23. morgan

"Hey, Hails." I say, completely caught off guard. I sit up and move off of Matthew. She looks at me confused and disgusted.

"What's going on." She says, firm. She puts her hands on her hips and Colton slowly gets as far away from the room as he possibly could.

"Matthew and I were just getting a drink and, I think we got a little tipsy." I lie.

"I don't think one drink will make you so tipsy that you fall asleep on top of my brother."

"I don't know. It was a pretty strong drink." Matthew says, stretching his arms out.

"You look sober. Don't lie to me." She gets angrier at Matthew.

"It's my fault, Hailey." I say, standing up.

"Morgan." Matthew whispers under his breath.

"Im pretty tired and I just needed to rest. There's nothing between us." I say.

"There's always been something between you guys."

I step back and start to get upset with her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask.

"You've had some creepy obsession with my brother for years. Don't act like I didn't notice. Part of me used to think you'd only hangout with me to see him. Guess I was right about that." She looks me up and down when she realizes she's winning the argument.

I feel my face get hot and my body fills with anger and embarrassment. Creepy obsession? I know she realizes Matthew is right beside me hearing all of this. That's why she's saying it.

"Do you really think I'm that much of a bitch? Like I really only listened to everything you had to say so I could hookup with your brother?" I yell.

"Sure explains why your dating life is so boring. You've been waiting for him this whole time. Just so you know, he only dates girls with experience."

Tears fill my eyes. My hands ball into fists. I wish I never came up to her lake house.

"Well I'm sorry not all of us are sluts like you!"

She stands still, breathing deeply. Tears begin to flow down her bright red cheeks and she death stares me as I regret what I just said.

"Hailey, I,"

"So that's what you really think of me," she says, "okay, well have fun having sex and then being ghosted by Matthew the next day." She speed walks out, letting quiet sobs escape her mouth.

"Morgan." Matthew says, grabbing my arm.

"Why did I say that. I didn't mean it." I cry into his chest.

"Shh, I know. I know." He assures me, rubbing my back.

"Now my best friend hates me."

"She doesn't hate you, Morgan. No friendship is always positive. There's always going to be arguments."

"I lied to her though. I lied to her face."

"She'll understand. We will tell her eventually when she calms down. You don't have to lie to her forever."

I look up at him and he wipes my tears.

"For the record I don't only go for girls with experience." He whispers.

"And I only had a slightly creepy obsession with you." I reply which makes him laugh. He pulls me in for another hug and we take a deep breath at the same time. I hear his heart beating and I time my breaths to it.

"Let's go home." He says.

"Not yet, I need a drink." I reply.

I drag Matthew around as he encourages me to go to the car with him. I take a shot of whatever is there, feeling the burn down my throat which is already sore from yelling. Music is pounding in my ears as I spin to it, laughing.

"Morgan, I think we should go home now, you're tired."

"Who cares, let's dance." I grab his hands and spin him. I jump around and he stands there, unamused.

I turn my head and see Hailey standing to my left. I stick my tongue at her and shut my eyes closed as hard as I could.

"Matt, is she good?" I hear Colton ask.

"I've never been better!" I squeal, "Colton, dance with us!" I grab his hand and he pulls away reluctantly.

"I think you've had a little too much to drink." He says.

"What, that's crazy. This is my song!" I sing along at the top of my lungs, messing up every other lyric. I see a girl holding a bottle of hard lemonade and grab it, taking a sip.

"Hey, that's mine!" She yells.

Colton grabs the bottle out of my hands and gives it back to her.

"Sorry, she's had a little too much to drink." He says apologetically.

"I haven't had too much to drink." I reply.

I felt a feeling in my stomach, like all my feeling were coming back to me. It was twisting and I felt it coming up.

I overhear Alexis talking to Hailey just behind me.

"Is Morgan okay?" Alexis asks.

"Yeah I think she's feeling pretty full of herself right now, slut shaming anyone in her path." She replies.

I turn around.

"I'm not slut shaming anyone in my path," I say slowly, "I only slut shamed you. Which was an accident by the way."

Matthew grabs my arm and starts to gently take me out of the party.

"Here he is protecting her." Hailey says to me.

"She got so drunk because of the fight between you guys. You could've at least tried to be a little nicer."

"Nicer? She slut shamed me!"

"And you called her a creep who's obsessed with me when in reality you've got it all wrong. You are a mean girl and then act like you do nothing wrong when people give you the same energy back." He says. She doesn't reply.

We leave and I get into the front seat. He gets into the driver seat and starts the car. Pulling out of the driveway I feel words preparing to flow out.

"Matthew."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for sticking up for me. And I'm sorry for you needing to see me like this."

"It's okay. Don't worry about it. We've all had embarrassing drunk stories." He says, smiling.

"Really? I doubt you'd have any?"

"Is that a challenge?"

"You know I love a good challenge. What's a story where you've been drunk that was worse."

"I went to this party at the end of the school year last summer. I had a few too many drinks when I realized this girl I'd been talking with walks in. I see her and we go to another quiet room. Things are good until she goes in for a kiss and I throw up on her."

"No way. Did she forgive you?" I ask in shock.

"She cared more about her dress than me." He replied.

I laugh under my breath and open the window. I rest my arm beside me and lay back into the seat. My eyes close and I fall asleep in his car with the breeze in my face.

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- Author's note

Hello! So much has happened since I last updated. Sorry for the slow update it's been about a month since I last posted a chapter. This is a shorter one but I really wanted to get a chapter out! Thank you all for 2 thousand reads! I am so grateful! I hope you guys enjoy the rest of the story!! <3