Popular Jerk

Chapter Five// I'll Explain

"Babe, what's the time?"

Nathan rolls over in the bed. I grown at the way the covers slip from my grasp. "I don't know," the sleep thickens in my voice as I speak into the pillow. "Why?"

He wriggles again, this time his breath fanning against my nose. "I think I heard a knock at the door..."

"Oh shit!" I launch up into a seating position on the bed, staring at the wall in front of me. "Crap, crap, oh crap!"

I curse all the way to the door, my feet sinking into my carpet. Peering down the stairs with my eyes now wide open, I gasp in the dreaded horror of a shadow cast on the other side of the door.

"Michael's here." I rush back into my room throwing open my wardrobe.

He couldn't have text me before hand the time he was going to show up?

Behind me, Nathan rubs his eyes with the slow exhale of a yawn. He mutters a few tired words then swings his legs over the side of the bed.

I send him a stern look, trying to stay calm in my frantic haste to yank on my jeans.

The knock comes again.

"Go down and stall him. God I look a mess."

I check my phone resting peacefully on my night stand. I swear I had set an alarm. However I had never actually set it as the chime had never gone off, leaving me in this awful state.

"We never usually wake up after ten," Nathan slithers to the door. Could he go any slower?

I sigh dramatically, darting my finger in the direction of the stairway. "Go, now."

On command, Nathan rattles down the stairs, in his dressing gown and I am able to hear the faint jingle of the keys turn. The door eventually opens and I am glad Michael hadn't given up waiting from the evidence of his cheery voice responding to Nathan's.

I hope they get along, they are like two completely different people. But that's not my biggest concern right now.

Due to curling my hair the previous night for mine and Nathan's date- plus not showering since- my hair has stubbornly twisted into tight thick knots.

My hairbrush threatens to snap under the force of me tugging at it as the knots only go frizzier with every brush.

"This is useless." I catapult the brush across the room with the launch of my arm.

My eyes meet my bathroom door.

I drop my clothes and jump into the shower. Turning the water onto full power, I enjoy the way my hair falls straight again. After applying my shampoo and body wash, I swing both legs over the bath tub edge and grab my towel from the heater.

Thankfully I showered in record time, only sparing five minutes.

My outfit is now on the floor as a result of me literally dropping everything to sprit to the bathroom. I am able to pull everything together in time for my clock to turn 10:45. Fifteen minutes will be long enough to get there. Hopefully.

"Sorry it took me so long," I jump down the stairs two at a time, the tips of my hair still damp. "I'm ready now!"

I freeze on the bottom step, a little out of breath.

I rotate my eyes around the room, it almost silent despite the conversation Nathan breaks with Michael to look my way.

"Did I interrupt something?" I walk over to them, each on opposite sides of the room, Michael relaxed in the armchair and Nathan sprawled across the sofa kicking off his slippers.