[BettyBoop]

Chapter 8

Sebastian ran his fingers over the DVDs not really paying much attention to what was what. He kept peering over his shoulder waiting for Eliza to emerge from the kitchen... In nothing but an apron... No!
“She’s your best friend, idiot” he muttered to himself. And she thinks you’re a joke, he added silently.

He pulled out a random horror film, the crappy gory kind that made you jump but had a terrible storyline. It never really mattered. While he waited he decided to tidy the mess he’d managed to create, he stuffed his bag, jacket and blazer into one corner and self consciously eyed himself in the large mirror above the fireplace. He ran his fingers through his hair trying to fix a particular strand that wouldn’t cooperate. Soon enough he heard Eliza coming back and he threw himself back to where he was trying to make it seem like he hadn’t moved at all.

“I found a movie... Um” he looked at the case properly for the first time “Sexy Ghost Zombies? Really? Why do you own this?” He turned around to look at her.
“I’ve never seen it before in my life, honest.” She walked around the sofa with a tray full of snacks which she slid onto the coffee table.
Sebastian looked at her quizzically noticing a change before he knew what it actually was. Her skirt was shorter; that much was clear. Being someone who spent an awful lot of time staring at her legs that was something he wouldn’t miss. Sometimes he wished he didn’t spend so much time acting like a cocky bastard and then maybe she’d look at him seriously. He was confident enough, or good at behaving as such, but he’d suddenly run out of words.

He continued to stare as she leaned over the table and poured M&Ms into a blue plastic bowl. Another thing he didn’t fail to notice were the few buttons on her shirt that had somehow came undone. He noticed a lot but what he hadn’t was how much more than a little cleavage she was hiding under her neatly worn school uniform. He craned his neck as if that would somehow help him see through the fabric.

It didn’t.

They both sat curled up on the sofa wrapping themselves in a huge red duvet covered in a pattern of roses. Seb felt a little girly with it pulled up to his chin but he was hardly going to complain with Eliza squished up next to him. The movie was the same as most horror films, fake blood, sudden loud noises to make you jump and a hell of a lot of nudity. Sebastian tried his hardest not to jump when something sudden popped up though, he felt like he had to retain at least a little of his charm and that couldn’t be done if he was hopping about like a little girl.

A sexy ghost zombie jumped out screaming from the darkness and Eliza gasped reaching toward Seb out of fear. She dug her nails into his leg, her body tensed up.
“Ow” Sebastian whispered and she loosened her grip but her hand stayed on his thigh, resting a little higher up she probably realised in the dark. Sebastian tried to ignore her touch by focusing on a vase of flowers that were slowly dying without water by the window, by biting his lip, by looking at the mangled bodies and rotting faces of the zombies. Ah, that did it. He cringed and Eliza jumped again moving her hands up to cover her face and he relaxed a little.

It seemed he relaxed a little too much because it felt like only a moment later when he opened his eyes to the sound of birds tweeting and a pain in his neck. Lazily lifting his arm he checked the time his watch, 5:00am.

“Ugh” he grumbled to himself rubbing the back of his neck that ached from the terrible position he’d been curled up in for hours. He rolled his head around as if it would help and spotted Eliza curled up next to him, only the top of her head visible above the flowery duvet. He couldn’t help but smile.

He got up and stretched every which way he could, it only helped a little with the ache in his muscles. The blinds were partly open and he finished the job filling the room with morning sunlight. Eliza groaned and dipped further under the duvet and into the darkness. She mumbled something unintelligible as she fidgeted about sticking her leg out from under the duvet as if she were dipping her toe in the pool.
“Good Morning!” Seb said loudly and over enthusiastically. He was not a morning person but Eliza was even less of one, especially when it was so early.
“Seb?” her voice was muffled “Oh.. oh wait. Did we fall asleep? Both of us on this tiny sofa?” She sat up and stretched out her arms. “It’s weird I was actually really comfortable”
“Lucky Liza” Seb smiled at her “Mind if I use your bathroom?”
“Yeah, sure” Eliza ducked down under the duvet again realising she probably looked all awful and morning-ey.
Sebastian jogged up the stairs thinking the same thing.