hair

with a towel as she stepped out of the bathroom.

"What... tis it?" | ask groggily, my voice scratchy and dry as | reach up to rub at my tired eyes.

"Almost twelve!" Emma giggles, as my eyes suddenly widen and | move a lock of blonde hair back from my face.

| never sleep this late! It must be the bed... it's been a long tsince | actually felt comfortable whilst sleeping.

"Vincent cby with sclothes for us to change in to after a shower, said it was old stuff that his cousin left

here a while back and said we could just keep it." Emma points to the neatly folded pile of clothes left foras |

glance back at her own outfit.

Jeans and a white crop top.

"Was he in here?!" My eyes suddenly widen, as Emma giggles and nods at my reaction.

"Yeah, about an hour ago! He thought we were awake but he was laughing when he seen that you were still in

bed! You know, he doesn't actually seem that scary now after last night... it's bizarre!" Emma shakes her head,

moving across the room to open the curtains - allowing bright sunlight to fill the space as | wince and squint.

"At least the storms calmed down today! | think it's still pretty windy out though!" Emma hums, staring outside

for a moment as | take a second to allow my eyes to adjust.

"You need to check out this back garden Sofia! It's humongous! Even has a pool and a jacuzzi! When it gets

warmer in the summer, maybe we will get invited back for the garden party!" Emma jokes as she tellswhat

she can see as | smile and laugh at her.

| shake my head at the thought, as sheer embarrassment and regret floods throughafter last night.

| felt terrible for how | had reacted to Daryl kissing another girl... he wasn't my boyfriend and clearly never ever

wanted to be so who was | to cause a scene?!

"Don't get too excited, we are probably blacklisted from any upcoming parties now thanks to me." | groan,

flopping backwards on to the bed and pulling a pillow over my face in horror as | hear Emma laugh.

"Last night was enough to last a lifetime! Now go and shower and we can get out of here before you have to face

Daryl!" Emma approaches the bed and removes the pillow shield from my face.

| eventually stand up, swaying slightly before regaining my balance. This must be what a hangover feels like...

| grab the small bundle of clothes Vincent had dropped off, stepping inside of the luxurious bathroom finding the

large rainfall walk in shower.

| used to have a shower like this back home... it was my favourite place to go whenever | felt sad, allowing the

water to massage my skin as | sat beneath it...

Shaking away my thoughts, | find a packaged toothbrush and eagerly open it to scrub my teeth - glancing at my

reflection in the mirror.

Woah | looked dreadful!

My mascara and liner was smeared all around my eyes and down my flushed cheeks and my hair sat in blonde

knots around my head resembling how | had looked when Erica had attackedin gym class the other day.

Finishing my teeth, I run the water and strip out of the large tee that | had borrowed from the drawer last night to

sleep in - placing it in the laundry basket where | noticed Emma had also put hers.

Finding an array of products already inside the shower, | step in under the water and almost moan at the perfect

temperature as it begins to wash away my makeup and smooth out my hair. Grabbing conditioner first, | decide

to layer a coat over my whole head to allow for it to sink in for a moment. While | wait, | grab sbody wash

and scrub every inch of my body in the rich sandalwood scent.

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| notice a small face wash, grabbing a small drop in my hands before spreading it over my whole face to help rid

myself of the makeup stains from the previous night - watching the water turn black beneath my feet as I rinse it

all away.

| rinse out the conditioner next, before scrubbing my hair twice with the shampoo before going back with a small

drop of conditioner to soften out the ends again - feeling finally satisfied that | was as clean as a whistle.

| cut the water with a sigh, knowing that it would be a very long tbefore | get another shower this good

again...

| wrap one of the fluffy large towels around myself for heat, before drying my skin and placing a smaller towel on

my head for my hair.

| change into the outfit, embarrassed that Vincent had even thought to bringa thong with the tag still on it,

as | chewed my lip and pulled the black material up my legs.

The outfit was a pair of jeans, slightly darker than the ones Emma was given, and a khaki green, plain crop vest.

This was pretty cute and it felt nice to change into something fresh after the shower as opposed to having to put

last nights clothes back on...

| exited the bathroom, almost falling over when | find Vincent seated on the bed and Emma to be nowhere in

sight.

"Oh... h-hey?" | bubble out and try to act casual, like an idiot who just didn't nearly land face first on the floor in

front of him.

"Where's Emma?" | add on, as he watches me, his hair damp to indicate that he had not long stepped out of a

shower himself.

He wore a navy blue tee today with sjeans, a contrast to his usual darker colours that he tended to wear to

school.

He suits colour...

"She went to make coffee and grab you both breakfast from downstairs, I told her to wait there for us. Reid is

with her so she's in good hands so don't stress." He concludes in a bored tone as | nod slowly and begin to

unravel the towel from on top of my head.

What did he want?

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"She's with Reid?" | recite, not knowing who that was exactly as he chuckles and diverts his gaze to the floor.

"Uh yeah... the one who tripped you up that day when you broughtlunch..." He continues, as my face falls

and my heart quickens.

Poor Emma! That damn friend of his was an asshole!

"I'll go get her!" | confirm, swiftly turning to put the towel in the laundry basket inside of the bathroom, but when

| turn back | am greeted with Vincent standing on his feet now. "He won't do anything bad to her, he has a thing

for nerds." Vincent shrugs, as my jaw slackens at his statement.

"Don't call my friend a nerd!" | defend her, not liking his opinion as he rolls his eyes at me.

Did he seriously just do that?!

"It's not a bad thing! Stop being so on edge! We aren't bad people you know..." Vincent grumbles, as | sigh and

think back to what he had done forlast night.

He had proved that he wasn't all bad, I'll give him that, but he also hadn't been the best welccommittee

during my first week at school either...

"What can | help you with?" | push on, wanting to make sure Emma was ok sooner rather than later.

"We need to talk about the party, don't you agree darling?" He drawls out, taking a slow waltz towardsas |

tense.

Darling... the spet nhe had used last night which brought back floods of memories of how he carried