PROM: Beneath the Sheets

[Lucy James]

It was too dark for the brunette to see much. Even as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could barely see the contours outlining the much taller boy. She turned then, leaning her back against the closed door. Her hands lifted to splay out over the hands resting upon her shoulders. Closing her eyes, she focused on steadying her breathing. It was a good thing that it was so dark in here. It made things a little bit easier, not having to worry about what emotions the boy would see flicking before her eyes.

"When I was two, my mother signed me up for acting and dancing classes," she began, her voice low, but audible. "I got all kinds of odd jobs. Mostly commercials and smaller roles with low budget TV-shows. Nothing big, nothing worth bragging about." Licking her bottom lip, her head dipped forward slightly. That wasn't the point of the story though. That part she'd easily put behind her. There was nothing about that life she missed. "It lasted until I was about twelve." Her eyes closed then, her head moving again. This time leaning against the same door she had her back against.

"It was getting late one evening, and my mother was working late, so the director offered to drive me home." Shifting uncomfortable, her hands dropped to her sides, fingers finding their way to the fabric of her black dress. They curled around the fabric, although with the way it clung to her body, there wasn't much to hold onto. This was why the brunette often found herself preferring clothes much to big. It almost felt as if she was suffocating.

[Taylor McCarthy]

Taylor's entire being went cold the moment Lucy began to speak. He felt a similar panic to the one she had shown just moments before begin to rise. He dreaded every word that fell from her lips. Each one carried a sense of ire and heartache. He'd been so curious as to what it was she was hiding, what had pushed her to be like this, to shove everyone away and be so cruel. He wanted to hear her story but hadn't prepared himself for the weight of the tale.

When her hands left his, they fell from her shoulders. He remained silent as he watched her outline in the darkness. There was nothing he could say. If she wished to continue her story, she would. If she faltered and stopped, Taylor wouldn't push. He wasn't there to offer her advice or to tell her everything was going to be okay. He was there to listen. To be whatever she needed him to be this night.

[Lucy James]

A hand came up to scratch idly at her cheek. She tried looking for the correct words to use, but neither of which seemed to really fit. Thinking about the events, going over the memory was something the brunette tried her best to avoid. Part of her had already forced herself to forget most of it. The only thing that lingered was the basic outline of the events that had occurred that night.

Why she was telling him, she didn't really know. It wasn't that she had a need to share. Her demons was and would always be hers to carry alone. It wasn't that she needed someone to share the burden with. That wasn't really the point. Nor did she think she owed him anything. Sure, he'd done nothing but push onward despite her best efforts to push him away. Maybe she felt as if he deserved to know why, or maybe she just felt it important that he did. 

In the end, maybe the reason didn't matter as much as the fact that she was telling him. Or at least trying to.

Now though, she continued struggling for the right words. What did you say about something like that, anyways? She'd kept quiet about it for so long, and it wasn't even the last time something similar had happened. Did she even have to go into detail for him to get the gist of the events?

"Back in Mexico," she spoke. "What almost happened." Her eyes dropped to the floor. "That wasn't the first time."

[Taylor McCarthy]

Taylor watched intently as Lucy struggled to find the right words. Even through the darkness he was able to make out her inner turmoil. Why she was choosing to talk to him now he wouldn't know. He wasn't anything to her, he didn't need to know what demons had been haunting her. He swallowed hard, trying to rid himself of the lump in his throat. She didn't need to get into details. She'd outlined more than enough. Her director had given her a ride home late at night and she had been taken advantage of in the worst way. He didn't even want to know any more than that.

Still, Taylor remained silent. He didn't know what he could say anyway. There was nothing he could possibly put into words that would make this okay. Nothing he could say that would make Lucy feel any better. She'd already filled in so many pieces of the puzzle. This explained why being put in the spotlight had caused her to run away so suddenly. This explained why she had problem trusting and letting people in. It also proved just how close the two of them had become. He stepped forward again, tentatively moving to pull Lucy in a gentle embrace if she would allow.

[Lucy James]

This time when the boy pulled her close, her muscles didn't tense. That didn't mean she felt better, but there was still a kind of comfort to be found in it. Not that she needed it. She had already been dealing with this for the past five years. Five years she'd spent pushing everyone away. Five years she'd spent finding any means to escape. And yet, she welcomed the embrace with no struggle.

Her arms still hung limp against her sides as she pressed her forehead against his shoulder. She didn't feel the urge to cry, nor did she feel any better at the revelation. It didn't feel as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Though, it didn't make her feel worse, and that was perhaps the greatest surprise of them all.

Moving her hand to his jaw, she pulled his head to hers as her head dipped back. Pushing herself up to the tips of her toes, her lips grazed against his. "I.." she began, her grip on his jaw loosening, although her lips remained brushed against his for as long as he would allow them to. "I'm sorry I'm such a bitch."

[Taylor McCarthy]

Taylor drew her in not because he felt she needed it, not because she was some fragile creature that needed consoling. No. Taylor pulled Lucy to him because he wanted to hold her. If she got any bit of comfort from being close to him as he did her it was worth the attempt to afford her whatever he could offer. Even as she didn't return the embrace, he felt the looseness of her body. She didn't tense when his hands found her like she usually did. With the way she was reacting, Taylor didn't know if this was a good or bad thing.

When her lips found his, Taylor's breath caught in his throat. She always had that affect on him. Whenever she drew closer it caused his heart to skip a beat and he wouldn't push her away. "You're not." He whispered softly in return. Lucy was misunderstood. She was guarded for good reason and she'd let him in despite everything. It made him feel all the more protective of the trust she had given him. His head tilted just enough to place a short kiss upon the lips that lingered so close to his. "I understand."

[Lucy James]

She didn't bother arguing, even though she still meant what she'd said. Despite everything, she was still a bitch. She didn't have to act the way she did, even though she had her reasons to. That was hardly an excuse to spew venom and malice wherever she went. But then again, it was probably a good thing that Lucy didn't really care. She didn't care about other people or their petty little feelings. Five years had been all it'd taken for the brunette to craft herself in such a spiteful image.

And here she was, tossing everything away for a boy. Years and years of guarding herself had been completely washed away in the span of two months since she'd first met the boy outside a club. It felt almost odd, just how short time had passed, yet it felt like much longer. Maybe it was because there was always something going on. There rarely was a still moment between the two.

Her arms snaked their way around his neck as she returned the kiss he'd offered. She pulled him closer yet as her head dipped back against the door she leaned against. "Look at you. The potato fucker is finally learning." Despite the vicious words, the brunette grinned against his lips. There was an almost eerie kind of ease settling upon the brunette, and for once she didn't at all mind.

[Taylor McCarthy]

"I spoke too soon." Taylor said, matching her grin with one of his own. He took the opportunity to steal another kiss from her as he felt the warmth of her arms going around him. Lucy had been a tornado that swept through his life at the worst possible time. He'd already uprooted and left everything he'd ever known behind in a foolish attempt to claim a family that so obviously didn't want him. Still coping with a new school in a new country and he came face to face with the enigmatic girl who could trigger his anger with a word and warm his heart with just a look.

"Are you... okay?" Taylor wasn't looking to get Lucy into a long winded 'therapy' session. He wasn't going to give her advice or try and make her feel better. He was there to just be there. So prove, yet again, no matter what she may have to face from here on out she would not be doing it alone. For better or worse, she was going to have to put up with Taylor being right there with her through it all. Still, he didn't know how to handle all this. She had just revealed her biggest secret, the reason behind her behavior. If she was fine, the topic ended at that. If she wasn't, the topic would still end unless she chose to continue with it.

[Lucy James]

"No," she responded, the smile on her lips not faltering even for a second. "But I will be." It wouldn't happen anytime soon, and it wasn't as if this revelation would suddenly make everything okay. It wasn't as if this was suddenly going to make her change or stop doing drugs. It wasn't as if this would make her stop being a bitch or stop acting out. But. It was a step in the right direction. It was a step towards the future.

Lifting one foot after the other, Lucy removed her heels. Dropping them onto the floor, her attention was brought back to the boy. "Already getting better," she added, her brow quirking. She had never been one who preferred wearing heels. of course, that didn't mean she didn't know how to walk in them - all that took was practice, but she much preferred something that wasn't nearly as unsteady, or nearly as uncomfortable. 

[Taylor McCarthy]

Taylor exhaled slowly and nodded. The weight of her words was nearly overwhelming. He hadn't expected such a reaction from her given the circumstances. The way she looked up to him when she spoke warmed his heart, though. If he'd been even a tiny part of her suddenly optimistic outlook then he was content. It was a fitting turn around for the night that could only be defined as an emotional roller coaster. It already felt as though the prom was a distant memory even though it had been mere minute ago.

As she plucked the heels from her feet, Taylor gave a bit of a smile. There was a hint of that goofy, lopsided grin to be found just beneath the warm veneer of the sincere, almost adoring expression on his face. He never imagined they'd get to this point or that Lucy would look at him in the manner that she did while saying words he'd never imagined she'd speak. It was enough to make him dizzy and wonder what else was in store. "So." He said, his tone low as he moved back to slip his arms around her waist. "What next?"

[Lucy James]

"Well," she drawled, her head tilting. She moved her hand to pull the collar of his suit down enough for her to leave a trail of kissing on his newly exposed skin. Stopping only long enough for her to speak, "One, we could go back down and laugh as the various teenagers drinks the spiked punch." She left another trail of kissing along the line of his neck. "Two, we could go down to the art studio and get some water balloons and fill them with paint and toss them at people from the roof."

She moved her other hand to unbutton a few of the buttons of his shirt. Nipping gently at his collarbone, she continued, "Three, we could stay here." Her hand dropped to his waist, circling around it as her fingers pulled at his shirt. Snaking her fingers underneath it, she brushed the tip of them along the skin on his hips. "Four, I could leave you hanging and walk away." Immediately after, both her hands went to his chest to give him a slight push.

[Taylor McCarthy]

Oh the unwitting hold that Lucy had on Taylor. His felt a shiver run along his spine as her hands found their way across his body. When her lips touched his skin he'd barely heard her words. He couldn't help his eyes from closing as she trailed the kisses long his neck while stating their options. He was lost under the hypnotizing hold of her touch, as always. Try as he might, there was no resisting and no pulling away.

A reluctant groan escaped the back of his throat as she pushed upon him. If he didn't enjoy it so much her constant teasing would have left him frustrated. He gave a shake of his head as he looked to her again. She could see the affect she had on him lingering in his gaze. She had a way of tugging at every single little thread he had hanging. It was maddening and exciting at the same time. "How about we go with two or three?" He suggested as he, much like he'd always done, moved forward even though she'd pushed him away.

[Lucy James]

Her hands found their way back to him as he drew close again. She didn't attempt to push him away again and instead, she let her hands continue where they'd left off. It was hard not to. She could tease him as much as she wanted and pretend that it left her unaffected, but that was nothing more than utter and complete bullshit. "You have to pick one or the other," she replied huskily.

Pressing the heel of her foot against the door behind her, Lucy swiftly placed the boy's hands on her thigh as she pulled him closer yet. Her hand then went to the back of his hair, fingers running through the chocolate brown locks. "Unless you want option four," she added thoughtfully. "Though I suppose I could do that anyways..." 

[Taylor McCarthy]

So they were playing this sort of game. Taylor grinned. He didn't mind. As long as option four wasn't in the cards, he would be fine. At this point he had drifted well beyond merely being drawn to Lucy. He didn't just want to be around her, he needed to. At least for tonight. She was a maddening mix of teasing and emotion that he simply couldn't get enough of. He didn't know what her admissions to him meant moving forward but he was captivated by her presence and was curious to see where this all would lead.

"How about..." He leaned in, his body pressing hers into the door as he stole a kiss. "Three..." The hand she'd placed on her thigh slowly crept upward beneath her dress. There was no denying the urges she had a way of drawing out of him. He suspected she meant to do it, using sex as a weapon just seemed like her style, and it drove him crazy. He took another kiss as his hand moved further along it's sordid trail. "Then after, we give two a try."

[Lucy James]

The hand trailing up along her thigh caused goosebumps to spread across her skin. It was easy being the tease-y when there was no emotions raging within your chest. However, when there was, it suddenly changed the game completely. The emotional roller coaster that she'd pushed herself through just in the course of a few minutes was enough to drive just about anyone insane. "Hmmm," she spoke softly as her lips moved back to his neck.

Her hand went to the hand moving up her thigh. Stopping it from venturing any further, the brunette grinned against his neck. "I don't know," she whispered, unable to keep the amusement out of her voice. Her free hand moved to open a few more of the buttons of the shirt underneath his jacket. Slapping the hand on her thigh away, Lucy's head leaned back against the door and she offered Taylor a devilish smirk. "Option four still sounds like the safer one to me."

There was no denying the emotions coursing through her veins. It was intense, in very confusing kind of way. It was a weird position the brunette found herself in to be sure. Even know, it felt different than all the other times she'd been around the boy. It felt more intense and overwhelming and it made her head swim and her thoughts growing hazy, muddled.